1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9 Liter Limited from North America

Summary:

Perfect blend of power, utility, luxury and off road ability. It can do it all

Faults:

Normal routine items that wear out after 100,000 miles. I installed Power-slot rotors, Hawk Pads, and Edelbrock IAS shocks, 10mm Magnacore spark plug wires, cap and rotor. All mechanical systems have performed well and are still very healthy.

General Comments:

The 5.9 liter engine in stock form cranks out 245 hp and 345 ft. lbs of torque. It propels the 4200 lbs of luxury SUV from 0 to 60 in 6.8 seconds. 1/4 mile time is 15.2 seconds (Motor Trend Jan, 1998)

The exhaust is a melodious growl. The 5.9 purrs like a kitten and throttle response is crisp. The large amount of low rpm torque gets you goin' (in a hurry)

The leather interior is of top shelf quality. I love the design of the Grand Cherokee as well. The 5.9L came in Platinum, Stone White and Deep Slate. All imaginable options came standard, well the towing package and skid plates & tow hooks were options. A total of about 14,000 5.9l ZJ's were made in 1998.

I recommend installing a larger throttle body 52mm or 53mm (stock is 48mm) msd digital 6 ignition, AEM Brute Force Intake, Computer Chip upgrade and 180 degree thermostat. These mods should get you over 300hp and let you run mid to high 14's in the quarter mile.

The braking system is superb on the Grand Cherokee. It has four wheel ABS disc brakes which will stop you from 0 to 60 in 130 feet.

The all wheel full time 4 wheel drive is a great. Quadra-Trac, which normally puts all the torque to the rear axle, but can automatically shift torque fore and aft at any split between zero and 100 percent, so that the torque always goes to the tires that have the best traction.

Stock tire size is 225/70/16 I will recommend going with 245/70/16 Bridgestone Dueler AT Revos of Goodyear Triple Tread Fortera.

Its fuel mileage is 14mpg city and about 19 highway. Speed costs money... how fast can you afford to go? It does cost more to run, but you get what you pay for. Kind of like if you want to make an omelet you have to break some eggs.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 4th November, 2005

9th Nov 2005, 15:03

I had meant to write the braking is from 60 mph to 0 mph (duh).

The Jeep Grand Cherokee won 4x4 of the year again in 1998 from Petersons 4Wheel and off road.

http://4wheeloffroad.com/roadtests/131_9802_eval/

It includes specifications for the 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9L.

22nd Dec 2005, 10:53

Update from original poster:

I installed 245/70/16 Goodyear Fortera Triple Tread tires. They are top-ranked by Consumer Reports. I have been very impressed with their dry, wet and snow handling and braking.

I am not affiliated with Goodyear either. They cost me $165 per tire. OOOOUCH! (I will get a $100 rebate for set of 4)

Also, the Edelbrock IAS shock absorbers ($68 each from Summit) offer superb handling and ride comfort. Very pleased with them too!

Thanks for reading. Happy and safe motoring!

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee Larado 5.2L from North America

Summary:

Grand Cherokee is just grand for grad student

Faults:

Electrical problems with interior lights and the center rear brake light at 73, 200 miles.

Two batteries replaced in four years.

Front bumper paint oxidation.

Automatic door locks need replacement.

General Comments:

V-8, 5.2 L engine is fast, uses lots of gas, and has lots of pick up. Love driving the car and it looks good. Best seats for long drives. Air conditioning excellent for deserts of Arizona. Factory stereo system with high end speakers are not impressive. The CD-radio combo is adequate, not great. 2WD is fine for street driving and some rural roads. Save 4x4 for snow and sleet, but in desert, it's not worth it.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 20th October, 2005

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee Special Edition V6 from North America

Summary:

I have no major complaints

Faults:

The Infinity Gold Speakers have blown.

The rotors have been replaced several times.

The gas mileage is not as good as it should be for the v6. We also own a v8 which gets the same or sometimes better gas mileage than the v6. We bought the v6 solely for the purpose of better gas mileage!

The original tires did not wear well. I have since put Michelin tires on it and I love the ride!

General Comments:

I like the ride. I like the select-trac 4wheel drive option rather than all wheel drive.

The interior looks like new.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 8th October, 2004

12th Mar 2013, 17:53

You don't have a "V6"... Your Jeep is an inline 6.