I'm looking at buying a 1998 or 1999 limited.
I prefer the older styilg of the G cherokee, vers the rounder styling that came after 1999.

I'm not sure iI want the stright six or the 318, I don't want the 360.

Flue ecomomy is a minor concern ( im running a 06 2500 hemi now ) But I need a 2nd means of transport, what are the engine issues, of the 4.0 and 5.2 that may be pressent in a used SUV ?/

 

I'm on my 4th Grand Cherokee now. When I was married3 of themwere my wife's daily driver. A '94 4x2 Laredo 4.0, a '98 4x2 Laredo 4.0, a '02 4x4 Sport 4.0 (she kept that one when we split). I currently have a '02 4x4 Overland 4.7 H.O.
I alwayspreferred the look of the ZJ over the WJ myself as well. However, even though it doesn't appear so from the outside, there is a good bit more room in the newer WJ's.
Try to find you a good Laredo, it's the lower end and will be cheaper, but more importantly, it has less of the electrical crap to go bad on you. The drivetrain and 4x4 systems are virtually bullettproof, but the extras are cash cow crap! Definately stay with a conventional heat/air system. The dual zone found in many Limited's and all Overland's is crap. The electronic blend and recirc doors fail more often than an LSD in a Dodge truck and carry about a $2500 price tag to repair. The 4.0, 5.2 and 4.7 are all pretty reliable engines, but the 4.0 I6 is almost indestructable. I have friends with this engine in ZJ's, WJ's & XJ's who have logged well over 200,000 miles with no major issues. I gave my mother our '98 Laredo when we bought the '02 and she just recently traded it in on a '08 Grand Caravan. So, it's been in the family for over 10 years and had 94k miles on it and other than the fact that it ate front rotors, it never needed anything but normal mainainance and replacement of wear & tear items. Although it gets no better gas mileage than the V8's, it is cheaper to maintain and should last forever with just marginal care.

 

I would prefer the 4.0, but on ocassion I might want to tow ( ya I have the truck, But its a reg cab ) wife and kids and dog need some were to sit, I will be in deep leagel trouble if I thier in them the back of my truck ( my truck is a work truck ) so for simpicity sake, I'm thinking the 5.2, even thow the 4.7 is a helll of a engine, it's not the body style of Grand cherokee I like.

What abought the automatics in the Cherokee? Do they have the same reputation as the RAm automatics?

 

The 318 (5.2) isa hell of an engine, the LA series (318 & 360) by today's standards are short on performance and compared to the 4.0 & 4.7 (and most other engines) are horrendous on gas mileage, but they seem to last forever. Even though the tranny's are basically the same ones as used on the trucks, it seems I hear a lot less about failed ones in Jeeps and I'm on a few Jeep forums.
The 4.7 H.O. in my current Overlandis getting me about 20.5 mpg going back & forth to work which is 16 miles of mainly 2 lane roads between 2 towns with speed limits of 55 and a few blocks of streets with traffic lights at the beginning and end. The High Output engine has many upgrades over the standard 4.7 and really gets it. The Overland package is very plush and the upgraded suspension and 4 wheel drive system with electronic lockers front and rear make it more off-road worthy than my truck, except for the ground clearence.
Even though I've always had V8 4x4 trucks, when I was married we always took the Jeeps on vacations. I've used all 3 of my 4.0 Jeeps to tow the bassboat I had (about 3000 lbs. with gear) many times on trips without any problem whatsoever. I feel that with that weight or less, you'd be pleased with the 4.0, it's a torquy sucker...

 

I test drove a 98 grandcherokie Limited with the 318, 135,000 km ( I'm gussing 70,000 miles ) asking price is 13,000 cdn, no way I'm paying that much, but the GC was mint with leathier and all the gadgets.

Ride and handeling were really nice, engine was a tad nosiey ( lifters, tapets, sounded like a ford ) But othier wise thier was plenty of get up go, not Hemi get up go but more than enough power for daily driving.

I had to learn how drive a automatic all over again, I can't aford a newer model with the 4.7 and to date this GC is in the best shape I have come across, but it will have to wiat.
The GC was at a GM dealer

 

To give you an idea in what they are running here (Florida), money-wise, I bought my '02 Overland (the most expensive package) less then 4 months ago. The advertised price by the Dealer (a Jeep dealership) was $14,900 and they posted a $16,700 Kelly Blue Book retail in the ad. Got them down to $11,250 with a 3 month, 3000 mile bumper to bumper warranty (I also paid $50 to transfer the original 7/70 powertrain as it had 61,000 miles on it). I also looked at a '99 2wd Laredo, 4.0 with 79,000 miles on it that had a price of $10,900 on the window as well a 2004 2wd Laredo, 4.0 with 85,000 miles on it with a price of $12,900 on the window. I feel I probably could have gotten them down to about $8500 on the '99 and maybe around $10,000 on the '04. I really didn't need a second V8, 4x4, but the Overland's plush leather interior got me, it was mint and the rear seats looked like they were never sat on...

 

Keep going back, they get much cheaper. They are the same body style from 93-99, no major changes really. The 318 is nice, but in a jeep the only way to go is a 4.0. My brother has a 93 JGC with the 4.0 and over 200,000 miles, the only things he has done is a CV joint, steering column (ignition tumbler went out and it was cheaper to get a used column, common problem with 93's but was revised in 94.), and we did an engine reseal on it because it was leaking oil. Other than that, she is a great truck.

 

The 318 and 360 engines are plagued with intake plenum leaks. Besides that, both the I6 and the V8s are very durable. Good luck!