Used 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV Consumer Reviews
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I love my 5.9
ptowntsi, 12/29/2006
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9 Limited 4dr SUV 4WD
29 of 29 people found this review helpful
This has to be one of the best SUV's available used. I would take it over any mid-size SUV or wimpy crossover. Yes it is true many of these need to have their front and rear axles rebuilt around 100k miles, but that is not so bad. For the price of the vehicle it is easy to spend that money to have them done. When they are rebuilt they will last an easy 100k+ or more. It is completely justifiable. These Jeeps have awesome power, and very luxurious interiors. The 5.9 limited has better leather seats than any Jeep, heated seats, heated mirrors, a great AWD system, and timeless classic styling. I recommend this Jeep for anyone looking for a reliable vehicle.
Most sought JEEP model
joanne, 06/19/2016
updated 07/13/2018
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9 Limited 4dr SUV 4WD
23 of 25 people found this review helpful
They didn't make too many of them, they're in high demand. There's also a club for just this model. Minimal repairs since owning vehicle. Most luxurious Jeep model and year I've seen. Gas Mileage could be better, 20-22 on the freeway, less in town. Still going strong after 20 years. Still looks nearly new. Has 194,000 miles, had to put in a new cooling fan two years ago. Shop could not find a replacement, had to put in a different one. The cooling fan is electric and has two speeds. The low speed fan switch just went out, the high speed switch is OK. The shop was unable to find a replacement that day as they're not stock, I'll have to find one on my own. Oh yes, when I put in the new cooling fan, I found out at a later date the shop stole the front part of the drive shaft. The vehicle didn't have the power it as supposed to have while climbing a mountain. I called a friend and told him, he didn't know what to make of it. When I reached my destination, the starter went out. A guy from Auto Zone crawled under there, replaced the starter, told me the front part of the drive shaft was gone, as in stolen. I just read another guy's post. He runs the heck out of it, stomps on the gas, drag races from one traffic signal to the next. He also states he has to run premium fuel. I always run mid-grade when driving in town, but I drive the vehicle gently. For a while, I was accidentally running 87 as that's what my other vehicle uses, I didn't notice a difference. There was some slight pinging but I had to put the window down and drive by a concrete barrier to hear it. When I'm traveling cross country and going into the mountains, I use premium fuel.
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Last of the ZJ Series
William, 02/10/2018
updated 02/13/2020
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4dr SUV 4WD
16 of 17 people found this review helpful
This is my 2nd Jeep Grand Cherokee, so I already know what to expect. I had a 96 prior to getting my 98. They're the same with very few changes if any that a typical buyer would even know, and most dealers wouldn't know either. Overall mine is great condition, and considered low mileage (150k) for being 20 years old. I have the 4.0L Straight 6 and it gets up and moves just fine. Gets mid 20's for fuel economy on the highway...its a box on wheels going down the road its not going to get excellent fuel economy...if you want that buy a Prius. The Jeep Grand Cherokee is quite a capable vehicle in stock form, handles snow/ice/mud very well (with the right driver of course). I opted for the Selec-Trac 4WD system in my 98. My 96 had the Quadra-Trac 4WD system. Both do great in snow/ice, but the Selec-Trac gives you the best of all worlds, 2WD, 4WD part time and full time, neutral and low range. The Quadra-Trac is full time 4WD with neutral and low range. These were offered with the 4.0L Straight 6 engine, a 318 (5.2L) V8, or a 360 (5.9L) V8 for only the 98 model year. Any of these engines will give you great performance, the 5.9L V8 was a special package option of course. Fuel economy averages around 12-14 in town, depending on your driving style, 4WD usage, terrain, speed, etc. Highway fuel economy is going to be mostly based on your speed and driving style as well as the tires you have. Expect low to mid 20's for regular highway driving at a steady speed and around 65mph, any faster and your fuel economy will of course drop just like any other vehicle. My 96 Grand Cherokee had 232,000 miles on it when I sold it, and it still ran and drove great. My current 98 has 151,000 miles on it and needs new stabilizer bushings and such, but nothing that keeps it from being extremely reliable. The 6 cylinder models are rated to tow 5,000lbs, I can tell you they'll tow more but I wouldn't recommend doing so on a regular basis...also they no longer have an auxiliary external transmission cooler so if you want to do any towing I'd definitely recommend having one installed. The V8 models are rated for 6,500lbs towing. The back seat split folds 60/40 giving a very nice roomy cargo area. My Jeep has the flip up glass in the rear hatch, making loading and unloading smaller items pretty easy, and keeping things from falling out that have been stuffed into the cargo area. The spare tire does take up quite a bit of interior space on the left side of the cargo area, however. Regular maintenance and good quality fuel and these things are going to take you anywhere you want to go anytime you want to go regardless of weather. They have very good road manners even in crosswinds and they are balanced very well making them go in the snow/ice much better than many other similar vehicles.
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Decent SUV
keeferk, 05/11/2013
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9 Limited 4dr SUV 4WD
14 of 16 people found this review helpful
I just bought this jeep in college with 308k miles on it. I was pretty wary about having problems at that high of a mileage, but so far the only thing that needs replaced is the tires and maybe brakes. I had to test it out in the mud today and the check engine light came on. Great drunk person carriage, I've saved a lot of lives driving people around in this thing. Wouldn't trade it for anything.
Limited 5.9 Still a BEAST
princeofpeace, 02/22/2011
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9 Limited 4dr SUV 4WD
31 of 38 people found this review helpful
We bought this as a step up in a second car. It quickly became our favorite. From 0-100 it takes just 16 seconds! Stops from 100 m.p.h. in a amazing 126ft. This is a 1/4 mile high 14's Jeep! Bone stock,179K miles still idles at 600rpm smooth as glass. Stomping on the gas lurches you forward without any tire spin just flat out acceleration. Gets 15m.p.g. overall a stout 18@ 65mph for any length. The interior is laid out perfect! Cruise and radio/CD control on the steering wheel.Climate control that really works! Slick leather seats in dove Grey.Leather and wood everywhere! Faster than 5.0's n Vettes in the 1990's! Still shocks kids at red light jumps. Only in a Jeep!
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