Make no mistake about it: the used truck market has been nothing short of a wild ride these past three years, with values and interests bouncing around like a beach ball at a Nickelback concert. With the fluctuation, 4x4 and truck enthusiasts, weekend warriors, and collectors have had to push past the typical array of trucks and SUVs in search of value. But still, buyers are asking,
“Is there a bargain 4x4 in this market?”
Yes. Yes, there is. It’s called the Jeep Grand Cherokee ZJ, and it looks like this:
History of the Jeep Grand Cherokee ZJ
Chrysler might have taken the Jeep nameplate when they bought Renault’s interest in AMC in 1987, but make no mistake: the Jeep Grand Cherokee ZJ had American Motors stamped all over it when it debuted for the 1992 model year.
In fact, the Jeep Grand Cherokee can be dated back to 1983 when the AMC brass first kicked the idea around for developing an entry between the XJ Cherokee and the up-market Grand Wagoneer. Development formally kicked off by 1985 and was aided by CAD modeling, which was, at the time, a fairly new tool in automotive design.
The ZJ was originally slated to launch in the late 80s, but after Chrysler acquired AMC, resources were diverted to the Chrysler Minivan, and the Grand Cherokee was deprioritized. When it did finally launch for the 1993 model year, Chrysler president and automotive legend Bob Lutz and Detroit mayor Coleman Young punctuated the moment by going full Elon and driving a bright Poppy Red ZJ Laredo through a plate glass wall at Detroit’s Cobo Arena at the 1992 North American International Auto Show.
Gimmicky? Sure. But the Grand Cherokee ZJ itself was anything but, winning Motor Trend’s Truck of the Year for 1993 and Peterson’s 4-Wheel & Off-Road 4x4 of the Year 1993 for its fresh styling, abundance of interior comfort features, and rugged, reliable powertrain options.
Trim & Powertrain Options
Buyers could outfit their Jeep Grand Cherokee with either the Base, Laredo, or Limited trim level, the latter offering cosmetic upgrades like leather seats with front and rear adjustable headrests, and special wheel choices.
Powering the Jeep Grand Cherokee ZJ was your choice of gas-powered engines: the legendary AMC 4.0L I6, or a Chrysler 5.2L Magnum V8, which was later replaced with a Chrysler 5.9L Magnum V8. European buyers could also get their hands on a 2.5L I4 diesel engine.
The engines were mostly mated to a series of 4-speed automatic transmissions depending on the year and motor, but you could snag a 5-speed manual for the 1993 and 1994 model years when mated to the 4.0L I6.
The Grand Cherokee ZJ could be equipped with either 4-wheel drive or 2-wheel drive, with 2-wheel drive variations being fairly common. Jeep’s full-time 4-wheel drive system, called Quadra-Trac, offered dynamic response to road / off-road conditions without driver intervention, while a low-range gear offered additional assistance for more complex conditions.
The Jeep Grand Cherokee ZJ remained in production until 1998, when it was succeeded by the second generation, called the WJ (no plate glass was harmed in its unveiling). During its production, it went head-to-head with an emerging class of mid-size SUVs, highlighted by competitors like the Ford Explorer, Land Rover Discovery II, Chevrolet S-10 Blazer, and the beautifully weird Isuzu VehiCROSS.
Capability & Outfitting
For its era, and especially in comparison with its core competitors for the day, the Jeep Cherokee ZJ is a fairly sophisticated vehicle, properly positioned as a luxury vehicle without skipping on core functionality.
It offers a surprisingly comfortable ride quality thanks to its multi-link Quadra-Coil suspension and smooth, well-developed engines. Additionally, it comes with anti-lock brakes (operable in 4-wheel drive), towing up to 3,500 lbs., ample cabin space, fully-carpeted rear cargo area, standard heated side mirrors, rear window wiper blade, auto-dimming rear-view mirror (Limited trim), and tilt, leather-wrapped steering wheel, and more.
What Does a Jeep Grand Cherokee ZJ Cost?
Now for the good part.
Despite massive price jumps for anything with four wheels, the moving average price for the Jeep Grand Cherokee ZJ has remained remarkably stable over the past five years at about $11,500 - $12,000, per sales data from CLASSIC.COM.
The most desired versions are the 5.9L Magnum V8-powered examples with the Limited trim and 4-wheel drive.
Finding a ZJ on the open market isn’t remarkably difficult, with several regularly on marketplaces like Facebook, Craigslist, and Fourbie. Heck, you could probably pull up to your local shopping center right now, see one in the parking lot, leave a note on the windshield, and have the keys in hand before the sun goes down.
In total, a staggering 1.2 million ZJs were built during its production run. Not exactly the rarest 4x4 out there, but because they offered accessible luxury and were highly capable, many were put to task by their early owners, while more recent owners are converting into weekend overland and off-road rigs. So, as with any new-to-you vehicle purchase, you’ll want to look for one with solid maintenance records.
Cost of ownership is generally low, with the three gas-powered engines all enjoying a fairly high amount of available parts and service generally fairly inexpensive to perform. Most common issues are annoying at worst, with repairs rated at a 1-Wrench difficulty. These include things like headlight casing fog, alarm system draining the battery, failing factory audio speakers and radio, and the Vehicle Information Center (VIC) throwing intermittent errors.
Go Buy A Jeep Grand Cherokee ZJ Today
When factoring in heritage, capability, and bang-for-the-buck, the first generation Jeep Grand Cherokee ZJ is a hard ride to beat. While unassuming, it’s a high-functioning 4x4 that will reliably serve as a family daily-driver, or as the platform for your next off-road build.
In the market? Find your Jeep Grand Cherokee ZJ for sale now on Fourbie.
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