We all can’t be David Tracy, the guy that has people tossing Jeeps at him like singles at a stripper. We can however consider today’s Cherokee Sport which has something even Tracy might crave, a 5-speed stick. Let’s see if that’s worth paying more than just David Dollars.
Okay, confession time. Gather ‘round, children, gather ‘round. Are you ready? Here goes. I like minivans.
Yep, for the purpose they serve, minivans are the best at getting the job done. I find it a shame that the people mover category, once rife with innovative and capacious carriers, has now been usurped by cramped and dank SUVs and crossovers.
That’s why I liked yesterday’s , and that’s even despite its being an underpowered box with questionable road stamina. When I was but a wee tot my family had a VW Type 2 that we drove from Los Angeles to Chicago and back. Did it have horsepower to spare? Oh hell no. It still made the round-trip trek with nothing more than a blown fuse for the wipers. That’s why I would give yesterday’s EuroVan a hard look. At its $5,000 asking, fully 66 percent of you felt similar, checking that VW box’s box for a Nice Price win.
One of the most endearing features of yesterday’s Volkswagen was its 5-speed stick, a rare thing to find on a vehicle of that nature. Today we’re switching both cars and category, but we’re keeping the 5-speed since we like those a hell of a lot.
This rocks the aforementioned 5-speed, and that is bolted to Jeep’s solid citizen of an engine, the 4.0-litre OHV straight six. That mill shares parts with AMC’s 2.5-litre four and in this model pumped out a respectable 190 horsepower and 224 lb-ft of twist. The Command-Trac 4WD sends all that power to a Dana 30 solid axle up front, and to a Dana 35 in back. So equipped, this Cherokee has done a laudable 228,000 miles.
That’s a lot of road, but the truck doesn’t seem all the worse for wear from the miles. The red over black paint seems to be in decent condition, and there appears to be no road rot lurking beneath it. All the fender flares are intact as well, as is the side trim. Steel wheels underpin here and those are wrapped in what the seller describes as ‘good tires.’
Step inside and you’ll find a grey cloth interior that also seems to have survived the years and miles without much complaint. It should be noted that when it was introduced, the Cherokee shared its unusual center rail seats with the AMC/Renault Alliance. Thankfully, little else on the Jeep was simpatico with that tissue paper-quality Renault.
We don’t get to see any underhood shots, but the ad says that the Jeep runs perfect and accentuates that claim with an exclamation point for emphasis. The glass is said to be good all around and it comes with new brakes to boot. As the cherry on top of this red Jeep, the title is said to be clean as a bean.
The asking price for this manual-equipped and seemingly decent Cherokee is $2,600 and before you start complaining about David Tracy getting them for free, remember his favorite cheese is Swiss and he never takes possession of any Jeep that doesn’t demand a tetanus update beforehand.
This Jeep is more your and my speed, and doesn’t seem to need as much as the Jeeps David gravitates toward. The question is: could that make it worth that $2,600 asking?
You decide!
Seattle, WA , or go if the ad disappears.
H/T to RevUnlimiter for the hookup!
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