Once upon a time, the auto market was all about cars. Sedans, wagons, and hatchbacks. Through the pioneering efforts of companies like Jeep, though, the SUV eventually came to dominate all. As the craze picked up steam in the 1990s, the company delivered a new star–the Jeep Grand Cherokee. It was a bold move for Jeep to go with a unibody design, but it quickly won fans and started raking in the cash.
Where the smaller Jeep Cherokee was eventually watered down and left the market (fairly recently), the Grand Cherokee continues on to this day. Its ethos has shifted over the years, but it remains an important part of the brand’s lineup in an increasingly uncertain time for the industry.
Let’s run the numbers and see just how far the Grand Cherokee has come from its early days. We’ll examine how it’s changed in price, position, and equipment, and how the automotive world has changed around it. I’ve got a calculator and a pile of research, so let’s go! Oh, and the best bit’s right at the end.
PRICE: 2024 Grand Cherokee v. 1993 Grand Cherokee
The Jeep Grand Cherokee entered production in 1992 for the 1993 model year, and was designated as the ZJ. It was the bold sequel to the wildly-popular XJ Jeep Cherokee. It took the same unibody SUV concept but stepped into the mid-sized segment, adding rear coil springs, an available V8 engine, and luxuries like automatic headlights and cupholders (that’s right; XJs didn’t get cupholders until 1997). Jeep suspected that Americans would appreciate the greater size and luxury.
The 1993 model hit the market at a base price of $21,898, equivalent to $47,705 today. In 1993, the US median family income was $31,241, equivalent to $68,059 today.
The 2024 Grand Cherokee starts at $38,290 by comparison, including destination fees. That’s over $9,000 cheaper than the original 1993 model after accounting for inflation! Median family income was $80,610 in 2023, the closest year that the Census Bureau has released data for. Adjusted for inflation in the last year, it’s equal to $83,280 today.
Yes, the price of a Grand Cherokee has changed significantly in the last 31 years. Median incomes have risen, too, in that time. Thus, at least on paper, it’s actually easier for the average person to get into a Grand Cherokee now than back in 1993. It’s still not a cheap vehicle by any means, but the Grand Cherokee has always been a model that was intended for the mass market, not the lofty upper echelons of the luxury sector.
POWER & WEIGHT: 2024 Grand Cherokee v. 1993 Grand Cherokee
Let’s talk drivetrains! The 1993 model debuted with a range of engines, starting with the venerable AMC 4.0-liter straight six. It offered 190 horsepower and a healthy 225 pound-feet of torque. If you stepped up to the 4WD model with the 5.2-liter V8, you could have 220 horsepower and 285 pound-feet of torque. Curb weight was 3,574 pounds for the 2WD inline six, and ranged up to 3,901 pounds for the 4WD V8. (There was also a 5.9-liter, but that wasn’t available until 1998).
The base 2024 Grand Cherokee comes with a 3.6-liter V6 good for 293 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed auto. Meanwhile, curb weights have gone up significantly, starting at 4,513 pounds for the base model.
You can do even better if you buy the Grand Cherokee 4xe, which rocks a hybrid drivetrain. It’s got a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine paired with two hybrid motors producing a total output of 375 hp and 470 pound feet of torque. The addition of that 17 kWh battery comes at a cost though, with the 4xe rocking a hefty curb weight of 5,664 pounds.
What of the V8 option? Well, that brings us to a complication. For the current generation, Jeep released the longer-wheelbase Grand Cherokee L in 2021, following with the regular Grand Cherokee in 2022. The Grand Cherokee itself dropped the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 for 2023, but it continues to be available in the larger variant. It offers 360 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque, but it’s thirsty. It’ll do 14 mpg city, 22 mpg highway, or 17 mpg combined. It’s a heavier hitter, though, at 5,377 pounds.
Crunching the numbers, the 1993 Grand Cherokee achieved a power-to-weight ratio of 0.053 horsepower per pound with the inline six, or 0.056 horsepower per pound with the V8. As for the 2024 models, the base V6 offers 0.064 horsepower per pound, while the hybrid 4xe and the larger V8 Grand Cherokee L both dial in at 0.066 horsepower per pound.
As you’d expect, the modern variants are quite a bit faster than the original models. That’s not just down to power-to-weight, either. You also have to credit modern transmissions, tires, and in the hybrid’s case, the benefit of instant-on electric torque. The fastest is the 2024 Grand Cherokee 4xe, which will knock off the zero-to-60 mph sprint in just 5.3 seconds, while even the basic V6 will turn in a respectable 7.4 seconds. The V8 Grand Cherokee L lands in the middle at 6.2 seconds. Compare those figures to the 1993 model, which would do the same sprint in 10 seconds flat with the 4.0-liter engine, or around 8.1 seconds with the more exciting V8 powerplant.
Economy:Â 2024 Grand Cherokee v. 1993 Grand Cherokee
But what of fuel economy? It’s a prime concern today, given the way gas prices have climbed. Gas was a fair bit cheaper in 1993—just $1.11 a gallon, or $2.42 today. Average gas prices now sit at $3.40 a gallon across the country in 2024.
In 1993, fuel economy was an era-appropriate 13 city, 18 highway, 15 mpg combined for the inline six with rear-wheel-drive. Not great by modern standards, but not unusual for the early 1990s. If you stepped up to the 4WD model with the 5.2-liter V8, it would net you 12 mpg city, 17 mpg highway, and 14 mpg combined.
The 2024 model does a fair bit better. With the basic V6, it’ll do 19 mpg city, 26 mpg highway, and 22 mpg combined—whether you buy the 2WD or 4WD model. The hybrid 4xe model is rated at 56 MPGe by the EPA and will do 26 miles on electric power alone thanks to its 17 kWh battery. Meanwhile, it’s rated at 23 mpg combined when running solely on gasoline. As for the Grand Cherokee L with the V8, it’ll do 14 mpg city, 22 highway, and 17 mpg combined. With the V6, it’s pretty much the same as the regular Grand Cherokee.
Drivetrains: 2024 Grand Cherokee v. 1993 Grand Cherokee
In 1993, four-wheel-drive was an obvious upgrade over the basic rear-drive models. Jeep actually offered a number of four-wheel-drive systems, too. The basic part-time four-wheel-drive setup was called Command-Trac, offering 2-HI, 4-HI, and 4-LO gearing from the transfer case. Alternatively, you could get Selec-Trac, which had a center differential allowing for two-wheel-drive as well as full-time four-wheel-drive. The center differential could also be locked in High, and was always locked in Low.
Finally, there was Quadra-Trac, which used a center differential with a viscous coupler. This was a true full-time, four-wheel-drive system, only offering high and low ranges, with no two-wheel-drive option. The viscous coupling could adjust the degree of center differential lockup as conditions required.
The 2024 model has three different four-wheel-drive systems too. It can be had with Quadra-Trac I, which is basically a full-time all-wheel-drive system that only has high range. It’s configured to send 48% of torque to the front wheels, and 52% to the back wheels. If you’re more serious about tackling the tough stuff, you can get Quadra-Trac II. It adds an electronically-controlled clutch to the center diff, which lets it send more power to the front or rear axle as needed. It also adds low-range gearing.
Quadra-Drive II is the most sophisticated system. It adds an electronic limited-slip differential (LSD) to the rear. This allows the system more flexibility to send drive to the wheel or wheels that have the most grip when you’re driving in slippery conditions, particularly on the rear axle. It also features low range and Jeep also throws in a hill descent function on duly equipped models, too. Earlier models with Quadra-Drive II also used to feature an electronic LSD up front, too, but Jeep dropped that feature some time ago.
Options: 2024 Grand Cherokee v. 1993 Grand Cherokee
When the Grand Cherokee dropped in 1993, you could buy a relatively simple base model with a cloth interior and a five-speed manual transmission if you desired. It also included a driver’s side airbag and four-wheel ABS, which today we take for granted as the norm, and the classic AM/FM radio with cassette. CD players wouldn’t become available until 1994. Notably, the manual transmission had a low take rate in the US, and the four-speed auto became standard after 1994 in the US market. Air conditioning didn’t come as standard, sadly.
If you had a bit more cash, you could upgrade to the Laredo, which featured power windows, power door locks, and cruise control. It also featured some fancy plastic cladding and alloy wheels. From there, you could upgrade to the Limited with body-color cladding, leather interior, heated seats, heated mirrors, and a powered sunroof. Keyless entry was also included, and the higher trims could be had with automatic climate control. Other accessories included a skid plate, fog lamps, and a security system.
The new 2024 model has altogether more equipment as standard. For a start, it’s got way more airbags, as well as forward collision sensors, blind spot sensors, and parking sensors to boot. It’s also got traction control, stability control, and cruise control—all of which are pretty standard today, as are the buttons on the steering wheel. Air conditioning is naturally standard, as is a power-adjustable seat for the driver.
As for entertainment tech, the base Laredo A trim gets an infotainment system with an 8.4-inch touchscreen, complete with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with in-built navigation as an option. It’s got AM/FM and satellite radio, and naturally also features Bluetooth capability.
The age of the CD has clearly come and gone because the base model doesn’t have a slot for your compact discs. In any case, you can upgrade to premium audio with a nine-speaker Alpine setup or a bonkers 19-speaker rig from McIntosh. Higher models also get a larger 10.1-inch touchscreen and even a 10.3-inch display for the passenger to play with.
The broader options list is pretty extensive these days, too. You can get Jeep’s hands-free Active Driving Assist if you want to hand over the reins to the computer. There are the usual leather interior choices, too, along with a wireless charging pad, larger wheels, various exterior trim options, and even a night vision system. Fun, no?
Size Up
Like most cars on the market, the Grand Cherokee has gotten bigger—grander, even—over the years. Where the 1993 model was 178.7 inches long and 69.2 inches wide, the 2024 model busts that out to over 193.5 inches long and 77.9 inches wide. It’s grown over 14 inches longer in the last three decades, and almost 9 inches wider. The Grand Cherokee L takes that out to a mighty 204.9 inches, in order to squeeze three rows of seating inside.
Why the upsize? People wanted bigger cars, at least according to the industry. Being larger hasn’t exactly hurt the Grand Cherokee, either. Its sales have remained strong enough to keep the model going for 31 years and counting. In contrast, the smaller Cherokee it spawned from has died and risen again multiple times, never again tasting the love it knew during the hallowed reign of the mighty XJ (1984-2001).
There’s not necessarily anything wrong with that. Sure, larger SUVs are less efficient and take up more resources, but Jeep has counteracted that with technology. Despite the bloat, the new models are both faster than the originals, and use less fuel—and they offer far greater comforts, too.
Jeep hasn’t necessarily been having the best time with its SUV lineup of late. The Renegade is gone, and the Grand Wagoneer has struggled to get off the starting line. However, the Grand Cherokee has remained a strong performer, year in, year out. It’s sold over 200,000 units a year, every year, since 2016 onwards. That’s no mean feat.
The simple fact is that Americans like the Grand Cherokee. Over the years, it’s shaped itself to move with the times, but it’s never forgotten what it is at heart: a capable SUV. The new model does exactly what the original did, just a little bit better and with a few more creature comforts. That’s been enough to secure its place in the market for over 30 years. Long may it reign!
Pete poppin’ in here! As I’m sure Lewin will agree, no discussion of the Grand Cherokee is complete without mentioning its starring role in Jonathan Mostow’s 1997 road thriller, Breakown. If you haven’t seen it, you should!
Image credits: Jeep, CZmarlin – public domain
If I could still drive I’d buy a new GC. But due to a severe nerve issue, my driving days are mostly behind me. Maybe I can get the little woman to buy one to chauffeur me to my doctor appointments. I really love the new body style. Don’t need 10 screens in it, but some leather and a moon roof and a comfy ride over our ranch roads would be nice. I love my ’19 Ram 1500 but it’s too cramped for a tall crippled old guy. Anyway, the new GC is cool, still.
Good read. Man, this article makes me want another ZJ!
My first car in high school was a hand-me-down 99 WJ 4.0 4×4 with 200k miles. Since then I’ve owed 2 TJs and 2 ZJs. My wife currently drives a WK2, which is just meh.
My first ZJ was a 96 5.2 V8 4×4 Laredo Up Country with that rare dealer installed swing out tire carrier that DT always takes about. A grail??
My second ZJ was a 95 5.2 V8 4×4 Limited, green with gold accents, and those pillowy leather seats. Perhaps the most comfortable Jeep I have ever driven.
I recently aquired a 98 XJ Sport 4×4 in flame red. I’m still going through the fluids and mechanicals, so I haven’t driven it much yet, but would I trade it for another clean ZJ? Maybe.
Now time to watch Breakdown!
Worth noting that it was by no means “a bold move for Jeep to go with a unibody design.” This was mostly the same unibody chassis as the XJ, which had already proven to be a major sales success. Recycling proven design features instead of coming up with anything new is the absolute opposite of “a bold move.”
Also worth noting that EPA’s 13/18 mpg rating for a 1993 XJ 6cyl 2wd is absurdly low. My (4wd, manual)XJs(yeah I know they aren’t ZJs) get about 18/21 mpg in the real world. And the ~500lb over an XJ is not costing the Grand Cherokee 28% of its fuel economy.
In the case of the 4xE weighing 1100(!) lb more than a non-hybrid model, no way that weight is all from the batteries. 17kwh should weigh at most 200lb. So where on earth is the other 900lb coming from? Electric motors and generators have weight, but not that much.
I have to ask are these vehicles equipped equally for the era? In the early years you got a decent package, now you pay through the nose for anything.
It isn’t better at all – it’s a bloated Stellantis product with shit build quality. You won’t see them on the road still running 30 years later like the 93’s. You get what you pay for.
I can understand why they didn’t do a manual for very long. But I would just love to sit down with the committee who took the tried and true Aisin Aw4 out of the early ZJs and put in the 42re. I’m not mad I would just be interested in what kind of MONSTERS WOULD DO THAT TO MY BABY. ZJ DESERVED SO MUCH MORE YOU MISERABLE BEAN COUNTERS.
Chrysler was tired of buying transmissions from Toyota when they had their own transmissions.
I’d rather have the old one. Base I6 with a 5spd and A/C. I would put a modern stereo in it and be very happy.
But David needn’t fear me as competition for his unicorns, as I already have a ’95 base Land Rover Disco with a 5spd and no sunroofs, so I am good on the SUV front. And he wouldn’t want my truck, it has no rust. 🙂
My buddy had a white ZJ (no idea on year, this was 20 something years ago) as his first car. We beat the snot out of that thing. It had the straight 6 and was fast enough for him at the time. The biggest thing I remember from that was a bunch of rattles and the steering having absolutely 0 feel. Like you could turn it doing 0 or 100 and it felt exactly the same. No feedback or resistance whatsoever. Such a weird feeling. I had a Mazda B4000 and we would treat those things like they were work trucks
We had a 93 and yes, the steering was incredibly numb.
I think it’s long past time for them to ditch the name, though.
Because of racism or something?
Yeah, you can find a few articles like these:
https://www.carscoops.com/2021/03/stellantis-boss-open-to-dropping-cherokee-name-after-cherokee-nation-request/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/billroberson/2023/03/25/iconic-jeep-cherokee-heads-for-retirement-after-almost-50-years-in-production/
…where Stellantis has been directly asked to ditch the name.
I’ve always wondered why not just call it the Wagoneer, with the Grand Wagoneer being the ridiculous thing currently on offer.
I really thought that was what they were trying to do when they reintroduced the Wagoneer name.
Likewise, the non-“Grand” Cherokee should be renamed the Eagle. When reintroduced that is – Stellantis’ dealers and shareholders are right to raise holy hell about a company letting its’ CR-V/RAV4-class offering age out of contention and get dropped without a replacement.
I like it! I was just thinking “Golden Eagle” is too cool to not use in some way. And it fits Jeep’s naming convention of using adventure/outdoor signifiers.
I still see a fair amount of last gen Cherokees around. The Compass competes on price at the low end, but there’s plenty of drivers who wanted something a little bigger, with more features but not a fully loaded whatever with the Jeep mojo.
Yeah, they have been directly asked to get rid of the name, but the whole thing is pretty dumb. Stellantis isnt demeaning or taking away from the Cherokee tribe even a little by using their name; actually quite the opposite. The Jeep is called Cherokee because the Cherokee Nation has such a strong association with toughness, capability, and survival. Using their name in this way is actually a huge compliment.
I am not sure it is for you to decide how a group of people you do not belong to feels about how their name is used.
They never will, because they like saying “most awarded SUV ever” in their commericals. They can’t claim it’s the same car if they change the name.
But from 2002-2012 the regular Cherokee was marketed in the US as the Jeep Liberty?
If they can do that for the Cherokee I don’t see why they can’t do that for the Grand Cherokee.
I like Jeeps. Currently have a 2011 with the 5.7. I intend to drive it as long as humanely possible. I just cannot find a current vehicle that checks off the same boxes for me. It has the only tech I want (backup camera, different drive modes, and heated seats). Fairly simple to work on save for some bits and pieces that are a pain to get to due to packaging (no room in the engine bay at all). So far it has been a wonderful daily driver. Gas mileage, while not the greatest, isn’t incredibly bad considering the available horsepower.
Fun read. Thanks, Lewin!
My aunt had a ’93 Limited V8 that made it over 350000 miles (and through a few garage doors) before it was replaced. College roommate late 90s found a cherry ’93 with the I-6, 5-speed, manual windows and locks. Which we then lifted, added bigger tires, and went wheeling in the mountains. Great vehicle, and an upgrade over the XJs we had. Cool to see the suspension cross-over too when the TJ hit the market.
I remember we all thought Bob Lutz was out of his freaking mind when he drove through that window.
In 1994 I bought a new Grand Cherokee Laredo. It came with a VHS tape explaining how anti-lock brakes worked. I was a modern boy.
My family has owned a ZJ, WJ and WK2 and my dad was always disappointed by the WJ that I now own. He always felt like the interior noise was louder than the older jeep. He also swore that quadra-trac in the ZJ was better in snow than quadera-trac II in the WJ. All of that said the ZJ and WJ went through a few transmissions. Now I’m waiting to see how long they hold out before trading the WK2 in for the newest generation. This article does a really good job of illustrating just how well equipped and comfortable cars are now. We really do live pampered lives.
Quadra-Drive was the way to go for the WJ, but not as prevalent, especially optioned into Laredos. I’ve owned 2 WK2s and liked them. My wife still says the 2018 WK2 Trailhawk has been her favorite vehicle.
Agreed. I actually have the press kit vhs tape for the WJ and watching Quadra-Drive in action was so impressive to 12 year old me. Mines handled all the snow and scuzzy boat ramps I’ve thrown at it. It’s nice being able to have my wife pull the boat out without any wheel slipping drama.
This is going to sound dumb but the sound of the door locks on a wk2 have the most satisfying metal thunk. I never cared about door lock actuator sounds until I heard it in the wk2.
I think the WJ is one of the most timelessly styled vehicle. It just looks fantastic.
I owned 7 Jeeps in my time. My earliest 2 were CJs. 2 were XJs, both with the rock solid inline 6. I then moved to ZJs. I had 3 of them, all with the 5.7 liter Hemi. My most recent, and final, one was a 2015. I love Jeeps. I hate Jeeps. I’m never owning another Jeep. While the engines in my particular models were always rock solid for me, it was all the bits and parts necessarily strapped onto those blocks that failed over and over and over and over again. A jeep without a leak isn’t actually a Jeep. Water pumps, fuel pumps, gaskets, spark plugs, seals, hoses, radiators, belts and on and on were constantly leaking, breaking, wearing out prematurely and needing replacement. Creaks, moans and squeaks from the body, drivetrain and chassis were a constant source of annoyance, and usually had unfindable and unfixable sources. As much as they suit me, and as much as I love them, I’ve come to hate them, and I’m done with them.
Finally a comparison with which I have meaningful experience. I’ve experienced both and all in between.
My father was an oldschool Jeep SUV guy, from back when they just referred to SUVs as “trucks.” He owned OG Wagoneers and was crushed when Jeep stopped making them. He then switched to the Cherokee, in large part b/c you could still get them with the fake wood paneling then (he loved that). But he felt them too small, so when the Grand Cherokee debuted, he was elated. Aside from brief dalliances with a GMC which he hated and an Explorer he tolerated, he was a Jeep guy through and through.
The ’90s GCs and his ’22 actually don’t feel, relative to the market, that different in terms of overall quality, and the ride is within the ballpark too, though over the intervening years it has softened. The originals were quite stiff, I expect similar to what the Trailhawk versions offer now.
What I’ve always enjoyed is their evolution as seen through the OEM tire choices – the early ’90s ones came with basically as close to offroad tires as were street legal; knobby and burly like you wouldn’t believe. By the end of the 1990s, esp. with the Explorer selling gangbusters, they changed to the more familiar stuff we commonly see now.
Right there with you! My father and even his father have been Jeep guys and for better and worse I am as well. Also had a few friends with the wood-paneled XJ “Wagoneers” from the mid-80s. They seemed so much more modern than the SJ/OG Wagoneers by that time. I’ve seen one local white Grand Wagoneer with the wood paneling and I kind of hate to admit it looks pretty good.
I’ve put a lot of miles on every generation of GC and have owned WJs and WK2s. I agree that the model concept as a whole has carried over quite clearly through each generation. They retain similar size and capabilities to the competition but lean more off-pavement.
Yeah, the Grand Wagoneers were like farm vehicles, unsophisticated but very solid. I always remember how heavy the rear tailgate (they went down pickup style) was. Last carbureted road car sold here I think!
Not to be argumentative here Lewin.
But comparing cost of today’s products, and earnings from 1993 and 2024 is not a very good metric to use.
Because the world has changed.
Back then there was no $150 a month cable cost for TV.
No $1K plus cell phones, that we all felt were needed just so we could continue to exist.
You didn’t spend 15 bucks at the quick mart store for a coke, hot dog, and candy bar either then.
Could go on and on, but no need to.
It’s a different world now. Cost comparisons from then are not the same as it is now.
Stuff changes.
Excellent point – opportunity costs and structural differences in the economy need to be factored into any comparative analysis to even start to get to apples to apples. Partial equilibrium analyses are notoriously difficult to do for sure!
But it’s easier to do! /s
And child care while you had to work was certainly not 2k per month.
America!
Or just that there’s so many more good things on which to spend our money now, even putting the internet aside – back in the early ’90s, airline tickets/choices were still pretty limited, eating out was a special, occasional thing for most people, and hell, even gasoline and oil wasn’t refined as well/didn’t contain the advanced detergents and additives it does now.
Not to mention that “my car wouldn’t start” was a perfectly reasonable excuse for not being somewhere, given overall quality levels.
Who is spending $150/mo on cable in 2024? Or getting that meal at the gas station on the regular?
A shit load of people. Do the research.
I live in a rural area. With a shit ton of migrant farm workers.
The quicky mart is nearby, has 40-50 of them in line every damn day, just so they can eat something at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
And white wage earners shop there too.
You literally can’t get in the damn store.
I live in a food desert. Nearest grocery is 10 miles away. Shit happens.
No offense intended at all. YMMV
Give em an email and I can send you a photo. Seriously.
I have. “On average, users pay up to $83 per month…the average cost of cable and internet per month is about $142.82.”
As of this writing, the monthly base cost for cable (without internet) typically ranges from about $40 to $145 for new customers.
Sheetz price menu (sample, because of course varies by region)
The world has indeed changed, just seems like those are cherry picking high end numbers. Cable, which of course was around back then but not a necessity; internet basically is though, which for many is through a smart phone. I’ve never heard anyone complain about a $4+ apiece for those items at a convenience store but I have heard plenty complain about the cost of a combo from any given fast food place, which actually does approach that $15 mark and far above what it was years ago.
Except many have both the traditional “cable” offerings from Direct TV, then they piggy back on 2 or 3 other streamers, because the shows they want are not offered on Direct. I know most of my friends and neighbors are very close to $150 per month for TV now.
And agreed about location as well. My sister in a rural area of Colorado pays well over 250 a month for TV and Internet. The internet is required as she works from home, and the local area has no other choices for access to the web.
But I do not cherry pick my numbers.
But you should see my numbers, much bigly better than anyone else has. /s
Have a good weekend.
You edited the prior comment while I was replying but I almost mentioned food deserts too. The ubiquity of Dollar Generals and Family Dollars has become something of a punchline on the internet but the reality isn’t so funny, both fiscally and for general health long term.
Certainly no elitism was intended which I was concerned it might sound like. Why I thought fast food might be a good reference too as the golden arches abound…just with no more dollar menus. In high school for lunch I could get a small fry, McChicken, and McFlurry for $4. I skip the last one nowadays and mostly swing through for a snack, but the price is about the same for just those first two.
For streaming, as you say that’s on top of cable. It’s no secret now that streaming services aren’t really netting out cheaper, although it’s interesting looking at a cable price list from years ago. Some of the HBO, Disney, etc add-ons work out to about the same adjusted for inflation. Not being locked into contracts and being able to share logins (until crackdowns happen, thanks Netflix) is good though, so win some lose some?
Cheers to you as well.
Jeez, when I was a kid a McDonald’s hamburger was 35 cents, and a cheeseburger was 45. And Cock Robin’s burgers were even cheaper.
Yeah I’ve seen red-hatted tradesmen hitting the 7-11 for chaw, donuts, and like 7 cans of Monster. Every damn day!
My hat is orange, dammit!
That’s 3 of the 4 food groups right there!
I am but the 158.00 for cable is just part of the 236.00/mo.bill that includes 600 M internet.
My in-laws. I was absolutely flabbergasted when she told me.
I was thinking they couldn’t be compared because MSRP used to be the fool’s price and higher than what the usual buyer would pay in the before times and not the target it is now.
(I didn’t read the whole thing yet so if it’s already tackled, whoops)
Wasn’t that somewhat a post-9/11 development? My understanding is that post-9/11 recovery markdowns were what led to the perpetual truck month of the 2000s and 2010s, and before that, MSRP was close to accurate.
My favorite is actually the 2nd gen grand cherokee, 1999 to 2004. However, this is a good comparison article. Do another with the Ford Explorer.
I always thought the 2nd gen WJ was a nice evolution of the original ZJ design, but they certainly don’t seem to be as durable. WJs were everywhere 10-15 years ago, now it seems like they’re left in about equal numbers, maybe even slightly more ZJs.
I put over 100000 miles on my WJ without any complaint. A lot of that was off-road, too. Traded it for a then-new JK and manual goodness. My father’s WJ currently has over 500000 miles, though admittedly, it is a little worse for wear these days after 25 years of Minnesota.
My memory says the PowerTech V8 and/or the AT attached to it were less durable, but most sold were probably the carryover I6 so I figure it was some degree of DCX cost-cutting. The same seems to be the case for 3rd gen vs. earlier 4th gen Chrysler vans, although that I also figured was simply fewer sold due to increased competition.
What’s striking about the Explorers is how tiny they were back then. I saw a mid ’90s Sport on the road yesterday and WOW it’s RAV4-sized.
*hallowed
Somehow I feel like modern shoppers aren’t feeling the $9000 savings when the salesman presents the numbers.
Nice little bit of nostalgia, my friend had a GC back in the day. I still kind of miss the analog instrument and gauges, it has a certain charm that is missing in today’s touchscreens. I haven’t had any issues but I’ve always felt the more electronics in a car the more that can go wrong.
I love seeing interior pictures of the 1st-gen ZJs…it’s interesting to see what they retained for the 2nd generation (that instrument cluster and center console are identical to my ’97’s) and what changed (the doors, in particular).
And since we’re discussing car stereos, my ZJ came from the factory with a tape player. The center console has two sets of cutouts, one set for cassette cases and one set for CD cases.
I really wish they didn’t half ass the 4Xe powertrain so much. It would be a very compelling product, but the fact that it somehow gets worse fuel economy than the V6 while operating as a hybrid and has serious reliability issues just makes it a non starter for us. Such a half baked product, but then again this is Stellantis so I don’t know what I was expecting.
Great concept. Shit product. This is the Stellantis way.
I wish you both were not correct. But as a baker, Stellantis sucks, and a lot of the products are half baked.
Par baked. Its up to you to finish the job. Think of it as pre customized.
I grabbed a ’22 4XE about four months ago my experience has been good*. I’ve only hit the gas station 5 times in the 5K+ miles I’ve driven, my best going 6 weeks/1200 miles using half a tank. The MPG numbers aren’t terrible; I bought in in MI and on the drive home to MA it beat the EPA numbers, but typically get 22/23 MPG in my highway driving in northeast. It rides very comfortably and looks great.
*For full disclosure, I got a good deal on a manufacturer buyback that had its transmission replaced in the first 5K miles so while it’s all good now, there is a solid chance it obliterates my wallet at some point in the future. So far so good, though!
Our ’23 4xe Wrangler has been flawless so far over 18 months.
Honest question, do any new cars still have a CD player? I can’t even think of the last time I used one, probably around 2010? Probably some Lexus still does, honestly.
I bet if any do, they wear a Lexus badge. They didn’t give up on cassettes until that format was long dead.
Edit: Yup.
https://www.usnews.com/object/image/0000018e-8183-dcc1-adee-ddd3c77a0000/2024-lexus-is-350-fsport-006-1.jpg?update-time=1711569880155&size=responsiveGallery
They don’t advertise it anywhere, but it looks like the IS and RC still have one, just from looking at pictures.
Makes sense as the bones of those cars date back to 2014. Technically the Audi A4/5 still have CD/DVD players as well, as they date back to 2017, but it’s hidden in the glove compartment.
The Subaru Legacy XT (albeit MY 2021-22’s that I was shopping a few months ago – maybe they dropped it in ‘23-24?) still has one.
I’m using Outback specs, but it looks like they’ve dropped it, but the Subaru Ascent still has it for now. I think Mazda just dropped it from the CX-5 early into MY24 as well (I missed out on that, so just end up buying a cheap CD drive and ripping all my old CDs so I could throw a bunch of stuff on a USB stick).
That part of the article caught me, too! The CD era was brief enough that players weren’t offered in the first Grand Cherokee or the current one.
The original was also designed by Larry Shinoda, which makes it instantly cool
wow TIL!