Blazer 4.3 vs Cherokee 4.0

I was just wondering about peoples perspectives on why owning a Blazer is better than a Jeep Cherokee.I'm very openminded. I've owned a 94 and I want to buy another one... I believe they are faster and posses more strength but I wanted to know... YOUR PERSPECTIVE :rolleyes:

We understand just fine... It's a "Blazer" thing, Jeep owners are the ones that don't understand. The reason they own a Jeep??? It's very obvious, they never drove a Blazer! The only thing you can compare on the two is the transfer case, and that's because they use the same case!

True..and very interesting.. have you ever owned a Jeep ? I haven't .. as far as maintenance which of the two proves to be more reliable? maybe i should post the same thread on the Cherokee forum they would burn me out n______n'

My parents have owned their cherokee for 4 yrs, regular maintence and never been a problem,the only thing thats ever happend to the jeep is the motor in the window went out, Other than that nothing, and they take it on trails and offroad almost every weekened

Actually, I used to own a Jeep, before I drove a Blazer. I thought it was a great vehicle, before I drove a Blazer. When it comes to parts availability and cost, the Blazer is much better. Ease of repairs is about equal, maybe slightly easier on the Blazer. When it comes to power, ride, and handling, there's no comparison, I'll take the Blazer ANY day.

Cherokees are known for their transmission problems however s10 is known for egr valve and ball joint problems i went to carforums.org and was astonished by the negativity on Cherokess as well as Blazers ): maybe there are better cars out there.. Imports?

Install a screened gasket on the EGR valve.... $13 never happens again.
4 Moog ball joints and a wheel alignment......$300 fixed.
New transmission ......... $1800 will happen again.
Imports? The only way I'd buy an import is if I lived in a different country, (I'd import a Blazer)!

That is so true...plus i LOVE fixing all those small details on Blazers I really do! I would hate having to buy a reconstructed transmission with limited warranty for it to break again later on :/ nice feedback!!!

all i know is i'd take an srt8 jeep over an ss blazer anyday! Just my opinion, never driven any blazer though so i'll never be sure till i do

I've owned 2 Blazer S10's 4 X 4's, and 85, & and 92.

The 85 the main cost I had was a 5 speed manual transmission, I bought it used about 1990, put about 40,000 to 50,000 miles on it, gave it to my wife's twin. She drove it to about 240,000.

92 I bought my 92 Blazer new. Radiator, 2 heater cores, 1 oil sending uint under warranty, 3 sets of front brakes, water pump, thermostat, one actuator on the 4 wheel drive, 3 fuel pumps, one nut kit, one set of spiders, one IAC valve, one EGR valve, one set of plug wires, 2 sets of spark plugs, one rotor cap, one rotor button, one alternator, 4 batteries I believe, one throttle position switch, one radio, one used ABS valve, one CV boot, 2 sets of struts for back window, 1 muffle and exhaust pipe. At about 130,000 something thousand we bought a Jeep. We did not care for what Chevy was putting out.

In 02 I bought a new Jeep Grand Cherokee 4 door 2 wheel drive. We drove it to about 108,000 miles, it was the cheapest operating car we ever had. Regular service, 1 set of tires, one battery, that is it, one set of hood struts. During warranty period we had one sensor replace, the anti-theft devise messed up, no cost.

December 2009 we bought a 2010 Toyota 4 door 4 X 4, so far its been trouble free at a bit over 10,000. My wife was wanting a full size 4 door Chevy truck, we looked into getting a Colorado 4 X 4, I did not care for the full size Chevy truck. Could not find one in Arkansas, found several 2 wheel drives. I found that the Toyota house had this one. We stopped by and looked at it, Linda had not really seen one, she like it better tan any Chevy.

Seems for the most part, how long a car or truck lasts depends on how its driven, and serviced. I've had Chevy's both cars & trucks, Oldsmobile, Fords, VW, Jeep, Buick, 70 Plymouth Duster 340 automatic big tires on back sticking out beyond the wheel wells, I rebuilt it putting a big cam, pistons, headers. It would nearly fly, on pavement it was hard to take off without squealing the 10 inch rear tires. I sold it only because a person I worked with come to my house one evening and had his pockets full of new $100.00 dollar bills, when he left I had $2,500 more dollars than what I had in the car.

All of the above is from memory, yet I believe I have it nailed down pretty close. If I think of more I'll try to remember to edit and add it below.

@702vegaslife.... maybe we should trade cars someday ! Yes trying new things expands our knowledge and we become less ignorant u___u

@Jerry wow alot of useful info but hey it sounds like you were heavy driving that Blazer ! 3 set of brakes seems like too much even for a 3000 pound Blazer... heavy accelaration, heavy braking?

thanks for all the feed back you guys are awesome (Y)

thanks for all the feed back you guys are awesome (Y)

No problem.... this is an awesome forum, hope you like it. Our members are extremely knowledgeable, if you have an automotive question, it will get answered here.

@702vegaslife.... maybe we should trade cars someday ! Yes trying new things expands our knowledge and we become less ignorant u___u

@Jerry wow alot of useful info but hey it sounds like you were heavy driving that Blazer ! 3 set of brakes seems like too much even for a 3000 pound Blazer... heavy accelaration, heavy braking?

thanks for all the feed back you guys are awesome (Y)

If you weren't 2,716miles away

Yeah I've noticed ... seems like I'm the one with less knowledge and experience! I'm seventeen but wow I'm really into auto shop ... Having my own is my dream! I'm learning alot from the forum. Alot of troubleshooting threads! :$

I've owned 4 different Blazers, 89 S-10 2WD, 93 S-10 2WD, 2000 Jimmy 2WD and a 2001 S-10 4WD. The 93 and the 2001 were money pits. The 93 need tranny work, the 2001 needed everything from intake manifold gaskets to new exhaust system, and just about everything in between. I got tired of flushing money down the toilet with the 2001 and clunkered it in 2009. Sold the 93 for the 2001.

The 89 and the 2000 Jimmy were great. I sold the 89, (big mistake, shoulda kept it) for the 93. I originally bought my first Blazer for the extra leg room in the back seat for the kids. Still drive the Jimmy, but never owned or drove a Jeep.

Yeah I've noticed ... seems like I'm the one with less knowledge and experience! I'm seventeen but wow I'm really into auto shop ... Having my own is my dream! I'm learning alot from the forum. Alot of troubleshooting threads! :$

Welcome to the Forum! I think you will find a wealth of knowledge and information here. I wish I had such a source when I was seventeen. There is an unlimited amount of knowledge and experience here simply for the asking.

The best thing you can do is buy a starter set of tools and start twisting wrenches. Stay in Auto Shop and see if any of the Dealerships in your area have an apprenticeship program.

Great Thread!

@702vegaslife.... maybe we should trade cars someday ! Yes trying new things expands our knowledge and we become less ignorant u___u

@Jerry wow alot of useful info but hey it sounds like you were heavy driving that Blazer ! 3 set of brakes seems like too much even for a 3000 pound Blazer... heavy accelaration, heavy braking?

thanks for all the feed back you guys are awesome (Y)

You've got to be kidding, 3 sets of front brakes in 160,000 miles is heavy usage, rotors been turned once? Back brakes are still original.

I might add, I've been out more on this 92 S10 Blazer bought new in 92 that any other vehicle I've owned, but of course one has to consider I've owned it and driven it more miles than any other vehicle I have ever owned.

In 75 we bought a new Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, drove it about 68,000, sold it to brother in law, he drove it until about 160,000 them sold it to a nephew that got nearly 200,000 before wrecking it.

That Cutlass was a pretty cheap operating car, it had a 350 with dual exhaust, swivel bucket seats. Had trouble when the warranty was about 10 miles over, yet they fixed the transmission. The transmission housing cracked, they replace it 100% free.

1970 Monte Carlo was the most aggravating ever, sometimes when you killed it and it set only for a few minutes it would not start, just turn over very slowly. I replace the started with a brand new one, still did it, had to live with it, it had a 400 4 barrel.

@jerry
Maybe I read it too fast...hehe
160k is a lot...so is 108k

all aprox. radiator_$150, 2 heater cores_$50, 3 fuel pumps_$270, alternator_$150,fuel injectors well that varies,plus four batteries assuming these were the major repair costs, all in all it sounds like you had a bad Blazer eperience :( and a rather good Jeep experience.

The best thing you can do is buy a starter set of tools and start twisting wrenches. Stay in Auto Shop and see if any of the Dealerships in your area have an apprenticeship program.

Great Thread!

Yeah I got my handyman toolbox I fix my neighbors cars, attend classes and help my uncle out in his shop!

Oh and btw I'm looking at a 94 Blazer with 85k miles on it; so I'll be driving it for a while.. I fell in love with my old Blazer a 94 as well. Lots of power and space! As far as maintenance two ball joints, egr valve cleaning, one battery a fuel pump relay, and tailgate struts... thats about it from 130k to 160k ... than I sold it to a cousin who junked it after it overheated..I'm in regret to this very day :(

i love my 2001 blazer. 4.3L 2 wheel drive, MANUAL trans! Bought it from my dad with 40k on it. now over 150k. original engine/trans/clutch. I love working on my own car, and knowing that i've fixed problems. This thing is great to work on.

I've done radiator, heater core, lower intake gasket, and a few other small things (andd regular maintence stuff). I'll own this truck for as long as the motor holds up. I love it. I've never owned another car that felt so good. In terms of power, and drive-ability, it's great. I don't think you could ask for a more forgiving clutch. drives great in snow and ice with normal tires. (When atlanta got hit by the snow storm a few weeks ago, i was driving people to/from the store the whole time).

Never really drivin a jeep, but i don't have any desire to. i'm hooked on my blazer :-)

I'm looking at a 94 Blazer with 85k miles on it; so I'll be driving it for a while.

If you found a 94 with 85k miles, that is amazing. My 2000 had 46k on it when I bought it in 2003, and has 152k miles now.

I hope you can get a good deal on it.:naughty:

Yeah It's in *Garage* condition... I wanna know more about it before buyingit, but I probably will. Just need a little more cash hehe.There's also a lot of Cherokees out there, but hey.. what's a Blazer fan without a Blazer? Nothing, BTW no one has been able to convince me a Cherokee is a better car... keep trying :p

BTW no one has been able to convince me a Cherokee is a better car... keep trying :p

I seriously doubt that will happen.

Remember, A Jeep is a Chrysler product and so is a Rambler. LOL.:sarcasmsign:

Y.There's also a lot of Cherokees out there, but hey.. what's a Blazer fan without a Blazer? Nothing, BTW no one has been able to convince me a Cherokee is a better car... keep trying :p

One problem in getting advice is many people are partisan..... they are so enthusiastic about their current ride they cannot give unbiased advice.

I've owned Cherokees and S-10's. (A buddy had a Blazer though)

The Jeep and the Blazer are both very similar, but they excel at different things. So..... the best choice depends on what you will do with it.

When discussing stock vehicles, the Blazer is a bit more car-like. Slightly better ride on-road, slightly more feel in the steering.
The Jeep is a bit more truck-like, due to its solid front axle. The on-road ride is slightly worse, and the steering is pretty numb, but it is better off road, when stock. It's a bit lighter, and the front end is slightly better for serious off-road work. Also, you can get 4-door convenience in a short, compact package, which is good for off roading.

Of course, the 4 door Blazer is longer, heavier and more cumbersome off-road. But it's roomier, so it's a trade-off.

The Blazer has an advantage because they made them more recently. You have a better chance of finding a late-model, low mileage one. The newest Cherokee is now 10 years old. Jeep owners seem to put a heck of a lot of miles on theirs before selling. This speaks volumes for their durability but it makes getting a really good used one a bit tougher.

Reliability is a trade-off. Cherokees love to blow off crankshaft position sensors, and, if the front end gets badly worn, you get an alarming oscillation (aka Death Wobble). But the rest of the package is pretty much rock-solid
Possibly the Blazer has more potential problem areas, but they are straightforward to fix.

All things being equal, I would slightly prefer the Blazer for daily use,family use, commuting, general transportation, etc. For general use with a bit more off roading, I would go for the Cherokee.

But most importantly, imho buy the best condition truck for the money! Regardless of brand, imho you are best off with the best condition, lowest mileage Cherokee or Blazer. I think you would be happy with either one.

One problem in getting advice is many people are partisan..... they are so enthusiastic about their current ride they cannot give unbiased advice.

I've owned Cherokees and S-10's. (A buddy had a Blazer though)

The Jeep and the Blazer are both very similar, but they excel at different things. So..... the best choice depends on what you will do with it.

When discussing stock vehicles, the Blazer is a bit more car-like. Slightly better ride on-road, slightly more feel in the steering.
The Jeep is a bit more truck-like, due to its solid front axle. The on-road ride is slightly worse, and the steering is pretty numb, but it is better off road, when stock. It's a bit lighter, and the front end is slightly better for serious off-road work. Also, you can get 4-door convenience in a short, compact package, which is good for off roading.

Of course, the 4 door Blazer is longer, heavier and more cumbersome off-road. But it's roomier, so it's a trade-off.

The Blazer has an advantage because they made them more recently. You have a better chance of finding a late-model, low mileage one. The newest Cherokee is now 10 years old. Jeep owners seem to put a heck of a lot of miles on theirs before selling. This speaks volumes for their durability but it makes getting a really good used one a bit tougher.

Reliability is a trade-off. Cherokees love to blow off crankshaft position sensors, and, if the front end gets badly worn, you get an alarming oscillation (aka Death Wobble). But the rest of the package is pretty much rock-solid
Possibly the Blazer has more potential problem areas, but they are straightforward to fix.

All things being equal, I would slightly prefer the Blazer for daily use,family use, commuting, general transportation, etc. For general use with a bit more off roading, I would go for the Cherokee.

But most importantly, imho buy the best condition truck for the money! Regardless of brand, imho you are best off with the best condition, lowest mileage Cherokee or Blazer. I think you would be happy with either one.

Your about 100% right, but my 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee 2 Wheel drive was a lot better riding ride than my 92 S-10 Blazer 4 X 4 that came with the trailer package.Both are great in their own right.

Plus, some people tend to be very partisan as you stressed, and of course many of those will not feel they're being that way, & there will be nothing said to convince them they are. One thing that has sold many Chevys around this country is service, a great shop that has taken care of its customers. Yet now they sell Jeeps, Chrysler production cars, and their service on them is great.

t my 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee .
I actually was referring to the Cherokees...... the original, compact design made up to 2001........ I thought that was what the original post was referring to. :)

The later Grand Cherokees are more refined...... they are a much newer design than the older Blazers, and should do better imo.

Cheers.

I actually was referring to the Cherokees...... the original, compact design made up to 2001........ I thought that was what the original post was referring to. :)

The later Grand Cherokees are more refined...... they are a much newer design than the older Blazers, and should do better imo.

Cheers.

My brother-in-law had a Jeep Cherokee, 95 or maybe 96, not sure of the mileage, just know its 100,000 +, & he says its been quite trouble free, as for me the Grand Cherokee is the only Jeep I've owned. Although we have a church member that had a 2000 Grand that went 100,000 +, like it well enough they bought a 2008 Grand.

I've owned Cherokees and S-10's. (A buddy had a Blazer though)

The Jeep and the Blazer are both very similar, but they excel at different things. So..... the best choice depends on what you will do with it.


What would be best for a 94 Blazer 4x4? getting the 6 inch lift and front torsion bars tightened, or getting it lowered a nice paint job and some nice rims?
You're right about everything ! I don't believe a Jeep could be fixed to a sleek outside appearance though...not as much as a Blazer...Haven't seen one atleast! Once again thank you all for the feedback ! It really does help... a lot :runaround:

I'm aware Jeep enthusiasts don't get along with Blazer enthusiasts because of the fact they are so similar and it's hard to prove which is best...mud drags anyone??? :evillol:

personally i like the lowered look on a blazer. i realllllly wanted an xtreme, but i wanted a 5 speed, and the price was right on the one i have now.

Hm il update when i actually get the car hehe once agrian im grateful for all the feedback !