Upon my return from Iraq in a few months, my wife and are getting another Jeep and getting back into 4-wheeling. I am looking for some suggestions and recommendations. The wife keeps bringing up Cherokees and I prefer a Wrangler in the 89-99 era. She says that Cherokees are cheaper but I point out that there is more available and better priced "goodies" for Wranglers. Looking for opinions about both, pros and cons if you will. We also have a debate going over automatic or manual tranny's. I only know that I do not want a Pugeot tranny hence why I say an 89 or later Wrangler.  

Just get the Cadilac of Jeeps...A Grand Cherokee. Comes with Auto tranny, base of 4.0 and a Np231, at least for my 93. They are gettin cheaper and you dont see as many of them out there. With a simple coil spacer lift you can put 31's on a grand as long as ya dont plan on rock crawling with it. Mild to easy trails are easy with the 31's, and a 3" lift allows the 31's full flex. Grands come with a 5.2 V8 if ya get one between 93 and 98. Grands are also the longest and most stable on the trails too. Plus with the ZJ you have a bit more room in the back for freinds and gear if ya wanna getaway for the weekend. Just my 2 cents worth and what i have found i like with my ZJ.  

Con grats on making it back alive. Anyways I agree with him look into a GRAND.  

a wrangler will keep its value better, I also prefere the added headroom when bouncing down the trails. the only reason to go cherokee is if you might have a total of 4 people along, or you'll spend lots of time on the road.  

if you look around you'll find that a GRAND will keep it's valve just as well as a wrangler.and a Limited is worth even more. Headroom? Come on are you kidding?? I hate it when ppl talk about ZJ's who have never even drivin in one. Take a test drive in different jeeps then decide for your self.  

I worked at a jeep dealer, I've driven plenty of ZJs. they dont hold thier value like a wrangler, they just cost more up front. it also takes more to make em good off roaders. they are more expensive XJs with an optional V8

I've ridden and driven in all three, and from what I see, NONE are that roomy (I'm 6,3", and 'stocky').  The Wrangler was the most comfortable, but forget about riding in the back seat.  driving my boss' '96 Grand, and my '98 Cherokee, both I had to recline the front seat so my head didn't rub..  If you want roomy, look for an early '90s Grand Wagoneer with the injected 360.  Also the best people hauler.

I still say the Wrangler wins out over them all because the drive lines are damn near identical, mechanically speaking, except for the Wagoneer, and the Wrangler's top comes off.  It also has a cage and a real full frame, (not a unibody) which- in my book- makes it safer.  Course, I'd say get a CJ!!

they never injected the 360 from the factory
 

my bad.  I assumed everything built in the '90s was injected, at least throttle body.

They're still nice rides, though

I had one. they were last carbed holdout, it wasn't worth it to make the investment to research that FI would take (it was about to go the way of all things AMC save the 2.5 and 4.0), so they just kept on making the carb more and more complex. one bad thing about that nice ride is they were very prone to spring sag. thier other achilies heal was the body cancer that seams to run particarily verilent in them.  

i have wheeled in a grand and in a cherokee... the cherokee is the better option if you want a real hardcore wheeler... but neither of these has as many after market goodies as the wrangler... the grand was a little too big when you got into tight situations....  

LOL........you can tell you own a yj or tj. HAHAHAHA  

and there are reasons I bought one!  

Are you sure about that? I think the last year, maybe two years the Grand Wagoneer had a TBI 360.   

I just pulled out my copy of 'The Jeep Book' for 1991 (It's the standard dealer brochure) and looked up the Grand Wagoneer.  This is the last year that the "FSJ" type showed up, and it says: "ENGINE 5.9 litre (360 CID) V8, 2-barrel; 144hp @ 3200 rpm, 280lb-ft of torque @ 1500 rpm".  Straight from the horse's mouth.  The next time a V8 showed up it was the Chrysler 318, with a "sequential multi-port fuel injection...delivers 220 horsepower @ 4800 rpm and 285 foot-pounds of torque @ 3600 rpm".  That's from 'The Jeep Book' for 1993, for the optional engine for the Grand Cherokee, and the standard engine for the Grand Wagoneer.  The G.W. was the same thing as the G.C., but with a different name....