I don’t even need to bother searching for production figures — it’s clear that Jeep sold far fewer 2-door XJ Cherokees than 4-door, especially among the face-lifted 1997-2001 versions. It’s interesting to think that there was a time when the majority of SUVs available on the market only had two doors.
However, once automakers started adding four-door SUVs to their lineups, particularly the onslaught of compact 4-door SUVs arriving in the 1980s and early 1990s, the buying public made them their preference and never looked back. During this time, the SUV skyrocketed in popularity, becoming America’s family vehicle of choice.
As a family vehicle, two doors was just too impractical. Even for SUV drivers not shuttling kids around, having four doors was just more convenient for quickly throwing anything from a gym bag, sports equipment, or purse behind the driver’s seat. XJ Cherokee production ceased in 2001 (with the exception of China) and its Liberty successor was 4-doors only. Two-door competitors, including the Ford Explorer, Chevy Blazer, and GMC Jimmy soon met a similar fate, leaving Jeeps own Wrangler as one of the only 2-door SUVs left on the market.
I’ve owned lots and lots of xj Cherokees and jeeps in general… To this day my favorite one was my 93 2 door. Completely stripped inside, as basic as possible, but with the high output 4.0, upgraded rear axle with limited slip, and command trac transfer case. I still beat myself up for getting rid of it, the 4 doors just don’t have the same charm.
This being an 01 it is especially rare… 90% of xjs in the junkyard are 2000 and 2001 models because of the head issues they had. A weaker casting led them to crack between the middle cylinders. Did this one have a 5 speed? Most two doors were pretty low optioned, although the 80’s models were more common to see briarwoods and limited models as 2 doors as well. I like the american racing rims and BFG 30″ tires, I had the same rims on my two door when I had it.
Depends on where one lives. The redesigned 1998+ models had a lot of cost taken out of them. Door panels, tailgates, dashboards etc all became cheaper and lower quality, albeit more sleek and modern.
From what I’ve seen, the galvanizing on the torque boxes and rockers was deleted. Rustbelt examples seemed to rust out even faster than earlier models.
Yes, in a way you are correct. I have owned xjs from both generations, and currently have a 98 with about 232000 miles on it. Being a central new York jeep, it is rusty, the drivers floor has a hole and the rockers are completely gone, and some other random spots, and even on my last 97 it had a completely clean underside but toasted out rockers. My 96 and down models never seemed to have that issue. My 93 did get a small hole in the rocker but that was it. As far as the “cheapening”, even on my 94 xj all the interior panels and parts still had AMC markings and logos, as that is who designed the xj. My 93 had the same steering wheel out of a cj. The newer models are obviously all Chrysler.. The trim pieces do break easier, the center console latches like to break, the tailgate handles always stop working, the radios have issues, and I have more issues with electronics and battery draining, all in the newer ones. Not to mention the molex clip that goes bad in the dash and all of a sudden the whole instrument cluster quits. A common problem on late 90’s jeeps and dodges. Mechanically, they are all but identical.
I’m a huge fan of the XJ Cherokee. As a matter of fact as I begin to contemplate the purchase of a second vehicle in the next 6 months or so I’ve considered looking for one. The problem of course is now that they’re out of production for 15 years a decent one can be hard to find, even though the mechanicals are nearly bulletproof, at least in 4.0 fuel injected guise. I’ve often lamented the dearth of 2-door vehicles in general, for one seemingly silly reason: I’m tall. I know it seems a minor concern, but being over 6’2″ means keeping the seat at or near the far end of its track while driving. This means ingress and egress through a smaller portal in a 4-door vehicle can sometimes be a bit of a tighter squeeze. That’s the least of my concerns however, since I’m still blissfully limber and fairly lean, even for a rather sedentary late 40-something. The thing is, I like to drive with the window down at least somewhat. 4-door cars place the B-pillar right about even with the left side of my head, meaning that opening the window results in air being directed pretty much into my left ear….which is just annoying. Cracking the rear window behind me to allow the air to flow more freely helps somewhat, but I just prefer the overall affect of airflow with a longer side window, found only in a 2-door configuration. Seems crazy, I know, but that’s my primary reason for missing 2-doors. I’d love to find a stripper-spec later 2-door XJ Cherokee to bang around in, preferably with a 5-speed. A/C would be requisite here in FL, but 4WD wouldn’t matter to me. Somehow I think it’d be easier to find a needle in a haystack than to find such a beast that hasn’t been ridden hard and put away wet.
I hear you about the benefits of cracking the rear window open some when driving with the front window open, something I do very often here in our mild climate. Problem is in a Cherokee 2 door, there’s no rear window to open! My experience is that without a rear window to open, the buffeting is really obnoxious.
some of the two doors did have rear vent windows. never tried them so i can’t comment how they effect the wind buffeting.
a friend of a friend had a two door tricked out for night fishing: manual transmission, downward pointing beach lights and exterior mounted rod holders. i almost cried when he sold it.
I heard one can suffer long-term hearing loss when driving repeatedly with the front window cracked open, which is why I also prefer the rear. Some hatchbacks had a remote rear quarter-window control lever.
I remember a dorm-mate who had ear damage from listening to amplified pop music, so I’m glad I grew out of my stereo phase. And I bet a lot of veterans (esp. Army) have hearing issues too.
Nice find, not many of these around. A stick shift would make it even cooler.
I always figured that sooner or later I would have one of these, but that time has not come, and they are starting to thin out by quite a bit. I am still a little ticked at my sister for trading in her 93 Sport 5 speed (4 doors) without telling me, back in the late 90s. I liked that one a lot.
They lengthened the door, balancing the styling. This is what happens, when you don’t:
That is also a shorter wheelbase than the 4-door. If they hadn’t split the rear window, and made the B-pillar slightly thicker it would be fine, similar to a Bronco II.
I didn’t even know they made a 2 door 1997+
Honestly though as a family hauler I found these, including the 4 door, questionable. My uncle had one, for a little kid ingress/egress was akin to playing on a jungle gym, and the rear door opening/seat placement seemed cramped, and that’s coming from an age where I remember everything being bigger than it was. Damn fun vehicle on our summer camping trips though.
I’ll confess to taking a shine to the XJ. Considering what they are, one wouldn’t think they’d be fun to drive, but with the robust 4.0, and the visceral experience of being suspended by two solid axles, well let’s just say you’re certainly not bored.
At the state agency where I work, I am responsible for looking after maintenance needs for our vehicular fleet, an we happen to have a ’99 Cherokee SE with about 160,000 miles. Not used very often, but still in great shape, and I rather enjoy taking it out on errands. It beats our ’07 Malibu’s all to hell, though that’s admittedly not setting the bar very high…
Cherokees of this generation are common around here. I had the impression that the 2doors were about equal to the 4doors, but a count on this morning’s walk disproved the impression. 8 of the 4doors, zero 2doors. Newer Cherokees are much more common but still zero 2doors.
You may have found zero 2-doors in the newer generations (presumably, you meant Grand Cherokee as well) because there were never any.
Although I’ve never owned or driven an XJ Cherokee, I remember them. I’ve known plenty of people who have owned one. I’d buy one if I could find an original unrestored survivor.
At some point in the early 80s, the SUV went from being something “the boys” took to their favorite hunting/fishing spots to being mom’s replacement for a station wagon.
I went to college with a young lady who traded her Fox Mustang for a 2-door Cherokee when she had a baby and married the baby Daddy. Not only was her’s two door it was only two wheel drive. I couldn’t fathom how the Cherokee could do the job any better than the Mustang.
You can fit a lot in the back of a Cherokee 🙂 all of my belongings and tools can fit in two trips and with the seats down I hauled 1000 pounds to scrap in the back of one before
Tattoos were once the domain of sailors and tough guys. If I ever knew what a chick thing they were to become I’d have stayed ink free.
I don’t see the lack of rear doors as the most impractical part, having grown up clambering into two-door SuperCab pickups. Rather, it’s the lack of any kind of window opening. Even the SuperCab had a pop-open vent window to suck the cold air back from the A/C vents.
I had a 96 4wd 4 door with the 5 speed, bought to replace a Mustand when #1Son was born. It was a lot of fun to drive and was running strong when I sold it @115k to get an Explorer (which had headrests in the back seat. ) Only issues were water pump, O2 sensor, and steering damper (that was scary!). Neighbor now has a similar one w/auto as his toy. I still mis mine as I hear that 6 drive up.
I had a 2000 XJ Sport four door and test drove a two door, the ingress/egress of the back seat on the two door was absolutely horrible, even with the longer door. There was really no reason not to get the four door.
XJs really are fantastic vehicles, I loved mine and wouldn’t hesitate to get another if I was looking and a good one was available (Sadly, after decades of being everywhere, they’re finally getting scarce.
my dad had a two-door yukon (tahoe) that served as the long-trip family hauler and mom had the 4-door xj 5-4x-4.0ho. We three kids had no issue clambering in n out of either. I inherited the xj and loved it till there wasn’t enough between the wheels to love. The yukon would’ve been kinda ridiculous if my dad wasn’t needing to drag ~600lbs of tools all over the tricounty area for work.
The two-door Tahoe/Yukon, as well as the K5 Blazer/Jimmy that preceded it, was a full-size truck with longer doors than the compact XJ, making getting in and out of the back less of a chore.
Lots of 2dr diesels populated the roads of France during late 80s, early 90s due to the AMC Renault tie in. Sold via selected Renault dealers, the reverse of the sates then…
I had one a few years ago. Someone had some time on their hands.
Seems like I’d see the two doors as fleet vehicles not infrequently. NC Highway patrol had some back in the 90’s/00’s, the forest service seemed to have quite a few, and other state/government uses. A few remain here and there; when I was in Hopkinsville, Kentucky recently, the city-owned vehicle parking lot downtown contained 3 or 4 97-01 two-door Cherokees.