s-10 blazer vs cherokee

[NYGiants]

I posted a thread a few weeks ago about mid sized SUVS and i think I've got to narrowed down to two. the s-10 blazer and cherokee. I'm not sure which is the better overall SUV though. i would be doing some light offroading most likely nothing a stock suv couldn't handle. and for towing a light boat. (under 1k lbs) opinions?

 

[tomdinwv]

Re: s-10 blazer vs cherokee

I've had 2 S-10 Blazers, 2 S-10 pickups and 1 Cherokee. You didn't say what year Blazer you are looking at but if it's an older one, stay away from the 2.8 liter V6 and make sure it has the 4.3 liter. The 4.3 has plenty of power and the 2.8 is anemic at it's best.

I've had 1 Cherokee with the 4.0 inline 6. I was a Chevy guy until I got the Jeep. I loved that Jeep. The 4.0 is good for 250 to 300 thousand miles if it's taken care of properly. If I had to choose between the 2, and the condition of both were equal, I'd probably go with the Jeep. Good luck!

 

[Harritwo]

Re: s-10 blazer vs cherokee

I posted a thread a few weeks ago about mid sized SUVS and i think I've got to narrowed down to two. the s-10 blazer and cherokee. I'm not sure which is the better overall SUV though. i would be doing some light offloading most likely nothing a stock suv couldn't handle. and for towing a light boat. (under 1k lbs) opinions?

I have had 2 S-10 Blazers, a 94 and a 2000. The 2000 was 4x4. I was never happy with either one of them in the performance or gas mileage. Both had the 4.3L V-6. The 94 was TBI and the 2000 was a TBI but was slightly different than the 94. Neither one had enough pulling power for me, and neither one would sit you back in the seat when you were standing on it. Both got between 14-16 mpg for me empty, the 94 would get around 17 on the highway at cruise speed empty. For me, FOr the money, fuel economy, and comfort, i went back to a Full SIze Truck with V-8.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: s-10 blazer vs cherokee

Either one will work for your needs.......

If the Jeep is an I-6 ........ they have great motors.

Neither one will be great on MPG or real powerhouses and yes AVOID the older V-6 in the Blazer.

You did not list any years or current mileage

 

[bigdee]

Re: s-10 blazer vs cherokee

I traded my '03 4.3 Blazer in on a '04, 4.0 Cherokee last year. I haven't tried towing yet but it feels more torquey than the Blazer. The Blazer was trouble free for 9 years and 100k miles then it started to fall apart,it definitively was not off-road worthy as the body quality was less than desirable. The 4.3 suffered injuries from dexcool (deathcool), it corroded and plugged up the cooling system and ate the intake gaskets. In all fairness the Blazer was reliable and inexpensive for the first 75k. The Cherokee seems to be built more solid and is rattle free at 96k but they are known to be a crap shoot as far as maintenance goes. Non-towing gas mileage was 17-21 for 2wd Blazer and 16-22 for the AWD Jeep.

 

[NYGiants]

Re: s-10 blazer vs cherokee

i would be looking at the 99-04 blazers and the 97-01 cherokees and both probably 120-140,000 mile range

 

[jkust]

Re: s-10 blazer vs cherokee

Do yourself a huge favor and look at the replacement to the Blazer being the Trailblazer gmt360 that was sold starting as a 2002 model year. The older ones only had a 4.2 liter I6 (latter ones came with the optional 5.3liter) that destroys the 4.3 in HP and torque and being so old they are cheap. They are a monumental leap forward in every way compared to the s10 Blazer. Tons and tons of them out there in your price range you can get from completely stripped to totally loaded with every bell and whistle and they tow fantastically. Just make sure you get one with the locking differential only discernable by the rpo code 'G80' on the sticker inside the glovebox. Most people buying them used don't know that and get stung with an open differential when they start towing then do their research only to realize it's not there.

 

[bigdee]

Re: s-10 blazer vs cherokee

i would be looking at the 99-04 blazers and the 97-01 cherokees and both probably 120-140,000 mile range

At that milage the Jeep I-6 is just getting broke-in.....The chevy is closer to broken. Look on autotrader and see how many high milage Blazers are listed vs Jeeps. There are are lot of I-6 Jeeps listed with over 200k, from what I've heard they are noisy low tech engines that seem to run forever.

 

[MTboatguy]

Re: s-10 blazer vs cherokee

I have had 3 S-10 blazers and 5 Jeep Cherokees or Grands, I will take the Jeep any day over the Chevy's, more pulling power a small bit better mileage and just a studier feel to them. I currently am driving an Explorer, but am always on the look out for another Jeep to supplement it!

 

[NYGiants]

Re: s-10 blazer vs cherokee

wow i didn't realize how powerful the trailblazer was and how great the i6 engine in it is. ill definitely look into that

 

[NSBCraig]

Re: s-10 blazer vs cherokee

Man I'm a chevy guy but Ive got to say go with the jeep. I don't even know why they ruined the blazer name putting it on the pos.

 

[Rockmere1]

Re: s-10 blazer vs cherokee

Once a Jeep Guy Always A Jeep Guy! haha, sounds like the guys have you squared away on facts, i would only urge as always to look the JEEP over for rust, they are a UNI-BODY construction, which makes them light in perspective to the powerhouse Inline Six, pumping out over 190 horses. I will always be pulling for The JEEP! and you could always jack it up and climb rocks later in its life

 

[TorchedGT]

Re: s-10 blazer vs cherokee

Man I'm a chevy guy but Ive got to say go with the jeep. I don't even know why they ruined the blazer name putting it on the pos.

Ditto - seems to be the consensus in the thread so far. I haven't owned either, but know many friends with older, high-mileage jeeps and they're all doing very well. Later GCs had some issues, but the older ones were great. Also, as some noted about the S-10 frame and body construction and feel - this will be a large item as the Jeeps are rated for offroading while the S-10 really wasn't built with that in mind from the start. The amount of chassis rigidity required for serious off-roading is incredible. I've seem frames flex so much that people couldn't even open their doors anymore - that's what separates an off-road vehicle from a regular SUV.

 

[ezbtr]

Re: s-10 blazer vs cherokee

I posted a thread a few weeks ago about mid sized SUVS and i think I've got to narrowed down to two. the s-10 blazer and cherokee. I'm not sure which is the better overall SUV though. i would be doing some light offroading most likely nothing a stock suv couldn't handle. and for towing a light boat. (under 1k lbs) opinions?

My 92 Cherokee w/ the I6 was one of the most trouble free and awesome vehicles, never broke. The only thing I improved was the rad. to a 3 core. Also upgrading the front brakes to semi metallic pads and after market drilled rotors is a good idea, those are the two only faults of that Jeep. I towed my 17" aluminum over Yosemite, no issues and on a 400 mi trip towing, got 22.5 mpg!
Was running like brand new until I gave it to my daughter w/ 175K on it, all original parts.

 

[jkust]

Re: s-10 blazer vs cherokee

Once a Jeep Guy Always A Jeep Guy! haha, sounds like the guys have you squared away on facts, i would only urge as always to look the JEEP over for rust, they are a UNI-BODY construction, which makes them light in perspective to the powerhouse Inline Six, pumping out over 190 horses. I will always be pulling for The JEEP! and you could always jack it up and climb rocks later in its life

The Inline 6 in the Trailblazer/Envoy/Rainier/9-7x -aka GMT 360 pumped out almost 300hp in the latter years. V8 power from an I6 and the 4.2 was one of Wards 10 best engines in 2002 and maybe later as well I don't recall. The 2002 version in its first year was only at 270hp but of course they made the usual incremental increases until it's demise in 2009. I'd love to see a Grand cherokee go up agains a comprably equipped GMT 360.

Vortec 4200 Inline 6-Cylinder
General Motors' all-new Vortec 4200 inline six-cylinder engine features several advanced technologies that provide outstanding power, smoothness and fuel efficiency. It delivers the power of a V8 and the fuel efficiency of a six-cylinder engine.

The Vortec 4200 features all aluminum construction, dual overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder, delivering 270 horsepower and 275 lb-ft of torque.

Additional engine features include a high compression ratio, electronic throttle control, exhaust cam phasing, coil-on-plug ignition, advanced powertrain control module, direct mount accessories, and easy-maintenance features.

The Vortec engine's award-winning cast aluminum block and aluminum cylinder head is produced at GM's Saginaw Metal Castings facility in Saginaw, Mich., using a "lost foam" process. Lost foam allows more exact dimensional control while reducing the machining efforts in oil galleries, coolant and other internal passages. Utilizing advanced combustion technology, the engine has a 10:1 compression ratio, which helps provide excellent fuel economy. The engine delivers the horsepower and combustion efficiency advantages of a high compression engine, yet operates on regular grade unleaded gasoline.

 

[bigdee]

Re: s-10 blazer vs cherokee

The Inline 6 in the Trailblazer/Envoy/Rainier/9-7x -aka GMT 360 pumped out almost 300hp in the latter years. V8 power from an I6 and the 4.2 was one of Wards 10 best engines in 2002 and maybe later as well I don't recall. The 2002 version in its first year was only at 270hp but of course they made the usual incremental increases until it's demise in 2009. I'd love to see a Grand cherokee go up agains a comprably equipped GMT 360.

Vortec 4200 Inline 6-Cylinder
General Motors' all-new Vortec 4200 inline six-cylinder engine features several advanced technologies that provide outstanding power, smoothness and fuel efficiency. It delivers the power of a V8 and the fuel efficiency of a six-cylinder engine.

The Vortec 4200 features all aluminum construction, dual overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder, delivering 270 horsepower and 275 lb-ft of torque.

Additional engine features include a high compression ratio, electronic throttle control, exhaust cam phasing, coil-on-plug ignition, advanced powertrain control module, direct mount accessories, and easy-maintenance features.

The Vortec engine's award-winning cast aluminum block and aluminum cylinder head is produced at GM's Saginaw Metal Castings facility in Saginaw, Mich., using a "lost foam" process. Lost foam allows more exact dimensional control while reducing the machining efforts in oil galleries, coolant and other internal passages. Utilizing advanced combustion technology, the engine has a 10:1 compression ratio, which helps provide excellent fuel economy. The engine delivers the horsepower and combustion efficiency advantages of a high compression engine, yet operates on regular grade unleaded gasoline.

Yes, I love new technology and kudos to GM.....BUT.....It is hard to give up on the simple and proven reliability of the the old Jeep (AMC) I-6. Just being able to see and having uncluttered access to the engine is a plus for me. NO timing belts,no complex valve-train and numerous stories of 300k trouble free miles is also a great engineering feat that originated in 1930!

 

[sublauxation]

Re: s-10 blazer vs cherokee

I loved my Jeep as long as I didn't have to sit in the back seat. It's pretty tiny back there and fitting a car seat can be a feet of engineering. I drove my dads s-10 Blazer enough to know it's more comfortable than the Jeep but but mechanically it was no where near as solid. I also hate that infamous puff of blue smoke those 4.3s give off if they sit more than a couple hours. I had a 91 s-10PU that started smoking at 40K miles.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: s-10 blazer vs cherokee

I loved my Jeep as long as I didn't have to sit in the back seat.

You can say that again. My buddy had an '00 Cherokee and I went on a couple trips with him. That back seat was torture!

 

[Beefer]

Re: s-10 blazer vs cherokee

I had a Blazer of that age and mileage, and I had a Cherokee older with twice the mileage. Between those two, go with the Cherokee. No experience with the Trailblazer, but I'd look into those.

 

[NYGiants]

Re: s-10 blazer vs cherokee

i looked into trailblazers just way to much money. even for a 10 year old one. i think the 96-98 grand cherokee is what I'm going to get. much lighter then the blazer the solid i6 engine and its cheaper then the cherokees. i like the interior better too and the hatch that has a rear opening window.