Welcome to another Shitbox Showdown! In this second-to-last installment of our Route 66 journey, we’re stopping in Flagstaff, Arizona to look at a couple of vehicles that look all off-roady but aren’t really. But first we have to see if the Toyota name is worth twice the price:
Heh. Well, I guess that settles that. Can’t ask Bring A Trailer money for a Bob’s Auto Ranch-quality truck, even if it does say Toyota on the back. Best of luck to the seller, but most of us are more than happy to Dodge that high price.
When you think of SUVs and crossovers, certain characteristics come to mind: four doors, a two-box layout with a rear hatch, and, typically, four- or all-wheel-drive. In some parts of the country, the idea of buying an SUV without 4WD is frankly ridiculous; you want the extra traction for snow, or for off-roading. But for the majority of use that most SUVs see, two-wheel-drive would do just fine, and most of them were available that way at one time or another. My wife and I have had three 2WD SUVs – a Toyota 4Runner, a Nissan Pathfinder, and an Infiniti QX4 – and all were perfectly useful, practical, tough vehicles, just not suitable for use in a snowstorm. The biggest problem with them, frankly, is resale value.
Today’s contenders were both available with 4WD or AWD, but the original buyers of these two opted not to check that box on the options form. Are they still worth a look? Absolutely. Which one pulls off 2WD better? You tell me.
1994 Jeep Cherokee Sport – $2,800
Engine/drivetrain: 4.0 liter overhead valve inline 6, four-speed automatic, RWD
Location: Flagstaff, AZ
Odometer reading: 168,000 miles
Runs/drives? Yep!
At first glance, you’d think this Jeep Cherokee had it all: it’s green, it’s rust-free, and it’s equipped with that stuff-of-legends four-liter inline six. It’s an automatic, but at least it’s a good automatic in these, so we’ll let that slide. But one look at the interior would tell you something was a bit off: the customary transfer case lever alongside the center console is missing. Peek under the front end, and your suspicions would be confirmed: Yes, someone back in 1994 actually ordered a Cherokee Sport without 4WD.
This Jeep could be prettier, but we’ve all gotten so used to seeing scruffy beat-up Cherokees that it doesn’t matter much. The lack of rust is the key; anything else it might need bolts on, and shiny paint on an old SUV is overrated. The driver’s seat is pretty nasty, but a replacement should be easy to find.
The seller doesn’t give us much to go on regarding its mechanical condition; all we get is “runs decent” and “good tires.” But any mechanical foibles these have are well-documented, so it shouldn’t be hard to keep it on the road. You should even be able to convert it to 4WD, with a few junkyard parts.
Is it worth the trouble to add in a driven front axle? I wouldn’t have thought so a few years ago, but XJ Cherokees aren’t getting any newer, and demand for them isn’t going away. Cheap 4WD ones are usually pretty rough these days, so this 2WD Cherokee might make a better starting point for a build. Or just keep driving it as it is, and save a couple miles per gallon.
2003 Pontiac Aztek – $3,600
Engine/drivetrain: 3.4 liter overhead valve V6, four-speed automatic, FWD
Location: Flagstaff, AZ
Odometer reading: 146,000 miles
Runs/drives? Indeed!
The Pontiac Aztek is possibly unique in the automotive world, having become infamous for no other reason than its controversial styling. Mechanically, it’s identical to Buick’s Rendezvous, and not too different from a whole lot of other GM vehicles over the past few decades: a transverse V6 with an automatic, front-wheel-drive, mediocre handling, reasonable comfort, all that jazz. But wrap all that in a package that most buyers found absolutely hideous, and suddenly you have a legend for all the wrong reasons.
This Aztek claims to be a “Trail Boss” model, and has badges on the back fenders to back it up, but I can’t find any record of there ever having been an Aztek Trail Boss. And you would think with a name like that, such a trim level would include all-wheel-drive, but this car is only 2WD. I get the feeling somebody just stuck the decals on. What it does include, however, is one of the Aztek’s more clever options – a “camping package” that includes a pop-up tent that fits over the hatch, and an air mattress that fits inside.
Of course, they couldn’t have bothered to erect the rear tent for a photo, but here’s what it looks like in place:
Generally, this Aztek is in good shape, and the seller says it has new tires and the air conditioning works. Yeah, the styling isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but personally I like it. And the interior materials are typical cheap-shit GM plastic. But if you can look past that, you’ve got a reasonably comfortable, reasonably reliable vehicle that can do a lot, including camp.
Buying an SUV or crossover without four wheel drive might sound foolish, but unless you really need the added traction, it kind of makes sense. You save a little on fuel, and greatly simplify maintenance. Of course, if you do need 4WD, these two are non-starters. But let’s assume you don’t. Which one of these fits your lifestyle?
(Image credits unless noted: Craigslist sellers)
If the New Yorker versus the Suburban in Texas was difficult because they were both undesirable, this one is the exact opposite. Based only on the title, I was all set to go with the XJ but the Aztek including the tent (and air mattress) suddenly made this choice much harder.
In the end, in spite of the nice shade of (fading) green paint on the XJ I went with the Aztek for the camping accessories.
Meh, that Aztec is still goofy looking and lame. Gimme the XJ and over time I can turn it into whatever species of Jeep I want. Definitely some new seat covers and a couple of nights with the de-stinkyfying machine 🙂
Aztek ftw! The design has aged quite well, IMHO. Yes when they first came out I also thought they were hideous, but today they look like lots of other cars on the road. Just ahead of their time, I suppose. And you can get an Aztek cooler on eBay for under a hundo: https://www.ebay.com/itm/234937770566. You’ll be the envy of the KOA with your fancy-schmancy Az-tent and cooler.
This. It literally looks like today’s crossovers. Nobody gives the X6 or Toyota CH-R as much shit as the Aztek got, though.
The Aztec is truly hideous. I want it. I voted for it
I love XJs. I’ve driven them back and forth across the country, pulled trailers, off-roaded, etc. Owned a stripped out sport with nothing but A/C and 4wd, and own a nicer Limited now (not going off-road; keeping nice forever). No way I’d buy that XJ. It just isn’t worth the money (I’m not talking market value; I’m talking intrinsic value: what you get vs. what else you could actually buy for that money). They don’t ride that well, even the 2wd versions tend to get beat, and gas mileage isn’t great. But having the off-road, snow, etc. ability makes it worth the trade-offs (I personally wouldn’t buy a 2wd even if it was perfect; I would always regret not having the 4wd, and I would need a hell of a deal to make the conversion worth it). That one looks like plenty of the body panels have damage, destroyed interior, none of the paint is good. It’s a parts car, maybe. Or something to really drive til you destroy it. If you want an XJ, I’d rather get something in good physical shape with 4wd and an engine that is about done (or transmission, but that’s not as common). And if you want to drive it til you destroy it, and I hate to say it, the Aztek looks like it has more miles left.
HA! I finally caught up! I was on vacation last week and it took me until this article to catch up.
Voted Jeep, because I just can’t Aztec. In real life, neither.
I’ve had a few 2wd XJ’s over the years that I bought thinking I’d convert down the line. Never happened, but they ended up being such solid daily drivers that I didn’t mind. They do tend to be in better shape than comparable 4×4’s, but the prices are definitely going up. I prefer a 2wd with a 5 speed, but there’s nothing wrong with the AW4 either.
The Aztek is a better car. The XJ is one of the worst cars ever made, and if you don’t get the 4WD which is the whole purpose of a Jeep, then what’s the point?
Even though the 3400 sucks, there are plenty of options to swap. Maybe you could even swap in an LS4 and make an Aztek GXP 😀
The Aztek is in better condition, too. The worst part of GM cars like the Aztek is the low quality interior materials, less severe than a Jeep’s issues.
Trying to get David’s attention, and maybe a ban? Regardless, that’s a mighty bold statement and demands justification.
There’s an 01 XJ in my neck of the woods for $3k: I6, 4WD, Auto, 200k miles. In the pictures it looks good. Listing says minimal rust, which for my area could still mean a LOT of rust, yet underbody looks pristine.
Feels like $3k is too cheap. Should I jump look at it? I’m familiar-ish with XJs mostly through DT here. What should I look out for?
It does sound too cheap, so first would be to look out for a scam. But other than that, rust underneath and any evidence of a cracked head/head gasket. If they say minimal rust, it’s probably more than that underneath. Keep in mind it’s unibody, so rust in the wrong place is a real issue. I’m familiar enough with XJs but mostly the earlier models (I do have an 01 now). I know them well enough to know the later heads can be more of an issue if they get hot. Upside is that finding a 4.0 if you need one shouldn’t be a problem, in my experience. And make sure the 4wd works. When I bought mine, I drove one that looked great, but the transfer case wouldn’t shift in and out of 4H correctly.
Check the passenger side floor pan, thats where rust tends to start; if the drain line for the ac gets clogged it ends up dripping water down to that pan, so this can happen even in rust free areas of the country.
I have an 01 and the biggest issue with them is the cylinder head- its a casting called 0331 which is prone to cracking between cylinders 3 and 4. This can manifest itself as nothing other than mystery coolant loss. Its a weekend job to do if you’re handy, I did mine in early 01, but I more or less drove it to Moab and wheeled hard on the cracked head with no issues. What you don’t want to do is replace it with another 0331 head. You either need to get an 0331 TUPY from a later 4.0 (WJ or TJ) which is reinforced where they crack, or you need to get an earlier one, basically 91-99 (0630 or 0720 I think) but with those you won’t have mounts for the 01’s coil rail. A viper coil pack can replace the coil rail if you go that way.
In addition all 01’s got CA emissions and have two precats under the hood. They’re prone to heat soak from that, especially as the cats get older and a bit clogged.
While 01 was the last year its considered somewhat undesirable by XJ die hards because of these issues.
Since you seem to have dealt with these, a question: If I’m not careful letting my 01 run for a while before shutting it down, I sometimes get a misfire code on cylinder 3, if I recall. That sound more like the head starting to have issues (zero other sign of head/gasket issues) or the cats (which I was actually not aware of being an issue – why I love this website, get to learn something new every day)?
Misfire on restart? Thats the heat soak issue. Mine never threw a code but it was hard to start and would misfire for a while. It could be the cracked head, it could be that you need new cats that flow better, but both are expensive. There’s a couple things you can do for less to try to mitigate the issue for now:
As far as the head goes, pop off your oil cap while the jeep is running, you may be able to see coolant bleeding out of the crack. If you’re not experiencing mystery coolant loss this is probably not your issue.
The precat assembly is expensive. About $700 for a quality Magnaflow unit. While you’re in there you may as well do headers. And a new downpipe. I did the head/precats/header/viper coil all at once.
Thanks, ‘Guy! It’s definitely a misfire on restart after a short time turned off (like running errands) if I don’t let it sit a minute or two before I turn it off. And it’s gotten better since I did a fuel system treatment for other issues, so I’m guessing it’s the heat soak issue. I’ll get the fuel injector sleeve for now. How long did the full head/exhaust job take? That might be my long-term project.
I didn’t know the hood vent install was a thing, but as soon as I googled it, XJ pictures came up. Guess I need to be looking into stuff more.
naxja.org is a phenomenal resource if you haven’t been there.
The head/exhaust job took me probably 4 weekends, but that was working solo, Texas getting hit with a freeze and me losing power for part of the month, accidentally breaking my intake manifold because it wasn’t on square, etc. Its not my daily so I don’t tend to rush projects- things get frustrating I walk away and do more research.
Thanks! Not my daily either and in a garage, so I can take my time. I’m going to start planning that one out and buying parts.
I can’t believe you found a way for me to have to vote for an Asstek.
After careful consideration – the Aztek, please.
It is in the least offensive color for that model, which is nice: the black makes the cladding blend in. It also appears to be in better shape than the Jeep, though it’s difficult to be sure with the very limited set of pics.
Putting aside the XJ’s cleanse-it-with-fire interior, it appears to have been in a front-end accident. The misaligned parts are very visible here: https://images.craigslist.org/00R0R_g8XKpMVNnif_0t20CI_1200x900.jpg
Don’t forget the Edsel.
I thought the nose piece on the XJ looked a little wonky. Thanks for confirming my suspicions, Mr. Barth!
I’m here to help. 🙂
As someone who regularly has driven the most ridiculous available option throughout my life, this one was a no-brainer…Aztec.
I was a little surprised my vote was with the majority…which at this time is leaning Aztec. It’s just in better shape. It even looks like someone made at least some effort to keep it clean. Plus I’m a little concerned about the jeep seller’s description of “runs decent.” Just decent? I appreciate the honesty but I’d like to know what’s keeping it from running “great.” But the real kicker for me is the AC. The Aztec ad says it works but no mention in the Jeep ad.
Now, if the other car was a Rendezvous, I would vote Jeep. The Aztec may be ugly but it’s at least ugly in an interesting way. The Rendezvous is ugly, full stop.
While my real answer is neither, the Jeep wins due to cost alone. Use the left over to convince DT to help convert this to a 4wd 🙂
Tough one today. Getting harder and harder to find a decent Cherokee these days, but the novelty of driving an Aztek is hard to pass up. Is it me, or does the front wheel on the Aztek look tilted in severely at the top? I will vote later after I ponder for a while, I am split 50/50 on this.
This Cherokee is America’s slightly taller answer to a Volvo 240 wagon. Durable, lovable, styled literally like the box the Aztek came in. At first glance, I thought “Oh, it’s the XJ. GGs, everyone.” But an XJ that’s been beat to h*ck versus an Aztek that needs nothing AND has the tent AND the air mattress? Factor in our automatic +1 for Pontiac Anything and the Aztek wins. Great matchup!
Not gonna lie, first thing I did was check to see if the Aztek had the 2-in-1 center console and DUI box.
I’d take the XJ. We had a Rendezvous, and it had the infamous head gasket issue. It was AWD, but that failed, too.
The Aztek is almost criminally underrated. It was just too ahead of it’s time. If it came out 10 years later it would have survived. Too bad it’s not the AWD model, the tent is pretty much a gimmick, and where is the cooler center console???
XJ. Those are blank canvases for whatever build is to be done. 4WD swap for sure. May as well put a small lift on while swapping to 4WD.
That jeep was abused by possibly a smoke jumper, judging by the charcoal seat stains. You’ll never ever get the smell out. I’m taking the Aztek just so people can come up to me and ask why I’m driving such a ugly vehicle.
I can’t understand the point of a beat up RWD Cherokee. I guess that really tells you how important 4WD and off-road credibility is for it, as basically every other old SUV could do what this one does but better.
I love the Aztec. Lame that it’s FWD, but I love the stupid tent, and I love that it’s good at it’s intended use cases while being impossible to take seriously. That’s my kind of car.
Living in Denver I made a practice of buying 2wd versions of vehicles normally found as 4wd. Price was significantly less, fuel economy was always better and they weren’t beat up. I don’t off road and having spent my formative years in Wisconsin I know how to drive in snow.
Driving a RWD Jeep is like having sex with 12 condoms on.
I want to like the Aztek, I really do, but… no. Just give me the XJ. There are enough of them in salvages and being parted out on facebook that securing the bits to convert it to 4WD would be really no issue at all. I’d pick up some nicer seats while I was at it, and just build the setup I want. Definitely not something you could (or would want to) do with the Pontiac.