The 1984 Jeep Cherokee was such a dramatic redesign, it somehow made its predecessor from one model year prior, the SJ Cherokee, look like it belonged in another century. I know this, because I just drove both back-to-back; the SJ is, comparatively, a pile of junk.

Last summer, I drove eight hours to pick up a Jeep that a reader named Matt had offered me for free. But after fixing the boxy SUV, I didn’t have the heart to take it from the college student. A few months later, Matt blew up the engine, but planned to install a new one. Sadly, now he’s got even more problems.

Off-roaders around the world are always trying to fit the biggest tires under their rigs for added ground clearance, traction and also for bragging rights. But sometimes doing so requires irreversibly damaging iconic SUVs—and that bothers me deeply.

In a moment of weakness last night, I texted my ex-Jeep’s new owner—you know, just to see how things were going. What I learned is that, as much as I miss that beautiful 4.0-liter manual transmission XJ, it doesn’t look like it misses me. It looks genuinely happy.

A Jalopnik reader from Long Island just bought a 4,400 mile Jeep Cherokee from an older owner in Queens in what is perhaps the greatest Jeep XJ barn find of our time. Prepare your feeble minds for photos of a factory-fresh Jeep Cherokee.

The Donner pass through the Sierra Nevada mountain range is not for the weak. It’s also apparently not for the strong, as even the indefatigable Jeep four-liter engine couldn’t save this Cherokee from being consumed by old-man winter.

Jeremy Clarkson ain’t perfect. He’s insulted every type of person on the planet, and even punched a producer for no good reason. But despite his many imperfections, Clarkson—like you and I—loved AMC’s boxy little mountain goat, the Jeep XJ. And you can’t fault him for that.

My Jeep Cherokee has already shown how far $600 (well, really $2,000) will get you in Moab. Endearingly called “Project Swiss Cheese,” the rusty XJ kicked major ass in on the rocks of Moab, but how will it do in the sand? Watch and find out.

If you haven’t yet fallen in love with the Jeep Cherokee XJ after following Project Swiss Cheese, these five Motorweek reviews might finally push you over the edge. Watch the boxy little beast kick butt as Motorweek tests ‘84, ‘87, ‘91, ‘95 and ‘97 model years.

My $600 Jeep Cherokee XJ, called Project Swiss Cheese after its copious rust, not only made the nearly 2,000 mile journey to Moab, but it also kicked butt on the trails. It did a heroic job out there. The journey home, however, was a total shit-show.

By the grace of the Jeep Gods, my $600 Jeep Cherokee made the nearly 2,000 mile trek from Michigan to Moab without a single hiccup. As impressive as that was, what was even more amazing was how well the old XJ handled the trails. It kicked ass.

Have you ever pulled an all-nighter before a big race or off-road event? Well, I haven’t, but it looks like I’m headed down that path, as my old $600 Craigslist Jeep Cherokee still needs tons of work before it can conquer Moab.

Before wrenching could commence on my $600 Jeep XJ, which I plan to take to this year’s Easter Jeep Safari, I had to cobble together a lift kit. And it had to be cheap. Like, really cheap.

The Jaguar XJ is a big, expensive luxury performance sedan that may not have the precision of the Germans, but it’s definitely got more soul. What do you need to know before you buy a Jaguar XJ? Don’t worry, we’ll tell you everything right here in the Ultimate Buyer’s Guide.

Is a new Jeep Cherokee KL as capable off-road as Jeep’s best-selling SUV of all time, the boxy old Cherokee XJ? Seeing as how I bought a 1995 Cherokee for $600 off Craigslist recently, when I got ahold of a $36,000 new Cherokee, I had no choice but to try and find out.

Jeep XJs are some seriously capable vehicles able traverse some gnarly terrain without breaking a sweat. But with great capability comes great responsibility. What happens when you forget to take your XJ off-roading? It goes off-roading anyway.