[Note: As originally conceived, ‘The Cars of Ralph’ was to be an ongoing rumination on life as experienced through the cars I’ve had over the years. Somewhere along the way I got sidetracked, and then sort of lost steam. This post is an attempt to get back on track, through the story of my seventh car, a Jeep Cherokee Laredo.]
In 1989 I returned from three years in Germany to attend an Army school at Fort Eustis, Virginia, followed by a three-year assignment to the 9th Infantry Division at Fort Lewis, Washington. As detailed in the discussion of car #6, anxious to avoid speeding ticket prison in Virginia, I had traded in my 1988 Mustang GT for an ‘89 Acura Integra LS. The Integra was fine, though ultimately unsatisfying. Once I reached the Pacific Northwest my wandering car eye cast about for a more suitable companion. And that’s when I first learned about what would eventually become known as a, “Sport Utility Vehicle,” the now ubiquitous All-American SUV. With the Cascade Mountains just thirty minutes from my doorstep, I was skiing almost every weekend those winters. The roads were slick and steep, and it was always fun to ski with friends. What I needed was four-wheel drive, and four doors. The recently up-engined Jeep Cherokee was just the ticket. Mine was a white 1989 Laredo, and I came to respect and love that little truck.
The “XJ” series Jeep Cherokee had a long-life span, first offered in 1984 and not bowing out until 2001. Some versions were built in China through 2014! It was available in two- or four-door, five-passenger, front-engine, rear- or four-wheel drive configurations. Early versions featured fairly anemic 2.5-liter four cylinder or 2.6-liter six cylinder engines. But for 1989 Jeep debuted a new 4.0 liter straight six with 177 horsepower. That was solid power for the day, from a smooth and reliable engine that also featured a stout 220-foot pounds of torque. The Selec-Trac full-time four-wheel drive system provided outstanding grip on all surfaces, and featured a low range for crawling and other low speed traction needs. All in all, the XJ Cherokee with the 4.0 was one of the best vehicles Chrysler ever made.
Trading in the Integra I had owned for less than a year on a new Jeep wasn’t the smartest of financial decisions, and that kept me from the Limited model with leather and other fancy stuff such as gold wheels. My poor financial decisions turned out to be a blessing for once, as the only Cherokee I could afford was the cheapest Laredo on the dealer’s lot. And why was it the cheapest? Because it had a manual transmission, roll up windows, and no air conditioning! So not only did my Cherokee feature Jeeps’ powerful new engine, but without the extra weight of an automatic transmission, window motors, or air conditioning, it weighed only 3,000 pounds! I actually ran it across the vehicle weight station at McCord Air Force base once just to see how light it was. I was shocked!
The bottom line of these missing options… that little truck could light up all four tires, particularly if the roads were a bit wet. Did I mention I was living in the Pacific Northwest? The Cherokee was relatively fast, light on its feet, a great long-distance driver (particularly in bad weather), and most importantly a fabulous, nimble ski vehicle. The rear tailgate opened upwards to shield you from the elements while you put on your gear and the roofline wasn’t so high that a not tall person such as myself couldn’t easily reach the ski racks. The combination of Jeep’s Selec-Trac four-wheel drive and mud + snow tires gave the little truck phenomenal traction. The early Bendix ABS system worked well enough to help keep me on the road if I got a bit happy in the snow. And I did. Often.
Honestly, I’m not sure I’ve owned a vehicle that more perfectly met my needs in a specific time and place. Sure, the lack of air conditioning was a bit annoying in July and August. But again, it was the Pacific Northwest. Not being able to easily roll down the rear windows was inconvenient at times. But the advantages of low weight, good power, and a manual transmission easily overcame those niggles. And though it was no sports car, it was fun enough to drive that even the enthusiast in me was mostly happy to own it as my only car.
One more thing about the XJ Cherokee, and my white Laredo specifically, it's a darned good looking vehicle. The upright, squared off design is clean and uncluttered. The greenhouse is tall and stately, with Land Rover-like formal lines. The Laredo version added just enough chrome, tinted privacy glass and great 5 spoke wheels, all adding to that formal look and in my case, setting off the pearl white paint. The XJ shows, once again, that car design rebounded in the 1980s. It's no wonder that the Radwood idea has become such a hit on the car show circuit.
And the fate of the Cherokee? A few years later, after the Gulf War, I wrangled a transfer back to Germany. Though a trusty steed, with a top speed around 90 mph the Laredo had no business in the land of the autobahn. So, while attending an Army school at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, I traded it for a different all-wheel drive vehicle from Chrysler, more suited to high-speed travel. Any guesses?
1989 Jeep Cherokee Laredo
Owned: 1989-1991
Location: Pacific Northwest
Music: I was listening to a lot of Neil Young in those days… and I saw his grunge acolytes - these youngsters - get their start in Seattle…
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars - the perfect vehicle for the moment
And please note my explanation about the photographs used in this blog.
