The 1987 Jeep Cherokee enjoyed solid sales in the U.S. and growing sales internationally, consolidating its position as one of the most popular compact sport utility vehicles in the world. The '87 Cherokee filled an important market niche: Its sturdy unibody construction and innovative Quadra-Link suspension made it a tough, reliable vehicle for passenger and business use.
Some of the features that had made earlier SJ-Series Cherokees so popular with the off-road set remained in the XJ-Series Cherokee. High ground clearance and rugged 4-wheel drive took the 1987 Cherokee over a variety of terrains with ease; its hefty metal construction enabled it to brave the elements and the wilderness.
Thanks to some innovation from the folks at AMC, the 1987 Cherokee had a bit more to offer under the hood. The SUV shipped off the line with a 2.5-liter AMC inline 4-cylinder, clocked at 121 horsepower; as of this model year, buyers could upgrade to a new 4.0-liter AMC fuel-injected inline 6, which put out a healthy 173 horsepower. Power and torque were back, and Cherokee drivers were thrilled!
Although General Motors acquired AMC during the 1987 model year, the core design and production supervision teams remained in place during the transition. It took a while for GM to start making its mark on the AMC models, especially the more popular ones.
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I went to town with $1,365.00 looking for something inexpensive for my FIRST car/truck/whatever and we went by a little dealership and saw this beautiful blue Jeep just sitting there and I instantly fell in love with it, considering its my first car and its a standard,(the transmission works REALLY REALLY WELL)its teaching me how to drive stick and it has the best handling that i know of...i drove brand new cars that don't drive as good as my jeep, the only thing that didn't work in it was the radio(original) so i went and bought me a new one and put it in and all of the speakers work fine but there is no bass, the electric windows and windshield wipers work , the hood seems to be losing paint but im gonna repaint it, it is truly a great car and its and AWESOME party vehicle, I took it camping by a lake and it handles like a charm, I went off reading with it and couldn't bottom out, and everything but the radio and the muffler is original, so yeah...its a pretty good car and i love it!Nov 19, 2012
by Chris S
Sep 30, 2010
lots of torque, decent HP, built great does everything it needs to do off road which is what mine is built for. Appearance is not great due to the fact it is used off road. I love driving it and i really really recommend to any one getting into off road to buy a Cherokee.Sep 30, 2010
by Michael S
Aug 27, 2010
i love this car it has pretty decent torque and it built pretty well this car is 24 year old and still runs like a camp it can keep up and beat 6 cyl mustangs car only has 100xxx witch is amazing for its age i am the second owner of this. was previosly owned by purdue so expect oil changes and every have been maintained this car features a trans comfort/power sitch witch lengthins the shirfting points i have added a sony head unit and a custom speckers in the back deck it aint winning no bass comp but been told u can here it down the streetAug 27, 2010
User rating:
by Anonymous
Nov 19, 2012
I went to town with $1,365.00 looking for something inexpensive for my FIRST car/truck/whatever and we went by a little dealership and saw this beautiful blue Jeep just sitting there and I instantly fell in love with it, considering its my first car and its a standard,(the transmission works REALLY REALLY WELL)its teaching me how to drive stick and it has the best handling that i know of...i drove brand new cars that don't drive as good as my jeep, the only thing that didn't work in it was the radio(original) so i went and bought me a new one and put it in and all of the speakers work fine but there is no bass, the electric windows and windshield wipers work , the hood seems to be losing paint but im gonna repaint it, it is truly a great car and its and AWESOME party vehicle, I took it camping by a lake and it handles like a charm, I went off reading with it and couldn't bottom out, and everything but the radio and the muffler is original, so yeah...its a pretty good car and i love it!Nov 19, 2012
by Chris S
Sep 30, 2010
lots of torque, decent HP, built great does everything it needs to do off road which is what mine is built for. Appearance is not great due to the fact it is used off road. I love driving it and i really really recommend to any one getting into off road to buy a Cherokee.Sep 30, 2010
by Michael S
Aug 27, 2010
i love this car it has pretty decent torque and it built pretty well this car is 24 year old and still runs like a camp it can keep up and beat 6 cyl mustangs car only has 100xxx witch is amazing for its age i am the second owner of this. was previosly owned by purdue so expect oil changes and every have been maintained this car features a trans comfort/power sitch witch lengthins the shirfting points i have added a sony head unit and a custom speckers in the back deck it aint winning no bass comp but been told u can here it down the streetAug 27, 2010
by William B
Mar 07, 2010
love it, just really wish it was a bit more reliable. Definately gonna go for a chevy drivetrain. Costs next to nothing to run, when its running. Its amazing to drive, goes anywhere i want it to and some places it shouldnt.Mar 07, 2010
by Memories P
Feb 27, 2010
This Jeep held up well, I sold it when it had 185,000 miles. Still
got a decent buck. Everything still worked, except the back
windshield wiper. Replaced the radiator after 14 years.
Started well in winter, and fun to drive. Still lots of them on
the roads even today. Had an issue with the water based
paint that eroded on the hood. I had my "wiener dog logo" on
the bug shield for Little Squirt Grooming Inc.Feb 27, 2010
by Andy B
Aug 01, 2009
I LOVE THE LATICE ON TOP OF THE JEEP ITS AMAZING! and the rust you can kick off! and it also smells like dirty dogs from hunting trips! ITS THE BEST JEEP EVER!!! All my friends think its beautiful inside!Aug 01, 2009
by Michael T
Oct 17, 2008
Anything and everything went wrong with it as it was an 87 but even on its worse days it drove like a champ. Lots of cabin space, strong engine, poor gas mileage. wish i could have it back. it had a lot of cosmetic issues but each problem gave it character. Oct 17, 2008
by Brian W
Jun 14, 2008
its in decent condition, it hasnt been driven in almost 6 years and now it has a bad coil and wont start and i think the transmission is bad so its gonna be pricy to fix upJun 14, 2008
by Timothy J
May 11, 2008
It was alright, wasn't flashy by any means; and it held together alright.May 11, 2008
by Anonymous
Apr 12, 2008
All is good just wandering if there is an upgrade for the AC system.Apr 12, 2008
by Anonymous
Apr 07, 2008
the auto has a strong engine and is a comfortable ride. It has until recently held up strong. Now the auto has a strong engine and is a comfortable ride.Apr 07, 2008
by Brendan S
Apr 06, 2008
1987 Jeep Cherokee. 4.0L I6, 5 speed manual trans. Over 224K miles on it and it ran better than most cars do new. Command Trac 4wd system, black vinyl interior, red exterior. Didnt have it for too long so i dont really know too much about itApr 06, 2008
by Bradley T
Mar 14, 2008
Bought for my sister, she loves it. Easy o repair and easy to DriveMar 14, 2008
by John D
Feb 27, 2008
it was awesome...lift and allFeb 27, 2008
by Jordan B
Feb 01, 2008
87 jeep with 31'sFeb 01, 2008
by Chris W
Jan 18, 2008
good vehicle for towing, yet bad milageJan 18, 2008
by George G
Jan 17, 2008
My first car, got it and really love it, specially cause it was 5 speed manual transmission,but it was AWD, so that means a lot of gas! Trade it in for another car and i really miss my Jeep! :(Jan 17, 2008
by Reid Z
Nov 17, 2007
bought my jeep 2 years ago for $300.00 other than a small short in the turn signals and 4 wheel not kicking in on time absolutly love my jeep= get in and always starts up and runs dependably...Nov 17, 2007
by Anonymous
Sep 24, 2007
My ex-girlfriend bought this car against my advice about 6 years ago. I KNEW I was going to have to do constant repairs to it, and I was right. She gave it to me 4 years ago, in consideration for all the time I'd spent on it keeping it going for her. I have replaced or had trouble with just about every single component and system, and find it to be the most POORLY engineered and thought-out vehicle I have ever owned. It will be a cold, bitter cold, day in hell before I EVER own one of these pieces of wreckage again!!Sep 24, 2007
by Anonymous
Apr 29, 2007
its old but runs like a clock, doing some rebuilding so my daughter can drive it for school work etcApr 29, 2007
Whenever my headlights are on my dashboard lights, headlights flicker. But now every now and then my radio will completely shut off. My battery and alternator are perfectly fine. How would I fix this?
I have replaced the ignition switch and relay on hot lead from the battery. No change, and the starter doesn't in gauge. The battery is brand new. I'm at loss on how to proceed. I brought a McNally repair book but its so generic its almost use less.
So I have a 1987 Jeep Cherokee four-door four- wheel-drive was just fine yesterday went outside to start it up this morning and when I put it in drive I didn’t want to go nowhere but when I put it in low it works just fine
I have an 87 jeep Cherokee 6 cyl. Just replaced alt. And battery. After im driving for a few minutes it stops charging my battery. Volt gauge goes from a nice 13ish to 8. Any ideas?