Based on the pictures in its ad, today’s Jeep is oa bit far from what we might call perfect. We’ll have to decide if its price bridges that distance.

Selling a beloved possession to satisfy a spousal demand is either evidence of marital devotion or an admission of abject defeat. Either way, that was how the seller of yesterday’s couched his reasons for parting with what he called his “toy.”

Nice as the car appeared to be, few of you were wedded to the idea of paying the $18,250 he was asking for the little Honda. In the end, it fell in a 66 percent Crack Pipe loss. Wait ’til he tells his wife!

Marriage can be a wonderful institution. I mean it provides a ready audience for your jokes, and a second olfactory opinion for when the milk might be suspect. Plus there’s the tax breaks!

What might you do with that windfall you receive for filing jointly? Well, you might just consider buying this raised and seemingly hell-raising ready . There are some cautions before you pull the trigger however.

As we all know, the XJ model Jeep Cherokee is America’s Volvo 245. It’s boxy, it carries a reputation for dogged reliability, and it was available with an engine so long in the tooth that your grandma probably dated it in high school. As well like the Volvo, it had an amazing model run at more than 17 years.

This 1996 model represents from the first version of the Cherokee. The model would see a refresh the following year that would update the interior and replace the fiberglass tailgate with a steel piece. This one is appreciably old school, but it seems to be in pretty good shape barring some of the body panels.

Most of the truck is Emerald Green, however the hood and rockers have been given the blackout treatment with a matte finish. That wraps around to both bumpers and doesn’t look bad overall. There are sizable dings in the doors on the driver’s side, and more on both front and rear fenders on the other side. Scratches abound here and there, and the JEEP badge on the hatch has good AWOL.

Perhaps making up for the battle wounds, the truck comes with a raised suspension and new knobbies to show off underneath. Black painted steelies keep those from rolling away. There are creepy spider’s eye LED headlamps in place of the standard sealed beams, and if that’s not enough, there’s a light bar with more diode daylight up on the roof.

It’s the interior where this XJ really stands out. If you’ve been in a few of these you probably know that they grime up pretty easily. This one comes across as in great shape. The seats appear remarkably clean andwith unbroken upholstery. Even the steering wheel doesn’t seem too grungy. There are some missing plastic bits on the center console. Whether that’s owed to breakage or a lack of interest following a repair we don’t know.

The ad claims the truck runs as it should. The famed 242-cid straight six is said to “function properly” and exhibit “no issues” while the transmission supposedly “shifts very smoothly.” This is all dealer speak and could be masking some problem, but as noted there’s not a lot to go wrong with a Cherokee.

Mileage is reported to be 171K and the truck comes with a clear title. It’s also said that its prior owner was a non-smoker, which might explain why the interior is in such decent shape. The price for this good but far from perfect Jeep is $4,999 and the dealer says they can finance even if you have bad credit. Word to the wise: don’t have bad credit.

What’s your take on this raised Jeep and that $4,999 asking? Does that make you want to climb aboard? Or, is this too far from perfect to claim that price?

You decide!

Modesto, CA, or go if the ad disappears.

H/T to FauxShizzle for the hookup!

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