The flagging economy has made it difficult for people to go out and buy new vehicles, and with so many now choosing to go the used car route, it’s becoming increasingly important to rely upon the reviews of others. There are some makes and models that seem to wear well, and which will make a great used car, and then there are those that seem to suffer from similar problems as they age. By taking the time to do a little homework, you may very well be able to root out the good from the bad, and still be able to land yourself a quality second hand car at a great price.

As an example of where to look, and what to look for, let’s imagine that you are in the market for a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee. A quick Google search might throw up thousands of different results, all of which run the gamut in regards of price range. That large disparity might make you wonder what is going on, but you have to understand that the Grand Cherokee comes in different configuration, which means that a loaded Overlander with the same mileage or wear and tear is going to sell for a lot more than the basic model.

With that in mind, your research should begin with taking a look at the six different levels that the 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee came in, which was Laredo, Limited, Freedom Edition, Special Edition, Overland and Columbia Edition. Take the time to break down the standard features of each to see which of those best fits your needs, and then start looking at reviews on the one that you choose.

When it comes to looking for 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee reviews you are going to find that there are a ton of resources on the internet, but two in particular that do a great job are Edmunds.com and cars.com. The reason that those sites work so well is because they include reviews from consumers who have driven the vehicle that you are looking for, and are prepared to give their honest, unbiased opinion. Sure, you can go to the Jeep website and read about how wonderful the 2004 model is, but there is always going to be more than a hint of bias in any review that you read there.

The Edmunds site relies heavily on input from driver’s, and gives an average consumer rating based on all those reviews. It’s interesting to note that the 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee scores very highly in that regard. Cars.com, where it also scores highly, includes a whole slew of details about the vehicle, and also adds the Kelley Blue Book estimated value, which is a huge plus. Everyone has heard horror stories about shady used car deals, which makes this sort of preparation all the more vital. Let’s put it this way, if I were in the market for a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee, then the reviews that I saw on those 2 websites alone would be enough to make up my mind to buy one.

If you’re looking to buy a newer model, why not view our article on the 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee.