Mmm. '94 should be the same as 2000. Perhaps the cherokees I've met have been deviant, because Wiki agrees with you. Dunno. The only Cherokees I've ever encountered were rattly, untrustworthy hunks of garbage. They felt like they'd been assembled with the torque specs set too light and then placed on a vibration table for a couple months. Perhaps it's because the Cherokees I grew up with did a fair amount of off-roading, and they didn't hold up.
Yes, according to the specs, but I suspect not in terms of quality, although I haven't looked. There was a marked shift in attitude after Daimler bought them. One would think that a German company buying you should make the quality go up, but the management all hated their commandants, and took it out on the line guys, who don't do good work when they feel marginalized. I worked there toward the end of when DaimlerChrysler was still a thing, and by that point I'm surprised nobody ever went postal at any of the factories. Everyone had the sense that they were one or two weeks from losing their job, and it showed in the work. Apathy doesn't begin to describe it.'94 should be the same as 2000.
I believe that 100%. It's kind of bizarre to think of a Chrysler line worker building an AMC engine for a Mercedes overlord and have it not come out pear-shaped. I've always found it hilarious that Daimler ran screaming from Chrysler, having lost 36 billion dollars. That's almost, but not quite, as marvelous as Harley Davidson paying $109m for MV Agusta and then selling it back 21 months later for three dollars and ninety eight cents.
What makes it even more funny is that Chrysler is hugely profitable right now, after being a giant piece of shit for the whole time before and during the Daimler mess. This is mainly because the sell Grand Cherokees for $50k and can't keep them on the lot. Under Daimler, the Jefferson North plant, where the Grand Cherokee is manufactured, and the only auto plant still totally in Detroit, was slated for closure. Now they're working 3 shifts, and can't build fast enough. It's a small miracle for the city and its terrible economy, and demonstrates how a toxic relationship (and terrible leadership--I can only hope they've fired most of the upper management in the last few years) can lead to poor results, even when people want the product.