[elhigh]

I say keep your Cherokee. You're obviously familiar with it and comfortable with its abilities when the snow flies.

Chassis tune, engine tune, a few aero tweaks here and there - a Cherokee's aero performance is best described as appalling - and you can enjoy decent mileage when the roads are clear, and unfettered mobility when they aren't. Take care of the rust goblins before they get their claws into your body and you could drive it a good, long time.

That's your best return on your dollar. If you're determined to buy a new-to-you car, let me just warn you away from Subarus with the EJ25 engine. Just run. Forget it. Barring that, my Forester has been a beast in snow - slid into a ditch, drove back out - and I believe you couldn't ask for much better than a Fozzie for wintertime driving. But older models (pre-2010) never enjoyed great fuel economy, not much better than you're getting in good weather, and I think you'd be better served wringing better efficiency out of your XJ than picking up a car payment.