4Runner VS Jeep Wrangler Unlimited

[Jason Clark]

After reading through all this I kinda had to chuckle a bit.
Reliability? NO issues with my Rubicon and it started as a crawler with a lot of hard miles that would make a 4runner cry.
Resale? I can buy a 2 year old Taco for a song, try that with a Rubicon.
Comfort? Heated Seats, A/C, Convertible, Cruise Control, Remote Start, OEM Power Inverter...??? Really ???
Gas Mileage? Who cares...carry extra if you cant plan, Overlanders are resourceful.

Both vehicles are pretty comparible except the Jeep has WAY better resale value, lots of history and a dusty lookin Taco in the rear view on your way to camp where few dare to go...YOU decide on base camp...not your vehicle

Oh yeah and space? Space? Well everything in this camp photo below was fit in, or on our Rubicon...I think your wife is spot on with her "preference"...LOL
And YES...we pack WAY too much chit man...lol... Good Luck With Your Decision

View attachment 22767


Even a portable toilet and dual battery solar kit gets in here...

View attachment 22766

Sweet CVT. Love ours and our jeep... but it's all about what fits each individual!

Sent from my HTC One M9 using OB Talk mobile app

 

[Ryan Matthes]

I currently own both a '14 JKU Rubicon and a '16 4R Trail Premium - and I'm going to put it out there...I love both. There are a lot of similarities and a lot of differences. I agree most with the points above to go and drive both, see what fit your specific goals and objectives.

Here are my thoughts -
- both are extremely capable vehicles off the lot, especially for overlanding and not rock-crawling.
- storage / cargo space - the 4R has a lot more interior room, but that comes at a trade off to departure angle and stock ground clearance
- the 4R is slightly easier to put a rack on, but both are very "rackable" and cost right about the same to do so
- ride: the 4R has a smoother highway ride, overall, the fuel economy across my two aren't comparable due to the way i have them built out.
- accessories: the jeep is easier to build out, that is for sure. It is like a giant lego and almost every area is easy to access, run wires, etc.

Either way, I don' think you can go wrong. Like I said, I love both of mine. Happy to chat.

Ryan


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[Veggie Man]

I LOOOVE my JKU and have put almost 30K on her in the last year. I can tell you that ride quality is not as good in the Wrangler as the 4Runner. The 4Runner has a better ride quality on the road where the JKU is meant to be very off road capable. They really are apples and oranges. For me, ride quality was not that important since I already knew what I was going to do with my rig when I bought it. Plus, it rides better than most of the slammed trucks I have owned in the past so it was no big deal to me.

All vehicle have their ups and downs. I would check out what the maintenance is on both such as:
30/60/90 K services
cost of brakes including rotors
tires
the specific aftermarket parts you are looking for (and availability)

 

[FauxLux]

Hey Everyone! I am really excited to be a part of this community. I joined in preparation to buying my rig on purpose, I want your input! These are the two up in the running. Ideally I would love to hear from people who have owned both, and can give me pros and cons of each. I am looking for around a '14-'16 model year on whatever I go with.

This will technically be my or my wife's daily driver so that is probably important to keep in mind.

Let me know if you have any questions!

Flip a coin. If you don't like the result, buy the other one. ;-)


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[ngurney]

You all are just fantastic people. Thanks so much for all the input you have provided me with! I wish I could say my mind is made up, but I am putting off the decision for probably another year ( We are buying a house and I might be getting a new job, so we are trying to be smart haha.) plus, the Jeep JL is coming out this year so we might have to start the conversation over then lol.

Again, thanks for all the help!

 

[toxicity_27]

2017 Jeep wrangler unlimited rubicon......... with soft top............. $56,540
http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=454200915&zip=86326&referrer=/cars-for-sale/searchresults.xhtml?zip=86326&showcaseOwnerId=55955187&startYear=1981&sortBy=derivedpriceDESC&incremental=all&firstRecord=0&endYear=2018&modelCodeList=WRANGLER&makeCodeList=JEEP&searchRadius=200&startYear=1981&numRecords=25&firstRecord=0&endYear=2018&modelCodeList=WRANGLER&makeCodeList=JEEP&searchRadius=200&makeCode1=JEEP&modelCode1=WRANGLER

They're charging a premium for that thing. I just went and built a Rubicon Recon (highest starting MSRP) and added every single option available and I only got it to $51,425.

Edit: It already has a lift, wheels, tires, and bumpers.

 

[Arizona Overland]

They're charging a premium for that thing. I just went and built a Rubicon Recon (highest starting MSRP) and added every single option available and I only got it to $51,425.

Edit: It already has a lift, wheels, tires, and bumpers.

They are charging a premium for all of them, I didn't pay 44,000 for my OR and Mine is more loaded than the one I posted.
It is a comparative example.

 

[toxicity_27]

They are charging a premium for all of them, I didn't pay 44,000 for my OR and Mine is more loaded than the one I posted.
It is a comparative example.

I know what you're saying, however choosing one to compare to that already has a lift and everything isn't quite comparable. The MSRP on my JKU was around $42k.

 

[Arizona Overland]

I know what you're saying, however choosing one to compare to that already has a lift and everything isn't quite comparable. The MSRP on my JKU was around $42k.

And thats STILL more than what Mine was. So, the reason for my comparison was to compare NEW prices to USED prices to compare the depreciation, because the claim was made that a 2 year old Taco could be had for a "song" earlier in the thread. So the comparison works for the purpose I was using it for.

 

[toxicity_27]

And thats STILL more than what Mine was. So, the reason for my comparison was to compare NEW prices to USED prices to compare the depreciation, because the claim was made that a 2 year old Taco could be had for a "song" earlier in the thread. So the comparison works for the purpose I was using it for.

I'm not saying that's what I paid. I actually paid about $36k. I agree with you on having a taco for a song. I saw that comment and was trying to figure out where you could get one for a song. What's nice is my JKU being 2 years old with 23k miles on it is still worth $32-34k.

But I still say if room is the biggest deciding factor go for the T4R.

 

[vegasjeepguy]

As a 2x Jeep owner I am certainly a little biased, however my first 4x4 was a 88 Toyota PU. You will find within the Jeep community there is even bias among models. First there are those who believe if it's not a Wrangler then it's not a Jeep. While there are many very capable non-Wranglers out there, I tend to sympathize with this mindset because when I was shopping for a Jeep, the Wrangler was the only option for me.

But within the Wrangler community there is also bias in the CJ vs YJ vs TJ vs JK debate. Let's just get this on the table from the get go...Jeeps should not have square headlights. That said, the CJ, YJ and TJ are niche vehicles with a fan base that tends to give up creature comforts for off-road capability, even in a daily driver. It was not until the introduction of the JK, especially the 4 door, that Wranglers began to see a broader base of appeal. And it can be argued this was intentional on the part of Jeep as the first JKs were offered in a 2WD option...heresay. Another complaint about the initial offering of the JK was the 3.8l engine, but this was remedied with the 3.6l in later models. And to us TJ guys, if it's not a 4.0l straight six it's not a Jeep either.

The JK, especially the Rubicon, is an extremely capable and highly modifiable platform that is hard to beat and I agree that the interior tends to be a little cheap looking. But all too often JKUs have become the new soccer mom minivan that seems to be a compromise between "practicality" and "capability" for the typical family of 4 and their dog. And with this broader customer base has been a sense of loss of identity within the Jeep community, especially with the demise of the "Jeep wave".

So if you do end up with a JKU then welcome to the community and get ready for the family feud.

 

[Arizona Overland]

As a 2x Jeep owner I am certainly a little biased, however my first 4x4 was a 88 Toyota PU. You will find within the Jeep community there is even bias among models. First there are those who believe if it's not a Wrangler then it's not a Jeep. While there are many very capable non-Wranglers out there, I tend to sympathize with this mindset because when I was shopping for a Jeep, the Wrangler was the only option for me.

But within the Wrangler community there is also bias in the CJ vs YJ vs TJ vs JK debate. Let's just get this on the table from the get go...Jeeps should not have square headlights. That said, the CJ, YJ and TJ are niche vehicles with a fan base that tends to give up creature comforts for off-road capability, even in a daily driver. It was not until the introduction of the JK, especially the 4 door, that Wranglers began to see a broader base of appeal. And it can be argued this was intentional on the part of Jeep as the first JKs were offered in a 2WD option...heresay. Another complaint about the initial offering of the JK was the 3.8l engine, but this was remedied with the 3.6l in later models. And to us TJ guys, if it's not a 4.0l straight six it's not a Jeep either.

The JK, especially the Rubicon, is an extremely capable and highly modifiable platform that is hard to beat and I agree that the interior tends to be a little cheap looking. But all too often JKUs have become the new soccer mom minivan that seems to be a compromise between "practicality" and "capability" for the typical family of 4 and their dog. And with this broader customer base has been a sense of loss of identity within the Jeep community, especially with the demise of the "Jeep wave".

So if you do end up with a JKU then welcome to the community and get ready for the family feud.

If it doesn't have a straight six it isn't a Jeep? Oh ya? How bout this, if it doesn't have a 304 in it, its not a real Jeep.

 

[vegasjeepguy]

If it doesn't have a straight six it isn't a Jeep? Oh ya? How bout this, if it doesn't have a 304 in it, its not a real Jeep.

Exactly. That's what I'm talking about.

 

[Arizona Overland]

Exactly. That's what I'm talking about.

Glad I don't have my CJ-5 no more then. But wait, if I did still have that CJ-5 then Id be like a GOD in the Jeep community, wouldn't I.
LOL.

 

[Glenn]

I'm not saying that's what I paid. I actually paid about $36k. I agree with you on having a taco for a song. I saw that comment and was trying to figure out where you could get one for a song. What's nice is my JKU being 2 years old with 23k miles on it is still worth $32-34k.

But I still say if room is the biggest deciding factor go for the T4R.

I said that and I said that in respect to buying used ONLY. You put a couple years and 60k on a JKU and the same on the Taco. Comparatively the resale on the Taco is a lot less is all I meant. Perhaps "for a song" was a poor choice of words...hope I did not offend! LOL

 

[Glenn]

As a 2x Jeep owner I am certainly a little biased, however my first 4x4 was a 88 Toyota PU. You will find within the Jeep community there is even bias among models. First there are those who believe if it's not a Wrangler then it's not a Jeep. While there are many very capable non-Wranglers out there, I tend to sympathize with this mindset because when I was shopping for a Jeep, the Wrangler was the only option for me.

But within the Wrangler community there is also bias in the CJ vs YJ vs TJ vs JK debate. Let's just get this on the table from the get go...Jeeps should not have square headlights. That said, the CJ, YJ and TJ are niche vehicles with a fan base that tends to give up creature comforts for off-road capability, even in a daily driver. It was not until the introduction of the JK, especially the 4 door, that Wranglers began to see a broader base of appeal. And it can be argued this was intentional on the part of Jeep as the first JKs were offered in a 2WD option...heresay. Another complaint about the initial offering of the JK was the 3.8l engine, but this was remedied with the 3.6l in later models. And to us TJ guys, if it's not a 4.0l straight six it's not a Jeep either.

The JK, especially the Rubicon, is an extremely capable and highly modifiable platform that is hard to beat and I agree that the interior tends to be a little cheap looking. But all too often JKUs have become the new soccer mom minivan that seems to be a compromise between "practicality" and "capability" for the typical family of 4 and their dog. And with this broader customer base has been a sense of loss of identity within the Jeep community, especially with the demise of the "Jeep wave".

So if you do end up with a JKU then welcome to the community and get ready for the family feud.

Cant blame the soccer moms for wanting ...

 

[Glenn]

Glad I don't have my CJ-5 no more then. But wait, if I did still have that CJ-5 then Id be like a GOD in the Jeep community, wouldn't I.
LOL.

I had a '79 CJ5 with a 304 bored .060 over. With that wheelbase and engine, it was a stump jumper !

 

[Veggie Man]

As a 2x Jeep owner I am certainly a little biased, however my first 4x4 was a 88 Toyota PU. You will find within the Jeep community there is even bias among models. First there are those who believe if it's not a Wrangler then it's not a Jeep. While there are many very capable non-Wranglers out there, I tend to sympathize with this mindset because when I was shopping for a Jeep, the Wrangler was the only option for me.

But within the Wrangler community there is also bias in the CJ vs YJ vs TJ vs JK debate. Let's just get this on the table from the get go...Jeeps should not have square headlights. That said, the CJ, YJ and TJ are niche vehicles with a fan base that tends to give up creature comforts for off-road capability, even in a daily driver. It was not until the introduction of the JK, especially the 4 door, that Wranglers began to see a broader base of appeal. And it can be argued this was intentional on the part of Jeep as the first JKs were offered in a 2WD option...heresay. Another complaint about the initial offering of the JK was the 3.8l engine, but this was remedied with the 3.6l in later models. And to us TJ guys, if it's not a 4.0l straight six it's not a Jeep either.

The JK, especially the Rubicon, is an extremely capable and highly modifiable platform that is hard to beat and I agree that the interior tends to be a little cheap looking. But all too often JKUs have become the new soccer mom minivan that seems to be a compromise between "practicality" and "capability" for the typical family of 4 and their dog. And with this broader customer base has been a sense of loss of identity within the Jeep community, especially with the demise of the "Jeep wave".

So if you do end up with a JKU then welcome to the community and get ready for the family feud.

Well said sir! I feel the "trend" of driving a Jeep is definitely contributing to the demise of the Jeep wave and the community feeling of Wrangler ownership.


"He who has a why to live can bear almost any how."
-Nietzsche

 

[ngurney]

Well....after test driving both and through all of your input, the decision has been made! Me and my wife are signing on our new 2017 Charcoal 4Runner TRD Off Road Premium tonight! We loved the Jeep, but felt the 4Runner just better met out needs. Thanks everyone for your input!

 

[Glenn]

Well....after test driving both and through all of your input, the decision has been made! Me and my wife are signing on our new 2017 Charcoal 4Runner TRD Off Road Premium tonight! We loved the Jeep, but felt the 4Runner just better met out needs. Thanks everyone for your input!

Enjoy !