Wrangler or Tacoma?

My sister has a JK Rubicon that I drive frequently and always enjoy driving. I’ve never complained about the road noise or the MT tires. There is something about Jeeps. Noise and awful handling are part of the experience and of what makes them special. The Tacomas are more multi-purpose and “mainstream” so people complain about the most ridiculous things and expect it to drive as a luxury midsize sedan.

Edit: Also, people in the JEEP forums are not so sensitive as they are here. Most threads are about mods and people accept the shortcomings. JEEPS might be unreliable but at least the owners know what it is and don’t cross-shop it against a Honda Accord.

 

A truck's a truck like a Jeep's a Jeep, you want a luxury car, get a Lexus or some German.

Only reason I'm going for a Taco first is for work and play

 

Overall, I understand why jeep sold so many JL wranglers these past two years. Logged in 15,000 miles on JL Unlimited (4dr) Sahara.
Rides way better than my tacoma or 4runner.
Transmission is smooth. It has engine start stop which was annoying at first (you have the option to turn this off) but i adjusted to it. The engine start stop allows me to maintain 24 mpg combined (high way is about 27 mpg crusing at 65mph) on 33'' KO2s
The 3.6 Pentastar is a solid engine and hasnt given me a problem.
The fucking dash is a beauty.
Flip down those back chairs and I have a near 6 foot bed.
Easier to park too.

 

My real dilemma is doors and color, otherwise I have it all figured out when it's time to order one

 

The "cement" or gray equivalent is pure sex in person.
Get the 4 doors because you'll need to space to haul sometime soon.

I highly rec waiting for the plugin hybrid that is coming out this year + then add 37'' tires

 

I'm more Punk'n or Mojito, and if they still had it, Inferno (At least they still have Barcelona). All my vehicles have been basically White, Gray, Silver and Black, so time for something different

Figure the 4dr Jeep in the end for several reasons, despite also wanting a DBSC Manual.

Not a hybrid or diesel guy, but definitely will be interesting to see them out on the road

 

Yeah AC Sports do come in MT

 

Have to agree with you. The JL was very nicely designed and engineered. You can tell FCA listens to its customers which is the entire opposite of what Toyota does. No one ever asked for a stupid desert air intake, but people did mod their trucks to add front trail cameras. So what does the Gladiator has? I think FCA has product management folks browsing forum boards. The new RAM also addresses a lot of complaints and wishes from their customer base. FCA just needs to address their shoddy worksmanship and reliability. They have greatly improved every other area.

I am keeping my ears open for the Diesel Gladiator. Will give it a few years to see how reliable it is and to wait for mods to be available, then may consider it. I saw a render of a lifted Gladiator with larger tires and it looked great.

 

Ahh, zombie threads. Drove my TJ for 20 years. 2.5L MT and it was my daily driver 50 miles round trip. No problems with comfort for me. Didn't get another Wrangler because of the first year problems with the JL. 4 door had steering troubles that I don't need. Now when I get in my TJ it feels like I'm in a sardine can. The Tacoma is roomier and more comfy for this old guy. Hard to get used to turning in this loooong wheelbase, though.

 

I highly suggest the jeep plugin hybrid.

Who doesnt want to have a torquey wrangler riding on 37'' pissing off the environmentalist/prius

 

Spot on. The JL is more refined and it shows.
You know how FCA actually listens to their customers? They did a survey and asked their wrangler owners what they want. Guess what is coming? a hell cat V8!

Their diesel department may be closed sooner rather than later. They were just fined over half a billion dollars for cheating devices.


You mean this? The Supposedly V8 version that is already in the works?
It makes other auto makers want to drop their balls faster and actually listen to their customers.

 

Test drive them both what works for others does may not work for you!

I've owned 2 jeeps and 1 tacoma. 1st jeep 85 cj7 loved that thing it was amazing. Wish I would have kept it.

Second jeep 14 JK 2 door it was nice drove fine I had a nice lift and 35's awesome off road but daily practicality of a 2 door even without the rear seat got old after 3 year.

It didn't have the same cool factor as the cj7 to me. I am really happy with my tacoma I am getting older and only was taking the jeep off road 5-6 times a year so for me I could not justify keeping it.

The JK was auto and on 35s and anyone who says a 3rd gen hunts for gears go drive a auto jk on 35s. They suck I drove as a manual for 3 years. Even with the 3.6

For me trading the jeep for the tacoma was the right decision and for the small amount of off road I go the tacoma will be fine. It's a better daily driver and I dont need to borrow my father Inlaws truck.

In a perfect world I would daily and overland/ camp in the taco and have a trail rig that I towed. But I'm not in that income tax bracket.

So far the taco has exceeded expectations and I can see my self driving it for the next 10-15 years with the proper maintenance.

My advice is think of how you are going to use your vehicle, drive them both and do what is best for your requirements.

 

route 1 DE?

 

My 2006 TJ And my 2016 Tacoma , Love them both

 

I was the biggest fan boy of Jeeps for years. I knew they were glorified pieces of junk but loved them anyway. Once I started paying attention to Toyota's I soon realized that Jeep was just a status symbol. At least to this point I haven't heard anyone dog a Toyota to date. However several have sold Jeeps because of repairs and it not being practical. Quality is leaps and bounds better with Asian vehicles. I have owned a YJ,TJ,LJ and JKU. Happy I went with the 3rd gen Yota over the new JLUR. Solid axle isn't a daily driver. Dated technology at a premium price.

 

Wranglers have been going downhill since they dumped the AMC 4.0L inline 6 in 2007. The 3.8L and the 3.6L have had numerous problems. I stayed with Wranglers and owned 8 different ones from 2008 to 2016. Finally had enough the bought a TRD Sport. Only way I will ever buy another Wrangler is if they offer a 5.7L V8 MT. Had that motor in a Ram 1500 and was very pleased with performance and mileage.

 

I had a JK for a few years and just bought a 2018 Off Road.

The seating position in the Jeep is the only thing I miss. I like that go-cart feel where the steering wheel is close to me.

I hated the jeeps handling, especially on the highway. It felt dangerous going 70-80 on highway trips. Especially going over bumps, you really got some white knuckles. I had a 1.5 inch lift with street / AT tires, nothing crazy. I even had the shocks and springs every in the jeep community loves so much.

For a daily I'd take the tacoma 100 percent. If I'm going to build something to go play in the dirt, I'd build a jeep. Lessons learned.

 

Preach.

it's obvious jeep builds jeeps knowing the people that buy them want to modify them. And it's exactly the right vehicle to do so with. It's really not a daily driver IMO.

 

The Wrangler has been going downhill since it replaced the CJ in the 80s.

 

What's wrong with boring?