Wrangler or Tacoma?

The JL is a huge step forward, both in wind noise and seat comfort. Krista Kunkel (NotMJG) did a nice review after trading her JK for a JL.

I had a few chances to do side by side comparisons when my 17 Ram was in for the 8 bazillion recalls, they did a nice job.

But I need a break from FCA, or I’d buy one.

 

Wrangler has power soft top.

And yes, apples to pancakes, but I was responding to the comment that a Wrangler could not be topped for open air driving.

 

Someone made a comment about Jeeps being fairly cheap on the market. Dude, I don’t know where this idea comes from. My opinion is.....jeep is awful proud of these wranglers. I see some used prices and immediately think “WTF? It’s a Jeep”. I think they are high priced when used.

 

You got that right - the resale prices are insane...

 

There's your open air experience.

 

If I'm going military, I'm going Pinzgauer 710 (the 712 is a 6 wheeled version)





The 55mph top speed is a bummer though, which can be remedied with a VW turbo diesel swap.

 

Perhaps you would like the vin numbers?? First 2012 was replaced by the dealer because they could not fix the hill holder. Replacement 2012 and wife's 2012 had bad AA left side heads, all 2012's doomed to fail. Bought a 2013 JKU and that one had sediment in the cooling system which clogged everything up. Bought a 2014 and the main buss failed. Finally bought a 2016 JKU and a 2016 Rubicon JK which we put very few miles on either one but had several recall notices. Got fed up and traded JKU for a Renegade and the Rubicon for my Tacoma. Both Renegade and Tacoma had been trouble free. The 2008 with the 3.8L we had was doggy but more reliable than the newer ones. Only good thing I can say is trade in values were sky high. Never could understand why someone would buy a used Wrangler instead of a new one.

 

Your wife liking her Fiat 500L?

Smart move on finally ditching the JKs. I would not have held on that long lol

 

That thing looks like it just defied physics lol

 

Yes it is made in Italy and same as Fiat although this thing is totally trouble free and gets 40 mpg. Need to use 93 octane with the turbo, but I can tell you that 1.4L is every bit as fast a my Tacoma. Also only paid $14K brand new.

 

I agree those i-4 turbos are quick. Especially had something small as the 500L. Even with the renegade body package

That being said anyone using a Tacoma as a speed metric...

 

Fair enough!

 

my thoughts-

so my little jeep patriot 4x4 is in the shop and the dealer gave me a 2019 jku 4x4 trail rated as a loaner.

my observations after having it now 3 days:
pros:
1) it would kick butt off-road due to excellent visibility and it feels small while driving
2) it's quite peppy. it has the i4 turbo i believe and there is plenty of quick power
3) its fits me snug
4) back seat has more room
5) large cargo area behind back seat

cons:
1) the thing likes to wander around while at highway speeds and requires constant steering when adjustments- i can't see myself driving it for hours on end.
2) wind noise- over about 55mph, there is tons of wind noise
3) engaging 4x4 is challenging as it used the lever and not a switch- takes quite alot of force to engage- a quick google found that alot of people complain of that and it may be something that gets easier with time.
seems that you cannot engage while stopped and in neutral- if u needed to use 4x4 to get out of a spot where you went in with 2wd, what would you do?
4) the jeep has that stupid auto engine turnoff at idle thing. sure you can disable it but then it's back the next time you start engine.

so there are more pros than cons BUT to me, the taco wins.

it wins because it's like a Cadillac on the road compared to the jku. the taco stays straight on the road- no constant steering wheel adjustments.
the taco is way quieter on the road. way....
4x4 is easy peasy to engage with a turn of the dial- i used to have an old bronco so am not a stranger to the lever/gear shift for 4x4.. the jku is just difficult.
the taco has the bed where i can haul stuff as needed. and the rear seat area is big enough for me to keep stuff i don't want to put in the bed- it's just me and the better half in there these days so i jsut need 2 seating positions.

I considered the jeep before i bought my taco. but with jeeps quality issues, i chose the taco. the taco is a toyota. it "should" last forever. sure, it has some quirks, but i think it will last me a long long time.


one strike against the jeep for me was the lack of the option of buying the lifetime warranty- like the one i have on my patriot. if it's a jeep. it needs that IMHO.

 

The loose/wandering steering is a serious issue FCA is not taking seriously and is going to kill someone. Theres a 5000 post thread on the JLforum about how its being ignored.
My Stock 2018 JLU Wrangler wandered more & had less responsive steering than my 2009 Wrangler (with a shitty rough country lift kift) and my 2014 Wrangler (with a teraflex lift kit and severely cupped 35s). Its the reason i finally made the switch to Toyota after being a lifelong FCA customer.

The ESS is a joke. Due to the fact it has two 12v batteries you cant jump it with basically any battery pack and requires another donor vehicle to jump.
I had both my alternator and ESS battery replaced at 7k miles/5 months of ownership as it wouldnt start. If it happened a week sooner i would of been stranded in Valley of the Gods UT solo.

IMO Wranglers are one of the most fun, capable and versatile vehicle but where Toyota owners complain about a recall, Jeep people are begging for one and are being ignored.

FCA QC and customer service is a joke

 

JLU, mate. JK production stopped in 2018. Also, while the JL has a metric TON of improvements over the JK, I agree with your assement here.

Even on my 2006 LJ, the steering wandering and death wobble were incredibly dangerous. And the local FCA dealerships were a joke to try and work with. Took a $6k loss on it (but got into a 3rd gen taco, so.... win!)

 

Owned 3 Tacoma’s. All 3rd gens and 2 wranglers. Both JK’s, one rubicon and one sport.
I honestly loved my Jeeps so much but they were such fair weather vehicles. My JK rubicon had its factory radio fail 2 times. Both times was replaced. Both wranglers leaked water from the hardtop.
That was fixed though...
The wrangler hinges need upkeep or they’ll rust! Not a bad thing since they are removable but still something to watch for.
But the reason I love the Tacoma is the ride, it’s much softer and forgiving, love the bed and the reliability. So In all honestly, I have a Tacoma for peace of mind and the bed and tow capacity. The wrangler drove harsh and would always have some
Thing wrong. Leaks from water and diffs. Usually don’t keep my cars long enough to notice any engine issues but from the Jeep crowd it didn’t look good.
My other favorite point in regards to the Jeep was the aftermarket! Sooooo many things to modify!!! Loved it. Whatever you choose, you’ll love it! Just stay away from JL wrangers! My buddies at Jeep steered me away. Hence why I have a Tacoma again.

 

glad i wasn't just imaging the wandering jeep. i feel the "JL" is a one trick pony, much like the mustang gt pp1 i traded in for the tacoma. It will do offroad prolly amazingly. Better than the taco i have - TRD OFFROAD but that is capability i will NEVER need or use. Hell, my little jeep patriot, that's currently in the shop getting a water leak from the rear dome light fixed, suites 99% of my needs. It's a 2017,. wth 27k miles, and it was leaking our the rear dome light! LOL. It actually is a pretty decent all round vehicle than has some decent 4x4 chops. No rubiconing but will do mountain trails i personally need to go up that a normal car won't make. it will do the beach, though i haven't had this particular patriot on the beach- had my 2013 5spd manual 4x4 and it actually was like a dune buggy believe it or not. But i see the lack of quality with fiat vehicles. I have a good warranty and am using it. with that said, the taco has some issues too but i attribute that to character. the whine noise and the slight vibe at 35-20 mph. Neither has gotten worse. I know anything i have the balls to go up, as far as a road or hill, the taco will do.

sooo glad i didn't go with a wrangler and chose the taco instead.

 

17k trouble free miles.
No wandering steering, no long term seating issues.
No power issues. No ESS issues.
Severe wind advisories both up and back and there was no need to fight the steering wheel.


22 total hrs seat time up and back for a visit to Ohio this weekend. About 1000 miles plus.

Atleast the frames not rotting, tailgate folding, weird trans shifting, no power, hood seperating, clear coat peeling, wind noise, diff noise, etc.

 

I’ve had a bunch of Jeeps and have kept one reliable cj7 for camping.
Last weekend i took the Tacoma out and as I passed a Jeep club airing down, no one returned my wave. Took me a moment to realize why, and started laughing. 30 years of the tiresome Jeep wave gone.