Jeep vs Toyota

My girlfriend's family works for Chrysler in Detroit, so for her, it's nothing but Jeeps, probably until the day she dies (better that than a Chrysler 200 or something). She has a 2013 Patriot now, and it's not a bad car, for what it is. Does it appeal to me? Not at all. That being said, I have driven the new Grand Cherokee, and it blew me away. So comfortable, powerful, good mileage, etc. Fit and finish appeared to be WAY up from the previous ones too. I know 3 people that have 2012-2014 GC, and they all say they are great. When it's time to replace the GF's Patriot, I'm going to try hard to convince her to go GC, since it's such a nicer vehicle.

That being said, my main gripe with Jeep has been how stupidly expensive they are, even used. I think the Wrangler is the only vehicle that holds its resale better than a Tacoma.

 

^ This... I drove a 2006 Dodge Dakota in Afghanistan and it was a pile of crap. However, the contractors in our unit had HiLux 2.7 I-4 Gas trucks with 5-speeds and 4x4. Those trucks took any beating you could throw at them. I even saw some uparmored 2nd Gen Tacoma's there. Seeing how well the Toyota trucks held up to the abuse of the rough roads in Afgahnistan sold me so I bought one when I got home.

 

I actually sold my 2012 GC because it had so many issues that were deemed "normal" and the warranty was about to run out. Everything rattled, and the Jeep was so quiet that you could hear every little noise caused by fit and finish issues. After 26,000 miles, the leather on the driver and passenger seat were almost worn through, and I babied the interior. All of the electronics glitched all the time, most notably the blue tooth, back up camera and radio. Sometimes they would just not work for 5-10 seconds, intermittently. Lastly, my transmission slipped big time from a stop or almost stop. I am talking anywhere from 2-4 seconds of throttle without any engagement of the transmission, then a sudden lurch forward. Probably did it 10-15 times a day. The thing that did it for me was that all of the Jeep dealerships I went to could get all of the problems to happen, but couldn't fix them. "nothing was wrong", even though they could re-create the symptoms. Really comfortable, drove great, and got awesome mileage. Great engine, too. But much better designed than built.

 

That's good to know. Didn't they give it a new transmission and electronics system in 2013 or 2014? She definitely has a few years before she gets a new car, I just figured since she was going to get a Jeep anyway, the GC would be the best built one (she would never get a Wrangler).

 

agree

 

Resale value...... They (Grand Cherokee) plummet in HALF in only 3 years.

 

They re-did the GC in 2010 I believe, and it got some electronic updates for the 12 model. The newest face-lifted version, which includes the diesel model, new transmission, and new radio, started in 13 (14 model year).

 

I have had 10 new Jeeps since 1979 (CJs, Cherokees, Grand Cherokees, Wranglers) and finally switched last June to a new 2013 Tacoma. I'm not going to knock Jeeps. I loved them all, but there is no doubt the earlier models I had tended to be mechanical disasters. Off road, they were amazing. Now, having said all that, my Tacoma is a dream both on and off road. The workmanship in this vehicle seems exceptional. I have absolutely no regrets moving from Jeeps to a Tacoma.

 

i limped my 99 grand into a toyota dealership and bought my taco. end of story

 

Resale value? The wrangler has one if the best in the industry(as good or better than tacoma's) plus they sell real quick I've owned, built and sold 12 of them. They are way easier to work on than jap trucks as well. When jeep makes a body on frame truck I'll strongly consider it. People who complain about a wrangler's ride, rode nose, and size should have known what they were getting into before they bought it. Consumers fault.

 

That was a bed era for Jeep brake rotors.
Let's see.....you towed 6500lbs, more than a Taco is rated for and way more than a Taco will capably handle.
Shocks...wear item. I couldn't believe how bad my Taco 'Bilstein upgrades' were until I replaced them with 5100's...not even close.
My Taco replacement list is embarrassing....
Rear springs!...Who sells a 'truck' that rides on the frame rails?
Radio....My JGC had the Infinity upgrade and absolutely rocked.
Frame rust?....Never a concern on the JGC.
Water pump...That's embarrassing.

If you somehow think your Taco will be a solid performer without replacement items, you're kidding yourself.
Did I mention my crappy Jeep wheels looked brand-new at 110k?...Huge fail on that 'quality' Toyota.

 

Definitely true. And for that very reason Jeep offers street-oriented models. Almost like buying a Tacoma and saying "well shit this thing rides like a truck, I hate it".

 

Really? LOL... you are almost funny.

And where did you 4wheel them? Mall parking lots?



I own both a Taco and a JKUR. As good as the Taco is it wont go the same places my JKUR will. Tacos will go a couple hundred thousand miles with few problems, but Jeeps are all over Moab for a reason.

 

I've never owned a Jeep but I would never own one made after 1986 anyways. Worst thing to ever happen to Jeep was the day raggedy ass Chrysler bought them. I'm sorry but Jeep's ruggedness and toughness just doesn't go with Chryslers reputation for being cheaply made crap.