Goodbye 1 in 100k Rubicon and Jeep Wave...Hello 1 OF 100k and Ho Hum Tacoma....LONG

The title may make is sound like I'm unhappy...but I'm really just melancholic about it.

I've read many posts where folks have gone Toyota to Jeep, not many from Jeep to Tacoma.

Saturday I traded in my 2013 AEV Rubicon with 3.5" lift and 35's for a plain jane 2014 DCSB TRD Sport....Lifestyle change if you will...I had the jeep 1 year to the day just about and I was just being honest with myself....I hardly used the jeep anymore the way I used to and I'm going to be doing some Hwy driving quite a bit between Colorado and Arizona due to a new grandchild and a wedding...That Jeep is work at 75mph....lots of uplift if you know what I mean. The TRD will get better fuel economy (got 15-17 on HWY with Rubi) I know it won't be significantly higher but will be higher none the less.

My 15 year old daughter now hates me...she loved that jeep and I think deep down she imagined herself driving it to school or something

I worked at a Jeep dealership as a Finance Manager when I bought the Jeep...stole the jeep. I left the car business to spend more time with my daughter but make quite a bit less money now so it was financial reasoning as well...going through a weird part of my life right now where I have become quite frugal...so it makes a ton of sense to shave some money off of my monthly nut. I made a hell of a deal with the Toyota dealer so I pulled the trigger.

Driving
My first impression of the Stock TRD is that it is a solid truck that is a little bit boring compared to a lifted Rubicon without doors and top. I'm not unhappy about it being boring but I want to separate myself from the crowd a little bit....I have scoured the forums and have some ideas of what to do.

Technology
My first impression of Entune is pathetic. I am fiddling around with it a little bit to try to figure it out and believe it or not Chrysler's UConnect seems to be a little better in this regard. The onscreen Messaging for text messaging on the Entune is kind of neat but buggy. Using Pandora through Entune isn't at all what I'd hoped for. Nav is quite good. I can live with this setup

Creature comforts
I was shocked you couldn't get heated seats, remote start, or even compass/temp readouts on the TRD. And the TPMS? wtf? I have gotten used to pushing buttons to see the air pressure in each tire individually and I miss that....push the button again and see the outside temp. I don't care too much about the compass. Heated seats and remote are in my future

Power
My Rubicon was lifted with 35's and the Pentastar....the power feels about the same on the TRD, probably a weight thing. My Rubi was also a Standard Transmission so it's taking some getting used to but overall the TRD feels smooth and has plenty of power stock, no clude what might happen once I start lifting etc.....

Suspension
Rubi was solid axles and I had ZERO participation in lifting my jeep. the guys in the shop did the lift and I watched progress between customers. The rubi suspension was not coilovers and leaf springs. Solid axles front and rear....way different than the TRD obviously. I had some experience with jeeps having owned a 2011 Sport as well as a 2012 Sport...so when I got the Rubi lifted before it had 20 miles on it, the change in what I was used to was dramatic. Being way up in the air was pretty nice...now I'm in a stock TRD and feel very low. I am very low. I want to get it up in the air a little bit.

Overall
My reasoning for getting the Tacoma is solid and I'm happy with my decision. I have a little money set aside plus some Jeep stuff to sell to help finance some things. I want to make sure the first lift I do in the TRD will be enough to satisfy me for a long time.

Usage
The Rubi was used on weekends only and after work, I have a work truck so didn't need a DD. On weekends in summer my daughter and I did the typical Jeep rockcrawling...with other Rubis....ran winch line most weekends either helping others or even ourselves. Pretty extreme 4 Wheelin...we enjoyed it but really wanted to buy a small popup and go camping, couldn't do that and neither of us like tents so we never camped last summer.

The TRD will be a little different. We won't be rock crawling (hence the TRD sport purchase not the OR). We will be buying a small tent trailer and going off road to find places to camp.


How high do I need to go to set myself apart a little?

How high can I go and still maintain that smooth ride?

I guess I need to find some local Tacomas and see exactly what a 3 inch lift looks like in person, the pics on this site are great but hard to really tell the difference 1 dimensionally.

Sorry for the rant, please comment if you like.

 

3in lift vs stock

 

That helps alot..thanks.
tire size?
Never mind, fount it in your profile

 

See above^^ .....and Welcome to TW!

 

Gee thanks...that makes it easier

 

I had a wrangler years ago, but after a few years and taking a new job with a longer commute (highway and frequent bumper-to-bumper traffic) I knew it was time to get out of the Jeep. It was a softop, and noisy, and like you said, not in it's element at 75mph. I do still kind of miss the fun of the jeep, but not enough to get another one -- my Access Cab 4x4 is much more perfect for where I am in life now, who and what I take with me, and what I want to spend on mods and repairs.

Enjoy the new truck!

 

You're not gonna wheel it hard?

 

You'd be surprised how many of us came from a Jeep to a Tacoma.

I had an LJ Rubicon. It was fun, but I don't see myself owning another Jeep for a long time.

 

I did the same thing. Although I spend most of the year in NJ I have my retirement home in the mountains just south of you and spend quite a bit of time out there whenever I get the chance. I had my Wrangler just over a year out there before deciding to get my TACO. I can give you a few reasons I switched power being one with the speed limit out there being 75 every time I punched it on the big slopes of 25 around Colorado City the Wrangler always seems to be asking if I was seriously expecting it to go 75 up them hills (I often found myself having to downshift all the way to third to make it). Second the rocks out there killed my windshields!!!!! Third and I am not sure if this was just with mine . . . but you never quite get that air tight seal on a wrangler and the jeep would always be full of dust to the point where I would eventually have to get out and dust myself off before going into anyplace. I love my TACO, it does awesome for me out there - handles the mountains and trails with ease. . . I would recommend the move to a TACO to anyone.

 

If you bought the Tacoma as a commuter vehicle to get better mileage you bought the wrong vehicle. Especially if you are going to put a lift and larger tires. Though I certainly don't fault you for buying a Tacoma your reasons for doing so don't seem to make much sense. Most everything you said was in favor of the Jeep for you. You bashed almost every part of the Tacoma with the caveat of it being a solid vehicle.

Should have kept the Jeep. (Can't believe I just said that)

 

Jeeps are fine. Except to make them cool, you have to do everything to them, just like a tacoma. Cut off all the suspension, change everything. ...Then you're still stuck with that crappy jeep body, interior and Chrysler engine.

 

Ok....so I'm a little on the OLDER side.....but my husband and I spent 10 years in the offroading hobby. Started wheelin with a 96 tacoma and had a 94 Wrangler on 35's with Dana 44's, ARB's, rollcage (actually put to use), all the fixins & bumpers, onboard air, etc etc. Had a Trailer also and a Grand Cherokee & Dodge Ram that we towed it with.

Seriously? SAVE THE TACOMA for daily driving. Keep it clean, keep it family friendly, keep it running smoothly.....Keep it away from mud, dirt, and offroad $$$$ costs & maintenance & upgrades. Offroading puts extreme stress on the internals....and adds a lot of extra maintenance cost (at least it did for me). I played hard with the jeeps.

Save up your $$$ and buy yourself a little TJ and build the shit out of it.....play hard....bust it up....and not worry. You can still get to work on Monday morning with the tacoma.

And oh yea...I miss the top down, doors off, fun in the jeep. Someday, I might have another one.

 

I was one who went from a lifted XJ to the Tacoma. I am glad I made the transition, and don't regret it one bit! The Jeep has it's fine points, but there are some serious advantages to the Tacoma as well. I think you will come to love your truck the more and more you drive it. As for the disappointed teen, tell her she is more than welcome to get a job at 16 and buy one herself. lol. I got my first car at 16. Paid $800 for a 1970 Mustang and I loved it more than anything.

Back to the Tacoma: While it may not LOOK like it from coming from the slew of aftermarket things for the Jeep, there is still a very good Aftermarket for the Tacoma. Lifts, armor, mods, etc. You will come to love it. And to be honest, when I was in the "Jeep crowd" I noticed a bit of superiority complex. Seems like the people I ran into were all just stuck up. The Toyota crowd here has been more than welcoming and fun. Oh we still poke fun at the other brands, but we do it in fun. I have enjoyed the Tacoma group of people much better.

Congrats on the truck. You will find a ton of help here on mods and such!

 

I did not buy the Toyota to commute...or rock crawl...I know my post was long so that probably got missed. I also probably wasn't too clear...I have a work vehicle for M-F...Toyota will only be for weekends primarily and camping. Also road trips where it will be a ton more comfortable than fighting to keep a lifted jeep in it's lane....

 

...don't make me regret gnarifying my tacoma!

 

Well... For what it's worth... It's a good looking truck.

On a side note. We'll be in Colorado Springs in about 5 weeks. We always start out in Colorado Springs and travel across the state to Durango each year. Depending on weather conditions dictates which route we choose. Last year was pretty shitty weather and ended up having to go the southern route through Alamosa and over Wolf Creek pass. I'm hoping this year we'll be able to go through Buena Vista and on to Gunnison down to Ouray for a couple nights before making it down to Durango.

8 more years and I'll be living in the shadow of Pikes Peak though.

 

Maybe I should chime-in here, as I own both vehicles in discussion…

My wife drives a 2012 "altitude edition" JK Unlimited. Lightly modded (34" rubber, suspension, etc.). Ever since renting, and putting-on 1000 miles in a JK in Hawaii a few years ago, my wife really wanted one. The Pentastar made the jeep worth owning (to us),.. and we'll see how the Mopar build quality does over time.

I've come from a "sports-car" background for the most part. Participated and instructed at track days, and have built some pretty fun machines (I'm mentioning this just to quantify that I expect a fair bit of a vehicle that I'm driving). I've owned quite a few vehicles. A few 300+whp german cars. An STI powered wrx wagon. And a pretty modded XJ Cherokee (that I built for my wife).
We lost our local race track a few years back, so without anywhere legal to go fast, I sold my daily / fun car (Audi S6) and looked to buy something that would work as a "slow going" do-it-all machine.

The Tacoma does great at it's job. Our kids fit well (ages 7 & 3), and with the topper on, our 80lb. dog has a spot of luxury travel. Haha. With some basic mods (32" duratrac rubber, 2" lift, and the factory E-locker), the truck will go anywhere I need it to go. I've actually probably pushed it a little bit too far in this regard, but it hasn't flinched (the smart thing to do would be to add some armor if I keep heading in that direction).
Being that we have a 10' pop-up trailer, I've installed airbags in the rear to help when we're loaded-up for a longer trip (the oem leaf springs aren't very sturdy). They've done the trick. Sort-of a tuneable spring rate for the rear.
The interior isn't anything special,.. but it's all easily remedied if you care to do so. Heated seats were easy to add. The OEM stereo is a joke, but was easily replaced. Etc.

For now, I'm really happy with the truck. It's adequate on fuel (for what it is). Fits in our garage. Tows our pop-up trailer easily. Performs "truck duties" well. Cruises down the highway just fine (something the JK doesn't do as well). Works great on fire road / camping / exploring missions (the IFS seems better than a solid front axle). Not a "rock crawler",.. but has gotten me into some interesting places. It's comfortable enough. Maintenance is easy to perform, and parts are reasonable. Lots of aftermarket support. It looks pretty good.

I guess I've rambled enough… Just figured I'd give my opinion. For what you're looking to do with your new vehicle, I'd say you picked a winner.
Enjoy your new truck!

 

Any pics of that STi powered wagoon? I owned something like that in calgary. A grey 07 wagon.

 

@spoonman: i have a pic or 2 somewhere?
my car was a blue bugeye wagon. new 2.5 short block, 2L heads, cosworth parts, turbo, etc etc etc etc. it was well over 400 hp and went through 2 transmissions before i detuned it a fair bit (6spd swap & running gear was too costly to me). my first / last foray into Fuji heavy industries. was a fun car to drive.

sorry for thread cloggin' OP.