Jeep Rubicon test drive notes

I had some extra time yesterday, so I stopped in one of the local Jeep dealers to check out a 4 door JK with a manual transmission. The only one they had was a Rubicon, so I took it for a spin. I am looking for another off-road vehicle, and will probably go with another Tacoma (I've had a 2000, a 2009 and a 2012), but I thought I would include the Wrangler, an FJ, and an Xterra, because they all can be had with a 6 speed manual. I really wanted to like the Jeep, but it was slow as can be, and the steering was horrid- it felt just like my 1970 FJ 40 that had a warn-out steering box. On the plus side, the seats were pretty nice, and it was pretty quiet inside, even on the highway at 70 with the soft top. Getting up to speed took forever- I was anticipating something different, given the almost 300 HP. My '12 Taco was a hot-rod compared to this. Is the Rubicon slower due to heavier axles and bigger tires than a base Wrangler? I could definitely see building one up for some off-road adventure, but it would probably be pretty expensive. $28K for a base model 4 door seems a bit pricey, and the Rubicon I drove was $38K with a soft top. I am still trying to justify getting one, because it would be great actually driving with the top down, plus buying a US built vehicle, but I'm not convinced. Any feedback?

 

If you're not sure...

 

Comparing the Rubicon to a Tacoma is sort of an apples and oranges kind of thing. A built up Jeep is going to be a better off roader than a built up Tacoma, but you will own a jeep and all of their unreliability.

Basically you are in the same place I was a year ago. I really, really wanted to like the Rubicon. I'd owned a Jeep at the time and wanted to replace it with another one. But try as I might I couldn't convince myself to go with the jeep. So I looked really hard at the FJ Cruiser. In the end I didn't go that way because of the poor visibility (and my wife didn't care for the looks) Ended up with a TRD Off Road Double Cab Short Bed. It's got all of the doors of the Jeep plus a bed that I've found a lot more use for than I ever imagined.

 

If you want a dedicated off road vehicle go buy an old Jeep or really old Toyota pickup/4 Runner.

Buying a brand new vehicle purely for offroading seems kinda silly to me tbh

 

Wheeling a newer vehicle is generally more reliable than an older vehicle and has way more style points

 

FYI Jeeps are built in Ohio and Tacomas are built in Texas. Both are made here. Also Jeep is owned by Fiat which is Italian. So in that regard they're similar.

 

Based on dyno tests, it appears the Rubicon driveline incurs greater losses (~30%) than typical vehicles (~20%). In any case it's still an improvement over the previous 3.8L minivan engine, which is weak enough to be considered a safety risk for passing on 2-lane roads.

Loose steering is unfortunately a characteristic of steering boxes with inherently more backlash than the rack-and-pinion setup on vehicles with IFS.

If you are looking for an off-road toy, consider the prev-gen Wrangler (TJ) because it's quite a bit smaller, so it can get through tighter trails.

 

Thanks for the feedback all. This was a '14 Rubicon, and it would be a DD for the 10,000 miles I drive a year to work, but also the 5,000 miles I drive to play. I don't do mud or rock gardens, but two-track, fire roads, farm lands and some sand/gravel driving are common. It just seemed to have a weak engine, even with the new 3.6. Having felt the loss going from stock 245/75/16's to 265/75/16's on my last Tacoma, I am thinking the big meats on the Rubicon rob lots of power. There is not a chance I would get that model anyways- a true mall crawler if ever there was one. I'm still going to test an FJ and Xterra, but it is hard to get more practical than a Tacoma.

 

The Rubicon is no mall-crawler It would take a lot of $$$$ modding with any other platform to get the front locker and the 4:1 transfer case. As a DD the Tacoma is more refined, that's why we drive 'em.

 

Doors off in the summer is sweet too. I know some Tacoma guys have tube doors or take theirs off, but it isn't as simple as a jeep and the jeep is designed to have the doors removed.

 

For a comparison to the JKU I drove an Xterra, a Frontier and then a Access cab Tacoma, all were '14, all 4wd and all 6cyl. The Xterra was pretty nice- really quick but a little wallowy, the Frontier was a little quicker yet and very planted feeling- lower CG and lighter weight. The Tacoma was hands-down the quietest and smoothest ride, and the interior quality is (as always) miles beyond the others. You definitely pay a premium for the Tacoma, but it is easy to see why. How about long tube doors for an Access cab?

 

i've owned several jeep. never questioned, "how fast they were". i figured if i was gonna get a "Fast" car, buying one the same shape as a brick was not the right strategy.

on the same note, my Tacoma is pretty is no rocket. some long steep grades makes me wish for more power..but it is what it is. no free lunch.