Affordability: Tacoma vs. Wrangler

OP in your original statement you were concerned about getting T-boned. I had a 2012 Tacoma and was T-boned the truck was totaled. The side air bags worked as designed and I know saved my life. Last time I checked the traditional Jeep does not have side air bags. I have a 1978 jeep that I bought new but it is a real Jeep not the same in todays market.I have heard of a lot of problems with the newer Jeeps over the years. I replaced my 2012 Tacoma with a 2013 Tacoma. just my .02

 

I sold my loaded 3rd Gen TRDS and bought a loaded JKU Rubicon. So far, this is what I can tell you:

Taco is more comfortable
Taco has better interior technology options (Entune is way better than the Jeep system) Fit and finish is more upscale feeling is Taco vs more utilitarian in the Jeep
Taco gets better gas mileage 21 vs 18 (stock)
Taco has a bed (if you need one, the conversation ends here)
Taco initial cost was about $2500 less

Both have excellent aftermarket support for just about anything you could want
You could spend a years salary customizing either before you were "done"
Both have excellent resale value
Insurance costs are the same

Jeep has better off-road handling characteristics due to shorter wheelbase and straight axle suspension
Better approach, departure and break over angles
Jeep is more off-road ready stock, particularly the Rubicon (D44 in front and rear, lockers, electrical sway bar disconnect)
Most parts are cheaper on the Jeep (bumpers, sliders, skids, suspension components) likely just due to the number of companies competing in the Jeep aftermarket
Back seat is slightly larger in the Jeep (Important for me as I have 2 kids)
Top and doors come off in about 5 mins
More interior space in place of the bed

 

Be sure to factor in additional cost factors such as Insurance. I shopped the Frontier and the Tacoma and found the Nissan was more than $50 a month higher for insurance. Toyota has maint covered for 2 years as well, not sure if Jeep has anything similar right now. Also, Jeeps are horrible on gas, especially with mods. They are fun and have great aftermarket support with lots of clubs across the country.

 

Any idea if they did a test on a non moonroof Tacoma?

 

There is no better 4X4 than a jeep. Tacoma I will say is #2, and I needed a bed.

 

Couldn't pack all my gear in a jeep for hunting dogs and camping. Also needed something that could be a daily driver as well and Jeep wrangler in my experience is not the most comfortable Daily driver. Tacoma was better there. As far as reliability goes I might have had better luck with the wrangler as my rear diff has already needed replaced, my rear leafs squeak like hell and the driveline vibrates for which toyota admits they do not have a fix for either. Affordability wasn't really an issue for me but I'd think you could get an SR5 4x4 for about the price of a little wrangler and get more use out of the truck.

 

That's huge negative, ghost rider. My 14 went out, as did my uncle's. There are others, too. Might want to check into that a lot further!

 

I have seen both jeeps and tacomas running the same offroad trails and while both are fully capable vehicles, I have had some jeep people tell me the utility of just having a truck is something they wish they had... With that being said I think the overall more versitile route for you and your wife would be a Tacoma. Disclaimer: There are usually some people who post updates of empty wallets and angry wives and attribute it to this site...can't speak for jeep forums. But I have no ragrets.

 

Use TrueCar pricing- knowing your market before going into a dealership puts you in a stronger position. Be willing to walk away and come back a later time. Before I bought my '15DCLB Sport 4X4 I knew exactly what I wanted to pay and didn't step foot into one until I had a commitment on price that was acceptable to me. I called dealerships for days to figure out which would give me what I wanted. I ended up with saving 2600 off sticker... and according to TrueCar, was one of the lowest 3 prices in my area for the time.

Consumer Reports has this feature built into it's build a car feature- but once you submit the details you want, be prepared to receive an quick and sustained onslaught of solicitations from local dealerships in your area. The $30 annual for CR is well worth it.

 

You're trying to make a rational decision on a somewhat irrational purchase. If you were being responsible you'd look for something like a Subaru wagon or a hybrid! Given that you, as you mentioned, will be using it as a daily driver and only doing some mellow off-roading once a month, I'd lean more toward the Tacoma. I don't say that because this is a Tacoma site and because I own one, I say this because the Tacoma is definitely a more utilitarian vehicle. It's more versatile, can tow more, more cargo capacity, it has a bed, you can carry stuff on the roof, and it's almost certainly a more comfortable ride on the freeway. With all that said, there's no way I'd take a $30k+ truck on any significant off-roading, ESPECIALLY if it was my daily driver.

 

I had 2 older Jeeps CJ5 & CJ7 with 4.0 and they were great except on interstate.

For now, Tacoma is best for me too.

PS .... Newer Jeeps, I have no experience .

 

These are my favorite threads.

Owning both, I would actually sway toward a Wrangler - depending on which model and door model you are looking at.

Keep in mind Tacoma fans, the wrangler has never had a frame recall, low transmission fluid issues, transmission shifting issues in general, and no leaf springs for Mopar to recall.

I have had 3 wranglers, a 2012, 2014, and now another 2014. No issues with any. Fun to build, fun to drive. I have had 29 vehicles and I now keep coming back to a wrangler.

Tacoma was nice as well, mechanically sound. Just didn't like that the longer it aged, the more recalls it got.

 

In terms of reliability and safety the tacoma is probably better.
Probably isn't much more money than a wrangler either if the wrangler you're looking at is 33K.

Might also want to consider the added cargo you can get from a tacoma.

 

I traded an 11 Rubicon for my truck. I love my truck. but I miss my jeep. like others have said, jeep will walk the Tacoma off road all day. But its on road manners are not that great. Mine got the death wobble a couple of times, and being a dd I decided I had to get something IFS. I hope to get another one day for the trails.

 

Yeah, I'll only go off-roading maybe 10 times a year, and by off-roading, I mean mainly driving around on the dirt access roads in the closest national forest. Nothing that should get either vehicle out of sorts or beat up. If I lived outside of Florida, I might be more tempted to get a Wrangler for some rock crawling.

 

Subaru.

 

Maybe I missed it but how has nobody mentioned on pavement. And since you will be there 99% of the time, don't get a wrangler. It's like being in a constant.air tunnel on the highway. They don't feel stable at highway speeds. They're gutless at highway speeds.

Don't take this the wrong way. I drove a wrangler for work and loved it, but as my own day to day vehicle. No thanks. Maybe as a toy if I had the money.

 

OP thats a high price for an SR5. The few people I know have gotten about that price for a TRD Sport or Offroad (before tax, title, and license).

My coworker has a jeep. They get even worse gas mileage than the Tacoma. I have a double cab long bed and get about 18.5 MPG average (I'm in a 2015, not the new 2016 which does better on gas). She has a 2 door, 2wd Wrangler and gets 15 MPG. Just something to factor in. I did the math when I was buying and a 5-6 MPG difference can add up VERY quick depending on how much you drive and the cost per gallon in your area. I was considering a Colorado, and over 5 years I think I'll spend 4k more in gas with the Tacoma (based on the EPA ratings).

 

You're being generous. It does better by maybe .5 to 1mpg improvement on average. Check out fuelly. Better than a Jeep definitely.

 

You can't drop the top on a Tacoma.