For those who have gone from wrangler to tacoma and vice versa..

I own both.
A 2005 DC Offroad short bed (mine) and a 2012 JK Unlimited "Altitude Edition" (hers).

My truck:
33" Duratracs on 16" FN wheels, completely new / revised suspension (coilovers, UCA's, Dakar rear springs, new bumpstops etc.), upgraded braking set-up (lines, pads, rotors), leer topper, better lighting, AllPro Apex sliders, better stereo & backup camera, etc...

Her Jeep:
33.5" Duratracs on 18" Level 8 wheels, AEV spacer lift (to easily clear the tires and keep the factory ride quality), trucklite headlights (NEEDED, the oem lighting is borderline dangerous).

Points:
-Both vehicles carry us and our kids (4 & 8 yrs. old) very well. My truck carries all of us and our 80 lb. dog (main reason for the topper) way better.
-The jeep is arguably better off road. At least in certain situations. The truck seems to handle the higher speed stuff better though (and sees more "out of bounds" use than the Jeep).
-The truck is more refined on road. Less wind noise / road noise. Nicer at 120 km/h than the Jeep. We always take the Tacoma on holiday trips because we can easily fit all of our family and all of our crap (that comes along with young children, bikes, whatever).
-The roof and doors don't come off of the Tacoma. And until now, a F'n sunroof in a Tacoma wasn't an option.
-The build quality of the Tacoma seems better. My truck has 100K miles on it, and is ready for action. The Jeep is "new" and has had a few hiccups... but nothing major (all handled under warranty).
-The Jeep has more balls. The Pentastar definitely makes the Toyota 4.0L feel dated.
-Fuel economy is pretty much the same.

If I had to have one or the other, I'm not sure what I'd pick. A JK would HAVE to be a 2012+ model (non Pentastar models are gutless), which changes the entry cost a bit. Do you want / need a bed? Does a convertible sound nice? Will you be crawling gnarly off road obstacles,.. or getting to a fishing spot?

I'll keep my truck. For now.

 

I never owned a Jeep, but I test drove several. I don't know how anyone can say a 3.8 jeep has more power than the Tacoma. The 3.8 jeep I drove with an auto was a flat out pig. It wouldn't even muster enough power to take off from a stop sign fast.

The new models with the new pentastar v6 are supposed to be pretty tough though.

 

We have a 08 Sahara Six speed, two door and a 11 Taco AC with V6, six speed and towing package.

The Jeep with the 3.21 axles is better on the highway, gets better gas mileage, but doesn't tow as well. The taco tows better, but is much longer and not so "flexible".

As for reliability, both have got shocks, tires, struts, brakes since new, the Jeep has the tranny rebuilt under warranty, then tie rods, drags links, muffler and heat shield. The taco has only needed oil changes and tuneups.

They are both running 265/70R17 wheels and tires and both go like heck in the snow and mud. If we bought a Jeep again, it would be a Rubicon due to the superior axles. If we bought another pickup, it would be either a Tundra or 3/4 ton Ram...

On the jeeps, you have get the Rubicon for the better axles, the Sport and Sahara axles are designed for highway and commuting use, and not for towing or offroad.

Howard