Just Rode in a Wrangler Unlimited again...

[1engineer]

im gonna jump the toyota ship for the Jeep JL wrangler pickup with a diesel. sorry fellas

Excellent. You don't learn anything until you make mistakes.

 

[ST1FLER]

im gonna jump the toyota ship for the Jeep JL wrangler pickup with a diesel. sorry fellas

so you are keeping the 4runner in other words

 

[marshal]

so you are keeping the 4runner in other words

Correct

 

[adrtoy]

im gonna jump the toyota ship for the Jeep JL wrangler pickup with a diesel. sorry fellas

I jumped off the Jeep ship for my 4R. Keeping the 2015 JKUHR but as a daily driver. There's just no way to make a Jeep a good highway vehicle.

I look at it as Jeep put 4wheel capability first and everything else second but Toyota puts safety and comfort ahead of 4wheel capability. Heck I had to pay an extra $600 bucks for side airbags on a $40,000 vehicle. Plus buy safe headlight, a headliner, new hood latches to keep it closed on the highway.

I love the Jeep but it's not apples to apples with a 4r.

 

[MasonCO]

.It never seemed well thought out, kind of like the Isuzu Amigo, interesting but poor execution.

hey now, I had a lot of fun times with my Amigo :happy: 16 years, 175,000 hard miles, and she still runs great!

 

[RedMagik]

Oh the surface I see your point, but it's off the mark.

Yes, I choose a fast highway vehicle for my personal vehicle (bought it with a blown motor which my dad and I replaced). But I grew up in the sticks near a swamp, and most of my family still lives there. I really enjoyed hunting and my Camaro couldn't handle the hunting roads. :noidea:

I've driven more off-road vehicles than I can count. From horses to bicycles to dirt bikes to 3-wheelers (balloon tires instead of shocks!) to 4-wheelers to side-by-sides to tractors to bulldozers to backhoes to pickups to SUVs to Jeeps (even an old restored Willys jeep once) to a customized lake-bottom mud-bogger.

I haven't been too much into modifications (many of the above were owned by others), and I've only recently (this year... still learning) gotten into researching mods for my 4Runner. It's all about the money right now.

Of course the mud-bogger (old Chevy pickup) could handle mud better, the ATVs and motorcycles could handle narrow trails and jumps better, and it was a very long way from a comfortable ride. I now know that a heavily modded Wranger could run circles around it in heavy rocks. But in stock condition, the J40 was hands-down the best all-around general purpose off-road vehicle I've ever had the pleasure of driving, and I drove it a lot. Except maybe the old WWII Willys Jeep, but I only drove that once so I can't really judge.

If I had the cash and wanted to buy a dedicated, simple, dead-reliable, and all-but-unstoppable highway-rated off-road vehicle, I'd pick an old J40 or FJ40 LandCruiser every time.

You took the fun out my pun about a Camaro being a "sports car".....sheesh.

 

[jwkilgore]

You took the fun out my pun about a Camaro being a "sports car".....sheesh.

AH! Ok, I get it now. I thought you were saying a sports car guy wouldn't know anything about off road. :der:

For the record I completely agree with you. I was all kinds of in love with that car back in the day, leaky T-tops and all. It was my first real vehicle with four wheels that was all mine. But these days I'd never mistake a pony car for a real sports car.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Owning a Jeep is sort of like sleeping with your first cousin.

It feels good until the family and friends find out.

Word. I crack myself up.

 

[Jhalko]

Owning a Jeep is sort of like sleeping with your first cousin.

It feels good until the family and friends find out.

Word. I crack myself up.

It's not THAT bad, maybe more like kissing your cousin...

As long as we are talking Wranglers of course.

 

[RedMagik]

AH! Ok, I get it now. I thought you were saying a sports car guy wouldn't know anything about off road. :der:

For the record I completely agree with you. I was all kinds of in love with that car back in the day, leaky T-tops and all. It was my first real vehicle with four wheels that was all mine. But these days I'd never mistake a pony car for a real sports car.

It's okay, I feel yea. I secretly lust after Miatas....my wife hates it and questions it at the same time.

 

[Jmcmath]

Nothing wrong with that miatas are bad ass. Own that shit.

 

[williamlv282]

It's okay, I feel yea. I secretly lust after Miatas....my wife hates it and questions it at the same time.

Miata
Is
Always
The
Answer

My girlfriend doesn't understand it either, she doesn't see the appeal. I want an old MX-5 with the pop up headlights so bad.

 

[BlackWorksInc]

Well, the older Jeep Wranglers are nice. The newer ones are subject to Chrysler's typical lack of quality. Even that 6.4L Hemi just doesn't seem appealing having seen those Hemi drop valve seats and other head issues, maybe AEV rebuilds them better than the factory; which might make me more tempted to look at one.

Not saying the vehicle isn't capable off-road, but they are just victims of being part of Chrys...I mean Fiat's roster.

If they were better quality, I wouldn't mind trying to build up a JKU

 

[itskrystaaaal]

My fiancé has a '15 JK 2Door and I have to admit that off road it puts my Runner to shame. But, I do feel a lot safer in my Runner and more comfortable. He's definitely done a lot to his Wrangler to help me feel safer, but off the lot, I'd prefer my 4R. I think once I slap some better tires on my girl, she'll be able to keep up a lot better with the Jeep. I almost got a Grand Cherokee but glad I got my 4Runner but I am also glad he has his Wrangler. It's like the beauty & the beast :dance:

 

[williamlv282]

Well, the older Jeep Wranglers are nice. The newer ones are subject to Chrysler's typical lack of quality....
Not saying the vehicle isn't capable off-road, but they are just victims of being part of Chrys...I mean Fiat's roster.

If they were better quality, I wouldn't mind trying to build up a JKU

Before my 4runner, I used to have a 2010 Wrangler Rubicon. I loved it but I sold it to my younger brother when he went into his senior year of high school. In less than a year of him owning it the engine essentially blew up. It was a pretty well documented issue with the older JK engine. After 50k miles they just start burning more oil than normal. We did an oil change with synthetic in December, but then in the beginning of February the engine spun a bearing and threw a rod due to low oil. No leaks, just burned it all. Of course we were about 6 months out of our factory warranty. Jeep didn't pay for anything. Had to get a rebuilt engine from Jasper dropped in to the tune of about $5000 after parts and labor.
From the middle of February until about April we didn't have the Jeep at all.
Jasper ended up having to send out THREE engines in total. The first and second engines they sent wouldn't turn over.
Never ran the same, had to have it towed a few more times after that for other issues.
We kept it until July and then sold it for good.
I bought it originally in 2012 for $30k, I sold it to my brother in 2014 for $20k even though it was worth $25k. When he finally sold it in 2015 with the rebuilt engine Carmax gave him $23k! The retained value on them is absolutely INSANE.

I'd hesitate to buy a Jeep again after that experience.
Best off-road vehicle I've ever driven. Horrible daily driver.

 

[ST1FLER]

If they were better quality, I wouldn't mind trying to build up a JKU

I have owned CJs TJs and LJ an d2 JKUs..... NONE of them ever had an issue. the 4.0 was bulletproof and by far the best motor. My 07 JKU was a pig, the 15 JKU was better but still not the 4.0

 

[adrtoy]

One of the cool things about Jeep is the community that follows it. It's about 20 times bigger than Toyota and seems to more active and willing to help out. I mean you don't get the "do a search" or post a link as the first two responses to a thread.
I'd bet Wrandlers are 30 to 1 with 4r's around here.

 

[Land_Shark]

It's okay, I feel yea. I secretly lust after Miatas....my wife hates it and questions it at the same time.

Are we brothers? This sentence applies to me 100% as well.

 

[991-GT3MJK]

In Oct '15 I was on the Big Island in Hawaii and opted for a Jeep Unlimited for my rental. I will admit being partial to Toyota. They keep clothed and fed, but the Jeep wasn't bad. It wasn't great but it wasn't bad either. I think the Jeep guys lose it on us 4Runner guys but at the end of the day to me it is reliability. I don't care what trail you can conquer if there a is a slight chance your are walking out rather than driving out. I'll take a Toyota any day of the week.

Well said !!! Love my 4runner.com

 

[Blitzkrieg]

It's okay, I feel yea. I secretly lust after Miatas....my wife hates it and questions it at the same time.

I think Miata's are cool. I secretly lust after an old MGB but I know what a nightmare they are (rust, shit for electronics, etc...) but they are way cool.

A Miata is the logical alternative but sadly I think along with the dependability something gets lost in the translation.

My super secret lust car? A Triumph Spitfire. On the rare occasion I see one on the road, I say to myself "Now there is a man that really, really loves his car" because I know they are a maintenance nightmare. If you own a British sports car, you better know how to use your spanners (British for box-end wrenches).