Why did you pick the T4R over the FJ or Wrangler Unlimited?

[trentfysty]

Since we are about to purchase a 4runner and have been shopping and looking at everything else in the "will do well offroad" category I thought I would put in my 2 cents.


FJ:
We drove the FJ and overall liked it. The visibility was a major issue for my wife, for me, not so much. I am comfortable using my mirrors and felt that I would be fine with the visibility. I really like the aftermarket support for the FJ, it's retro look, the tire mounted on the tailgate etc.

I didn't like the lack of windows in the back seat, not so much for driver visibility but back seat passengers feel really inclosed. The half doors are a give and take. As it won't be the primary family vehicle it would be okay but I was not a huge fan. The issues with cracked windsheilds didn't rank high on my list of pluses. I know this issue has gotten better but it would be a pain to have to deal with and most insurance companies are not offering glass covereage on the FJ any longer.

Jeep:
Overall a really great concept. I loved the idea of being able to remove the top on hot summer days. The Rubicon offers front and rear lockers, sway bar disconnect, good suspension and nice offroad ability right off the lot. At $33,000 it is well priced as well. Solid axels in the fron are fine with me coming from my LR Discovery. They are great offroad and are fine on the road if you don't mind a truck ride. The wrangler ride has more to do with stiff suspension then with solid front axel. The aftermarket support is hands down the best in the business.

The biggest turnoff for Jeep is the reliability factor. Yes, it is underpowered, but they fact that they just don't last is a huge problem. Hopefully their quality control will increase and they will build a lasting product. Power and reliability are the only two factors that really kept me from going Jeep. On the test drive the a/c vents broke and it would not shift smoothly. It had 8 miles on it, that just shouldn't happen. I donn't like the reliability track record of Jeep.


The others we drove:
Mercedes G500. Awesome all around vehicle but to get one close to the same price range requires getting an earlier model that is prone to problems. Lots of electronics to go wrong. Also there is almost no aftermarket support and the stuff that is out there is pricey. My neighbor had a G280 and it would go anywhere. It was by far the best offroad vehicle I have ever driven or been in.

Nissan Xterra:
Came in second to the 4Runner. We liked everything about it. Reliability not quite as good as Toyota but still good. It has about the same power, similar wheelbase etc. We just felt the Toyota had better quality, better aftermarket support, and overall reputation. There are only two winch bumpers for the xterra after being out for 6 years on the current body style. That tells me that there won't be any additions down the road. The 4runner already has 3 out and rumors are the lucrum is going to do a stock bumper mount.

LR3/LR4

Impressive vehicles but with parts coming from so many different companies it is just a time bomb. If will do very well offroad but will spend lots of time in the shop. Just bring back the Defender PLEASE.

4Runner

The TE 4Runner has great offroad ability right off the lot. There is a good amount of aftermarket support and more additions coming all the time. The 4Runner has a solid track record of reliability and should outlast the Xterra and Jeep. The 4 real doors give it an advantage over the FJ and it can haul more cargo. KDSS is a nice touch. It will go pretty much everywhere I want to go and still be a good daily driver. Good vision all around, comforatble, reliable, good aftermarket, all in all the best combo.

The bad of the 4Runner, well only been out two years under current model so not all the issues are resolved. Price, it is more expensive then the FJ or Jeep. Not as much aftermaket as Jeep and FJ but this is improving. Doesn't have the Iconic following like the FJ or Wranglers, so less "look at me" status. Hard to find the Trail Edition with color/options. It isn't available in white as the TE.

Each vehicle has it's strengths and weaknesses. At the end of the day I feel the 4Runner will meet more of my needs then the other vehicles available at the time...who know 2012 could bring some changes with the new Jeep engine and the Xterra is due for a redesign or may go away. The FJ should get a facelift but may also go away, which would be sad in my opinion. Right now the 4Runner offers the best all-around package available.

 

[Thai]

Since we are about to purchase a 4runner and have been shopping and looking at everything else in the "will do well offroad" category I thought I would put in my 2 cents.

That's not 2 cents...that is like a nickel! Very good review of the vehicles. G500's do have issues, esp. the 2002-2003 models. I had a 2004...and it was fine. Window regulators go out every 30k miles, but Europeans just can't make a good car door! (My BMW M3 had door issues too.) I sold my 2004 G500 with 65k miles for $26,500 (best deal i could get from a used car dealer) due to changes in my job requirements (more on-call days; thus more commuting). The markup is there, but i think that in this day and age of rising fuel costs, you can easily get them to come down.

But, i agree with you that the 4runner is probably the best compromise. Mercedes G500 may be reliable, but the servicing and parts are mind-boggling expensive! Wranglers are fine except for lack of safety feature that i require. All in all, i think that it is wise to wait because as fuel prices go up, more discounts can be had for these body-on-frame heavy SUVs.

 

[Earthmover75]

I can still valet my shiny new 4runner at a nice restaurant and think nothing about it if I am on a date, but I would never do that in some lifted wrangler.

Maybe you're dating the wrong kinda gal :wink2:

 

[blakjack23]

5 and a half years later....

 

[Brandonium]

Why not? I don't see a current thread on the topic. If people don't want dead threads then they should delete them...otherwise it's free game!

Besides what else are people going to talk about?

That being said, I did because I figured I would end up spending a fortune modding one and only get 13 MPG, possible leaky roof and shit on road handling which is not ideal for a daily driver.

5 and a half years later....

 

[Camodog]

I am curious as to what the OP decided on. 5+ years later and no other posts makes me think they didn't choose the 4Runner.

It all came down to on road comfort and 4 real doors for us.
I sold my truck and Jeep to get the 4Runner so downsizing from 2 to 1 vehicle that could do double duty of highway cruiser and off road trails and be in my budget was key.

I will own a wrangler again one day, but living in the city with limited garage space means the 4Runner is our do it all rig, and I am very impressed with its performance and capabilities.

We considered FJ (too small and was going out of production)
LR3/4 (Still do not trust the reliability while 12000+ ft on CO trails)
Jeep Grand Cheerokee (Less cargo space than 4Runner, however more refined interior)
JKUR (wife did not want another solid front axle)

We also wanted brand new so almost everything else off-road worthy was out of our price range or was no longer going to be in production.

 

[mnofpeace]

I REALLY wanted a Wrangler Unlimited. I had a 2door back in the 90s, sold it for a LR Disco (Huge mistake). So i was ready to drop my money surely...i looked forward to the abilities in snow and off road in the winter, and the roof off in the summer....

but:

leaky hard panels in the roof during rain storms

highway wiggle out of the front end when you hit 60+

no 3rd row (...when my wife said that would be nice to have)

loud, not too good at over the road road tripping...

too many "its a jeep thing" imperfections with the more research i did.


all of this turned my vision over to a Nissan Xterra until i got wind of the Nissan truck-transmission coolant issue, which then had me looking at the Lex GX470 for a while. Then as soon as i settled my decision on that, i got wind of the air suspension thing that happens at around 100k miles.

4runner...hmmm, looks pretty good. it does WHAT? it last HOW long? ok, sign me up and take my money pleeez :whoo:

 

[Brandonium]

Funny because I circled the Jeeps for a little over a year..and put a deposit on a 4Runner after only 3 weeks of poking around.

The Jeep was just too hard of a sell. If I had the cash for a weekend play thing (of which I already have two) then I'd get one but fact is I don't need 4 vehicles one of which has a huge appetite for budget munching mod opportunities.

 

[Driver11324]

I'm in the process of selling my wrangler unlimited(2012) for the 4Runner. The jeep is a great truck for off-roading, but it is NOT a comfortable daily driver. The engine ticks, the transmission had no idea what gear to be in, and it leaks so bad when it rains that I might as well take the top off. The build quality is sub par and can be seen as the trucks age.

 

[rick_reno]

I had the first year FJ - fragile windshield, mine kept getting cracked. Blind spots were difficult, I sold it after someone ran into me and I could not see her coming.
4R is reportedly reliable, there are lots of them around my town in N. Idaho and I talked to numerous people about their experiences with them. All the people I spoke with were very happy with their 4R.

 

[Phoenix4R]

I cross shopped both.

To me, it came down to onroad manners/daily livability, which is where my 4R spends 97% of its life. JKs are just a pain in the ass on the road. They're slow, they handle like a stagecoach, they're uncomfortable, questionable build quality, etc. Yeah, you can drop the top with them, but I would probably utilize that rarely.

Since this isn't a second vehicle for me and not a toy, it has to do everything well, and the 4Runner was that vehicle. While I do take it offroading and while the JKUR is better offroad, I decided I'd probably never be doing anything extreme enough with it to justify the extra ability of the JK. The 4R is pretty damn capable as is and after almost two years, I don't miss the JK.

 

[delloro]

I needed 4 doors, have a kid in a car seat, so the doors had to be real. That killed the Unlimited for me right there.

 

[Khjphoto]

2007. Bought an FJ. Great vehicle. Problem was couldn't sleep in it. Big problem was the angle of the windshield - broke every time a rock on the road kicked up.

Wouldn't have a Chrystler product. Heck not sure if I would have a GM or Ford anymore either.

Love - LOVE the Runner!

 

[Brandonium]

If the 4Runner wasn't what it is and Toyota had neutered it like all the other true 4WD suv's have been I'd have bought a mint FJ60 and called it a day. I don't mind driving 30/40 year old vehicles as daily drivers..

The FJ was just too odd for me and the Jeep tugged on me hard but in the end I wasn't willing to pay 40k + another 20/25k in accessorizing to have quality issues, poor road manners and the potential for leaks the moment I decided to remove the freedom panels.

Still want that FJ60 though...

2007. Bought an FJ. Great vehicle. Problem was couldn't sleep in it. Big problem was the angle of the windshield - broke every time a rock on the road kicked up.

Wouldn't have a Chrystler product. Heck not sure if I would have a GM or Ford anymore either.

Love - LOVE the Runner!

 

[NWDave]

I had a 2007 2dr Wrangler that I bought in 2010, with just 37,000 miles on it. I did the usual lift, bigger tires, and enjoyed driving it for a few years, until the engine started consuming oil. I've owned a lot of vehicles over the years, some old beaters, and some new cars & trucks, but I have never seen an engine, with just 50,000 miles on it start using 1 quart of oil, every 500 miles. When I traded it off, just 2 weeks ago, it was using 1 quart about every 300 miles. It had power, and never left me stranded, but based on the posts of fellow owners, it was destined to start becoming really critical, and in need of a full on rebuild/replacement. I shopped around, really considered the JK 4 door, and the Dodge Durango.

Bottom line, from my experience, no more Chrysler/Dodge/Ram/Jeep products for me. My 2015 SR5 is miles ahead in comfort, versatility, mileage, and ride quality. Jeeps have a lot of appeal, strong aftermarket support, but if the basis of a build is questionable, why gussy it up with expensive parts, of any kind???

 

[GzTEP]

My choices were a 2016 4Runner TEP vs Wrangler Rubicon. Chose the 4Runner because of more cargo area, better and more reliable drive/power train I'm hoping,more refined interior and I had a plan of build level in my mind where I wanted to go with it. I would have been in debt for the next 5 years way over building the jeep for my purposes. You can literally replace every single part on them.

What I did like about the wrangler rubicon was it drove a lot nicer then I had thought. Engine felt stronger then the 4Runner but that's where it ended. Ability to upgrade every single part on it to make one bad ass wheeler is also a plus.

 

[el_kab0ng]

FJ?

Because I had a former dick hole VP who owned an FJ which, by association, means I would never want to own something that jerk wad obsessed over.

Wrangler?

Jeep is now owned and produced by Fiat. Do I even need to bother continuing?

My T4RTE has done everything I've asked it to and more while always doing it in comfort and style.

 

[Voyager2013]

I owned a 2015 Wrangler Unlimited - Right Hand Drive until we traded it in on the 2016 4Runner. I bought it to deliver mail on a rural mail route. After 8 months, I gave the job up due to health issues. I like the Jeep fairly well but wouldn't have chose it for a daily driver. The door seals leaked when it rained or when going thru car wash. Dealer patched the seals and that worked(not sure for how long). Had heard you had to get the tops on exactly right or they'd leak so I didn't take the tops off. The lifters started tapping not too long after I got it. Scheduled an appt with dealer and tapping stopped just before appt and never did it again. I'd also read that you needed to install the insulation kit for the hard top or the heat would be pretty bad during the summer. Traded it just in time. I put slightly larger 10 ply tires on it and the gas mileage dropped to 10 to 14 on average. At least I didn't have any more flats on rock roads. Radio wasn't great and it didn't have a back-up camera. The seats squeaked like crazy. I put a lot of WD40 type stuff in all the recommended places but it still squeaked. Cranked up the radio and ignored it.

 

[lipek]

I owned an FJ before I purchased the 4Runner, nothing wrong with the the FJ just needed more room for growing family.

 

[bardb]

Had a 99 TJ for a bit. Taught the kids to drive a stick. Fun to drive, but always working on something. Currently have a '14 FJ which is my DD and just bought the wifey a '16 4R. The FJ has blind spots, but you quickly learn to use your mirrors properly.