Why do FJ Guys Think they own Jeep Rubicons?
- Thread starter TOY2G
- Start date
I guess the term MUCH Larger is relative.
..................4Runner....... FJ Cruiser
Curb weight....... 4320....... 4295....... 25lbs
Wheelbase....... 109.8....... 105.9....... 3.7 Inch longer WB
Length.............. 189.2....... 183.9 ....... 5.7 Inch Longer
Width ....... ..... 75.2....... 74.6 ....... .6 inch wider
Height .............. 71.1....... 71.6....... 1.5 inch shorter tire on T4R
Grnd Clearance... 9.1....... 9.6 ....... 1.5 inch shorter tire on T4R
Turning Circle... 37.4....... 41.8
Tires........... 265/65R17....... 265/70R17 ....... 1.5 inch shorter tire on T4R
Apprch/Departr... 30/24... 34/30....... 1.5 inch shorter tire on T4R
EPA city/hwy ... 17/21 ... 17/21
I took the specs from our other thread on this subject...
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/fj-cruiser/16793-4runner-vs-fj-cruiser.html
I just cannot Call such tiny differences "MUCH larger" and given the same tire size the specs are larger by very tiny margins.
I still want one, but for what you get in the 4runner as a family 4x4 you should be able to see why i have purchased 3 4runners, and still am holdign out on the FJ.
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Staying IN KOA again...The big BIG cabin..stop by
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Desert Fox
New member
BrianSD_42
New member
OK but I was talking about how the 4th and 5th gens have become bulkier and less trail capable when stock compared to a 3rd gen.
You are talking about 5th gen vs a FJ.
JohnsD90
New member
Most vehicles are bulkier now than they used to be, it saddens me.
04rnr
New member
Ive wheeled with a couple FJ groups, and they do think, they are better than most, IMHO, they are just like lot of the jeep guys.
"Oh you are driving that" talking about my 4runner, that guy shut his mouth and never said another word when my 4runner out did his FJ, could be the driver :biggrin2: and thats why I dont even post on the FJ forum anymore, lol
Casper421
New member
Dont wanna continue/start a generation war but just my .02:
Less trail capable? I disagree with the 5th gen TE and 09 TE(granted, very rare!). They are both very capable trail rigs off the showroom with rear lockers and ATRAC. Aside from them, a 3rd might have a better platform than a normal 03-13 t4r. 3rd gens definitely win in ground clearance but a stock 4th or 5th gen can follow a 3rd wherever it goes. The angles aren't great on any of the generations but that is easily fixed with new bumpers or just not giving a shit, like me! I love the room and power of the 4th but I was seriously considering a 3rd gen in the beginning! I did look at the fjc but it was way too small and the V8 was just too hard to pass up, especially since I towed boats at 6k feet. Again, I come in peace!
I guess I am lost. This thread is about the FJ compared to the 4runner so it would stand to reason it would be 4th and 5th gen by comparison. If yo were talking about the third gen, then your last post was a bit off since the FJ is much larger than your 3rd gen. And if we are talking T4R vs T4R then you 3rd gen is a giant compared to my 1st gen and thus not as old off road.
Honestly, I don't really want to go down that road, I currently own a 1st, two 4th, and a 5th gen T4R. And I do plan to buy an FJ, so Clearly all I care about is what I like. My entire point was that FJ guys have turned into self centered Jeep guys and I think as a whole the Toyota fan crowd is above that kind if chest pounding.
I have owned every Toyota 4x4 that has ever been sold in the US or Mexico at one point or another. Several models I have owned multiple in the last 15 years. As far as 4runners go, I have my favorites, and because I am 6' and 260lbs I like the bigger 4Runners. I had a very nice 2000 model that I would love to have back, and a 1989 2 door V6 5 speed that I regret selling. But in the end it all comes down to Toyota...... I love em...I drive em.....I wheel them.
Thai
Elite Member
Based on what fact?? Did you know that Toyota fudges data for 3rd gen? Did you know that your ground clearance is NOT 11 inches? If Toyota faked that number, then i would not put it past them in fudging other numbers.
Yeah, the 4-5th gens are a bit bigger...so, yeah, it will get scratched up a little bit more on a tight trail...but 3rd gens ain't Wranglers or Samurais to begin with!
Let's talk capability here. 3rd gens have crappy rear drum brakes that rust and lose effectiveness just by looking at water! What is your CRAWL RATIO?? Your front diff is OPEN (on pre-2001 models)...and a rear locker was hard to find. Your diffs are completely open front & rear (on 2001-2002 models). Even then, the 1st generation ATRAC is nothing compared to 5th gen's A-TRAC system...not even close! How about RTI or suspension travel...wanna guess which gen wins when comparing 5th to 3rd gen???
I had a 3rd gen...it was good for its time...but it isn't the holy grail that some of you 3rd gen'ers make it out to be! The ride was horrifically horrible...bouncing bronco! The seats were uncomfortable. The only reason it has decent cargo specs is because it is tall...otherwise, being so narrow made cargo-carrying a problem whenever you have something wide and big.
No thanks...i much rather buy a 5th gen TE over a brand spanking new 3rd gen anyday of the week! I like facts...not fanboyisms....
EDIT: oh yeah, since stock 4runners always come with crappy tires, the STOCK argument is really silly!
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superman3043
Senior Member
Maybe not soccer moms, but all the FJ drivers mentioned in this post were either bonafide asshats or grandmas (my mom being one of them). Wonder if the Toyota marketing department hit their target demographic with this one? Lol!
Just from driving my moms, I don't think the blind spots are too horrible but the view out of the short vertical windshield does take a little getting used to. The sound of that V6 from inside the cabin was what I couldn't get used to. It always sounded like it was struggling compared to my 2UZ. When it came out, I always felt like it was Toyotas attempt at an H2 more than a throwback to the classics. By that I mean a plasticky toy version of something else. Like I said before, they're cool for what they are, just not my cup of tea.
Super-G
New member
One of the things I think that is lost on this forum is the fact that the majority of people walking into a dealership these days and buying ANY 4WD vehicle are just not off roading.
Take my dad for example. He just bought a 2013 Wrangler Unlimited. It's a 4 door 4WD and he specifically ordered it with a manual trans and a limited slip rear. From everything I hear the new Jeep platform is a great off road vehicle. But my dad is a 71 year old retired guy. He will NEVER EVER in a million years take his Jeep off road.
I think that the great majority of 4 Runner, FJ, and Wrangler owners simply bought their vehicle because they liked it and didn't give a lot of thought as to it's off roading capability.
Before I had my 4 Runner, my daily driver was a 94 Wrangler that I bought brand new. It had a rough ride but it served every single purpose that I had. It was great in the snow, it towed my small bass boat, it was super reliable, and it was great on gas. Why did I sell my Jeep and get a 4 Runner? Because after owning the Jeep for 18 years it was time to move on. I got a 4 Runner because my lifestyle demands a 4 wheel drive vehicle. I have a vacation home in the Pocono mountains of PA and when we're up there during ski season 4WD is invaluable. I use 4WD when I drop my bass boat into the lake for fishing. Honestly, I will NEVER actually off road my 4 Runner. I'm just not into off roading. To me the 4 Runner does everything my Jeep did, it's just much more comfortable and I expect it to last a good long time.
As for the FJ it might be good off road, it might have good headroom, it might have a big aftermarket but I'd never buy one simply because I think that they're butt ugly.
Take my dad for example. He just bought a 2013 Wrangler Unlimited. It's a 4 door 4WD and he specifically ordered it with a manual trans and a limited slip rear. From everything I hear the new Jeep platform is a great off road vehicle. But my dad is a 71 year old retired guy. He will NEVER EVER in a million years take his Jeep off road.
I think that the great majority of 4 Runner, FJ, and Wrangler owners simply bought their vehicle because they liked it and didn't give a lot of thought as to it's off roading capability.
Before I had my 4 Runner, my daily driver was a 94 Wrangler that I bought brand new. It had a rough ride but it served every single purpose that I had. It was great in the snow, it towed my small bass boat, it was super reliable, and it was great on gas. Why did I sell my Jeep and get a 4 Runner? Because after owning the Jeep for 18 years it was time to move on. I got a 4 Runner because my lifestyle demands a 4 wheel drive vehicle. I have a vacation home in the Pocono mountains of PA and when we're up there during ski season 4WD is invaluable. I use 4WD when I drop my bass boat into the lake for fishing. Honestly, I will NEVER actually off road my 4 Runner. I'm just not into off roading. To me the 4 Runner does everything my Jeep did, it's just much more comfortable and I expect it to last a good long time.
As for the FJ it might be good off road, it might have good headroom, it might have a big aftermarket but I'd never buy one simply because I think that they're butt ugly.
oljedi11950
New member
FJs vs 4th or 5th gen
Just my piddlely 2 cents but to me Fjs only really look good all modded out ! :lookout:
Just my piddlely 2 cents but to me Fjs only really look good all modded out ! :lookout:
wadle5
New member
Actually not to correct you, but a bunch of moms in my neighborhood have FJ's. They like that they are smaller then a new 4runner. . .but 4wd and rugged. There are some really nice ones around.
BrianSD_42
New member
I actually just went on a pretty tough run with some FJ guys in San Diego and wanted to say it is a legit trail ride. We went over huge boulders requiring crazy approach angles. I don't think even a lifted 5th gen would have been capable.
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LTDSC
New member
I've actually noticed more and more driving them. Im just tired of hearing "you take that thing to the grocery store?". Middle aged soccer moms have ruined the "tough" image 4runners used to have.
Dusty Driftwood
New member
I never really understood the chest pounding and sense of superiority. I worked with a Jeep guy and he was all caught up in that his GC was better than my 4R. My take is, we both like to off-road and be outdoors. Can't we agree that lifted off-road trucks are cooler than dropped ricers with fart can mufflers? Why do we have to argue about whose off-road rig is better stock when none of us keep them stock. It's like arguing about the best Gen 4Runner, stupid cause they're all good...
SMALLER??? Really? by an inch or so here and there....yea, but the FJ is respectively no smaller than a 4runner, they like them because they are cheaper (by a thin margin) than a new 4runner.
It all comes down to driver skill. I have wheeled with literally dozens of FJs and I have never been less than impressed with what they can do. I have wheeled Diggers FJ myself, and every time I point it at something it does remarkably well.
But....it is not a Jeep Rubicon; of the showroom floor. Front and rear lockers, Dana 44 axles, and real off road tires. I am NOT a jeep guy, I have owned a few jeeps including a 2004 Rubicon, and a 2007 unlimited and if you are talking about an out of the box (off the dealer lot factory) 4x4 that is
the most off road ready the Rubicon still holds the bag. you give up alot of comfort and IMO reliability with the jeep, but it is the better out of the box wheeler. If you stuck two like drivers with no off road experience in a (any stock Toyota) and a Jeep Rubicon. the Jeep would be more forgiving of the lack of experience and would require less skill to go more places.
I digress.... I just don't like seeing Toyota Guys act like Jeep guys...claiming they own the world foremost wheeler. Fact is (as you can see in my album) we have built true rock crawlers, some jeep, some Toyota, some VW, some Chevy....So many things make a capable off road vehicle..Driver, equipment, power, comfort, company (clubs) exc. I was use to driving my Tacoma with Dana 60 axles Locked on 42" tires.. when I started wheeling my first 4th gen, I had to learn how to wheel again.
My point was and is.... park ANY vehicle at the head of the trail Jeep, Dodge, Toyota, Chevy, Suzuki, Ford, Nissan, or Hummer, and the are all 100% equal until someone gets in it to drive.
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