Mountain Vehicle Toyota or Jeep

[Arrowslinger]

I've owned a wrangler, grand Cherokee, Tacoma and now a tundra.......Toyota all the way! The Tacoma is my favorite of the bunch!

 

[AZ Vince]

Since you're considering a Jeep I'd suggest the FJ Cruiser.
The wife and I have one and love it. I also have a 4x4 Tundra for hauling, general purpose, and work. I've driven a Jeep or three and while they are nice, when they are running, it's my opinion they spend too much time in the shop.

 

[Rick Leathley]

2016 Diesel 4 door Rubicon. IF you plan of running 35's you really want a Rubicon with the dana 44. regular jeeps have dana 30's

http://www.edmunds.com/car-news/2016-jeep-wrangler-to-get-diesel-engine.html

 

[luke moffat]

I just go with hte full size truck with a 6x6 in the back....no sense tearing my daily driver. Once the road/trail gets too rough for the truck...unload and ride on.

Can put a full moose and then some in the back of one of these bad boys.



I will say that the little Tacomas jacked up look freaking sweet and I'd go that route before I when the jeep route.

 

[trophytaka]

suzuki samurai

 

[Weston]

Well the roads down here in southern AZ are different than those that I have been on up north. we have a lot of very rough roads as the only access into certain areas of mountain ranges. I used to have a VERY built Jeep TJ (1 ton Axles lockers, 39.5" tires twin sticked, 5.13 gears....the whole shebang) I drive an F350 Powerstroke now with a rear locker, the truck doesnt hold a candle to the jeep in terms of capability. So I bought a quad. The quad will go on most roads I took my jeep, some roads the jeep was better, some the quad is better..... I miss my jeep when I'm hunting, I had AC plenty of space for myself +1 and never questioned going down a road I had not been on.... However, Jeeps suck for everything else, I got about 9 MPG in my jeep and it was a hog to drive with the hydro steering. I do not regret selling my jeep as it was my DD but one day I will have one, very similar to the one I had except I will trailer it til I hit dirt.

 

[crazy_davey]

Currently own both, Tacoma and Jeep Rubicon. Like them both for certain reasons but as far as an "off road" capable vehicle off the lot goes, the stock loaded Taco wont touch the loaded Rubicon. Remember I am saying off the lot, off road capable.

Have owned a total of 26 4x4 vehicles over the years and most of them with lots of money and time invested to make them bomb proof(lifts, tires, lockers, roll cages). The Rubicon stock could probably come close to keeping up with many of those without many issues. It is pretty hard to beat what the Jeep Rubicon is offering from the factory for off road capability.

Put a stock Tacoma beside a lesser model of the Jeep JK and I would probably take the Taco.

 

[shaun]

I like Luke's idea go big or go home. It is awesome to beat a z06 corvette in a diesel truck that is built like a tank plus cruising still gets great mpg...just sayin haha

 

[Aron Snyder]

I agree with Crazey Davey...from my experience anyway.

I've had 3 jeeps (1 Rubicon and 2 Sahra's with lot's of extras) and had 3 Taco's (1 4 Runner and 2 Tacoma's. The Taco's are a hell of a lot better day drivers, but the IFS was an issue off road. If I had the ambition to stick a straight axle in the front of a Tacoma, it would be a close decision, but my jeeps haven't had the issues that the Tacoma's had.


If I would have left them stock, I wouldn't have had issues in the Tacoma's, but stock won't get you up some of the roads in Colorado.

At this point, I can see why guys like the Taco's better for DD's with some off road use, but if you're going to be driving up anything difficult, the jeep is a better choice (current model jeep vs Tacoma). You just won't have the creature comforts in a jeep that a Toyota gives you, but the Taco IFS can leave you hanging!

The Jeep I have now is pretty solid (44's front and rear, OX lockers, Center Force Clutch, Slip Yoke Eliminator and so on). The Tacoma I have is cool looking, but not so bomb proof and like other have mentioned, the IFS is the issue.

So I'm thinking the Taco is going on the for sale market and the Jeep is going to be the Mountain Rig! I'll need to go buy a POS car for driving around town, since gas isn't free these days!

Maybe I can talk the wife into the truck and have both!?!?!

 

[G Posik]

I have owned Jeeps and Tacomas. The solid front axle on the Jeep gives it the slight advantage in the off-road area. now on the overall package I would say the Yota. I have a 02 Double cab 4x4 with 285's. I was never a fan of the camper shells but found a used one and bought it for a couple of trips
I was doing. Now I love the thing. You can lock stuff up. Also stuff stays out of the rain while traveling. As a daily driver a much more comfortable ride and more storage.


Aron, The red one you pictured looks like it has about a 6" drop bracket lift on it. The only real down side to the DB lift is limited up travel on the front suspension.

So to answer your question....... Yota for me.

Glenn

 

[eltaco]

I agree with Crazey Davey...from my experience anyway.

I've had 3 jeeps (1 Rubicon and 2 Sahra's with lot's of extras) and had 3 Taco's (1 4 Runner and 2 Tacoma's. The Taco's are a hell of a lot better day drivers, but the IFS was an issue off road. If I had the ambition to stick a straight axle in the front of a Tacoma, it would be a close decision, but my jeeps haven't had the issues that the Tacoma's had.


If I would have left them stock, I wouldn't have had issues in the Tacoma's, but stock won't get you up some of the roads in Colorado.

At this point, I can see why guys like the Taco's better for DD's with some off road use, but if you're going to be driving up anything difficult, the jeep is a better choice (current model jeep vs Tacoma). You just won't have the creature comforts in a jeep that a Toyota gives you, but the Taco IFS can leave you hanging!

The Jeep I have now is pretty solid (44's front and rear, OX lockers, Center Force Clutch, Slip Yoke Eliminator and so on). The Tacoma I have is cool looking, but not so bomb proof and like other have mentioned, the IFS is the issue.

So I'm thinking the Taco is going on the for sale market and the Jeep is going to be the Mountain Rig! I'll need to go buy a POS car for driving around town, since gas isn't free these days!

Maybe I can talk the wife into the truck and have both!?!?!

What kind of lift are you running on your Taco? I'm running a 3" lift with 285s and have yet to blow a front axle. If you're going higher or replacing half shafts with autozone parts, I could see your issue. Some of the replacement half shafts don't have the travel of stock, and those are the only axles I've heard breaking on 3" lifts.

 

[Hardstalk]

I usually have a nice truck for haulin and a beater for the hills. I call the beaters "disposables" short wheel base is a must. Solid weather stripping for the headache factor of going to and from the hills. And preferably decent mileage. The current "disposable" is a 97 dodge ram 1500. Picked it up for 700.00 bucks. I think thats less than most guys are into a bikini frame and bag. Im really cheap! This is the second one. The first one was about 900 and lasted about a year before I sold it for what I paid. Before that I had a k5 blazer. I look for something with parts that are cheap and readily available also.
built the bumper for free. installed some super sweet "cup" holders. how it looked when I purchased it. A jeep or toyota would be great but these kind of trucks do what I need them to do. And like previously stated im cheap. Toyotas and jeeps hold their value very well. Which leaves them out of the option ring for me.

 

[Hardstalk]

In addition im 98% sure that personal plates add m.p.g

 

[littlebuf]

ive owned and loved them both,but. Toyotas last longer are cheaper to fix (since your fixing them less) and have a truck bed. my mountain rig will always be a Toyota of some kind. right now I have 300K on a 92 that just wont die

 

[Aron Snyder]

To much lift/travel is the issue.

What kind of lift are you running on your Taco? I'm running a 3" lift with 285s and have yet to blow a front axle. If you're going higher or replacing half shafts with autozone parts, I could see your issue. Some of the replacement half shafts don't have the travel of stock, and those are the only axles I've heard breaking on 3" lifts.

 

[KMD]

GREAT looking Tacos, Aron and G Posik!
I'm die hard Toyota guy and currently have an '03 Tundra. Locking hard tonneau cap keeps my crap dry & relatively safe. Just replaced the entire IFS with Camburg/Icon components. It sits only 2.5" higher now, but wheel travel/ground clearance is much improved over factory TRD setup. Didn't like the idea of drop brackets or body spacers just to fit more rubber underneath, so stuck with extended travel coilovers up front. Figure if I can't get there on 285s, I prolly shouldn't be there.
The $$$ I alotted for new Deaver rear leafs this summer went toward a Bikin/Highcamp, so the rear end upgrade will have to wait a few more months! Current project is to paint the rest of the frame with POR-15...
This 4.7L v8 is proving to be as reliable a motor as the 3.4L in my old Taco, and the 22REs in my older Toyo trucks. As a daily driver, I just love it and it is pretty dang solid on rutted out skid roads & such. My '97Taco TRD 3.4L 5spd was the shizzle though! Got t-boned and walked away from it...

Shaun, what kind of chip/tuner/jets are you running to get a sub 4.5 second 1/4 mile from that monster??? A z06 is no joke to smoke!

 

[bbrown]

My vote is Toyota all the way....
Here is my current ride - '00 Tacoma with just shy of 200k. It has a 3" lift with UCA, TRD charger with the URD Fuel system, full exhaust and a few other goodies. Actually Dynoed at 276 RWHP which is not too shabby for an old squirrel motor.

Here is the wife's - '07 4runner. Mostly a pavement queen but it still does decent off road.

She was not nearly as proud of me as I was for this one...

And I even pulled off a barrel roll in this '07 Tundra (my buddies and he was driving) and was able to drive it back to camp.

On a serious note - always wear your seat belt. I was during this one and walked away with a few scratches but my buddy wasn't and ended up cracking a vertebrae in his neck. He is all good now but spent months in a neck brace in a lot of pain

 

[bowinhand]

I'm driving my ford POS sport trac into the ground and have been thinking along the same; Toyota? Nissan? Jeep? SUV? Pickup? I like the Tacoma but would need a shell and that would probably kill MPG or a 4runner or xterra but the xterra may be too small.

 

[bbrown]

Aron - are you breaking axle shafts due to the angles from the lift or from power/binding on the trail? Does your truck have after market upper control arms? If not I would highly recommend those.

Edit: just looked at your pic again and there is no way you do not have aftermarket UCA with that much lift - at least I hope not anyway.

 

[littlebuf]

last winter I was up cutting wood with my toyo (again no bed on a jeep) it was pretty nasty skid roads to get to the wood piles,mud was to my doors and ive got 35's on my truck. I ended up pulling a 1ton 4x4 dodge out of a mud hole with my little toy truck, then went down the road he couldn't make it in or out of and started shuttling 3 cords of wood out to a trailer back on the highway. that was pretty funny. ram tough, yeah right...