Paul H.

Why not? My 3.slow, although gutless, has been extremely reliable for the last 13 years.

xcmountain80

True my old 3.slow was plenty reliable, almost as much so as my 3.4. I do love my 4Runner I wouldn't trade it for .... yes for a Defender 110, or a UZJ100, but thats it nothing else.

Aaron

William

Yea, I was planning on doing that. I told him so, but he said he didn't care what I did, despite the fact that he specified what he wanted me to do to correct the issue, and then griped that I didn't do what he said to do.

I decided not to take action unless he continued doing what he was doing. The last time I heard from him was around the middle of September. So far he's been quiet, and I haven't needed to take further action.

pkt1213

iTrader: (1)

Both are nice. My girlfriend wants a Jeep super bad and I don't want to get rid of ym 4runner so we're kind of in the middle of that argument. I think it'll probably wind up with me and a 4th gen 4runner V8, lightly moded to be our tow rig for her Jeep. It'll probably also be a recovery vehical. The one thing I don't know about the new runners is I can't get a V8 and manual tranny. That pisses me off and is about the only reason I still have my 3rd gen.

If you're ambitious, get the newer 4runner and get on old jeep (like the CJ5 I need to sell) and have a project and build it to drive every day and to be trailable. For less than 4k you could have a fun driveable jeep that you can take the roof and everything off with and the 4runner for being confortable.

cackalak han

Unfortunately, the demand for a manual transmission in the new 4Runners is almost zero. 99.9% of people who buy them never have intentions of taking them off-road, which is why the ground clearance is lower, no rear-diff lock, and the size has gotten longer and wider. An option for you would be the new FJ Cruiser? 6-speed and full-time 4WD. 4.0L V6 is rated to pull 5000 lbs.

Good luck with the new Jeep. I'm trying to sell my GF's Jeep Liberty right now, so she can get a Toyota.

liferunner2

I have owned both a 90 Jeep Wrangler and now a 95 4Runner. I have only had the runner for about 4-5 months, but I like it more already. It runs better, gets better gas mileage, I can hear the radio when I drive down the highway (have you ever done 60-70mph in a jeep with a soft top?), and honestly it's just engineered better, oh and somebody mentioned ladies tripping out of it, true story they don't even need to be drunk. So much stupid crap was always breaking on my jeep (door handles, throttle linkage, I could go on and on). The Runner is harder to work on, mostly because of tight spaces, but at least I'm only working on it because I want to, not because I have to to get to work/school on Monday.

Chris

pkt1213

iTrader: (1)

I looked at the FJ but it's rated to tow 5000 like my 4runner. Might as well keep the runner.

I was thinking the locker was still an option but maybe I am just thinking of the transfer case locker.

gTgarrett

I used to have a 92 Wrangler and now I have a 93 4Runner.
The Jeep was a lot of fun and extremely capable offroad.
However the ride quality was terrible and the Jeep's 2.5 inline 4 was extremely slow.
I would recommend a 4Runner for a daily driver. Even though my 4Runner is only one year newer than the Jeep, it seems like it is 10 years newer because of it's comfort and practicality.
If you do insist on getting a Jeep, get a TJ (96+) or a JK (current gen.) anything older than that will not be good for a daily driver

Matt90V6SR5

Garrett,you know that post is 2yrs and 2 mos. old?

stjohnr7

I've had both. I loved my old YJ, great off road capability and ability to drop a lot of money to make it your own. Problems: horrible gas mileage, road manners, can't keep anything in there unless you have a hardtop because people WILL cut the top for your stuff. Trust me, i had a lot of things stolen out of that jeep and had to replace many soft top windows ($150 a pop). And eventually putting the top up and down does get kind of annoying. Its a great extra car, not practical for every day driving.

I've had nothing but a great experience in the last 4 years with my 4Runner. Smooth ride, great mpg for an suv (21 combined, 24-28 hwy depending on speed), very reliable.

Just depends on what your looking for. Good luck. Both are fun vehicles

whokrz

I LOVE TEXAS, you stated that you wanted an 05 4runner and it would be used 80% onroad, 20% offroad and you want a snorkel on it.
A 05 4runner costs a lot of money and is a very nice vehicle inside and out. The 20% offroad is either going to make a mess out of the body or while trying to keep it nice is going to limit where you are willing to drive. Also I can not imagine taking an 05 4runner in deep enough water to make the snorkel useful. You may want to consider having two vehicles, one for off road and one for the street.
You seem to like the removable top so I would recommend a 85-89 4runner with a 22re. They are cheap so when you drag it down the brush/tree you won't cry, the top comes off, and there are lots of offroad mods for them ranging from cheap to lots of money. The 22re lacks power but is very reliable and gets good mileage, both of which are nice when you find yourself in the middle of nowhere. These also make good daily drivers if you only want one vehicle and it would save you a lot of money compared to the 05. I see these in decent shape for $2500.

whokrz

My biggest problem with the solid axle jeeps is the dana30 in the front. Jeep should have upgraded it to a dana44 like they did in the rear axle.

X-AWDriver

Hey guys,this thread is basically dead as the original poster hasn't even been on the forum since last January.

William

The Dana 30 is no worse than Toyota downgrading from the 8" solid axle to the 7.5" IFS.

While being not as strong overall as the Toyota solid axle in '85 and older Toyota 4wd trucks, the Dana 30 front axle is still stronger overall than the 7.5 IFS in '86 and newer Toyota 4wd trucks. It can be upgraded to Dana 44 sized axleshafts, and the newer versions already have the same axleshaft U-joints as the Dana 44, which is definitely stronger than the Birfield joints found in the Toyota solid axle.

So when considering the Dana 30, and although I myself would rather have the Dana 44, the Dana 30 alone shouldn't be a big factor in deciding against a Wrangler.

And although not as cheap as a basic Wrangler, a factory Dana 44 frontend complete with a locker and other off-road worthy upgrades can be had with a Wrangler Rubicon.

Although with a Toyota you can get the TRD version with a rear locker and different shocks and a few other upgrades, it in no way can match the off-road worthy upgrades of the Rubicon version versus the standard Wrangler.

And although the 8" IFS in the '05 and newer Toyotas is stronger than the older 7.5" IFS, there are no factory strength upgrades from the factory like with the Rubicon, and there are fewer aftermarket choices as well.

So getting a Rubicon, or having more choices of Dana 30 aftermarket upgrades, that basically makes the Dana 30 issue a moot point anyway.

Rocket Terp

I realize this thread is 2+ years old... but I googled Jeep Rubicon Toyota 4runner and this came up.

Of course it's a toyota site, but a little perspective sure would help. I've been driving Jeep and Toyota products for 16+ years. Over 150k miles in Toyotas and well over 350,000 in Jeep Wranglers ('97, '02, '03). Stupidly sold the '97 for a Subaru; I promptly traded that 5 months later on my way home for work for the '02 Wrangler. In '04 I got a company truck (Tacoma) and sold the Jeep as unecessary. In early '06 my company vehicle became the 2003 Rubicon. The fewest miles on a Jeep I've had was 100k. my first and this one each have 150k and 130k (100k of which are my miles).

In 350,000 miles the only things I've done are oil, tires, lube, windshields (lots of those, to be fair!), wipers... Oh, and once the PCV valve cracked, and once after dropping off a 3' rock I broke a swaybar endlink.

I've flooded them, flipped them, dogged them, taken them from ME to FL, used them for work, and been out in temps from -30*F to 110*F. I've driven neighbors through hurricane flooded streets to check on family, boats, get something at the store... Pulled lots of morons out of snow/mud/flooded ditches. Mine have had heat, of course, and A/C. I've never, ever, felt uncomfortable (hot OR cold) in a Jeep. The climate controls in the TJ have been nothing sort of phenomenal.

The top? Coworker timed me, from full up to top down, doors off (stashed in back) in 1minute 45 secs.

I realize you guys/girls like Yota, but to say the single biggest advantage of Toyota is reliability, makes me think I should keep this Rubicon. It'll do things only your heavily modified rigs could attempt, and based on my lengthy experience with Jeep reliability... Toyota doesn't carry much advantage there, either (how could it? My Jeeps have been fantastic).

That said... I was googling because after 12 years, 350k, I'm ready for a change. I could use more room for the additional dogs we now have, I'd like more space for work gear, and better fuel economy wouldn't hurt - I've been thinking about something more refined for my commute (I don't off road like I used to). I'm trying to convince myself the 4Runner won't leave me missing my Rubicon; that there's something more to it than a bloated version of its former self (just like the current Rubicons are... meh). I'm pretty close to pulling the trigger on a 4Runner... but Iknow from experience after 6 months I'll be thinking about finding another TJ Rubicon, and I was thinking you guys could highlight why a 4R is so great, special, etcetera. I'm diisappointed to hear such numb nuts crap (biased site or not) as Jeeps suck, Toyotas don't... I'm also disappointed to hear you all think 07 4Runners can't wheel worth a damn w/o expensive mods.... My unreliable Rubicon hasn't got a single modification and runs with Defenders and heavily modified Tacomas and FJs whenever needed.
Don't you guys have [i]something[/s] more to offer than 'reliability, reliability, reliability'?

yoder519

uhhhh hmmmm. go check out a jeep forum. theyll say toyotas suck theyre stupid blah blah blah. a toyota froum will say the opposite, of course.
i honestly dont like jeeps. yes, theyre capable but EXTREMELY overrated. i hate it when people jack em up and pu thuge tires on them and think theyre bullteproof. thats why i dont like em. is bc alot of them are street queens, but to each his own. i have alot of respect for someone who actually wheels there modded/stock jeep. and to the part in bold, i highly doubt that, actually i kno thtas nt true. you dont have to heavly modify a toyota to keep up with a jeep.you may have to heavly modify it to be as pretty as a jeep, but definately not fro capability. theres my 2 pennies

Rocket Terp

I noted this will be biased. Frankly, i'd be just as disappointed if the Jeep owners used that kind of "you suck, I don't" kindergarten logic though.

I would be highly, sincerely impressed to see a stock current model Taco/4Runner/FJ manage to follow a stock Rubicon wherever it may go. Really, I would love to see that; trading would be far easier then. I enjoy knowing I've got what is arguably the best out-of-the-box 4x4 ever built. Sometimes I still use it.

On topic... anyone enlighten me, aside from "reliability" what draws you to the 4Runner?

yoder519

im sure all jeep owners aint the same and im sure some would say exactly what you said they wudnt. anyways yea i definately agree that the new runners/tacomas stock wouldnt keep up with a newer jeep offroad. i misunderstood. toyota kinda steered away from the offraod quite a few years back, but some of the owners havnt and thats what keep sthe toyota name going.

are you talkin about the new 4runners? honestly, i wouldnt own own one cuz IMo theyre more of a family type vehicle and doesnt even look like it was made to leave the pavement, but thats jsut my opinion. now the 1st 2nd and 3rd gens i love. especially the 1st gens.

William

I personally have no problem buying another Wrangler. However, I would have to be able to afford both a Wrangler and other primary transportation. Although Wranglers, for the most part, are durable and reliable, they just aren't as good for everyday transportation, especially long trips. So I would need to have something else I can rely on when I don't need or want to drive the Wrangler.

I bought a new '06 Wrangler Unlimited. Fortunately, I also had a very reliable '95 F150 2wd, because I had 3 things go wrong with it in the first 12,000 miles:
(1) Leaking transmission front seal at 1100 miles
(2) Seized front brake caliper at 3900 miles
(3) Leaking rear axle shaft and pinion shaft seals just before the 12,000 mile mark.

These things were covered by the warranty.

After the rear end started leaking, that's when I traded it on my used '06 Tacoma 4 door cab 4wd TRD.

I've had 3 warranty items with the Tacoma:

(1) A bad power steering pump at about 58,000 miles. This was my fault and not the truck's fault. I was doing donuts off-road and kept the steering wheel turned all the way to one side with the engine redlined for too long. This created too much pressure and heat for the pump to handle. Replaced by warranty.

(2) When the truck was in the shop, I also had them replace the left front wheel bearing under warranty, which was bad.

(3) 3 of the 4 catalytic converters went bad. This was about 62,000 miles. It may have been my fault because I didn't replace the plugs at 30K miles like I should have, and they were worn about 50% more than they were supposed to be gapped for. They were one cause for excess carbon out of the tailpipe, which could have also caused the converters to go bad. Replacing the plugs reduced the carbon splatter on the side of the truck. This was also warranty covered.

And there's been no bad converters since then.

So the Tacoma definitely went about 5 times longer without warranty work, one of the 3 Tacoma warranty issues was definitely my fault and one more may have been my fault.

This is compared to 3 Wrangler warranty issues in the first 12,000 miles, all of which were the fault of the vehicle and not me. So which vehicle is more durable and reliable?

The Tacoma doesn't do quite as well off road overall. HOWEVER, much of this is due to a longer wheelbase and quite a bit more weight. So you really can't compare the two off-road, since they are built to serve different purposes.

I did install a 3 inch suspension life and went from the factory (metric equivalent) of 31/10.50-16 tires to the metric equivalent of 33/11.50-16 tires. I've been surprised how good it does off road, even if it didn't do as well as the Wrangler stock for stock.

I did notice something that was very drastic after I bought the Tacoma. I took a trip from central Florida to eastern central Kentucky (850 miles) and back. Both on arrival in Kentucky and back in Florida, I felt much better. I was much less tired, and made better time because I didn't need to stop as long to nap (which I do after making it through Atlanta very early in the morning, before the traffic gets bad).

The reason why is simply because the Tacoma is so much more comfortable, it makes a better all-around vehicle.

Then there's the fact that the Tacoma tows my trailer much easier, and it has a higher tow rating. This prompted me to trade my 5x12 utility trailer for a 7x18 flat bed trailer. The Wrangler would never have towed the flat bed trailer with anywhere near it's capacity loaded on it. The Tacoma manages just fine.

But the again, that goes back to the purpose each vehicle is designed for.

Plus, my stock Wrangler struggled to get 17 MPG on the interstate, while the my Tacoma easily got 21 miles per hour highway stock.

So if I were you, I wouldn't be scared to get a 4Runner. Mods are easy to find, which will at least help you get some of the off road capability back that you lose by not having a Wrangler. But since you don't off road as much, this may not be much of an issue.

Rocket Terp

Thanks for the reasoned reply. Clearly I've been fortunate with my Jeeps. I remember buying my first one; the day before I took delivery, I read a Consumer Reports description of them as basically a problem vehicle. I just haven't seen it.

I also wanted to address the safety issue mentioned earlier in the thread.

I drove the Rubi through a guy's Acura trunk one day on the way home about 1.5 years ago (he had no brake lights, and I was unaware of him being stopped). I literally had to back out/off of his car. The Jeep didn't even stop running. I drove it for 3.5 days with the airbags deployed, top down, doors off (airbags were stuffed into the dash) before taking it to the body shop for, essentially, airbags, a new bumper, and grill replacement.

Worst thing about Wranglers that I can see is no ABS. The Jeep will slide into anything in front of it if the roads are wet. I think it's the weight, but stopping IS a problem on wet surfaces.

I'm still up in the air. The 4Runner looks nice, but it seems it's been neutered in favor of Soccer Mom (much like the JK). I don't offroad as much, but I've been getting the itch, and my Jeep and Rover friends are always sending invites. I really do think an '07-'08 4Runner would be outclassed without a major cash injection in upgrades.