Toyota FJ vs Rubicon Unlimited

[TractorLegend]

Im considering getting one or the other for my wife. A new 2008.
The Rubicon Unlimited has four doors which is handy but the newer V6 which rumor has it that its pretty gutless.
The Toyota has the issue of visibility and the suicide rear doors which could be a pain for passengers, otherwise it has toyota reliability.

Any comments from owners of those who have been there already??

 

[GaryM]

I haven't driven one, but explored one on the showroom floor. The doors don't bother me any, but the rear/side visability is a killer. I don't see how you'd be able to back out of a tight place without a spotter or two.

Just my humble opinion.

 

[jeffinsgf]

I haven't driven the Rubicon Unlimited, but I can tell you that throughout the history of the vehicle, speed and acceleration have never been design considerations. Acceleration is counter-productive when you are trying to climb over or through stuff. I drove a Wrangler Rubicon on a test track the first year it came out. What that vehicle could drive through and over is simply astounding, and for the most part, all you have to do is keep your foot off the accelerator, hold on and steer carefully. Buying a Wrangler (or any derivative) is a commitment to off-road driving. If you want to look the part, but not actually ever leave the road, there are other choices.

I have a 1999 Grand Cherokee Limited, which has been an absolutely fantastic vehicle. It does have the acceleration that Americans want, decent but not exceptional fuel economy, and plenty of towing capability. I have been off-roading with it once, and had a blast. Went trail riding on a Class 8 (out of 10) trail. There were about 25 of us on the trail -- 23 Wranglers and 2 GCL's. I was a little nervous at the outset and talked to the other GCL driver. He said Fuggetaboutit...we have V8's and air conditioning...we'll be fine. He was a Jeep dealer, so I took him at his word. 4 hours later, we finished the trail. They pulled 3 heavily modified Wranglers out of the woods on tow straps that day, but those guys were lunatics, I was just trying to get through, not show off.

 

[papabear]

Go to www.jeepforum.com and you will get all the info you want on the 07 and 08 JK's.I have a 06 wrangler with 660 miles on it so far and I love it.The guys over there that have the new models love them.Even though it has a minivan motor it still holds its own very well on the trails.

 

[RobertN]

I have a 1999 Grand Cherokee Limited, which has been an absolutely fantastic vehicle. Went trail riding on a Class 8 (out of 10) trail. There were about 25 of us on the trail -- 23 Wranglers and 2 GCL's. I was a little nervous at the outset and talked to the other GCL driver. He said Fuggetaboutit...we have V8's and air conditioning...we'll be fine.

One of my favorite off-road stories is about one Cherokee and two Toyota pickups.

I was on Rubicon, camped near Buck Island. Buddy and I hiked back to Little Sluice Box, watching people negotiate obstacles along the way.

We walked up on this guy, sitting in his Cherokee with the windows up, air on, CD playing, and sipping a Corona. This was 18 years ago, so it was the early Cherokee. It was black, no lift, and modest all-terrains. He had a few specks of mud on the fenderwells.

His buddies were in lifted, big tire Toyota pickups. They were crossed up on rocks, struggling. They had mud splattered all over the fenders. They were spinning tires, struggling to get over pretty basic portions of the trail

And here this guy is, kicking back,wheeling away with little effort.

He may have been a better driver, I'm not sure. The Cherokee was certianly capable.

And, he seemed to be having a much nicer time than his buddies

 

[TractorLegend]

I think I need to go kick the tires on the jeep rubicon unlimited... and see if theres actually room in the back etc.
the Jeeps 4 doors are actually nice where as the toyota suicide door thing could prove a PITA for teens entering and exiting when they go along, were it not for that I'd be more drawn to the toyota- it sure drives nice.
I understand the lack of visibility thing on the toyota- I seem to be drawn to those types of rigs. The wife has a Dodge Magnum SRT8- stylish as heck, but backing is a pain due to low roofline and visibility. I think the FJ would be equally poor in that regard.

One goofball thing about the Jeep tailgate is that it opens TOWARD the curb- and the speedo reset button is super akward, were the engineers even thinking??

 

[JDGREEN4ME]

Im considering getting one or the other for my wife. A new 2008.
The Rubicon Unlimited has four doors which is handy but the newer V6 which rumor has it that its pretty gutless.
The Toyota has the issue of visibility and the suicide rear doors which could be a pain for passengers, otherwise it has toyota reliability.

Any comments from owners of those who have been there already??

We ruled both models out when we were looking. We were more impressed with the RAV4 but your requirements might be different.

 

[TractorLegend]

Theres no doubt the RAV 4 or a Subaru awd vehicle would be a more "sensible" choice but Im an auto nut that has a penchant for specialty models. As a side note I have a fixed up old 1985 suburban 4X4 that is great in the snow and we had a 2005 Subaru imprezza STi model that with some michelin alpin tires was even better handling in the snow.

 

[OKnewguy]

Here is a little food for thought. In OKC, the prices of the Wranglers have stayed up, they have maybe the highest resale value of all used cars. I have been watching the TJ prices (97 to 06 models), I keep expecting them to fall, so I can have a cool toy. I started looking around 2002 or 2003, I would look on the autotrader and my search criteria was 97 and up for under $8000. Back four years ago, I would typically get 5 or so hits, now I still get 5 or so hits, but these are the same years, with more miles going for the same prices.
I love Jeeps, I had an 87YJ, a Grand Wagoneer, but then I got married and sold my toys, I made money on the Wrangler, and lost on the Wagoneer. I had the YJ, for 4 years and probably put 25k miles on it, but I did put new paint and Rhino Lined the interior. Even incuding the money for Paint, the Rhino, and a Clutch, I made money!
I typically buy honda and toyota if they have a suitable model, and I do this because of their resale value, but you might not be able to beat the Jeep.
BTW, this new Chrysler warranty thing might be a good deal, I'm curious to see how they will treat it, ya know making you jump thru hoops and that kind of thing. Good Luck, Dave

 

[RayH]

Im a Jeep guy. We have a 95 YJ, a 99 TJ and a 96 XJ. All of which have performed wonderfully.
I dont know a great deal about the JKs, just what Ive picked up from other Jeep people. The Jeep 4.0 had a huge following so the new engine wasnt excepted very well. In spite of that, it seems that JK owners are pretty happy with it. The best information you will find is to visit any number of Jeep forums and see what the owners have to say. You dont need to post anything in the forums, just read them, thats enough to pick up on any trouble areas. Do the same with the Toyota. As an example, heres a trouble area thats gotten some attention from the FJ people.
Engine bay body rips - IH8MUD.com Forum