4Runner or JLU

AV8

New member
I can't comment on the jeep other than constantly seeing them broken down on the side of the road, but I have a 2019 TRD ORP with KDSS. it's my second 4runner. I've put 20k miles on it since late November. Have done a bunch of Moab trails, plus the AZBDR and NMBDR. Mine is still stock other than wheels. On road with the KDSS, it's great. night and day compared to other similar body styles and my previous 4runner, especially on the body roll. Off road, the only limit I've run into is clearance height because I'm running stock tire size with no lift. Have yet to find terrain I couldn't get through. Granted, I'm not doing the Rubicon or something, but I've taken it through some gnarly ****, just short of rock crawling. Same thing with my old 4runner, which also had a locker.



don't agree. this isn't an issue unless you plan to go long travel.
Thanks! Good to hear about your experience with a stock 4Runner ORP, as well as confirming my understanding about lifting with KDSS.
 

jadmt

ignore button user
where in SW MT do you live? I am in western Montana. My good buddy has written a 3 nice 4x4 guide books and two of them cover the South western and south central parts.
 

AV8

New member
where in SW MT do you live? I am in western Montana. My good buddy has written a 3 nice 4x4 guide books and two of them cover the South western and south central parts.
We live outside of Dillon. Spend most of our time in the Pioneers, Ruby’s, Gravellys, Horse Prarie / Medicine Lodge, etc.

I’ve got all three of the Worthy’s books, but haven’t had the pleasure of meeting them. We’re beginning to explore the Bitteroot with friends that live in Stevensville. Hope to run into you some day.
 

AggieOE

Trying to escape the city
Do you really believe this? (Genuinely asking — not meant as disagreement.)

I'm on the hunt for a new rig and have been leaning heavily toward a Toyota (prob a GX470). Somehow, buying one with 150k+ miles on it doesn't bother me, while a Jeep with similar mileage makes me concerned. Is that unwarranted?

Of course, the price difference between the two in the same age range is also huge.

I had a feeling I'd get some flack for this. lol

I honestly do mean it but I only mean it on the JK or JL with the Pentastar V6 which is the common one. I am not saying Toyota vs FCA because that's a big difference. Everyone knows that. I just mean the Wrangler is simple and hasn't changed much and the motor is used in almost every FCA vehicle. If you took a well maintained 150k mi JKUR and 4Runner, I bet they'll both just need some new fluids, shocks, and maybe an air freshener.

Since you did say you're getting rid of the Jeep, that does make it more difficult. I talked with my wife about this after I read your thread on what we'd do if we could only have one. We both agreed on a 4Runner TRD-Off Road Premium. The roof won't come off BUT! It has a sunroof and a power rear window. Good enough! lol
 

amongmany

Active member
I had a feeling I'd get some flack for this. lol

I honestly do mean it but I only mean it on the JK or JL with the Pentastar V6 which is the common one. I am not saying Toyota vs FCA because that's a big difference. Everyone knows that. I just mean the Wrangler is simple and hasn't changed much and the motor is used in almost every FCA vehicle. If you took a well maintained 150k mi JKUR and 4Runner, I bet they'll both just need some new fluids, shocks, and maybe an air freshener.

Since you did say you're getting rid of the Jeep, that does make it more difficult. I talked with my wife about this after I read your thread on what we'd do if we could only have one. We both agreed on a 4Runner TRD-Off Road Premium. The roof won't come off BUT! It has a sunroof and a power rear window. Good enough! lol

No flack intended. I sold my XJ back in November and I'm looking to get into something else now. Been limiting my search heavily to yotas (Looking primarily for a GX 470) due to a sense of reliability. I'm sure there's some higher mileage JK's out there, but I'd be interested in a 2012+ for the 3.6L and those are hard to find for anything less than $20k (and that's pushing it). For $10-15k I can find a solid GX. Seems like a no-brainer to me... And the wife likes the "luxury" off roader ?‍♂️
 

AV8

New member
I had a feeling I'd get some flack for this. lol

I honestly do mean it but I only mean it on the JK or JL with the Pentastar V6 which is the common one. I am not saying Toyota vs FCA because that's a big difference. Everyone knows that. I just mean the Wrangler is simple and hasn't changed much and the motor is used in almost every FCA vehicle. If you took a well maintained 150k mi JKUR and 4Runner, I bet they'll both just need some new fluids, shocks, and maybe an air freshener.

Since you did say you're getting rid of the Jeep, that does make it more difficult. I talked with my wife about this after I read your thread on what we'd do if we could only have one. We both agreed on a 4Runner TRD-Off Road Premium. The roof won't come off BUT! It has a sunroof and a power rear window. Good enough! lol
I appreciate the follow up and wife’s input. I was discussing the sun roof with my wife earlier today. Lol!
 

Tex68w

Beach Bum
I have owned many Jeeps over the years (7), I was a die hard Jeep fan boy. All but two have had major issues, one of which was bought back under Lemon Law in under 9 months from new. Jeeps are out of the box ready and they are like Lego's for adults, so many options and possibilities to modify it however you see fit. I love the solid axles, the lockers, low range, they are modern billy goats. Reliability is certainly a topic for debate as far I am concerned and they don't have the same build quality as a Japanese built Toyota like the 4Runner and Lexus GX.

The 4Runner has bad front-end brake dive (fixed with suspension upgrade), the 5-speed never seems to be in the right gear (could use the 6-speed from the GX) and the 4.0L V6 while reliable is kinda gutless when paired with it's 5-speed. It will get worse fuel economy than the JKU/JLU and the seats aren't the best IMHO. Change the oil, rotate the tires, and hit your major services and it'll run 300K miles without much fuss. Aftermarket isn't as good as it is for the Jeep but it's not far behind when it comes to the 5th Gen. It will be more livable and comfortable on the highway than the Jeep but not by leaps and bounds.

Now you can't swing a dead cat around here without hitting a handful of either of these vehicles. Here in Texas both the Jeep Wrangler and Toyota 4Runner are at nearly every intersection, their popularity is a little hard to stomach at times and it sort of waters down their appeal. We had three 5th Gen 4Runners before we picked up our GX460. We liked the size and capability of the 4Runner but we wanted a better drivetrain and more comfort and the GX is exactly that. With that said, there are a metric $hit ton of GX's here in Texas as well but you rarely come across one modified (that's changing slowly with their recent surge in popularity with this crowd).

With both being so similar in size and price it boils down to your on-road needs IMHO and your perceived value and importance in regards to reliability and the peace of mind that comes with that. I recommend a TRD Off-Road (the TRD Pro has gotten far too expensive for such little difference) so that you get the rear locker and crawl control systems. You've had the Jeep, maybe try the other flavor and pick up a 4Runner. The good thing is should y'all not really gel with it then you'll likely be able to get a large majority of your money back rather easily since they hold their value extremely well. Sell it and get back into a Jeep and move along. Seems like a win-win scenario if you ask me.
 

AV8

New member
I have owned many Jeeps over the years (7), I was a die hard Jeep fan boy. All but two have had major issues, one of which was bought back under Lemon Law in under 9 months from new. Jeeps are out of the box ready and they are like Lego's for adults, so many options and possibilities to modify it however you see fit. I love the solid axles, the lockers, low range, they are modern billy goats. Reliability is certainly a topic for debate as far I am concerned and they don't have the same build quality as a Japanese built Toyota like the 4Runner and Lexus GX.

The 4Runner has bad front-end brake dive (fixed with suspension upgrade), the 5-speed never seems to be in the right gear (could use the 6-speed from the GX) and the 4.0L V6 while reliable is kinda gutless when paired with it's 5-speed. It will get worse fuel economy than the JKU/JLU and the seats aren't the best IMHO. Change the oil, rotate the tires, and hit your major services and it'll run 300K miles without much fuss. Aftermarket isn't as good as it is for the Jeep but it's not far behind when it comes to the 5th Gen. It will be more livable and comfortable on the highway than the Jeep but not by leaps and bounds.

Now you can't swing a dead cat around here without hitting a handful of either of these vehicles. Here in Texas both the Jeep Wrangler and Toyota 4Runner are at nearly every intersection, their popularity is a little hard to stomach at times and it sort of waters down their appeal. We had three 5th Gen 4Runners before we picked up our GX460. We liked the size and capability of the 4Runner but we wanted a better drivetrain and more comfort and the GX is exactly that. With that said, there are a metric $hit ton of GX's here in Texas as well but you rarely come across one modified (that's changing slowly with their recent surge in popularity with this crowd).

With both being so similar in size and price it boils down to your on-road needs IMHO and your perceived value and importance in regards to reliability and the peace of mind that comes with that. I recommend a TRD Off-Road (the TRD Pro has gotten far too expensive for such little difference) so that you get the rear locker and crawl control systems. You've had the Jeep, maybe try the other flavor and pick up a 4Runner. The good thing is should y'all not really gel with it then you'll likely be able to get a large majority of your money back rather easily since they hold their value extremely well. Sell it and get back into a Jeep and move along. Seems like a win-win scenario if you ask me.
Sounds like good advice and the direction we are heading. My biggest concern, off-road capability, has been addressed and won’t be an issue. It will be fun trying something new and, as you point out, I could probably get out of it without losing too much if we don’t like it.
 

AV8

New member
I put a deposit on a 2020 4Runner TRD Off Road Premium with KDSS that I expect to pick up this week. I’m adding a small lift, A/T tires, etc. Mixed feelings, as I’ve really enjoyed the Jeep JK, but confident the 4Runner is better suited for our needs. Only time will tell.

Thank you all for your input. I’ll post some pictures when I get out in trail in the new rig.
 

phsycle

Adventurer
I put a deposit on a 2020 4Runner TRD Off Road Premium with KDSS that I expect to pick up this week. I’m adding a small lift, A/T tires, etc. Mixed feelings, as I’ve really enjoyed the Jeep JK, but confident the 4Runner is better suited for our needs. Only time will tell.

Thank you all for your input. I’ll post some pictures when I get out in trail in the new rig.

I’m sure you’ll like it. And even if you don’t, they hold their value almost as well as a wrangler, so not much loss if you decide to move on.
 

AggieOE

Trying to escape the city
Congratulations! That'll be an awesome new rig! What kind of lift? Are you adding it immediately or eventually?
 

AV8

New member
Congratulations! That'll be an awesome new rig! What kind of lift? Are you adding it immediately or eventually?
Thanks. I’m actually doing the lift and a few upgrades immediately. It may be more wise to wait and see how it performs before making changes, but I recently retired and my wife is encouraging me to treat myself. Great wife!

I’ve done a lot of research and, based upon my intended use, am doing a modest build. I’m putting on Bilstein 6112/5160 shocks with 1” OME rear springs. I plan to set it up slightly taller than a TRD PRO and maintaining a bit of rake. I’m putting on TRD PRO wheels with 275/70R17 BFG KO2s. I’ll be adding a Victory 4x4 hidden winch mount / bumper with integrated LED light bar and Warn winch. I’m also adding Victory 4x4 sliders with integrated steps, as well as roof rack cross braces from the same vendor that fit in the OME roof rack rails. I’ll transfer self-recovery equipment from the Jeep and head into mountains to celebrate my retirement from one career and the beginning of another.
 

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