FJ vs Wrangler unlimited (1 Viewer)

[woody]

Trail Team edition didn't exist in 2007....that's the TRD edition...nice choice tho

 

[I Tried]

Trail Team edition didn't exist in 2007....that's the TRD edition...nice choice tho

Good to know what are the differences? It looks lie a Trail Team in the pictures.

Is there any problem areas I need to look at?


Thanks Tim

 

[Capt Sensible]

Tim,
You want to check the inner fender aprons up around where the struts for the hood attach. This can be a problem area for FJC. They can develop bulges and tears there. No, there is no rhyme or reason to who gets them and who doesn't. Find out when it was manufactured. Apparently the very first run of FJCs had crappy rear ends. If it was made pre-March(ish) 2007 it may be one of the bad ones. Other than those two things, just get underneath her and scope it out to see if she's been ridden hard and put up wet. FJC are pretty stout little trucks so, you should be good.

Also, the 2007 TRD FJC was all black, except for some of the plastic trim, like the bumper wings.

 

[bjowett]

The Pentastar 3.6 is on the lots right now, and the new interior is a MUCH better design than the 2010. The price for what you are buying is a bit steep IMO. My wife and I drove a 2010 Unlimited Rubicon 6 speed, very underwhelmed with the on road performance and ergonomics. We might drive a 2012, reviews are favorable, and the new engine is purportedly night and day better than the old 3.8 mini van engine.

Still, Toyota build, design, and reliablity have us considering an FJ or 4-Runner. I wish Toyota would build a competitor for the Wrangler, even with IFS.

 

[Capt Sensible]

The Pentastar 3.6 is on the lots right now, and the new interior is a MUCH better design than the 2010. The price for what you are buying is a bit steep IMO. My wife and I drove a 2010 Unlimited Rubicon 6 speed, very underwhelmed with the on road performance and ergonomics. We might drive a 2012, reviews are favorable, and the new engine is purportedly night and day better than the old 3.8 mini van engine.

Still, Toyota build, design, and reliablity have us considering an FJ or 4-Runner. I wish Toyota would build a competitor for the Wrangler, even with IFS.

I personally consider the FJ Cruiser to be a Toyota built opposition to the Wrangler. The only thing the Wrangler has that the FJC cannot compete with is the soft top. But to me, in pretty much all other aspects they are in competition with each other. I think the number of "FJC or Wrangler" threads on different forums is a testament to that.

 

[bjowett]

The top needs to come off to compete, IMO. Old style front fenders would be nice, too... but the current style probably has to do with crash testing.

 

[I Tried]

We made the deal and it is ours. We have to wait till tuesday to get it because of issues with his bank and paying off his loan. It looks to be in great shape and like it has never been off road at all. Only problem I found is that the hood had been replaced and some paint work done from hail damage back in 07 but as my wife said we will not find one prefect unless we get new and I am to cheap to buy new.


Now for my first modification question. With a 3" lift what is the largest tire I can run on the stock TRD rims if I modify the front body mount?

We love the all black color and all of the TRD "looks" stuff. This will mostly be a tar baby but I may wheel it when she is not looking.

Tim

 

[Off Duty]

Frankly, I think you made a decent choice.

The FJC is too much of a PITA to get in/out of or load anything in the back seat.
The top is fixed, and there's too many rear blind spots.
And no, you don't get "used to them."
You learn to deal with them and realize they're there.
My 08 Scion XD has huge blind spots on the quarters compared to the previous edition XA.
Yeah, that was a move in the right direction!

I'm not sure about the inside wheel lift on paved corners.
I can damned near get the same response out of any vehicle with the right application of power and steering input.
I've lifted the inside wheel of a loaded police Crown Vic (lol).
A jeep style vehicle should be a piece of cake

Reliability?
They all have problems. Toyota has been having more than it's share recently as well.

Power?
That can be dealt with fairly easily
Straight axle....

Coolness factor? (when properly outfitted).

Enjoy!

 

[SWUtah]

Frankly, I think you made a decent choice.

The FJC is too much of a PITA to get in/out of or load anything in the back seat.
The top is fixed, and there's too many rear blind spots.
And no, you don't get "used to them."
You learn to deal with them and realize they're there.
My 08 Scion XD has huge blind spots on the quarters compared to the previous edition XA.
Yeah, that was a move in the right direction!

I'm not sure about the inside wheel lift on paved corners.
I can damned near get the same response out of any vehicle with the right application of power and steering input.
I've lifted the inside wheel of a loaded police Crown Vic (lol).
A jeep style vehicle should be a piece of cake

Reliability?
They all have problems. Toyota has been having more than it's share recently as well.

Power?
That can be dealt with fairly easily
Straight axle....

Coolness factor? (when properly outfitted).

Enjoy!

Sounds like your not the kind of guy that would drive a 80 series, 100 series or the FJC. You sound like more of a Scion XD man . Like Clint said "A man needs to know his limitations"

 

[Off Duty]

Sounds like your not the kind of guy that would drive a 80 series, 100 series or the FJC. You sound like more of a Scion XD man . Like Clint said "A man needs to know his limitations"

uh, ok.
I'll try to remember that when I'm working on my FJ62...

 

[Off Duty]

Sounds like your not the kind of guy that would drive a 80 series, 100 series or the FJC. You sound like more of a Scion XD man . Like Clint said "A man needs to know his limitations"

I've driven the FJC.
It's a nice ride with decent road manners, and when properly attired, looks great! As a matter of fact, I saw one just yesterday that looked killer

And I'm sure it's a very capable off road machine. Watching some of the videos and visiting the FJC forums, it seems to have proven itself well.

That said, IMO (only)-Yota missed the mark with the non-removable roof, smallish back seat, suicide doors and wanna be FJ40 bezel (yeah, I had an FJ40 as well and loved it!)

AS for the Scion, I drive a XD because I travel a LOT and the piss poor mileage I was getting with my 62 was eating me out of house and home!
It's an ugly fecking car, but I told the sales lady I wasn't looking to win car shows or drive the beotch X-country.
It takes a beating and hasn't let me down, but the blind spots suck!
Otherwise, it's just what I needed for a DD.

 

[I Tried]

The Jeep and the FJ had pro's and con's,


As far as the removable top goes, I have 2 FJ40's, 1 is the off road truck the other is a DQ tar baby and car show rig. We also have a 64 comet convert so having a convertible top is not a deal breaker for us.


The biggest thing that helped make the choice was seeing 15-20 wrangler unlimiteds vs 1 FJ when driving down the road the day we made the deal.

My wife is not a drive what the others are driving kind of gal and I love that about her!!!!!!!!

 

[SWUtah]

I've driven the FJC.
It's a nice ride with decent road manners, and when properly attired, looks great! As a matter of fact, I saw one just yesterday that looked killer

And I'm sure it's a very capable off road machine. Watching some of the videos and visiting the FJC forums, it seems to have proven itself well.

That said, IMO (only)-Yota missed the mark with the non-removable roof, smallish back seat, suicide doors and wanna be FJ40 bezel (yeah, I had an FJ40 as well and loved it!)

AS for the Scion, I drive a XD because I travel a LOT and the piss poor mileage I was getting with my 62 was eating me out of house and home!
It's an ugly fecking car, but I told the sales lady I wasn't looking to win car shows or drive the beotch X-country.
It takes a beating and hasn't let me down, but the blind spots suck!
Otherwise, it's just what I needed for a DD.

Nothing wrong with your strong feelings it just does not make sense to me, Jeeps have always been very poor quality, unreliable and sell for more $$$ because of the image. The FJC is high quality, extremely reliable and are cheap for what you get. A lot of the reason you gave for not buying the FJC are obvious and if someone for example wanted a convertible then they would not buy the FJC.

 

[I Tried]

My wife picked up her 07 TRD on Tuesday night, She loves it. Now time fore window tint, Lift and some 33" tires.


I will say it is nice driving and tight compared to even the new Jeep's I drove.

 

[Off Duty]

Nothing wrong with your strong feelings it just does not make sense to me, Jeeps have always been very poor quality, unreliable and sell for more $$$ because of the image. The FJC is high quality, extremely reliable and are cheap for what you get. A lot of the reason you gave for not buying the FJC are obvious and if someone for example wanted a convertible then they would not buy the FJC.

I don't have an emotional tie to either brand.
I can't say that Jeeps have always been poor quality though.

I used to wheel with some guys that had CJ5's, 7's and a Scrambler thrown in the mix.
They were every bit as dependable as my FJ40 and my 83 LB standard cab Toyota 4x4.

The price?
That's going to vary by region, but again, FJC (or any Toyota product) vs. Jeep, it was always tit for tat. You paid for the name or the "legend."

I'm not defending the Jeep, not do I mean to dis' the FJC.
I've recently seen a few around here that were awesome!

What I've seen in "quality" from any manufacturer over the last several years, has left a ton to be desired. Toyota included.

Pricing:
Pretty close to each other locally:

Jeep unltd 4door/4wd- $26-32k
Toyota FJC- $29-33/36k

This came from Edmunds:

As midsize SUVs go, the 2011 FJ Cruiser has formidable competition. The Nissan Xterra has four conventional doors, so it's a better choice for those who want a capable off-roader with maximum daily versatility. And there's always the venerable Jeep Wrangler. Although not as refined or powerful as the FJ, it has four real doors (in the Unlimited model) and about the best off-road ability of anything with four wheels. That said, the 2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser is still a serious piece of off-road kit and should satisfy anyone who wants a rugged rig with the boulder-crawling spirit

To be fair though, the entire article rated it pretty well done overall.
2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser


I like the FJC, but as you mentioned, for something as small as the Jeep or the FJC, I'd want a removable roof.
I wonder if/when Toyota is ever going to catch on?

 

[Off Duty]

My wife picked up her 07 TRD on Tuesday night, She loves it. Now time fore window tint, Lift and some 33" tires.


I will say it is nice driving and tight compared to even the new Jeep's I drove.

Hey bro, as long as mamma is happy, that's really all that counts
Get some pics of the new rig up here when you can

 

[capdaddy222]

I Tried,

I read through your thread and i cant believe how eerily similar your situation was to mine.

My wife was set on a 4 door wrangler, but i liked the FJ. We decided to test drive both.

I held my comments as she drove the wrangler (rubicon), but i could tell she was disappointed (rattles, squeaks, no guts).
When we jumped in an 08 TT and took it for a spin, she was just smiling ear to ear.

We ended up getting an 07 TRD, 6speed MT, with a 3" lift off of craigslist for a great deal.

Reshod it with Treadwright 265 Guard Dog M/T's and could not be happier. It goes anywhere we point it off road and is so comfortable on road, Im sure it was the right decision for our needs.

Congratulations on the new ride!

capdaddy

PS

You will now notice every other FJ you pass on the road.

 

[CruiserOCD]

Stretch a 40 and add 2 more doors! Best of both worlds....

 

[I Tried]

I Tried,

I read through your thread and i cant believe how eerily similar your situation was to mine.

My wife was set on a 4 door wrangler, but i liked the FJ. We decided to test drive both.

I held my comments as she drove the wrangler (rubicon), but i could tell she was disappointed (rattles, squeaks, no guts).
When we jumped in an 08 TT and took it for a spin, she was just smiling ear to ear.

We ended up getting an 07 TRD, 6speed MT, with a 3" lift off of craigslist for a great deal.

Reshod it with Treadwright 265 Guard Dog M/T's and could not be happier. It goes anywhere we point it off road and is so comfortable on road, Im sure it was the right decision for our needs.

Congratulations on the new ride!

capdaddy

PS

You will now notice every other FJ you pass on the road.

Just read this with my wife sitting by me she LOL on the PS part, so true!!!!


I will try to take some pictures of the new FJ and post them up.


Tim

 

[I Tried]

Stretch a 40 and add 2 more doors! Best of both worlds....

I wish a new ICON was in the budget but my wife needs a few more promotions for that.