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2018 Wrangler JL Unlimited vs 2018 Toyota 4Runner

iki4life

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my family has owned 6 toyotas, all ranging from 240-330k miles, with the exception of 1 which was sold at 190k.
you wont beat toyota when it comes to reliability.
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Jcsieman

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On paper, the 4Runner will win every time when you compare technicals, features, reliability, safety, and certainly PRICE. The reason to choose the jeep is more of a subjective desire - sense of community, being creative with mods, heritage, etc...

A late model Toyota will blow the doors off a 1st year FCA product in terms of reliability
This post is inaccurate.

If you compare crash test and why each vehicle got the ratings it did, factor in side air bags now being standard on JLs, and you consider the safety technology features (like cross traffic breaking and blind spot monitoring - neither offered on 4Runner under any trim) I think the Wrangler does better in this category as well as many others like ground clearance, gas mileage, and customizable options.

I do agree, however, the 4Runner is gonna be the more reliable, solid choose if you’re looking for a longer term investment.
 

The Great Grape Ape

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-engine: yota 270 HP, 278 (4400 rpm) T; jeep 285 HP, 260 (4800 rpm) T. I'll take the higher torque, and it's at lower rpm
Lower RPM, hah! The 1GR-FE’s torque curve is terrible, and it requires premium fuel to even make those weak numbers. And with the price difference the Turbo 8AT is still cheaper than the 4Runner.

- trans: yota 5 A/T vs 6MT which equates to 18 vs 19 combined. I'll edge jeep here, but not by much
1MPG combined, significantly more on the highway... or add the 8AT, or the turbo and move another slot up. Of course the HWY milage is signficiantly different even for the base.

- msrp is higher, but the two jeep dealers I went to said they sell themselves and didn't budge (no TL discount of course).
LOL, sure, sure. Didn’t seem a problem for others.

Of course the $6,000 MSRP difference between between a JKU and a 4Runner doesn’t include the cost of 4WD for the 4Runner which is $2,000 more, so even if the JLU has $2,500 increase, then you still have $5,000 left over innthe Wrangler for things like the 2.0L and 8AT, and still have money left over. So again... how is that a win by the 4Runer on price?

But again you’re saying it won on all levels, if it doesn’t win on base price, why would it be limited to base for tech and features, especially since the lack of 4WD kind cripples the 4runner with that thinking.
 
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Alan A

Alan A

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What about comparing the 2.0 Engine of the JL and the 1GR-FE V6 of the 4runner in terms of MPG?
 

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The Great Grape Ape

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What about comparing the 2.0 Engine of the JL and the 1GR-FE V6 of the 4runner in terms of MPG?
Even more in the JL’s favour. The 2.0L which comes only with the 8spd Auto is +3MPG city and +1MPG HWY above the pentastar 8AT numbers 18/23 (no quoted combined yet, but those elevated city numbers will bump that significantly too). So about 20% better than the 4Runner.
 

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Hello everyone!

I plan to buy either a 2018 JL Wrangler Unlimited or the 2018 4runner. With that said, which rig will be more reliable? I currently own a 2005 Tacoma, but the access cab is a bit too large for tight trails and city streets. When looking for a car, reliability is my number one concern.
I did the same....after driving a 2015 Mercedes sedan for a few years, I got tired of being so low/bending over to get my girls in and out of the back seat, and having to change cars with my wife every time I needed to run to Home Depot or somewhere. So I wanted my new car to be a go anywhere, do anything daddy wagon SUV. That got narrowed down to 4Runner or Wrangler. For me the 4Runner quickly became the early favorite due to the Toyota brand reliability and reputation, greater cargo volume, and higher tow capacity. I could already see myself putting our kayak on the roof and towing our boat on some long summer boating/camping weekend.

But the more I researched the less I could ignore the wrangler. The 4Runner was actually, to me, worse in its crash test (if you really look at the individual tests and read the actual result notes) and it was shockingly limited and dated in the features/tech it offered (says something about how dated the 4Runners are when a Wrangler’s interior and available tech has more in common with my Mercedes than a $40k+ Toyota SUV). And realistically, my wife’s Lexus can Store a kayak on its roof and tow most any size boat we will realistically travel with. So the 4Runner started sounding a little overkill for what I realistically needed. And as a friend wisely said, “why have two boring Toyotas in your garage when you can have your second car be a Wrangler?” Ha

The decision became an easy one when I discovered the JLs were coming standard with side air bags (improving the one weakness in its side crash test) as well as had Apple car play, push start, passive entry, and offered blind spot monitoring, LED lights, etc......all things the 4Runner doesn’t even offer!

If you don’t mind a more dated vehicle with technology/fuel consumption from a decade ago, or if reliability is your main focus only, and/or if you “need” the higher tow/cargo capacity, the 4Runner is your choice. Especially if you’ll never want to take the top off the Wrangler or this will be your primary out of town/family vehicle. I wouldn’t want a Wrangler as my main/primary family car if I routinely needed to take it on long commutes/trips.

If you want something more fun and unique with better fuel efficiency, more tech and better safety features, the Wrangler is the better choice so long as you don’t mind giving up a little reliability, cargo volume and extra tow capability.

Both are good choices! All depends on what your primary goals/expectations are for the vehicle.
 

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Hello everyone!
With that said, which rig will be more reliable? <snip>...reliability is my number one concern.
Then get the Toyota. I am a 4 time Toyota off-roading owner before going Jeep for the bucket list convertible checkbox.

My 2013 Jeep JK has been in the shop 4 times for non-maintenance items. The post-purchase experience with my Jeep dealership has been less than stellar - and this is the most important thing to me - the post purchase experience. They got my money - NOW how will they treat me? None of my Toyota trucks or my 2007 FJC have ever been into the dealership for anything but maintenance intervals and they've always been consistently great customer service experiences.

(this may be a product of my location but this is my Toyota vs Jeep experience).

I will say this though...I love my Jeep...the good and the bad...and NOTHING is as much fun to drive. I am always excited to hop in and go somewhere. Whether it's the daily commute or a trip to the grocery store or an epic off-road adventure down into Mexico the Jeep makes it that much more exciting.

P.S. - You mentioned how your Tacoma is big. This is another reason why I switched to Jeep. There's an obstacle on a local trail that my '97 and '01 Tacoma could fit through called "The Squeeze" that an '05 (when that was new) could't make and they ended up putting their passenger door into it no matter what was tried. Toyotas are just getting bigger and fatter every iteration since the '04 ended the smaller Tacoma body style.

Jeep is trending that way too but very slowly compared to Toyota and I believe they won't let it get out of hand. This is an off-roaders perspective but it helped me make a decision.
 

wanderer

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It is a common. Question. I too considered it I have owned 3 yoga pickups a asupra ana 4 runner 3 jeeps. My findings are the Toyota relabilty inmho is a myth 1 of my trucks went through 5 Manaus trans missions. My Supra sheared off bolts in the steering if you made a tight turn and went over a speed bump. I put larger tires on my 4 runner and blew the axel seals. Oh and I had a land cruiser too. It went through a control computer. Module. I have sen. one of those fail On my jeeps the 77cj 7 went through a trans at 70 k the on it blew some gaskets Otoris fine
Those are all older vehicles. My perspective from the auto is the toy 4. Front end looks like the storm trooper helmets from Star Wars. It is UGLY. After sitting in the Sahara the inside of the toy feels old and dated.
For me every time I look at something else I just the jeep more. But YMMV
 

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randyp

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Oh, that's not a theory. Toyota has always been far more reliable than Chrysler. But yeah, the current 4Runner is dated.
I said "theoretically" because nobody knows how reliable this new wrangler will be. There's a possibility FCA has finally figured out how to manufacture things that are as reliable as toyota, but that's a tiny tiny possibility. Also I don't think toyota trucks share the same rock-solid reliability as their cars - there was some huge awful issue with Tacoma frames a while back, and some Tundras were worse than ford F150s, believe it or not.
 

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4runner is more reliable, 4runner is one of the last US market Toyota's still made in Japan, the build quality is very high on Japan made Toyotas.
 

iki4life

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Even if you look through used 4runners on auto trader or cargurus, you will see a lot of them in the 250k mile range. Its amazing how long Toyotas last....its so amazing that there comes a time 5-6 years later where you're like "just die already so I can get a new one".
 
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Alan A

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I did the same....after driving a 2015 Mercedes sedan for a few years, I got tired of being so low/bending over to get my girls in and out of the back seat, and having to change cars with my wife every time I needed to run to Home Depot or somewhere. So I wanted my new car to be a go anywhere, do anything daddy wagon SUV. That got narrowed down to 4Runner or Wrangler. For me the 4Runner quickly became the early favorite due to the Toyota brand reliability and reputation, greater cargo volume, and higher tow capacity. I could already see myself putting our kayak on the roof and towing our boat on some long summer boating/camping weekend.

But the more I researched the less I could ignore the wrangler. The 4Runner was actually, to me, worse in its crash test (if you really look at the individual tests and read the actual result notes) and it was shockingly limited and dated in the features/tech it offered (says something about how dated the 4Runners are when a Wrangler’s interior and available tech has more in common with my Mercedes than a $40k+ Toyota SUV). And realistically, my wife’s Lexus can Store a kayak on its roof and tow most any size boat we will realistically travel with. So the 4Runner started sounding a little overkill for what I realistically needed. And as a friend wisely said, “why have two boring Toyotas in your garage when you can have your second car be a Wrangler?” Ha

The decision became an easy one when I discovered the JLs were coming standard with side air bags (improving the one weakness in its side crash test) as well as had Apple car play, push start, passive entry, and offered blind spot monitoring, LED lights, etc......all things the 4Runner doesn’t even offer!

If you don’t mind a more dated vehicle with technology/fuel consumption from a decade ago, or if reliability is your main focus only, and/or if you “need” the higher tow/cargo capacity, the 4Runner is your choice. Especially if you’ll never want to take the top off the Wrangler or this will be your primary out of town/family vehicle. I wouldn’t want a Wrangler as my main/primary family car if I routinely needed to take it on long commutes/trips.

If you want something more fun and unique with better fuel efficiency, more tech and better safety features, the Wrangler is the better choice so long as you don’t mind giving up a little reliability, cargo volume and extra tow capability.

Both are good choices! All depends on what your primary goals/expectations are for the vehicle.


Fuel economy is also important to me. Thus, I may give the JL Wrangler a second look.
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