Jeep Wrangler Rubicon vs. Off-Road Pickups

[aldo98229]

word302,

Yes, true but wicked lifts involved for that WB to work!

I think he has to decide if he needs a pick up or not? I also believe if he's going to tow at all he's be better off with a 4 door than a 2 door. It's really too bad! the JT Rubicon is in the $50K range might be perfect for him! 50K puts a lot of really good 4WD pickups in range!

Humvee4us Just go for the 2 door Rubi, "It's a Jeep thing"!!

Go Jeep!!!

That’s it right there.

I thought I needed a pickup and got a Tacoma. Thing is, pickups are a LOT longer than a Jeep Wrangler. Something as easy as parking becomes a 5-point turn chore with a pickup. I also missed the convenience of being able to put things like groceries in the back without worrying about flying all over the freeway.

If nothing else, owning a pickup truck now makes me appreciate my Wrangler even more.

Now whenever I need to carry something in an open cargo bed I simply rent a utility trailer for a few hours and I’m done.

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[DanW]

There is another elephant in the room. Weight. If getting stuck is a worry, it takes more tractive force to move a heavier machine.

That's why I don't load my Jeep more than necessary. The easiest machine I ever had for getting unstuck was my little 3k lb YJ. You could push it out of situations where my heavier JK has had to winch.

I haven't stuck the JL....yet, thanks to the higher lift and bigger tires. It weighs the same as my JK, so it has a winch, too.

A full size truck will need a big winch. At least 12k lb rating. Bumper options will be more expensive and complicated, too.

Also, only the Gladiator will match the suspension flex of a Wrangler. That keeps tires on the ground, increasing traction, making getting stuck much less likely.

The 2 door JL is about 400 pounds lighter than a similarly equipped 4 door.

 

[Rodeoflyer]

A full size truck will need a big winch. At least 12k lb rating. Bumper options will be more expensive and complicated, too.

Good points... everything is cheaper to source/replace for a Jeep. There are so many on the road and so many aftermarket options. It's costs MUCH more to outfit a truck. The rock sliders for my Ram were $1300, the Jeeps were $600. Pretty much everything (armor, etc) is 1/2 the cost.

 

[Equitasforall]

Have you ever gotten the Raptor stuck or it began slipping traction in an incline where the Wrangler had no problems?

Never. For a large vehicle like the Raptor it’s remarkably well designed. With the 4.10 gears and locking rear differential it’s been extremely capable and has covered every incline I’ve attempted. The difference has been more in the setup and approach to the incline. With the rubicon’s short wheelbase and the break over angles I can almost hit them head on, whereas I have to be much more strategic on the approach in the Raptor and head into the incline at an angle. I have to also angle over any sharp crest to avoid high centering. Traction is phenomenal, stance and balance helps. Suspension incredible. It’s ruined all other trucks for me.

It takes a little more planning and a different mind set, but it hasn’t slowed me down a bit.

 

[Pig-Pen]

Cleghorn is a popular so cal offroading spot. its probably my favorite. i was considering a JT for the bed and towing. i would LOVE a raptor but way out of my price range.

this is a pretty cool video showing full size rigs on Cleghorn.

 

[Pig-Pen]

I have both. Rubicon and Raptor. So far the only thing that would limit the Raptor is its width and turning radius. Most amazing truck I’ve ever driven and this is my second. To describe it would be as follows:

- accelerates like a motorcycle
- handles like a sports car
- rides like a Lincoln
- climbs like a mountain goat
- pulls like a draft horse
- busts snow drifts like a sled dog
- quiet as a library inside
- seats feel like my tempurpedic mattress

+1000. a friend had a 6.2 Raptor. i got to drive it offroad, at a pretty good speed. that truck is amazing. it is like no other truck i have ever driven. ford hit a grand slam with that truck. thats why there are everywhere out here.

 

[cosine]

i agree with all the posts and not going to repeat them. imho i believe that the wrangler pretty much sits on top of the list from all the other well capable trucks that are listed. the wrangler is so versltile on any trail in the us.

i've been on trails with compact to full size trucks to hummers and watching them either do well or struggle. as for the later part the jeep simply mosey on up the trail without breaking a sweat.

the other thing is that the jeep has more aftermarket stuff and a wide range to personalize it. also the cost plays a big role between the wranglers and other 4x4.

 

[Pig-Pen]

i agree with all the posts and not going to repeat them. imho i believe that the wrangler pretty much sits on top of the list from all the other well capable trucks that are listed. the wrangler is so versltile on any trail in the us.

i've been on trails with compact to full size trucks to hummers and watching them either do well or struggle. as for the later part the jeep simply mosey on up the trail without breaking a sweat.

the other thing is that the jeep has more aftermarket stuff and a wide range to personalize it. also the cost plays a big role between the wranglers and other 4x4.

i can imagine modifying just about any of those other vehicles will cost $$$. jeeps are cheap to modify. we can at least choose between cheap mods/brands/vendors or expensive ones. most of those vehicles there are only boutique vendors who make stuff and you're going to pay a pretty penny for their wares due to quantities of scale. with a couple of grand you can go nuts on a wrangler. on a tacoma? raptor? bison? maybe raise the vehicle 2" lol.

 

[Notorious]

So this brings me to my 2 questions: 1) if high speed and towing/payload are not important to me do any of these pickups match the Wrangler Rubicon for this type of off-roading or is the Wrangler Rubicon in a class of its own? And 2) which of these trucks would be the most capable for my applications and which would probably be the least capable and how would the others fall in between?

1) No
2) Any will get you where you want to go with the right mods. The questions you need to be asking are what is your experience going to be like to the destination in each vehicle and which one can you comfortably fit in?

 

[Jasonep]

I have a 2019 JLUR and a 2019 super crew Raptor. The raptor is in a completely different league than the Jeep. If my survival depended on it, I would choose the raptor over the Jeep in almost any situation.
It is important to note, however, that you could buy 2 JLURs for the price of one raptor. Also, as others have said, modifications are much more expensive in the raptor than in the Jeep. And lastly, the reason I bought the Jeep in the first place is that in the truck I can’t put the top down and take the doors off.

 

[Rodeoflyer]

I guess you could just drive around obstacles in a survival situation because the Raptor def ain't going over them with the IFS/LSD front.

 

[Notorious]

I have a 2019 JLUR and a 2019 super crew Raptor. The raptor is in a completely different league than the Jeep. If my survival depended on it, I would choose the raptor over the Jeep in almost any situation.

You’d rather be stationary and broken down on the side of the road?

I guess you could just drive around obstacles in a survival situation because the Raptor def ain't going over them with the IFS/LSD front.

But how when the Ford won’t even start to leave the dealer lot?

Disclaimer: the Ford smack talk is all in jest.

 

[aldo98229]

I fail to see the wisdom in bashing a $50,000 Rubicon on a hard trail, let alone a $75,000 Raptor or Power Wagon.

Off-road vehicles have ceased to make sense precisely where they were intended to go, off road.

 

[Notorious]

I fail to see the wisdom in bashing a $50,000 Rubicon on a hard trail, let alone a $75,000 Raptor or Power Wagon.

You’re right, at the end of the day, who really cares enough? It’s not the destination, it’s the journey that’s part of the adventure... which for Ford and every other non Jeep automobile is short lived...

Off-road vehicles have ceased to make sense precisely where they were intended to go, off road.

Careful now, I feel like you’re challenging my trips to the ice cream shop

 

[DanW]

I fail to see the wisdom in bashing a $50,000 Rubicon on a hard trail, let alone a $75,000 Raptor or Power Wagon.

Off-road vehicles have ceased to make sense precisely where they were intended to go, off road.

Should I now feel bad for getting mine dirty?

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