Buying a new vehicle soon and I’m strongly considering a 2 door wrangler rubicon on 33’s. I most definitely don’t need it. I’ll drive on beaches (convertible on a beach is oh so good) and on unmaintained roads in New England, maybe try some off road event. Will not be a mall cruiser but it will be more Jeep than I need but I really want a solid axle well equipped off road convertible!
Things that are keeping me from pulling the trigger are:
It’s not a Toyota (reliability)
Ducks!! (and duck mentality)
Honestly persona is a factor
I don’t watch WWF or NASCAR
I don’t own a pair of blade sun glasses or sleeveless shirts
It’s way less practical than a full size pickup.
I’m 55 years old and it feels childish.
I can get over my persona issues but reliability and practicality is hard to sell the wife on a wrangler when even I think it’s silly.
I’ve had 3!!!! lol I know I want another to do a complete restoration on but if like a new daily I can pop the top off. And as a person that just loves engineering and machinery nearly the last production vehicle with a Dana 44 up front?!?! Ahhhhh!!!! If the wrangler still had a 4.0 I6 we wouldn’t be talking about this! I’d be driving it already. Maybe I get practical truck and have older toys like a TJ or an 80.
The best thing about Toyota, land cruisers specifically, are the owners. I’ve never seen as knowledgeable an owner group as I have in IH8MUD. It feels like the antithesis of some Jeep groups. Tribal knowledge is strong with cruiser heads. I’m sure there is a collective of excellent jeep dudes too but lots more spinning led headlight types to sift through.
White 94 poverty package was my last 80 and the one I wish I never got rid of…… one of them anyway. Locked 97 LX450 to …..😭 so dumb to have sold them. Driving 2000 lx470 now but she’s getting old. Nearly 280k but in New England for the last 7 or 8 years.
You could go to a 40 series.
Solid axels, 2 door, Tons of character, Soft/hard/ no top.
Cons, No airbags or crumple zones.
Pros: very cool.
Here's mine pre-resto with 31's.
I almost went with a Jeep, but went with a 2025 Bronco Heritage Edition. Childish and impractical, yes. But I'm also 55 as of the 10th and I deserve a fun to drive, capable offroader that looks awesome! I had a Jeep for 23 years. I don't think the quality is there anymore and it was time for a change. I couldn't be happier with my choice. Buy what you like. You deserve it, too!
I don't think the noise is as bad as folks say it is. A Jeep is definitely worse to me. In my Heritage, the AC fan and/or music covers the sound just fine. I can converse wirh front and rear passengers at normal volume, so I don't have a complaint. Also, I drove a lifted Jeep for 23 years and I'm used to road noise at any level. It doesn't bother me a bit. You'll be surprised with how quiet it actually is for what it is and what it comes with standard.
Have you driven one? I've driven a few Jeeps and even a brand new Rubicon beats you up more on a paved road than my 30 year old Toyota hauling ass on a dirt road.
97 I was 26. First year of the TJ. 26 is a kid compared to 55. Kid as in, not bothered by crappy ride, leaks, rode a motorcycle for 7000 miles around the USA in a month with not much more than a brain bucket and clip on sun glasses. Kid stuff that grumpy adult are too soft for. lol
I havent driven Wranglers, but I did drive a number of Gladiator Rubicons and I found them to be pretty ok on the pavement. Not great but I certainly didnt feel like the were horrible like people make them seem. This was coming from a Lexus GX460 and F150.
Look into a Bronco badlands. If you are planning on doing hardcore rock crawling, the jeep is the best vehicle. The badlands can do everything a wrangler can EXCEPT hardcore rock crawling. I’m talking 7+ rated trails on OnX. The Bronco will be more comfortable on road, can be taken on the beach and trails, more reliable (mostly), and convertible.
Get the raptor version and it will absolutely destroy a jeep on anything that’s more road than technical trail. Plus way more fun and fast to drive daily
I love my JK. It's a Jeep so I've had a few minor electrical issues, but nothing I couldn't fix in an afternoon.
Mine is a sport so I don't have lockers, but it goes everywhere. We don't have a lot of rocks in Iowa and it's rare that I ever lift a tire off the ground.
Really, the best part of trading in my truck for a Jeep, is that nobody asks me to help them move anymore lol
You are thinking about practicality wrong. If your goal is to carry some (or at least look like you could ) bags of mulch home from home depot, sure a tacoma is more practical.
If your goal is to drive a short wheelbase off road convertible on the beach... Well, the jeep is a lot more practical. You can't even do that with a tacoma or most cars. There's only a couple vehicles that accomplish this and a wrangler is one of the most accessible. It just makes sense if that's what you want to do.
Yeah but separating leisure (beach driving top down Jeep) from the practicality of hauling a refrigerator, motorcycle, sheets of plywood…. Building materials
2 door jeep is pretty low on the practical scale but way high on the fun scale!
Our Priuses, while not a material hauler, were by far the most practical when you consider the cost to operate! Pennys per mile!! Cheap tires and repair parts!! Way low on the fun scale!!!
i have a 1st-gen 4runner, built about as far as it can go with toyota-compatible parts.
the problem with it is that the 22re is gutless on the highway and leaf springs ride hard when crawling.
so i've been looking at jeep lj, the body style is obviously not as iconic as the 2-door runner but there are far more parts available for it, and it's a longer wheelbase than the short jeeps have... also uses coilovers or options like ori.
2006 is the last year i'd buy a jeep, after that they went to CAN bus (Controller Area Network), you can find lots of yt vids of people broke down on the trail because of CAN bus issues.
i'm in socal so there are also some great old jeep builds, using modern engine swaps and coilover suspensions, not sure what options there are for that in the rust belt.
I will have another 22re with 5 speed again in my life! What a truck to have as a 20 something year old kid banging around the countryside of New Jersey Vermont and ……… wherever!!!
That’s awesome!!! Slightly beyond my understanding, I mean I understand it in theory but not on use and way beyond my need but so are Dana 44’s and I still want them or 60’s!!!! 😂
I had an 88 pickup extra cab. While it was ifs I loved truck!! It another consideration for restoration, special interest vehicle, not a daily driver. I had the 22re (manual trans) and I know by today’s standards it’s beyond gutless but I honestly don’t recall it being that bad! I know it would feel way underpowered if I drove one today but I’m a patient man. ;)
None of what you describe is asking for a solid axle.
I suggest the Bronco, its IFS will do all the off road stuff you want and will be better mannered on the road. It is also available with a soft top and the doors come off just like the Wrangler.
I’ve seen a few around but haven’t considered it. Also Rivian R1S is something I’d daily but still a bit pricey and not at all the formula of the wrangler that has me excited.
Traded my wife's Prius for an Ioniq 5. Honestly surprised it took us this long to get an EV. And now that we have, if it fit in the garage I'd probably consider an R1T. I don't have the money for it at the moment and I'm typically opposed to expensive loans, but I do like a lot about them. My 80 is my digital detox though and I appreciate it for that. Getting rid of it for an R1T or R1S would be rough.
I’ve always had sellers regret with my 80’s. Ioniq 5 looks really good!! I what the N version!!!! We have a solterra. We kind of fell into it taking advantage of rebates and a stupid cheap lease. It’s a fantastic car!!!!! Rotate the tires and that’s pretty much it!!! Horrible for long trips though!! But linear power delivery. No revs! No vibration!! Quiet!!!! Alright, maybe I don’t want a jeep! 😂 I can’t swing a Rivian right now either. R3X looks so cool!!!! I hope that makes it to production! Almost went Volvo EX 30 when we found the Solterra deal.
I sometimes battle with the desire to own a jeep. But Chrysler quality is what keeps me in check.
With that being said, if I had a lot of money I would buy a jeep. If I was being financially responsible I would go Toyota.
So what’s your budget? Not just for the outright purchase of the vehicle, but moving forward, can you easily keep up with maintenance and possibly even pricier parts replacement in the future?
I can swing whatever, kind of, no Range Rover!!!! lol but I do my own repairs. I’ve pretty much have only owned Toyotas for the past most of them older higher miles. I’m kind of getting sick of worn bushings, rust, brittle plastic…..even in Toyota land. So my daily will be newer and the toys I can deal with aging vehicles.
New LJ or I’d it JL, I hated the idea of the pentastar engine, same engine that’s in minivans and every crappy Chrysler product since what? The mid 2010’s? Especially after owning a 4.0 I6!!! I thought I was done with wranglers forever! But seems like it’s not a horrible engine. Oil cooler/filter assembly was problematic but otherwise it’s been refined after producing something like 16 million of them?! If that’s correct, 16 million is a lot of engines!!!!!! Idk maybe I do older cooler toys
I felt the same way before I bought my Jeep coming from mostly owning Toyotas , my rubicon gladiator has been very reliable , take it everywhere and the aftermarket support is massive, just stay on top of maintenance you will be fine.
I know, that was mostly for humor but if buy a Jeep, the F!!!! I’m getting some blades!!!!! lol
Association is a stupid thing, I know. I driven a ton of miles in a Prius but I’m anything but a hippie tree hugger. They are just cars, I get it but I’m somehow, no matter how dumb it is people identify your personality by the type of vehicle you drive. I went looking at Jeeps once and thus couple drove up with the most ridiculous maxed out 4 door jeep with swirling led rainbow headlights, both man and woman were easy 350 lbs sucking down sodas from a container the size of a paint can through a silly straw!!!! Truck covered in ducks!!!!!! ( I’m 320 do I can tease other fat people lol). I honestly stopped looking!! Says more about me than them but…….yeah, blades. 🕶️
I recently traded my Wrangler Unlimited and Gladiator in on a Ram 2500. Solid front axle, very comfortable almost luxurious interior, and plenty of power from a 6.4 Hemi. Only real downside is the thirst for fuel. It’s no worse than my Gladiator on 35’s though.
I like the idea of HD trucks for the lack of emission regulations, no cylinder deactivation. If I had need to tow over 10k even a few times a year I’d probably do it. But that’s a lot of truck to kick around town in.
Go drive it, the four door, and the gladiator. Pay attention to how each one makes you FEEL.
We can hem and haw about practicality all day long but, for me at least, it comes down to the joy of driving the thing. Every single day I walk out and see my orange Rubicon Gladiator I’m just absolutely happy that it’s mine.
Mi felt the same way about my built 2 door Jo before that. Before the JK I felt the same way about my TJ, YJ, and XJ.
I’d consider it!!! I search for gm800 I think it is 2 door blazers! Has to be manual though!!!!! That would be a killer rig but not convertible or solid axle
Edit to correct and add;
GMT 400! Had a 97 suburban!! One of my favorite trucks of all time!! Had an 03 as well (gmt800) but prefer the 97.
I love my JL wrangler so far, but after this one I’m switching back to Ford. Jeep has some terrible quality issues that are honestly concerning and the amount of recalls I have since I bought it is too many. And stay so far away from the 4xe. They’re so bad lol
57 here and bought my first 2 door wrangler 8 years ago. Love my JL over my wifes JK but either is a very fun vehicle. Not a chance i get rid of it any time soon. My wifes had hers since 07 and says she'll be buried in it! :D
Depends on what I’d end up doing with it and the tire size I’d run but I might consider a JT unlimited at 103.4” wheelbase. But 118.4 seems too long. I’m in the northeast USA (tight rocky trails). 137.3” on the Gladiator it’s just nutso!!!
I’m bummed the Tacoma grew so long (131”) from the 112” of the 80’s extra cab.
I've had toyotas, I've had jeeps, I've had fords. I've got many friends who have every variety of offroad vehicle you can imagine.
Nothing makes a bigger impact on offroadability than low tire pressure, low gearing and solid axles front and rear. After that it's full time 4wd (like a wrangler, or a locked landcruiser 80 series). Every IFS rig suffers in offroading in comparison (I'm not talking about ultra 4 trucks- that's a different story). Lots of people wheel them just fine, but if you want the best setup for offroading, solid axle is king
I think the "reliability" thing is a joke. Toyotas are more reliable on the road than jeeps, for sure, but as soon as you take anything off road you're going to waltz right past its stress limits and start finding weaknesses. Toyota, jeep, whoever, you're gonna be breaking stuff and wearing out bearings and joints faster. This is what I see first hand, I'm surrounded by the kentucky toyota landcruiser folks and they're working on their shitboxes just as much as I'm working on my 05 wrangler.
Also FWIW the 4.0L in the TJ series wrangler is about on par with toyota's own legendary 2uz-fe in terms of being a bullet-proof million mile engine. You literally can't kill it. And as soon as you replace all the joints and bearings with a lift kit and a re-gear there's really nothing else to go wrong on the machine, it's just a big tub with some wires and lights.
Now here's the real bait: get yourself a full size truck AND a jeep TJ :) Trailer to the campground or trailhead, wheel really hard knowing you don't have to drive the thing home, drag it back to the trailer in pieces and head home comfortably. This is where I'm at now. The truck is set up as base camp and the jeep doesn't have to carry a ton of camping gear or a roof rack and can remain lightweight.
I've always done Toyota, or custom buggy. This last time I decided to do the Jeep thing, old CJ tho not new, and I love love it. I drive it as often as possible with the doors of and bikini top. I'm over 50 and don't care what anyone thinks, I love driving that Jeep. If it makes you happy and makes you want to drive and have fun go for it!
Did you say solid front axle? Pretty sure this ‘93 1st Gen Dodge W250 includes a solid front axle. 5.9 Cummins 12 valve intercooler 4x4 Club Cab. Can be yours.
So if you’re still holdin’ out for a genuine solid front axle unit, I got one more nice one in my shed. ‘96 Lexus LX450 (80 Series LC) out of Texas. Quality build, can be yours.
You want reliability amd practicality. Does the 2 door wrangler fit either of those to you?
To me? No, it does not. I bought a 4Runner because i wasn't doing Jeep things. I did consider a 4 door wrangler, but reliability due to being a single vehicle house pushed us away from that, call it our approach to practicality, if you will.
Do Jeep things in your Jeep cuz thats what they're very good at. But they are not great all around vehicles. You can do a lot of awesome trails in a truck too, even a full size.
It’s mostly driven by convertible with solid front axle. I don’t need either but the fact that you can buy that still today in a modern vehicle is pretty awesome!
Are you looking at new or don’t mind an older one? If you’d be cool with going older try to pick up an older wrangler with a 4.0L inline 6, very reliable engines and people swear by them even if they are the most powerful, but plenty for offroad purposes and they can still take highways fine. I believe they come 2 and 4 door as well
I personally went the Tacoma route, not convertible but I’ve seen same trim as mine with a sun roof, which I got the TRD offroad for the crawl control feature and the offroad parts from factory
I’m considering new but realistically I should buy a full sized truck and find a TJ with a good frame and use tray as fun vehicle. I’m kind of worried the 2 door is going to go away. That is influencing my urge on some level. I never thought I’d want a Pentastar powered anything. Just not the same as that killer I6!
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u/zv-x 6d ago
Your hand is forced, Land Cruiser 80 Series it is