Home Download About us ... Button5 Button6 Button6
CALL 1-866-452-0791

 Sponsored Links
 
Pre-Owned Inventory Specials
New Inventory Specials
Part Specials
Service Specials
Finance Specials
 
 Search Utah Used Cars                                                     Utah Used Cars Bargains

 Jeep vs. Toyota FJ Cruiser

Jeep Wrangler vs. Toyota FJ Cruiser

Recently, there's been a lot of talk about the FJ Cruiser. There is much speculation about the vehicle's pricing and how capable it will be off road and how well it will stack up against cars like the Jeep Wrangler, Hummer H3 and Nissan Xterra. This article discusses these issues.

Pricing-wise, the FJ Cruiser is OK. The starting price is less than $22,000 for a 2WD automatic, and it tops out at $23,300 for a 4WD auto, but the basic price is more than the Jeep Wrangler. If you load it up with luxury items and off-road equipment it's over $30K. It's reasonably equipped, but no better than most other comparable vehicles in its class. However, one important factor is that It’s well known that the Jeep Rubicon is much better in pure off-road ability primiarly because of the Wrangler's dimensions. Also, the FJ is no Dodge Viper by any means, but it is a reasonable "daily driving vehicle" without going up to the higher echelon of Jeep Vehicles.

More About the Jeep Wrangler…

The 2008 Jeep Wrangler is attractive - so much so that it's one of the 10-best-selling SUVs on the market. It exists for people who want something decidedly different - particularly a macho image and serious rock-crawling capability that few SUVs still offer in this crossover age.

Part of the Wrangler's image comes from features and attributes that no other vehicle on the market can boast. Quite simply, if the Wrangler can't get you there, you're going to need a helicopter.

Finally, the Unlimited model is the only four-door convertible on the market. With the optional hard top, the Unlimited's four doors, impressive cargo capacity and relatively spacious backseat make it the first Wrangler that can be considered practical. If you love the prototypical Jeep image and capability but need something that can journey to Costco or pick folks up from the airport, the Unlimited answers the call.

Jeep Wrangler Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options

The 2008 Jeep Wrangler is a small a SUV with a convertible top. It's offered in three trim levels (X, Sahara and Rubicon) and two body styles (regular two-door and the extended-wheelbase, four-door Unlimited). The X comes standard with removable half doors with plastic windows, while the Sahara and Rubicon come with full doors and glass windows. Customers can opt for the half doors if they wish on either body style's Rubicon trim and the two-door Sahara.

The basic Wrangler X is very austere, though a CD player with an auxiliary audio jack is standard. An optional "C" Package adds air-conditioning, upgraded cloth seats and a full-length center console. The "S" Package has those features, plus 16-inch alloy wheels, tow hooks, cruise control and a compass/temperature display. Also optional is a modular three-piece hardtop (Freedom top), a sunroof-equipped soft top, a limited-slip rear differential, power windows and locks, keyless entry, remote engine start, an Infinity audio system, a six-CD/MP3 changer and satellite radio.

In addition to having many of the Wrangler X's optional features as standard (including the Sunrider top), the Wrangler Sahara also features 17-inch alloy wheels, body-color fenders, a heavy-duty suspension and upgraded seat fabric. Options for the Sahara include 18-inch alloy wheels and a navigation system featuring "bread crumb" off-highway tracking. A 20GB hard drive can also be added to the system to store music and pictures. Lastly, there's the trail-busting Wrangler Rubicon. This model's equipment level falls in between the X and Sahara, but features special drivetrain upgrades, an electronically disconnecting stabilizer bar and special BF Goodrich off-road tires.

Jeep Wrangler Transmissions, Powertrains, and Performance

All 2008 Jeep Wranglers are powered by a 3.8-liter V6 attached to a six-speed manual transmission or an optional four-speed automatic. The engine produces 202 horsepower and 237 pound-feet of torque. Most Wranglers come with four-wheel-drive, complete with high and low gears, although the Unlimited can be had with rear-drive only.

The Rubicon trim has heavy-duty axles, a Rock-trac transfer case with extra-low gearing, and electronically locking front and rear differentials. In testing, we've found that a Wrangler Unlimited takes a longish 9.7 seconds to reach 60 mph - and that was the good time. Another Wrangler Unlimited we tested did it in a glacial 10.4 seconds.

Jeep Wrangler Safety

All Wranglers feature antilock brakes and stability control with a rollover sensor. Front seat side airbags are optional. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the Wrangler a perfect five stars in frontal-impact protection. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety awarded the Wrangler its highest rating of "Good" for frontal impacts; however, without the optional side airbags, the Wrangler's side-impact crashworthiness was deemed only "Marginal."

Jeep Wrangler Interior Design and Special Features

Much like the rest of the Wrangler, its interior is of the rough-and-tumble variety. Although niceties like power windows and a navigation system can be added, this is still a vehicle meant to withstand dust, dirt and muck, and then be easily cleaned.

While the two-door Wrangler's backseat can fit two, the Unlimited has room for three. The four-door also offers 86 cubic feet of cargo space when the second seats are folded. With its soft top, however, storing cargo inside the Wrangler can be a risky situation. With exterior-mounted zippers keeping the plastic rear windows in place, car thieves can access the cargo area with ease. The only lockable areas in the Wrangler are the glovebox and decently sized center console.

The Jeep Wrangler Driving Experience

The 2008 Jeep Wrangler, especially in Rubicon guise, is pretty much unstoppable in off-road situations. Although the Wrangler was bred for mountain trails, it is surprisingly fun to drive around the city. Its steering is light, but provides plenty of feedback through its excellent thin-rimmed wheel.

More About the Retro Toyota FJ Cruiser

Legendary is a word that aptly describes the Toyota Land Cruiser. The Land Cruiser started life in 1951 as the BJ, though mass production of this model didn’t start until 1953. The venerable FJ40 is certainly one of the most long-lived designs of the Toyota 4x4 brand in its history, running for over 25 years. It is interesting to see the historical demand for the Land Cruiser brand. In the span of the next 10 years they sold another 1 million Land Cruisers. Then from 1990 to 2003, a span of only 13 years, Toyota sold 2 million additional Land Cruisers!

In 2003 Toyota displayed a prototype at the Detroit Auto show called the FJ Cruiser. This was an odd undertaking for Toyota. At first there were no intentions to produce the FJ Cruiser. When you think in terms of design concepts, two years is a blink – but amazingly, in that time Toyota brought that concept to life and into a dealer’s showroom.

The traction control system includes an A-trac system that uses the vehicle stability control (VSC) system to enhance off-road traction. The VSC system activates the brakes to control wheel spin, which in turn directs the power to the wheels that are planted on the ground. I was surprised at how well this system worked – though the feel of the system as the brakes grab and release the spinning wheels can take a bit to get used to.

The FJ also comes with a rear locking differential. The rear locker is a great addition to an already capable vehicle. It was interesting during our off-road test drive to see that in certain conditions the A-trac system out-performed the rear locker, while in other areas the rear locker worked better than the A-trac. This may be the only vehicle in the market at this time to have such a flexible four wheel drive system that can react to different off-road conditions while keeping the vehicle very drivable on the road.

As well as the previously mentioned Vehicle Stability Control system, the vehicle also comes with anti lock brakes with electronic brake force distribution and an advanced traction control system. This provides all the stability for on road driving and braking control that is found in vehicles much more expensive.

Inside, the FJ is all about utility. Thick plastic covered floors are found in both the passenger and cargo area, a special water repellent fabric covers all the seats while the hard plastic surfaces on the dash, doors and interior panels mean a rugged, easy-to-clean interior – very much like the old FJ40s except without those side-facing jump seats in the back! Mounted high on the dash on the C model is a driver control centre, which includes a compass, inclinometer and outside temperature gauge.

Overall the driving experience in the FJ Cruiser is excellent; lots of power from the 4L six, good shifting points in the automatic, a smooth shifting 6-speed manual and very little body roll for a SUV. Personally, I prefer this to a soft sedan-like ride – after all, this vehicle was made to be used off-road.