Toyota Land Cruiser vs. Ford Bronco vs. Jeep Rubicon

[JTOlson26]

2014 Toyota 4Runner Trail Edition (precursor to TRD Off-Road)
2.5 inch lift
33s
Rear locker
265,000 miles
19-20 MPG highway (admittedly I have to keep it under 75 MPH if I want that kind of mileage)

I hope it never dies. I drive somewhere between 6000 and 9000 miles on road trips every summer and can get nearly anywhere I want to go while also being pretty comfortably for long stretches of time on the interstate.

[Boggy B]

I've done a fair amount of wheeling in my 2013 Tacoma and can count the number of times I've wished I had front lockers on zero fingers. While a rear locker is clutch, front lockers are pretty niche. The difficulty of trail that requires that capacity really isn't the kind of trail where folks are going to be driving brand new $50k trucks.

If you've wheeled in Moab in the last decade you'll have seen many brand new $50k+ trucks on trails where front lockers are advised. The Broncos normally break tie rods before things get too serious, but the real money is in all the Gladiators that need suspension and huge tires to compensate for wheelbase.

I agree that a rear locker is far more important, but after 300k miles on my truck with just the factory rear locker, I can say the front locker is a game changer. Not primarily where front lockers are "required," but for making hard things easy by reducing the need for momentum. Take Poughkeepsie Gulch near Ouray: I was intimidated by The Wall going in since I'd seen plenty of rollovers and people generally having a bad time bouncing around with open diffs, even rear-locked FJs and Tacomas having to winch after flogging the drivetrain for 20 minutes. With the front locked both the FJ and Bronco walked up it in 5 seconds with wet tires.

putting 35s is only one piece of the project, even if there's technically enough room to mount them on a stock bronco/jeep. there's a domino effect when you start modifying vehicles where when you strengthen one piece, the pieces behind it are now weakened under load so you end up doing more than just mounting tires- especially if you start breaking things before upgrading them. at the very least with 35s you need new gearing so you don't torch your transmission but should also consider upgrading brakes/rotors- esp if you're using it as a daily.

IMO the reason things start breaking is mostly due to the weird overlander-style compulsion to bolt on 1500lb+ of expensive and nonessential upgrades before, or in lieu of, truly functional mods: suspension, tires (and gearing if you go bigger than 33"), lockers in that order. Then maybe a winch (if you can do it without adding 1000lb of bumpers).

[Matt]

2014 Toyota 4Runner Trail Edition (precursor to TRD Off-Road)
2.5 inch lift
33s
Rear locker
265,000 miles
19-20 MPG highway (admittedly I have to keep it under 75 MPH if I want that kind of mileage)

I hope it never dies. I drive somewhere between 6000 and 9000 miles on road trips every summer and can get nearly anywhere I want to go while also being pretty comfortably for long stretches of time on the interstate.

My buddy is prepping this very model (minus mods) to sell for about $20k. 100k miles with almost no 4x4ing and a perfect maintenance record. Only bummer for me is that it's an automatic. I can't say no, but wonder how you felt about its capability without the lift? I got many places in a Forester before breaking it... Thanks.

[mtree]

This off-road comparison is great, but there's more to compare... at least in Colorado. How are the capabilities in the winter? As in snow, ice, off-road, near white-out conditions, night conditions, white knuckle conditions? Half of my Jeep driving is now in the winter. I must say I feel very comfortable getting through just about anything thus far. I have even plowed thru 2 feet of powder, managed crawling over a 3-foot snowbank, driving over Rabbit Ears pass at night in near white-out conditions, and navigating ice as slick as snot (barely). I've only high centered it once trying to back out of my garage in a couple feet of heavy, wet spring snow.

Once thing I've always liked about Jeeps is you can "feel the road". This is huge in the winter. That's when the rough ride becomes an extension of everything you touch.

[dtron]

Matt, I have taken a 2017 SR5 4Runner to the top of Matterhorn Creek, Nellie Creek and Baldwin Gulch with no issues. The only mod was offroad tires vs. the stock hwy tread. The stock 4Runner is pretty capable.

2014 Toyota 4Runner Trail Edition (precursor to TRD Off-Road)
2.5 inch lift
33s
Rear locker
265,000 miles
19-20 MPG highway (admittedly I have to keep it under 75 MPH if I want that kind of mileage)

I hope it never dies. I drive somewhere between 6000 and 9000 miles on road trips every summer and can get nearly anywhere I want to go while also being pretty comfortably for long stretches of time on the interstate.

My buddy is prepping this very model (minus mods) to sell for about $20k. 100k miles with almost no 4x4ing and a perfect maintenance record. Only bummer for me is that it's an automatic. I can't say no, but wonder how you felt about its capability without the lift? I got many places in a Forester before breaking it... Thanks.

[Jon Frohlich]

My buddy is prepping this very model (minus mods) to sell for about $20k. 100k miles with almost no 4x4ing and a perfect maintenance record. Only bummer for me is that it's an automatic. I can't say no, but wonder how you felt about its capability without the lift? I got many places in a Forester before breaking it... Thanks.

Matt, you'll be fine with a stock 5th gen. Even without the lift it'll go almost anywhere you want to go.

We recently upgraded to a 2012 and a 2024 from our 2004 and 2008 4th gens also.

[Matt]

Matt, I have taken a 2017 SR5 4Runner to the top of Matterhorn Creek, Nellie Creek and Baldwin Gulch with no issues. The only mod was offroad tires vs. the stock hwy tread. The stock 4Runner is pretty capable

Thank you.

Matt, you'll be fine with a stock 5th gen. Even without the lift it'll go almost anywhere you want to go.
We recently upgraded to a 2012 and a 2024 from our 2004 and 2008 4th gens also.

Thanks, Jon. It would be a step down from my FJ, but sounds plenty capable. I've got no plans to visit Lake Como again, anyway.
It's been a while and I drive through your neighborhood several times a week for food, beer, or other goodies. Let's have a beer some time soon.

[pleiades]

The new Land Cruiser has roughly the same clearance as a stock Subaru and less than the Wilderness editions. I thought that was interesting. I may wait for the new 4runner.

[Scott P]

You get way more for your money with the ZR2 Colorado. Two lockers instead of one. 33s instead of 31s. 40 extra horsepower. 152 extra ft*lbs of torque. 3 extra gears in the transmission.

True of the 2024 4Runner (which is a dinosaur), but not with the 2025 4Runner.

What’s wrong with the 2024 4runner? I’ve got an 04 4Runner and when that dies I’m gonna replace it with another 4runner. I’m a stock SUV is all the off road I’ll ever need kind of guy.

Nothing is wrong with it. Since it was mentioned that the ZR2 had more horsepower, that statement won't be true with the 2025. The 2024 is old school, but that can be good as for several of the past several years the 4Runner has been ranked the most reliable vehicle on the road.

[Scott P]

You get way more for your money with the ZR2 Colorado. Two lockers instead of one. 33s instead of 31s. 40 extra horsepower. 152 extra ft*lbs of torque. 3 extra gears in the transmission.

True of the 2024 4Runner (which is a dinosaur), but not with the 2025 4Runner.

What’s wrong with the 2024 4runner? I’ve got an 04 4Runner and when that dies I’m gonna replace it with another 4runner. I’m a stock SUV is all the off road I’ll ever need kind of guy.

Nothing is wrong with it. Since it was mentioned that the ZR2 had more horsepower, that statement won't be true with the 2025. The 2024 is old school, but that can be good as for several of the past several years the 4Runner has been ranked the most reliable vehicle on the road. The 2025 is better in a lot of ways, but I'd rather wait a few years to make sure all the bugs are worked out.

[greenonion]

https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/2024 ... st-review/

Which one is Meals?!

[Monte Meals]

^ "Which one is Meals?!"

Scott P may be "Slow and Fat"

Me - I'm just fat.

And yes, I'm older than him as well.