Long time Toyota owner potentially coming over

[Eccracer104]

Hello all,

New to the forum. My fiancée is looking to jump ship from Toyota to Jeep, but don’t worry, I’ll still have my Tundra to tow her when the Jeep breaks.
Jokes aside we sold her 4runner, she misses having a truck, and wants a Gladiator now.
Would appreciate some input and advice from those in the know! I have years of Yota knowledge but honestly very green when it comes to Jeep and solid axle.

So far we’re shopping for a Sport S or Willys.
She wants a diesel for the fuel economy advantage but question 1: is it really as good as advertised? They’re harder to come by and a premium price. Hoping the diesel will push 35s better than the gas motor to keep the mpg higher but if that isn’t real world then we’ll focus our efforts on the gas model.

Will be looking at the Mopar 2” lift with Fox 2.5 to give a little lift to clear some 35”rubber. Unless there’s a better recommendation from y’all.

We’re still on the hunt for the right JT and I’ll share pics once we’ve found it. If anyone has tips, tricks, or leads on one in Sarge Green send em’ my way please and thank you.

I’m looking forward to searching, reading, learning, and meeting y’all!

For fun: my Tundra and her (now sold) 4Runner

- Mike

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[Radio Guy]

I drove a 2008 5.7L Tundra extended cab for 13yrs and it was very reliable and had gobs of power. It was also very boring. Sold it mid last year and got a Mojave and am having a good time. Its just more exciting to get in it and drive anywhere, it doesn't really matter if its off road or on. Off road the Mojave will run circles around my old Tundra and I've already taken it places the Tundra probably could not have gone.

I'm sure I gave up some reliability but so far my Mojave has been problem free not counting a few minor things done to remove a little play in the steering.

 

[Volksparts]

Being both a long time Toyota owner and now having a Tacoma and two jeeps she is going to have a blast. 4 runners are fun and reliable but the aftermarket support on the jeeps is humongous in comparison. That and all the fun Jeep related events. Sounds like you already have a great plan with whatever you decide. Diesels are great and if the price of one was right when I shopped for my gladiator I would've considered it. However, being they had a markup, my lack of knowledge of working on non gas motors, and the idea that if I wanted my trail vehicles to both be having the same fuel type all gave me reasons to not go diesel.

She won't be disappointed. The gladiator will get her through so many tight spots that a tundra just wouldn't be able to go. I was actually originally planning on getting the new tundra but opted for the Gladiator instead. Other than wishing I had the extra space and power of the tundra, I realize that I'm just having so much more fun building this truck.

 

[brianinca]

One of the Jeepers at work bought his wife a 21 Overland Diesel, but in NV not CA. The SoCal prices (and this was a year ago! before the recent madness) were $10K over what he paid. NV is a weird place to buy a car, though.

When I was shopping mid-20, I almost went to Reno to get what I wanted - found one close to home a price I could stomach, but don't plan to pay the sunshine tax if you can avoid it. AZ is a good option, too - found a candidate and my wife had a good opinion of the dealership (Phonecian for 29 years).

Their Overland got a Metal Cloak 3.5" Gamechanger lift, as their 2014 JKUR has the same lift and it's been VERY good for them.

The Mopar lift is least common denominator, if you're not wedded to the idea of a factory warranty, you can get more features for the same money elsewhere. The 2.5" Fox shocks in that kit are valved the same as the 2.0 Rubicon shocks, too soft in my opinion.

35's on the Overland 18" wheels look GREAT with the 3.5" lift, to my eye, and long distance driving gets Mrs. Jeep into the mid-high 20's for MPG. You will have to drive *many* miles to make up the price jump in fuel costs, however.

The Diesel Overland has the same 6K tow rating across the other trim levels, well below the Rubicon 7K and Sport Max Tow 7650, but it's still a great tow rating.

I've been to Phoenix to visit my wife's friends, the JTR is a comfortable long distance cruiser on a 9 hr trip, not something I would EVER have thought to say about a Jeep! We were in SD beginning of the month, 5.5 hrs each way from home, and 3rd trip in less than two years. No more of a trial to take the Jeep than to take the Honda SUV, as long as the mileage difference doesn't matter.

3.5" Overland on 35's is a lot taller than stock Rubicon on 35's:

Looks great on 35's!

Hello all,

New to the forum. My fiancée is looking to jump ship from Toyota to Jeep, but don’t worry, I’ll still have my Tundra to tow her when the Jeep breaks.
Jokes aside we sold her 4runner, she misses having a truck, and wants a Gladiator now.
Would appreciate some input and advice from those in the know! I have years of Yota knowledge but honestly very green when it comes to Jeep and solid axle.

So far we’re shopping for a Sport S or Willys.
She wants a diesel for the fuel economy advantage but question 1: is it really as good as advertised? They’re harder to come by and a premium price. Hoping the diesel will push 35s better than the gas motor to keep the mpg higher but if that isn’t real world then we’ll focus our efforts on the gas model.

Will be looking at the Mopar 2” lift with Fox 2.5 to give a little lift to clear some 35”rubber. Unless there’s a better recommendation from y’all.

 

[jeepin48]

I have a diesel with 1.5 level kit in the front and I only get 21mph @ 75mph with the stock rubicon 33(32.5) tires. It has been less than impressive for mpg even though I am a very chill driver. Yes it has much better power than the 3.6 but I am constantly concerned if the DPF is filling. I do 50:50 mixed driving and I feel like the diesel needs more highway than that. I would lean towards the 3.6 if I were wheeling too far from dealerships.

 

[Sdsteph]

I traded in my 17 Taco for my first Gladiator. 17000 miles between my two Gladiators and have zero regrets. Get a Rubi, Mojave or Max Tow for the 4:10's and you are good for 35's. You can buy a lot of gas for $4000.00. You'd be happy with the gasser or diesel. Either way, more smiles to the gallon.

 

[ilovebikes99]

I have a diesel with 1.5 level kit in the front and I only get 21mph @ 75mph with the stock rubicon 33(32.5) tires. It has been less than impressive for mpg even though I am a very chill driver. Yes it has much better power than the 3.6 but I am constantly concerned if the DPF is filling. I do 50:50 mixed driving and I feel like the diesel needs more highway than that. I would lean towards the 3.6 if I were wheeling too far from dealerships.

Buddy, same deal. I'm in MI for the time being too. My MPG sucks, diesel Willys. Is it the air here because it's humid and cold? I'm around 20mpg highway

 

[Eccracer104]

Being both a long time Toyota owner and now having a Tacoma and two jeeps she is going to have a blast. 4 runners are fun and reliable but the aftermarket support on the jeeps is humongous in comparison. That and all the fun Jeep related events. Sounds like you already have a great plan with whatever you decide. Diesels are great and if the price of one was right when I shopped for my gladiator I would've considered it. However, being they had a markup, my lack of knowledge of working on non gas motors, and the idea that if I wanted my trail vehicles to both be having the same fuel type all gave me reasons to not go diesel.

She won't be disappointed. The gladiator will get her through so many tight spots that a tundra just wouldn't be able to go. I was actually originally planning on getting the new tundra but opted for the Gladiator instead. Other than wishing I had the extra space and power of the tundra, I realize that I'm just having so much more fun building this truck.

Your username sounds familiar. You on TW? Maybe met at an event at Eibach awhile back?

I’d avoid the 3rd gen Tundra for a few years while they work out the turbo kinks. Good choice.
Oh man we’re so pumped to start modding it

One of the Jeepers at work bought his wife a 21 Overland Diesel, but in NV not CA. The SoCal prices (and this was a year ago! before the recent madness) were $10K over what he paid. NV is a weird place to buy a car, though.

When I was shopping mid-20, I almost went to Reno to get what I wanted - found one close to home a price I could stomach, but don't plan to pay the sunshine tax if you can avoid it. AZ is a good option, too - found a candidate and my wife had a good opinion of the dealership (Phonecian for 29 years).

Their Overland got a Metal Cloak 3.5" Gamechanger lift, as their 2014 JKUR has the same lift and it's been VERY good for them.

The Mopar lift is least common denominator, if you're not wedded to the idea of a factory warranty, you can get more features for the same money elsewhere. The 2.5" Fox shocks in that kit are valved the same as the 2.0 Rubicon shocks, too soft in my opinion.

35's on the Overland 18" wheels look GREAT with the 3.5" lift, to my eye, and long distance driving gets Mrs. Jeep into the mid-high 20's for MPG. You will have to drive *many* miles to make up the price jump in fuel costs, however.

The Diesel Overland has the same 6K tow rating across the other trim levels, well below the Rubicon 7K and Sport Max Tow 7650, but it's still a great tow rating.

I've been to Phoenix to visit my wife's friends, the JTR is a comfortable long distance cruiser on a 9 hr trip, not something I would EVER have thought to say about a Jeep! We were in SD beginning of the month, 5.5 hrs each way from home, and 3rd trip in less than two years. No more of a trial to take the Jeep than to take the Honda SUV, as long as the mileage difference doesn't matter.

3.5" Overland on 35's is a lot taller than stock Rubicon on 35's:

Looks great on 35's!

Nice! Definitely looking good.
Not tied to Mopar, or overly worried about retaining warranty from a lift.
I’ve seen Metal Cloak several times now, I’ll look into that. Thanks! Was looking at Mopar because I was under the impression the valving would be better out of the box, but if they’re too soft that’s no good. Funny enough she has little to jo interest in crawling, she’s more about the spirited desert driving. Haha.

We got her t4r in AZ, no stranger to shopping out of state and will leverage that if it’s the better route.
Little to no concern with actually towing, we’ll use my Tundra to tow. Her JT will likely just have a bike rack or the likes on the hitch. The max tow package for the gearing is nice, but worst case we can regear to 4.56 down the road. Maybe add a locker while we’re at it.

Awesome to hear about the comfort! We have family 8 hrs and 14hrs away driving so road trips are somewhat frequent.

I have a diesel with 1.5 level kit in the front and I only get 21mph @ 75mph with the stock rubicon 33(32.5) tires. It has been less than impressive for mpg even though I am a very chill driver. Yes it has much better power than the 3.6 but I am constantly concerned if the DPF is filling. I do 50:50 mixed driving and I feel like the diesel needs more highway than that. I would lean towards the 3.6 if I were wheeling too far from dealerships.

Thanks for the insight! That’s surprising to see, but also not unexpected.

I traded in my 17 Taco for my first Gladiator. 17000 miles between my two Gladiators and have zero regrets. Get a Rubi, Mojave or Max Tow for the 4:10's and you are good for 35's. You can buy a lot of gas for $4000.00. You'd be happy with the gasser or diesel. Either way, more smiles to the gallon.

Haha totally! That’s my thought, save the money upfront and use it down the road. Her truck, so trying to help learn and educate but it’ll be her choice end of the day. She wants a Mojave but they’re at a premium $$$. Still keeping our eyes peeled. If a lower trim comes across we’ll add what we want after, but the Mojave is so nice out of the box.

 

[Sdsteph]

Buddy, same deal. I'm in MI for the time being too. My MPG sucks, diesel Willys. Is it the air here because it's humid and cold? I'm around 20mpg highway

Between the Mishitgan weather, winter blend gas, remote start, etc... I have lost 4mpg. 18 in summer and 14 right now

 

[869 KPH]

If you want a set-it-and-forget-it Jeep, get the gasoline version. The diesel has the potential to be a lot of fun, but also to be a royal PITA. The problems some have with that powertrain are turning them sour on the brand for good. I'd hate for that to happen to the two of you. No one wants to be in the middle of nowhere when their Jeep decides to go into limp mode.

 

[Volksparts]

Your username sounds familiar. You on TW? Maybe met at an event at Eibach awhile back?

Haha I thought the same thing. Your username sounds sounds familiar too. Yes I'm the same guy from Tacoma world. And I was at the eibach meet and other Tacoma meets like big bear.
If you are ever down in San Diego let me know. I bought my gladiator out of Tennessee and saved money. Dave

 

[Eccracer104]

If you want a set-it-and-forget-it Jeep, get the gasoline version. The diesel has the potential to be a lot of fun, but also to be a royal PITA. The problems some have with that powertrain are turning them sour on the brand for good. I'd hate for that to happen to the two of you. No one wants to be in the middle of nowhere when their Jeep decides to go into limp mode.

Wild! I’ll need to read up on that. Thanks for the heads up!

Haha I thought the same thing. Your username sounds sounds familiar too. Yes I'm the same guy from Tacoma world. And I was at the eibach meet and other Tacoma meets like big bear.
If you are ever down in San Diego let me know. I bought my gladiator out of Tennessee and saved money. Dave

Haha

Yep. Pretty sure we’ve met. I’m in Ramona, so not far from SD at all. If you jump on to TW there’s a big meet at Superstition 1/28-1/30. Should come out!

 

[ilovebikes99]

If you want a set-it-and-forget-it Jeep, get the gasoline version. The diesel has the potential to be a lot of fun, but also to be a royal PITA. The problems some have with that powertrain are turning them sour on the brand for good. I'd hate for that to happen to the two of you. No one wants to be in the middle of nowhere when their Jeep decides to go into limp mode.

I don't agree with this because diesel hasn't had any catastrophic engine failures even with the high temps. On the other hand, there's a good amount of issues with gas engines granading, ticking, transmission issues.
Diesel doesn't like extreme temps low or high.

 

[CerOf]

I’ve enjoyed my diesel and wouldn’t trade it for the world. Only 1 issue and she spent two nights at the dealer.

On a forum, you’ll see a concentration of issues, but I wouldnt Extrapolate that to the entire brand or features.

With diesel, you don’t need to regear.
Im 70/30 city/highway driving. In town, I’m averaging 18mpg with 2” mopar lift and 35s, steel bumpers and winch.

Gas is a great option for most, I wanted power and didn’t want to regear.
I wanted gas mileage, even though there is a $4k premium.

 

[869 KPH]

I don't agree with this because diesel hasn't had any catastrophic engine failures even with the high temps. On the other hand, there's a good amount of issues with gas engines granading, ticking, transmission issues.
Diesel doesn't like extreme temps low or high.

@Eccracer104, I debated whether or not to post what I did specifically because I know there are people like @ilovebikes99 that think the diesel platform is great. And for them, it is. But there are also several other examples of pure frustration. Two that come to mind:

• This one, where the parts needed were backordered and the original owner dumped it rather than wait on a fix.
• This one, where the guy had possession of it for less time than it's been in the shop:

I paid 66k to drive a gladiator for a week and a half and then drive a jeep dumpass... I mean compass for over a month.

Just do some research and be prepared to make the right choice for you. I originally wanted the diesel, but there were just way too many cons and points of potential failure. The right Jeep to have put a diesel in would have been the TJ - too much electronics and emissions gear get in the way now (IMO).

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