Help! Thinking about going TOYO!

I'm looking at 98-01 Tacomas. If I get one, I'll have to sell my 00 Classic. One of the main reasons is that a compact truck would suit me better than an SUV. After just buying a home, I find myself needing to haul stuff all of the time anyway.

Another reason, and perhaps the biggest reason, is that I'm a little dismayed at the reliability of late model Cherokees. I owned an 88 for a few years and I liked it but lots of things started going wrong after I bought it. However, I wanted something a little more reliable and comfy so I bought something newer and I'm not impressed. With 81K miles: Ball joints, leaky transfer case, broken front speaker wires, howling exhaust, weird thunk from underneath that I can't find, t-case linkage rattle, jerky driver side power window...

Cherokees are great, don't get me wrong. I just get tired of fussing under the hood or waiting for it at the shop. With technology these days, you'd think that a tried and true vehicle such as the Cherokee would be almost flawless by 2000.

I've had my 99 Cherokee for 5 years now. It's got 121,000miles on it.
I haven't had any of the problems that you describe and have found it very reliable.

The only items that have been changed due to failure/wear was a radiator due to a leak and replaced it with a $90 all metal 3 row, a CPS sensor for $50, the oil filter adapter O-rings($7.00 at the dealer) and sway bar bushings($20).

All other work on it has been maintenance performed by myself and modifications that I have made. I've done all the work so that definitely saves cash.
Any issues with rattling underneath have been due to the header and catback exhaust that I installed or the sway bar bushings wearing out. That might be the cause of some of your knocking. It only takes several minutes to change them out.

I don't quite understand how your ball joints could have failed so soon. There's people on here with vehicles that have a lot more miles than mine and haven't had a problem with those. It must have been a bad batch.

MAP

I think that when they build my xj, it was the day after a very very big party. I'm the second owner of this thing. After I bought it I found out it was repossesed. I have no idea how well the previous owner took care of it , prolly not an issue with the problems I listed though.

I dunno about those ball joints either...two on the passenger side went out but I decided to replace all of them just in case.

I just visited a Tacoma forum...feel dirty...the reviews I've read though...seems like most people don't have any problems at all. Why can't jeep do the same? Can't be that hard, can it?

i have a 2000 XJ classic, bought it used with 50K and it now has 65K. It had a cracked head when i bought it used from the dealer but they replaced it (after much haggling and info from this forum). I have done all the mods myself and have never been happier with a vehicle. Everything is pretty simple and problems are minor to fix, most of the time. good luck with your decision.

rumblebelly said:

I'm looking at 98-01 Tacomas. If I get one, I'll have to sell my 00 Classic. One of the main reasons is that a compact truck would suit me better than an SUV. After just buying a home, I find myself needing to haul stuff all of the time anyway.

Another reason, and perhaps the biggest reason, is that I'm a little dismayed at the reliability of late model Cherokees. I owned an 88 for a few years and I liked it but lots of things started going wrong after I bought it. However, I wanted something a little more reliable and comfy so I bought something newer and I'm not impressed. With 81K miles: Ball joints, leaky transfer case, broken front speaker wires, howling exhaust, weird thunk from underneath that I can't find, t-case linkage rattle, jerky driver side power window...

Cherokees are great, don't get me wrong. I just get tired of fussing under the hood or waiting for it at the shop. With technology these days, you'd think that a tried and true vehicle such as the Cherokee would be almost flawless by 2000.

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Hate to say it but you can't go wrong with a Toyota, there more American Made parts it Toyota's than any big three maker.

It could be that it's not necessarily the parts that are the problem but how well it's put together. Seems like they might have tried to cut some corners to get more of a profit. Not sure if that's true or not but that's the impression I get.

The quality of Asian auto manufactures is much more precise. They usually are SixSigma certified, and have much tighter tolerances.

If you plan on hauling stuff, then a pickup is the way to go. A Taco is right up there with the best, but you do pay for it in higher inital cost, but they do have a much higher re-sale then most...

Oh, and a Toy has a frame to

-Will

My Toy 4x4 pickup lasted 312,000 hard work truck miles. I redid the engine, replaced the original clutch and original radiator at 280,000 miles because it was getting tired and I drive 80 to 100 miles per day. Other than that and aside from maintenance stuff, it needed precisely one bearing replaced in the rear diff and one oil seal in the engine in all those miles. And it never left me standed even one time. It ALWAYS started and ran perfectly, the A/C . I would still be driving it and probably headed for 500,000 miles but some crazy teenagers tried to kill me and totalled it in the process.

We were happy enough with that truck that we replaced it with a low mileage used 4Runner. My wife grabbed the 4Runner and I inherited her '97 XJ. Which is OK for now because the 4Runner isn't exactly what you want for my work and the Jeep does pretty well at getting into back woods and around DC. But the day we send in the last payment on the 4Runner I will be shopping for another Toy 4X4 pickup. In just 1/3 of the miles that I put on the Toy, the XJ has already had more problems and cost more in repairs, even with me doing most of them, than the Toy cost in the entire time I owned it. And that includes the Toyota engine rebuild. To me, that is saddest commentary on the XJ. I am just plain sick of having to constantly screw with things that fall off, break or just quit working.

Don't get me wrong, I know the XJ has better power and is 10 times more sure footed in the snow than my old pickup ever was. And believe me, I know that XJ parts are way cheaper and much easier to get than Toyota parts. Toyota new parts are very expensive and used parts are almost impossible to get. But the thing is, my Toyota pickup rarely needed any parts. The XJ has me at the auto parts store about every other weekend fixing some stupid little thing. In all the time I had the Toyota I saw the check engine light precisely 1 time when it broke a belt. But I am reading codes and turning off the check engine light constantly in the XJ.

As the XJ ages, I am really starting to miss having a truck that wears well and never breaks. Plus hauling everything on a trailer just plain sucks. So unless Jeep builds that Gladiator and it turns out to be the real deal, I will be back in a Toy pickup ASAP. Rant over.

Even though I've had relatively few problems with my '99, I hear you. If I ever get rid of the XJ, it will be replaced either with a four-door Wrangler or a Taco'. If it's any indication at all, my father-in-law is a Jeep engineer here in Toledo and he hasn't had a Jeep in five years. My in-laws have a Town and Country minivan and a Crossfire instead. He says he did love his XJ, though. The Liberty they had had the dash literally fall off on the expressway (granted it was one of the first fifty ever built, but still).
I say go Taco'.

I think the new FJ40 is well worth the wait...my $0.02

Yota's are a damn good truck. Good luck!!!

Alienspecimen said:

I think the new FJ40 is well worth the wait...my $0.02

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Personally I prefer my old '79 FJ, but I'll bet the new ones will be much more comfortable than my old Crusher.

If Toyotas are one thing, they are reliable...if they are another, they are the product of that reliability...they LAST & LAST. (Not to mention they have great heaters!)

My first new car ever was a Toyo, it was a great vehicle. My GF has--other than a brief initial affair with a Ford Escort--only owned 4runners. 1987, 1993, and now a 2005 (with the V8). The old ones are still running strong. Great trucks.

I am currently torn between a new CrewCab/Short Bed 4WD like a Tacoma (which equals big $$$) or finding a newer XJ and swapping my old XJ gear over (which means less $$$). I could benefit from that pickup box as well. I still pile unimaginable things inside my XJ...things that require extensive cleaning and hours of "airing out" of my Jeep. So I feel your pain.

I don't think you can go wrong with the Tacoma...unless you're Union--like my brother--then you'd have to hide your rice-burner. Don't worry though my union brethern, my bro only drives American.

Good luck.

DJ

BTW, I used to live in Ft. Collins...right on West Mountain, down by City Park. One of my brothers still lives out there in those (relatively) new developments on the other side of Overland Trail out by Hughes Stadium.

Yeah, Fort Collins is great. West Mountain is a highly sought after neighborhood. Cool old houses within staggering distance of Old Town. There's other guys at the forum that live around here too...I think Yucca Man and Oldman live here.

I have yet to test drive a Tacoma yet. It's so rare to see one for sale that is used. I'm looking for something 1996 to 2001 but they have such little room in the cab. The newer ones have lot's of room but are ungodly expensive. It could be a year or two before I find something I like. Hell, by then I might change my mind.

One thing that makes me wanna get a truck is having a very large and hyper lab. He gets extremely annoying in the back of my Cherokee. It would be nice to throw him in a pick up bed with a shell. However, it's also nice to be able to haul three extra people....

What's with this FJ40?????? They are coming out with a new one?

No matter where you live it's location, location, location...although, "Drunk Stumbling Distances from Major Area Wateringholes" is never mentioned in the Real Estate Multiple Listing Service. Ft. Collins is a seriously nice town.

I work in Washington DC now, trust me...I miss Ft. Collins!

I can relate to your "It could be a year or two before I find something I like. Hell, by then I might change my mind." I bought my first NEW car when I was 21, and I never bought another brand new vehicle for 20 years...and had buyers remorse within a year.

I shop for vehicles all the time, but it takes time to get what fits your needs and your pocket book...in the meantime, I spend more money on my Jeep and then I decide not to buy a new truck.

The new FJ40 or "FJ Cruiser" is supposed to be out in early 2006 as a 2007 model.

Here's some links:
http://www.toyota.com/vehicles/future/fj_cruiser/index.html
http://www.nctd.com/sneakpreview.cfm?Vehicle=2007_Toyota_FJ Cruiser&ReviewID=79
http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/suvs/0505_toyota_fj_cruiser/

While at the Toyo website page for the FJ Cruiser, click on the "Check out the FJ Cruiser at SEMA" link, then use the explore function (the steering wheel at the bottom of the SEMA window)...there is a nice Tacoma DoubleCab 4x4 in there as well. OR use the encounter function (the POWER button at the bottom) and there are some very nice FJ pics in the "photo" section.

My GF would like me to get one of these new FJs...we'll have to wait and see. It has a certain "H2 bulbessness" or "overweight look" to it that was not part of the original FJ. The whole reason I like my XJ and my old FJ are...they're utility boxes on wheels. I have no idea why I like that, but I like trucks to be boxy, and my cars to be curvy.

Hence I have the old XJ and FJ and I have a Mini Cooper S which is a pseudo "curvy box," but desire an Audi TT. Which is curves all over. That's where the buyers remorse came from...I bought the Mini instead of the TT. It seemed to make sense at the time (and I saved $15K).

Check out the new FJ, not too bad...but not a pickup truck. You ain't putting yard of wood mulch or stone in the back of it.

DJ

Damn, that thing looks huge. Not sure if I like the looks of it either.

Hmmm...double cab would be nice. If I held out for 3 or 4 years and let someone else take the depreciation hit on it....

I agree about the utility box on wheels vibe of the Cherokee. Something about it seems pretty cool. I like the fact that it's road manners are spartan too. I really liked my old bare bones XJ with the 5 speed manual...felt like I was driving a real jeep. I miss that manual whine.

rumblebelly said:

Damn, that thing looks huge. Not sure if I like the looks of it either.

Hmmm...double cab would be nice. If I held out for 3 or 4 years and let someone else take the depreciation hit on it....

I agree about the utility box on wheels vibe of the Cherokee. Something about it seems pretty cool. I like the fact that it's road manners are spartan too. I really liked my old bare bones XJ with the 5 speed manual...felt like I was driving a real jeep. I miss that manual whine.

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I can definitely relate to liking the spartan thing. That's why I love my FJ. It's bare bones, power nothing-manual everything, no AC, loud, gears whining, uuggghhh, uugghh, uuugghhh, truck.

It reminds me of the old Mil-Spec vehicles we had when I was in the AF before they started buying all commercial-grade vehicles.

It's just a heavy duty metal clunky work horse. No frills. No bells. No whistles. The seats have no back support. In the Summer, it's hotter inside the damn thing than outside. My Fj sounds like it'll explode if I take it up to normal DC Beltway speeds (like 75-80), but it'll pull a tree out of the ground. Crawl up and over virtually anything in it's path...including that pig they call an H2.

It's a workhorse.

My new problem is trying to find a lo-mileage no frills XJ. All I want is a 4.0litre w/4spdOD auto in white, preferably a 2 door. That's it. Don't want no power seats or door locks. I can crank up my own windows...but all these trucks have been beat to death...like mine has.

Oh well. Guess I'll give in to technology eventually...I did it with the Mini.

DJ

Well, personally I really miss my 1988 Toyota P/U. It ran great, got good mileage, excellent heat in the winter, but had very little power. But hey, it was only a four banger.

Toyotas are high quality vehicles that really last forever when maintained properly. The comparison here is really like trying to compare apples to oranges. XJ's are great, but they don't have the ledgendary reliability of the Toyotas. Would I get rid of my 92 XJ for a 92 SR5 P/U...sure, in a heart beat.

I like my Jeep, but its no Toyota.

i say get the toyota if its going to be for DD cuz it will probobly have a better ride, better fuel milage. and suit you better just as you said. then take the later on down the road you can

A) sell the taco and get another XJ
B) keep the taco and get another xj for wheeling.

thats how i see it since im a toyota owner.

rumblebelly said:

What's with this FJ40?????? They are coming out with a new one?

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From what I've read about it, it just seems to be a retro Cruiser body mounted on a Tacoma platform = IFS....ugh! Tacomas are nice vehicles and very capable in stock trim (TRD) but, just hope you never have to replace the motor in it. My brothers (highly modified) '98 blew a head gasket at 198,000 miles so instead of fixing it (because of the mileage) he thought he would get a remanufactured long block from Jasper Engines (very good reputation by the way) until he saw the price.....nearly $5000 + core! needless to say he just had the heads redone and new gaskets installed and all seems to be okay so far..........Hans

rumblebelly said:

What's with this FJ40?????? They are coming out with a new one?

Click to expand...

From what I've read about it (Toyota calls it the FJ Cruiser), it just seems to be a retro Cruiser body mounted on a Tacoma platform = IFS....ugh! Tacomas are nice vehicles and very capable in stock trim (TRD) but, just hope you never have to replace the motor in it. My brothers (highly modified) '98 blew a head gasket at 198,000 miles so instead of fixing it (because of the mileage) he thought he would get a remanufactured long block from Jasper Engines (very good reputation by the way) until he saw the price.....nearly $5000 + core! needless to say he just had the heads redone and new gaskets installed and all seems to be okay so far..........Hans