FJ Cruiser VS Jeep Wrangler

[kihun]

I'm looking to spend around 15k..
looking for either 2007 - 08 fj cruiser or jeep wrangler.. which one would you go for? I can't decide..

[Bingobimmer]

Are you looking to take it off-road? If you are I would pick the jeep. I have friends with both and have worked on the jeep. The jeeps are simplistic with one purpose in mind and that is taking the unbeaten path. The fj is in my opinion a more unique car and is more reliable. It can go off-road but is a more show than actually go in that area.

If it were me I would go with the jeep, because I don't like the way the fj looks unless it has some serious mods.

[kihun]

It won't be for off road.. however, I do go to camping often but nothing crazy where normal cars can't handle. I like the way jeep and fj cruiser looks.. but fj cruiser is more reliable. but I did have a jeep before but the feeling of having doors off and top is unbeatable.. but again fj cruiser is faster yet has better engine.. because I'm mainly looking for 07 08 for my price range.

[Ehwnnc]

FJ sucks to drive. Cant see shit around you

[Beondwacko]

The FJ is superior in all measures of quality and resale. The 4.0 in the FJ is a good torquey engine that you could always bolt a TRD supercharger onto safely if need be. I have the same engine in my 08' Tacoma and with 76K on it, I've not had an ounce or trouble.

[haajehaa]

I know this doesn't sound that nice on a E90 forum, but:

Just bought myself a 13' Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara 2,8 CRD to replace my 09 BMW E90 320d! Couldn't be any happier about this choice! Now the modification race has started

The Jeep community is great aswell with lots of forums for tips and DIY's, even more developed than bimmerpost imo.

Go for the wrangler!

[Digital.James]

Wrangler is going to be better off road, but the FJ is probably more practicable, with just a bit less off road prowess. The Wrangler is basically a toy, the sports car of offroaders.

[Rotorocious]

Jeeps reliability and quality is not as good. I test drive both before picking my fj. Jeeps top was already leaking and their transmission made the jeep feel sluggish. The fj feels peppy compared to the jeep. That's sad coming from a 335.
Typical American car short comings with quality and consistency.
Resale value on FJs is really good also.


I like my fj but there's somethings to consider.
Putting People in the backseat through those half doors Is a pain. I rarely have to do that so it's not a big deal but if you have kids then it will suck.

Limited visibility, I put some convex mirrors on the existing side mirrors and pretty much fixed most of the issue. Windshield is still pretty short so if you roll up real close to a light you may loose sight of it.

Towing. The jeep can't tow for shit.
I think the max rating was about 2000 lbs for the jeep compared to the 5000 lbs for the fj.

Other than that it's a decent daily. I've take it through some good off road areas on just the stock tires and been impressed with what it does out of the box. Some good deep water abilities. If it had 4 full doors then it would be near perfect
I get about 18-20 mpg.


My first time taking it out. I've taken it through much worse stuff but never have time or someone to get out and film it

[kihun]

^^ love your FJ man! I

[MisterSkiMask]

If it is anything but a toy, I have to vote fj. I love jeeps, but living with one as a dd...not great...

[squishy]

Honestly, after owning quite a few off-road rigs (including the FJ Cruiser), I say you should look into the Nissan Xterra (07 and after--the 06 had cross-contamination issues with the tranny). The VQ40 Nissan puts in the Xterra, Frontier, and Z is an absolute beast, and you'll never have an issue with it. They are seriously built to be beaten, and they are fun as hell to drive. The Xterra, in my opinion, is comparably better in every category against the FJ. Compared with the FJ, the Xterra has MUCH better visibility, five full doors (unlike the half doors on the FJ), and can tow a house if need be.

I've owned a 2006 Frontier and 2007 FJ in the past, and currently own a 2013 Xterra. Absolutely love it. The FJ is too top heavy, so there's been a problem with it rolling over. The Frontier has a wider wheel base, so it's more stable, as does the Xterra.

From what I've heard from the off-roading community, Wrangler owners visit the dealership far too often for issues. I didn't have many issues with my FJ, and never an issue with the Frontier. Xterra is good thus far as well.

Just my opinion, but I highly recommend you look into an 07+ Xterra.

[kihun]

^ I'm surprised to see how many people used to own fj cruiser in this forum.

[haajehaa]

Originally Posted by Digital.James

.... The Wrangler is basically a toy, the sports car of offroaders.

Isn't that basicly why we buy cars in the first place?
I'll never buy a car just because it's a "car", like Kia, Hyundai etc

[Rotorocious]

Good point on the xterra, good balance of both

[Mr Tonka]

Have we determined if you're looking at an unlimited or 2 door?

Originally Posted by Beondwacko

The FJ is superior in all measures of quality and resale. The 4.0 in the FJ is a good torquey engine that you could always bolt a TRD supercharger onto safely if need be. I have the same engine in my 08' Tacoma and with 76K on it, I've not had an ounce or trouble.

I would question the resale comment here. But nothing else.

Originally Posted by haajehaa

I know this doesn't sound that nice on a E90 forum, but:

Just bought myself a 13' Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara 2,8 CRD to replace my 09 BMW E90 320d! Couldn't be any happier about this choice! Now the modification race has started

The Jeep community is great aswell with lots of forums for tips and DIY's, even more developed than bimmerpost imo.

Go for the wrangler!

The difference between a 2013 and 2007 wrangler is like the difference between a E36 318 to an E46 M3. The 2007 is truly a gutless wonder. I believe the 0-60 is in the 14-16 second range. Now, i know you're not getting a jeep to drag race, but that is staggeringly slow for a modern vehicle. Mods will only make it slower unless they all go into the motor. Wheels, tires, lift, etc… all make it slower.





If i knew then what i know now, i wouldn't have bought a 2007 Wrangler. Don't get me wrong, i really like it, but the fact that it can't get out of it's own way keeps it in the garage more often than not. In fact, once the RR Sport gets here, i'm planning on taking the top off completely and replacing the doors with a tubular variant. There by making it a sunny day vehicle only.

Originally Posted by MisterSkiMask

If it is anything but a toy, I have to vote fj. I love jeeps, but living with one as a dd...not great...

To echo the above, if it had a pair of balls, even little ones, it would be much better as a DD.

It's hard to argue with the looks of a nicely modded wrangler, but a modded FJs looks pretty darn sweet as well.

[mucusmembranesmoist]

The pre 2012 engines were minivan engines but reliable. The jeep forums are full of engine issues with the new 3.6L which has more power.

Im lucky so far in that I have no issues.

Traded in a suped up 2006 WRX STI for 2012 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited and never looked back.

Jeep can be argued as the most customizable vehicle in the US. That being said, the FJ has a very high resale value and now that it is going to be discontinued, the value can be higher.

[squishy]

Originally Posted by Mr Tonka

I would question the resale comment here. But nothing else.

The FJ Cruiser has exceptional resale value.

[Rotorocious]

Originally Posted by squishy

The FJ Cruiser has exceptional resale value.

+1 one of the reasons I got it so in case I chafed my mind it wouldn't be too bad to swap.

http://www.kbb.com/new-cars/best-res...-10-cars-2013/

I know the link is for 2013 but it shows how most fjs are.
I couldn't find a lower mileage used fj for less than 24. Since the the difference wasn't much, I bought a new one with 100k warranty for a little more.

[Mr Tonka]

Originally Posted by squishy

The FJ Cruiser has exceptional resale value.

Originally Posted by Rotorocious

+1 one of the reasons I got it so in case I chafed my mind it wouldn't be too bad to swap.

http://www.kbb.com/new-cars/best-res...-10-cars-2013/

I know the link is for 2013 but it shows how most fjs are.
I couldn't find a lower mileage used fj for less than 24. Since the the difference wasn't much, I bought a new one with 100k warranty for a little more.

I'm not saying the FJ has bad resale value. I actually have no knowledge of the subject. Except that i've always liked FJs.

I'm just saying that jeep wranglers also have exceptional resale value. Maybe it varies based on locations, but here in FL, decent 2007-8 Sahara unlimiteds are still in the $18 - $30k range. Also, wranglers are one of the few vehicles in the market that actually go up in value with mods rather than down like BMWs or nearly every other vehicle. It's also a bit counter intuitive because there are a plethora of wranglers available. With so many available i wouldn't think they would hold their value as well as they do.

I wonder if the FJ value would be as high if there were as many FJs as wranglers?

[mucusmembranesmoist]

I love my Jeep but if I could, I wouldn't mid having an FJ too

Originally Posted by Mr Tonka

I'm not saying the FJ has bad resale value. I actually have no knowledge of the subject. Except that i've always liked FJs.

I'm just saying that jeep wranglers also have exceptional resale value. Maybe it varies based on locations, but here in FL, decent 2007-8 Sahara unlimiteds are still in the $18 - $30k range. Also, wranglers are one of the few vehicles in the market that actually go up in value with mods rather than down like BMWs or nearly every other vehicle. It's also a bit counter intuitive because there are a plethora of wranglers available. With so many available i wouldn't think they would hold their value as well as they do.

I wonder if the FJ value would be as high if there were as many FJs as wranglers?

[kihun]

I'm leaning towards FJ more than the Jeep wrangler.. Resell value for FJ is higher than the jeep.. trust me I have been looking around for about 3 weeks now.. I can't find a decent 15k for below 100k miles in 100 miles radius right now.. and I'm having trouble seeing my car every morning.. it gets me thinking.. damn it im gonna miss my 335i too =(

[KingOfJericho]

My father has an FJ but I would get the Wrangler. The FJ is blindspot city and the flywheel on the FJ is terrible. RPMs just hang when you're shifting. Comparing resale values on these two vehicles is stupid. Both hold their value extremely well.