Offroadability - Tacoma vs Liberty

MacAttack · **Posted:** Fri Mar 16, 2007 12:35 pm

Just wondering how does something like an offroad equipped Tacoma compare to a Liberty, both stock?

I was kind of looking at a Tacoma when I bought my Liberty, but never really saw any comparisons between the 2.
So just looking at the offroad aspect how does the Pickup compare to the SUV?

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Fri Mar 16, 2007 12:51 pm

Totally different classes of vehicles,there is more after market parts for the Tacomma then the KJ.As for stock vs stock,they are probally the same with the KJ winning for the shorter wheelbase,but tha Tacoma has more ground clearance.Look at these recalls I found for the Tacomma,the most interesting is the 4th one down, http://www.lemonauto.com/complaints/toyota/toyota_tacoma.htm

spoonplugger1 · **Posted:** Fri Mar 16, 2007 1:02 pm

In the tight trails found in our part of the country (Oregon/WA), there is no comparision the Liberty will turn circles inside the Tacoma's turning radius. There's an old country tune "Give Me Forty Acres And I'll Turn This Rig Around". Was behind one the other day that took 3 tries to get a U turn done into the Starbucks drive thru, I had no problem.

SnowgodCCR · **Posted:** Fri Mar 16, 2007 1:26 pm

No contest...you're talking Pickup Truck vs. SUV.
Just looking at the offroad aspect, the KJ will literally turn circles around a Taco in every catergory but ground clearance.

You've never seen any direct comparisons between the two because they're COMPLETELY different vehicles, so you won't see them either.

MacAttack, it would seem that you've got buyer's remorse. Your transmission is and will be fine, and your KJ isn't a pickup truck-if you didn't notice that when you bought it then, well....you know the rest

. What I think you need to do is go find some rocks or mud or a mountain, and go drive your KJ through/over it. Maybe even camp out with it for a night or two. Basically, you need to CHILL and enjoy your Jeep.

MacAttack · **Posted:** Fri Mar 16, 2007 1:34 pm

Quote:

MacAttack, it would seem that you've got buyer's remorse. Your transmission is and will be fine, and your KJ isn't a pickup truck-if you didn't notice that when you bought it then, well....you know the rest

. What I think you need to do is go find some rocks or mud or a mountain, and go drive your KJ through/over it. Maybe even camp out with it for a night or two. Basically, you need to CHILL and enjoy your Jeep.

No, really, I'm ok now. I'm just bored at work, and I've always wondered how a pickup compares to an SUV. I love my Liberty. I can't find any other vehicle from any other manufacturer that compares to it in the same price range. Except maybe another Jeep.
Really, I'm fine. The stick shift is even getting better every day.

SnowgodCCR · **Posted:** Fri Mar 16, 2007 1:48 pm

MacAttack wrote:

Quote:

MacAttack, it would seem that you've got buyer's remorse. Your transmission is and will be fine, and your KJ isn't a pickup truck-if you didn't notice that when you bought it then, well....you know the rest

. What I think you need to do is go find some rocks or mud or a mountain, and go drive your KJ through/over it. Maybe even camp out with it for a night or two. Basically, you need to CHILL and enjoy your Jeep.

No, really, I'm ok now. I'm just bored at work, and I've always wondered how a pickup compares to an SUV. I love my Liberty. I can't find any other vehicle from any other manufacturer that compares to it in the same price range. Except maybe another Jeep.
Really, I'm fine. The stick shift is even getting better every day.

In which case, Dr. Snowgod reccomends a camping trip with your Jeep. It'll do you good. And since you have so little to do at work that you can be posting on L.O.S.T. while you're there, you wouldn't even be missing anything :lol:

!! No but seriously, I think that a day or two in the mountains and mud with your jeep will do you good. Actually, I think it would do EVERYONE good-you hear that L.O.S.T.!!!! TIME TO HIT THE WOODS IN YOUR JEEP!

...I think that I need it as much as anyone....

swyszomirski · **Joined:** Sat Oct 01, 2005 2:59 am **Posts:** 286

I here that! I am 4 days away from being done with college finals, and I am getting edgy to go find some mud and wrench on my Jeep... My campus as these large livestock fields that look great, but I need to be able to come back for one more quarter, so I will have to turn donuts in the mud elsewhere.... :evil:

FastTRX · **Posted:** Fri Mar 16, 2007 3:03 pm

The short wheelbase of the KJ will AMAZE you on the trail...even stock! :shock:

These are capable little SUVs.

SnowgodCCR · **Posted:** Fri Mar 16, 2007 3:41 pm

swyszomirski wrote:

I here that! I am 4 days away from being done with college finals, and I am getting edgy to go find some mud and wrench on my Jeep... My campus as these large livestock fields that look great, but I need to be able to come back for one more quarter, so I will have to turn donuts in the mud elsewhere.... :evil:

I'm 7 days away from returing to college for the next 9 months

. What's even worse is that I was planning on getting away with my girlfriend, jeep, and dog for some of next week, but there's now snow on the ground again :evil:

... At least I'll have the weekends to have a life :cry:

...You shouldn't do doughnuts on college campuses, that's just rude. Think of the livestock

. Good luck with finals, they sure do suck...

desertkj · **Joined:** Mon Jan 30, 2006 8:24 pm **Posts:** 677

SnowgodCCR wrote:

MacAttack wrote:

Quote:

MacAttack, it would seem that you've got buyer's remorse. Your transmission is and will be fine, and your KJ isn't a pickup truck-if you didn't notice that when you bought it then, well....you know the rest

. What I think you need to do is go find some rocks or mud or a mountain, and go drive your KJ through/over it. Maybe even camp out with it for a night or two. Basically, you need to CHILL and enjoy your Jeep.

No, really, I'm ok now. I'm just bored at work, and I've always wondered how a pickup compares to an SUV. I love my Liberty. I can't find any other vehicle from any other manufacturer that compares to it in the same price range. Except maybe another Jeep.
Really, I'm fine. The stick shift is even getting better every day.

In which case, Dr. Snowgod reccomends a camping trip with your Jeep. It'll do you good. And since you have so little to do at work that you can be posting on L.O.S.T. while you're there, you wouldn't even be missing anything :lol:

!! No but seriously, I think that a day or two in the mountains and mud with your jeep will do you good. Actually, I think it would do EVERYONE good-you hear that L.O.S.T.!!!! TIME TO HIT THE WOODS IN YOUR JEEP!

...I think that I need it as much as anyone....

x2. Take my advice. Unless you are seriously considering buying it in the next week, don't look at the advantages of other vehicles. All it will do is make you second guess yourself and start wanting other things.

wendell · **Posted:** Fri Mar 16, 2007 5:33 pm

The toyota tacoma is superior in every way, they never break, rust or fade. They were inspired by the allmighty himself. If your driving anything other than a toyota, your walking and don't know it. They last longer, are built tougher, have more power, run faster, jump higher, land softer, turn tighter and have higher resale.

Thats just a sample of what I put up with from the toyota guy's, I wouldn't hit a dog in the butt with one myself, you have the better vehicle. I had to teach the yoda bunch some respect for my ranger, I'm sure I'll have to take them to school with the kj as well. They think just because it says toyota that thier unstopable, it's a shame the mud doesn't see it the same way ha ha.

1300ZUK · **Posted:** Fri Mar 16, 2007 6:28 pm

I'd take a Tacoma, if it wasn't for Toyota's absurd resale value i would have one right now, but i wasn't going to spend 20K on a Taco with 100K miles on it

KY Liberty · **Joined:** Sat Jul 09, 2005 1:46 pm **Posts:** 1195

I've never had a Tacoma, but every Toyota I've had has gone over 150,000 miles before needing any repairs. I only put 24k miles on my '98 Cherokee when I sold it to my Dad. It's around 50k now with no problems. My Mom has never had any problems with her '03 Grand Cherokee with around 50k on it. With my '01 Liberty, I managed to do a little damage to a couple valves, and scorched a couple cylinders after running a 75-100 rwhp shot of N2O for a year. Imagine flipping a switch, and you have a well running 5.7 Hemi under the hood. The motor held it pretty well considering, and the transmission with an upgraded torque converter, and rear differential handled it with no problems. The stock engine and transmission really should give around 150k before needing any repairs with normal use. I don't think you could go wrong with either vehicle. It just depends on what you want to use it for since they are completely different vehicles. I wanted a small SUV, and I wanted a Jeep. The decision was easy when I thought about getting a 4 door Taco with a supercharger. Of course, I wouldn't mind having that as my second vehicle.

wendell · **Posted:** Fri Mar 16, 2007 6:43 pm

Toyota has to make the uglest p/u on the planet and thier not one bit better than the rest is as good. I've had 5 rangers and will have 5 more before I would ever buy one of those ugly trucks. I wheel with acouple of tacoma's, I can't stop smiling when they break. The owners are in such disbelief that thier toyota would actually break. It's not that the fords, chevy's and jeeps don't, we just expect it, we know it can happen when your wheeling in the rough. The toyota's guy's think thier trucks are invinsible, the look on thier face is priceless. I don't mean to be so hard on them, I've been toyota'ed to death, thats all you hear anymore is toyota this and toyota that. Geeezzz, give me a break allready. I don't know how we survived all the years toyota wasn't around.

DaveKJ02 · **Posted:** Fri Mar 16, 2007 8:05 pm

No way a built KJ will keep up with a built Taco on the trails. I've wheeled with a bunch of 'em at a benefit ride and those things jump rocks like a billygoat. I think they were running at least 33's and no matter what BS people throw about how great a rig is, tire size is the biggest differentiator between equally equiped trucks.

wendell · **Posted:** Fri Mar 16, 2007 8:52 pm

For one, it's apples and oranges, the lib is an suv where as the taco is a truck (sorta). Being a truck, it's a little liight in the looffers, the kj has better weight distribution for better traction. The taco for sure has the ground clearence advatage. They are made for different functions, suv's haul people, trucks haul cargo, it's more to the point, what suits your needs, I have one of each, truck and an suv. Both properly equiped will take you where you want to go, if not, maybe you have no business going there ha ha. It comes down to preference and function, do you perfere an suv or do you need a truck, they both will wheel. As allways, it's about lockers, lifts, tires and power to which will go the farthest and how much money you have to spend. Out of the box, there both pretty capable, one sets a little higher and ones a little bigger, but they will still get her done.

Tokyojoe · **Posted:** Fri Mar 16, 2007 9:22 pm

Wendell,

What's up with the change in gears in this last post compared to your previous post? :shock:

We all know how you feel about Japanese cars/trucks/SUV's. You caught me off guard with your last sentence from the post just above this one. :lol:

I had a regular 2wd Toyota Pickup (`86), bought brand new. I put 211,000 miles on it with not one single problem the 12 yrs I owned it. That includes a nasty front end crash that did some engine damage, which I put it back together again. I can't say much about the Tacoma since it is a different beast from my 2wd, but as others have said, pickups and SUV's.....two different vehicles from two different categories and differing needs.

You won't see soccer mom's and dad's taking little Chip and Elizabeth to the soccer games in the pickups....Muhahahaha!!!! Just kidding. Perhaps back in the 70's when everyone could toss a kid in the back of a pickup......LOL! :twisted:

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Fri Mar 16, 2007 9:54 pm

Tokyojoe wrote:

You won't see soccer mom's and dad's taking little Chip and Elizabeth to the soccer games in the pickups....Muhahahaha!!!! Just kidding. Perhaps back in the 70's when everyone could toss a kid in the back of a pickup......LOL! :twisted:

I was born in the 80's, but man do I miss riding around in the back of pickups. :lol:

Who cares if it was stupid! It was fun!

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Sat Mar 17, 2007 5:08 am

If I wanted a REAL truck, I would get a Diesel. :wink:

If I were in your shoes, hands down, the KJ would be my choice.

The Liberty has a good turning radius and an adequate throttle response making it easier to modulate when creeping through rocky tight places and muddy terrain. The Liberty has good articulation as well as the fine tuned rack and pinion steering system which is nice for those challenging trails. The Liberty has excellent ground clearance at the factory height at 9.4 inches and has a 37.2 approach, 31.5 departure, and 21.8 breakover. The Liberty’s ground clearance and higher air box allows for good water fording opportunities. After a few modifications, the Liberty can do some serious off-roading!

Back when Toyota made stripped down small trucks and small engines, they didn’t have all the problems. But now that they are trying to catch up to the North American CHEVY, FORD, and DODGE full sized market, they have all kinds of problems. :oops:

Just look at their numerous recalls. :oops:

Bigger and more complex trucks are going to have more problematic issues because they are designed to WORK, PULL, HAUL, and handle the RANCH LIFE. :wink:

Toyota is catching up to the competition, but they haven’t gotten there yet. You don’t see a Toyota pulling a gooseneck trailer with 15,000 pounds of hay. You don’t see a Toyota pulling a Fifth Wheel or 30’ foot travel trailer. You get my point………….

wendell · **Posted:** Sat Mar 17, 2007 5:58 am

HA HA my feelings aside I was just being honest, I have yoda wheeling buddies and we get along great. If we couldn't pick on each other, it wouldn't be half the fun. Taco's are very capable offroaders, but thier trucks, different design function than the lib. I'm so use to having to defend my american products, that I automatically go into attack mode ha ha, It's all good.

Offroadability - Tacoma vs Liberty

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