Taco or FJ?

[kellymoe]

I rode in the backseat of the FJ last week. I was stuck in there for 2 hours. The rear windows made me feel I was sitting in a window seat of a passenger jet. Thats not meant as a compliment. The drive took me from Vancouver to Whistler. I feel like I missed half the scenery along the way. I considered buying an FJ at one time but after that drive I am now looking at the Taco. I dont want my kids to feel like they are viewing the world through a keyhole.

I know this has nothing to do with off road capabilities but it's still a important consideration.

 

[MuddyMudskipper]

I drove my buddies FJC and I thought that it was a very competent off road rig. I've also driven a friend's Tacoma and I can honestly say I liked them both. The biggest knock I have against the FJC is that it is loaded with blind spots. The mirrors obstruct your view and the windshield is so short there is an obstructed view by the hood (three windshield wipers :ylsmoke. This is an area where I think the "look" of the truck took precedence over the "function".

Like kellymoe said,

I know this has nothing to do with off road capabilities but it's still an important consideration.

 

[Bergger]

I have an 03 Tacoma Dbl Cab TRD and love it off road. It does quite well. But I'd say the FJC has the edge off road in many areas, except visibility. Stronger modified Land Cruiser Prado frame, auto transmission from the V8
4Runner, stronger CV shafts, center diff with locker and A-Trac. However I love the versatility of a compact 4door pickup and would not trade it for the FJC since I usually travel with my wife and daughter. I would not subject my daughter to a long on road trip or even short off road trip in the FJC's back seat. If they could just give the Taco a stronger frame, A-Trac, stronger CVs it'd be almost perfect. I do wish they'd down size it again so it is more in line with the 95-04 models.

 

[mauricio_28]

All very enlightening insights. It seems I stirred up an ant's nest. It's all good. First of all, I have no little interest in the JeeP JK because of its less refined on-road manners compared to the Taco or FJ. I am also a sucker for Japanese cars, whereas American rigs have hardly ever interested me. Please no flames as I come from the US of A.

My intent is to drive an "expedition" type vehicle from the U.S. to Panama. That necessarily involves long hours on the tarmac, so the ideal "expedition" vehicle for this expedition has to balance on and off-road performance. Another contender, of course, is a Nissan Frontier. Other considerations are off-the-shelf, stock capabilities so the options boil down to:

FJ TRD,
Taco TRD
Frontier Nismo

Now, I (will in a couple of weeks) drive a Nissan Navara here in Indonesia so purchasing another Nissan pickup is less attractive than getting something different with a Toyota.

I don't care about the FJ's small rear windows as I don't have kids and I will be sitting in the driver's seat. In fact, I intend to take out the rear seats altogether to add cargo space.

Keep the comments coming!

 

[Cackalak Han]

All very enlightening insights. It seems I stirred up an ant's nest. It's all good. First of all, I have no little interest in the JeeP JK because of its less refined on-road manners compared to the Taco or FJ. I am also a sucker for Japanese cars, whereas American rigs have hardly ever interested me. Please no flames as I come from the US of A.

My intent is to drive an "expedition" type vehicle from the U.S. to Panama. That necessarily involves long hours on the tarmac, so the ideal "expedition" vehicle for this expedition has to balance on and off-road performance. Another contender, of course, is a Nissan Frontier. Other considerations are off-the-shelf, stock capabilities so the options boil down to:

FJ TRD,
Taco TRD
Frontier Nismo

Now, I (will in a couple of weeks) drive a Nissan Navara here in Indonesia so purchasing another Nissan pickup is less attractive than getting something different with a Toyota.

I don't care about the FJ's small rear windows as I don't have kids and I will be sitting in the driver's seat. In fact, I intend to take out the rear seats altogether to add cargo space.

Keep the comments coming!

If you are looking for off-road prowess and cargo space, your choice is obvious. Tacoma AC will fit your needs. Much cheaper than an FJ or Tacoma DC. Plenty of cargo space in the bed. Plenty of room for two in the cabin. Few mods and you're set to go.

 

[Streakerfreak]

If you are looking for off-road prowess and cargo space, your choice is obvious. Tacoma AC will fit your needs. Much cheaper than an FJ or Tacoma DC. Plenty of cargo space in the bed. Plenty of room for two in the cabin. Few mods and you're set to go.

I like the access cab because while it is not very comfortable to sit back there you at least have that option if you need it in an emergency. Its usually just Jenn and I, but there has been times when we needed those uncomfortable seats. The access cabs are a happy median between the two.

Anyways, for myself, I will always need the availability of a truck so an FJ, while very cool, is out of the question.

 

[asteffes]

You are not supposed to have 4WD engaged on dry pavement. You are causing large amounts of strain on the drivetrain and could damage something. I accidentally did that in my old 4Runner and ended up blowing the x-case seal. You'd better check under your truck for leaks.

I've never done it intentionally, nor for long. The binding was while attempting to turn on a less-than-slick surface. My point, really, was that a center diff provides some flexibility when going from high to low-traction surfaces. The best example I can think of is a highway with a thin layer of snow. With the transfer case, you need a certain amount of slip - as you point out - whereas with the center diff you can just drive along with AWD traction. I have to make a choice to turn the 4WD on and off in that situation.

Now, a lockable center diff is probably the best option of all: AWD all the time, with the option to force torque delivery to both axles. Maybe the 4Runner, Land Cruiser or a Rover is the answer.... or does the FJ offer that?

 

[asteffes]

I rode in the backseat of the FJ last week. I was stuck in there for 2 hours. The rear windows made me feel I was sitting in a window seat of a passenger jet. Thats not meant as a compliment. The drive took me from Vancouver to Whistler. I feel like I missed half the scenery along the way. I considered buying an FJ at one time but after that drive I am now looking at the Taco. I dont want my kids to feel like they are viewing the world through a keyhole.

I know this has nothing to do with off road capabilities but it's still a important consideration.

Totally agree. Many passengers have complimented my Tacoma's excellent rear seating. The double cab is the way to go if you need to carry 4+.

 

[mauricio_28]

The price difference between a similarly equipped Taco AC and the FJ are neglible, whereas a similarly equipped Frontier is about $2.5k less. The ability to seat more than two persons comfortably is a non-issue for me.

 

[Cackalak Han]

The price difference between a similarly equipped Taco AC and the FJ are neglible, whereas a similarly equipped Frontier is about $2.5k less. The ability to seat more than two persons comfortably is a non-issue for me.

No way an Tacoma AC and FJ are the same price. I almost bought an 07 Taco DC last year for $30k OTD (Super White, TRD Off-Road). FJ was a bit above that (like $33k or something). I could've picked up an AC for much less than that.

As far as the Frontier goes, the first year's depreciation will more than make up for the price difference.

 

[Rallyroo]

I've never done it intentionally, nor for long. The binding was while attempting to turn on a less-than-slick surface. My point, really, was that a center diff provides some flexibility when going from high to low-traction surfaces. The best example I can think of is a highway with a thin layer of snow. With the transfer case, you need a certain amount of slip - as you point out - whereas with the center diff you can just drive along with AWD traction. I have to make a choice to turn the 4WD on and off in that situation.

Now, a lockable center diff is probably the best option of all: AWD all the time, with the option to force torque delivery to both axles. Maybe the 4Runner, Land Cruiser or a Rover is the answer.... or does the FJ offer that?

Transfer cases are found all all 4WD vehicles. A transfer case is used to send power to the front and rear. And it's the transfer case that contains the low range of gears.

For example, Land Rovers, which are permanent 4WD still have transfer cases. But some models come with the option of a center locking differential.

Obviously, the design of the transfer cases are different on part-time 4WD and all-time 4WD.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Now, a lockable center diff is probably the best option of all

I agree. The most flexible option is the V6 4Runner with 2WD, full time 4WD, locked 4WD high and locked 4WD low. The regular 4WD option could be super handy for just the situation like to mention, lightly snow covered roads. You don't have to do the 2WD/4WD dance when significant pavement is involved. But having the 2WD option reduces driveline wear and helps with mileage a little. Now if only the 4Runner didn't have that silly electronic shift dial and had a real lever instead...

 

[michaelgroves]

What would you say the advantage is to the center differential? I know right off the bat you can put a vehicle with a center diff into 4WD on dry pavement, which is helpful when you get patchy snow/ice/etc. mixed with dry pavement, but other than that, I don't see any other advantages?

As you say, permanent 4WD with a lockable centre diff allows you to drive in 4WD without transmission wind up, even on surfaces with good traction. But it's not only useful for sudden losses of traction, it also a big benefit if you are towing or carrying a heavy load, especially if you need the low range of gears. The use of 4WD through a centre diff spreads the torque evenly between 4 wheels instead of two, and halves the strain that would otherwise be taken by the rear axle and shafts alone.

Keeping the centre diff unlocked with a heavy load on uneven ground also protects your running gear from shock loads - if a wheel suddenly lifts when a part-time 4wd system is engaged (or a centre-diff is locked), immediately all the torque is transmitted through the other axle. But if the diff is kept unlocked, it "senses" the loss of torque to the lifted wheel, and correspondingly drops the torque on the other axle. The raised wheel will spin, and the other wheels will remain stationary, giving the driver time to decide if he wants to lock the centre diff and try again, at least being aware of the traction issue.