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truck vs jeep?

23K views 47 replies 31 participants last post by  XKJeep 
#1 ·
Can't decide on keeping my truck or finding a tj anyone help me out!!
 
#3 ·
I have and enjoy both. 98' wrangler and '05 DC Tacoma LB 4x4. I do use the truck alot for family trips and lots of home improvement projects and such but I'm in the Jeep most of the time as a DD. It really depends what your usage will be. The truck is smoother on road with plenty of room along with a bed and increase hauling/towing capabilities but the Jeep is great offroad and handles well in the winter(well, mainly ice in TX) vs the truck.
 
#5 ·
There's really no comparison, in my mind. If you get a truck, then everyone will ask you to help them move.
If you get a TJ, try to get a model prior to 99 - as the 2000+ have issues with bearings, so you'll be replacing the engine.
I bought my TJ brand new in 2000 when I was a dotcom kid. I bought her, thinking it would help me get laid - but it really never came into play like that :)
Also, once you have a Jeep, you're in "the club".
As for 4.0 v 2.5, I got the 4.0, my uncle got the 2.5 - I lent him my 4.0 while I was off in NYC for a couple of years, and he related the most noticeable difference was at highway speeds, where the 2.5 struggled to pass other cars, whereas the 4.0 had the juice.

Your truck will get old and you'll be driving down the road in an old truck. I don't know of any trucks made around the same time as the TJ that people wouldn't see as being an "old truck". With a TJ, you have a classic - I just got mine repainted and it's basically like getting a new Jeep. I'd intended on jacking the Jeep up and having her as just a secondary "fun" ride - but the doctom bubble blew up, so she's been my daily driver to this day.

As for hauling anything, you can just go rent a UHaul for $20 if you need it? Otherwise, you're everybody's goto friend whenever they need to move. No one will ask you to help them move if you have a Jeep. I even have a "hidden hitch" so people don't even realize I can pull a UHaul.

But even with the rear seat folded up - you have just enough room to toss in your camping gear - a portable Weber, tent, crap like that. I can't even get a squared bail of hay back there.

Anyway, I bought my Jeep knowing I'd hold on to her forever. But if, for whatever reason I needed to get rid of her, the resale value beats the crap out of any truck, as far as I know.

Just my worthless two cents - hope it helps. I just don't think a truck and a Jeep are viable "alternatives" - Jeeps are unique, everyone sells trucks.

But I wouldn't buy a used one without having it THOROUGHLY checked by a mechanic - I'm saving up now to have a new engine put in mine once it blows. But, in the meantime, I just got her painted, 'cuz I left her topless for 3 years in Texas and she got a bit too ghetto for a daily driver :)
 
#6 ·
Do you need to tow or haul?

It's really easy to justify how your work or lifestyle requires a truck.
"Needing" a jeep is almost entirely passion or emotion driven.

The ball is in your court.
 
#7 ·
I have both a 97 tj and a 01 dodge I see that your from Michigan and this is just my opinion but my tuck handles snow and ice so much better than the jeep the wheelbase and weight of the truck really make it easy the drive threw the big snowfalls we get around here. That being said I LOVE the jeep and really wish I would have bought one sooner if I were you and it was in the budget I would just have one of each;)
 
#11 ·
Silverado Ss here for a work truck and 01 tj for a daily driver. Even have a 6'x8' trailer if I feel like taking the jeep somewhere with the quad or if I really need to load the truck up. I enjoy daily driving the jeep more but for long trips with the gf dog and gear nothing beats the truck. I took the bench seat out of the back of my jeep and just keep a big dog bed back there.
 
#14 ·
You should only by a Wrangler if you have to.

By that I mean you should have a burning desire for a Jeep Wrangler that cannot be quenched until you get one. It's an enthusiast vehicle. They are not practical, have limited cargo space, poor gas mileage, and a choppy ride.

Someone asked me how I liked mine. I told them that it was loud, rough, cramped; and that I loved it.

So get enthusiastic, dag nab it.
 
#22 ·
You should only by a Wrangler if you have to. By that I mean you should have a burning desire for a Jeep Wrangler that cannot be quenched until you get one. It's an enthusiast vehicle. They are not practical, have limited cargo space, poor gas mileage, and a choppy ride. Someone asked me how I liked mine. I told them that it was loud, rough, cramped; and that I loved it. So get enthusiastic, dag nab it.
Couldn't agree more .. I waited 20 yrs before I purchased my first Jeep.. Always wanted one, but I went pick up truck and family car because it was practical,, screw practica!! I got my Jeep now and couldn't be happier
 
#20 ·
I made the mistake of getting a Dakota pickup. I really wanted either a Wrangler or a pickup but it wasn't going to be my Daily Driver so it was just going to be my 2nd vehicile. I convinced myself to get a pickup because it would be more practical (picking up supplies at Home Depot etc..) Once I bought it, I spent more time moving stuff for friends and family than using it myself, and I had buyers remorse in the summer seeing all those Jeeps driving around topless. Needless to say, I had it for 6 months, sold it and bought my TJ. Don't make the same mistake I did, just get a Jeep from the start
 
#21 ·
It's totally dependent on your individual situation. I live in the backwoods of NY and utility and everyday survival always trumps fun. I personally know four others, all hunters and who own homes like myself, who own Wranglers as secondary vehicles. Their and my primary vehicle will always be a 4WD truck. The only person I know of in this area (don't know him personally) who owns a Wrangler as his only vehicle is a guy on welfare who gets everything free from the taxpayer or charity, including major repairs on his trailer. I would only own a Wrangler as an only vehicle if I rented and didn't own my home.
 
#32 ·
The only person I know of in this area (don't know him personally) who owns a Wrangler as his only vehicle is a guy on welfare who gets everything free from the taxpayer or charity, including major repairs on his trailer. I would only own a Wrangler as an only vehicle if I rented and didn't own my home.
I know a One Jeep fella who lives in a leaking rented camper down on the Niangua whose only two passions in life are trout fly-fishing and smoking them left-handed cigarettes.

Maybe I should start smoking and sell the house.
 
#24 ·
Both.

A TJ Wrangler is nothing like a truck, it is not a truck. A truck is practical, a TJ Wrangler is not, in fact it is impractical.

There are no bearing issues with 2000 plus Wranglers but the frames seem more resistant to rust from 2003 on. The optimal year is 2004.

As far as people asking you to borrow your truck or move things, tell them no. Perhaps in some parts of the country pu trucks are rare but most places they out number cars so tell them to use their own truck. I am not a moving service.
 
#36 ·
Not in my case. Once I went off-road on a dual sport motorcycle there was no other vehicle that would ever be as much fun. Not a 4-wheeler, not a side-by-side and not any vehicle with a roll-bar. This doesn't mean that I would never take any of these other vehicles off-road. It's just that they wouldn't be as much fun.
 
#34 ·
I need to clarify the meaning of "everyday survival". By this, I didn't mean physical survival. I meant economic survival. Except for a few pockets of well-to-do's here and there, the Adirondack's has been and always will be (I hope) the land of austerity. Translated, most people don't make a lot of money and out of necessity DIY kicks in. There are work-around's for a Wrangler. You can pull a trailer and snowplow with it. But it is a lot more inconvenient than a truck. The hassle of doing these work-around's will soon out-weigh the fun of driving a Wrangler.
 
#35 ·
I needed something to get my TJ out of the salt and relieve it of towing duties. As much as I would like a truck, I can't justify having a 40k truck with payments and comprehensive insurance. And I just don't want to carry a truck bed that doesn't get used very much.

My boat is fairly light and I have a 5x8 enclosed trailer; I can always rent or buy a cheap open trailer if I needed to fill the roll of pickup truck.

So I bought a cherry Cherokee for $4k, 6 years ago. I put 2" rear springs under it, a trailer hitch, trans cooler and Vanco big brake kit. It hasn't cost me a penny, outside of consumable items, since.

It's getting older and I decided a second, $2k backup Cherokee ( a year newer) was a good idea and still way cheaper than a truck. I did this because I know someday something will go wrong that I can't fix immediately. I would end up going to a shop, get hosed and still be down (without my boat) for some unknown, painful period of time

The second Cherokee now has 2" rear springs and trailer hitch, and will get the trans cooler and possibly the big brake kit.

I figure I have about 8k in two Cherokees over the last 6 years , and I could sell out of them for $6k if given 4-6 weeks to find buyers.
 
#37 ·
I agree with most of the responses above. The two don't compare. I have one of each. The truck is used for Home Depot runs, towing my trailers (small utility, dump and travel trailers) as well as those days helping friends move (though these are less frequent since I am pretty busy on the weekends camping or running to Home Depot!) I never had a problem using my truck to help a friend or family member out. Many of my friends and family have helped me out immensely in the past and continue to do so today.

My jeep is for fun, though it is kind of my DD as well (I have a company vehicle, so only "need" the jee outside of business hours). Wife DDs the truck. When I was laid off in 2014, I had to buy a new vehicle because we only had one at the time (company car from previous job was my DD). Since it had been 14 years since I bought a vehicle for myself, I decided to get something fun, not sensible or practical. We have the truck for long drives or grocery grabbing along with all the things the listed above. The family and I love both of our vehicles for different reasons. They both take us on different adventures and both serve a purpose.

If I had to choose one over the other, at this time in my life, it would be the truck because of functionality. Though I would probably find an old jeep for cheap and try to find the time to fix it up. I am glad I don't have to choose.
 
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