Liberty CRD vs Fj Cruiser

[Nullifier]

SO in my planning for my next ride I have been planning FJ cruiser but I have wanted a small diesel for a long time now. My wifes TDI is a great car and I love driving the diesel, so I was thinking about a 2006 Liberty CRD instead of an FJ.

Now before you guys go NO WAY here me out. OME lift and front bumer with winch. arb Lockers & new gears, full skids, rear bumper and sliders, 265/70/16 tires, lights, Snorkel (by Airflow just out), and roof rack.

THis would serve as my primary daily driver for 3 years then go to trail rig. I know the FJ is a capable trail rig but they are both an IFS front with coil spring rear. How much better could the FJ really be over a liberty on the trail if equipped equally. Plus I'll have the diesel for reliability and longevity. I don't know just thinking out loud.

I have seen some Liberty CRD's with less then 15K miles on them for 17-19K I could buy the liberty and kit it out for almost the cost of just the FJ.

[JPFreek1]

I'm just slightly biased but my preference would certainly be the Liberty with the options you've described. True...the FJ Cruiser did earn 4x4 of the Year (ahead of the Rubicon Unlimited) but Jeeps are Jeeps and the description you gave probably can't be topped in the compact/mid-size SUV market. I say go with the Liberty!

[DaveInDenver]

One thing that would bother me right now is the state of flux of Daimler Chrysler. Will a CRD diesel be an orphan soon, parts availability in 5 or 10 years? One thing Toyota has going for it is longevity, they're not going anywhere, there is no talk of spinning off, who's buying who, etc. Toyota spares availability is very well known, you will not be left out to dry. But my criteria is a bit longer term. No doubt a Liberty would be a fine vehicle, but I tend to keep trucks for a very long time. I rebuilt the engine in a 17 year old truck and fully expect another 15+ years for it. Toyota still has parts for 20 year old trucks in their system and so I don't think that keeping it for 25 or 30 years is a completely unreasonable expectation.

[Nullifier]

One thing that would bother me right now is the state of flux of Daimler Chrysler. Will a CRD diesel be an orphan soon, parts availability in 5 or 10 years? One thing Toyota has going for it is longevity, they're not going anywhere, there is no talk of spinning off, who's buying who, etc. Toyota spares availability is very well known, you will not be left out to dry. But my criteria is a bit longer term. No doubt a Liberty would be a fine vehicle, but I tend to keep trucks for a very long time. I rebuilt the engine in an 17 year old truck and fully expect another 15+ years for it. Toyota still has parts for 20 year old trucks in their system and so I don't think that keeping it for 25 or 30 years is a completely unreasonable expectation.

Good point on the part issue. Right now the CRD is not even in production. I guess THey did not update the motor for the new specs. Probably the same reason the CRD for the Grand Cherokee is still not available. Part availability could be an issue, but I do not fear that as much as I probably should. It's a shame that our country does not currently offer one small truck or SUV with a diesel option.

[DaveInDenver]

Good point on the part issue. Right now the CRD is not even in production. I guess THey did not update the motor for the new specs. Probably the same reason the CRD for the Grand Cherokee is still not available. Part availability could be an issue, but I do not fear that as much as I probably should.
It's only an issue if you plan to keep the truck long enough for it to be.

[Dirty Harry]

To be honest I am not a huge fan of the FJ Cruiser, but there are a couple of concerns I have with your choice. If you are making it based on mileage, check the numbers. Jeep claims 21/27, but I have not found that to be the case. My neighbor is getting around 18 mpg on B10 in mixed driving. Compare that to the 18/22 of the FJ Cruiser. I don't know why the CRD cannot make mileage figures comparable to a TDI, or at least better than one ton diesel trucks!

The other issue for wheeling/expedition use is the disparity in tire size. You can fit larger tires on a stock FJ than a lifted Liberty. The added ground clearance will definitely come in handy. Otherwise, I like how you plan to outfit the Liberty and I definitely appreciate building something different than the norm.

[Scott Brady]

4Runner V6. No question IMHO.

[calamaridog]

4Runner V6. No question IMHO.

I agree:REOutArchery02: Sometimes I wish I'd bought one instead of the LC...



Have you actually looked under the front end of a Liberty? I have one my friend, and I'm not impressed with the front suspension or running gear. The lift options still suck on the Liberty compared to the FJ/Taco/4runner.

I think the Liberty CRD was a neat idea, but the FJ has more trail potential.

[jeffryscott]

I seriously looked at the Liberty before purchase of my 4Runner, with similar upgrade ideas. I'm glad I went with the 4Runner (2001). The Liberty is SMALL inside and not very economical (even the diesel). I was looking for more room moving up from my Suzuki and there was an inch or two in the rear seats and an inch or two in the luggage area, but that was all.

In all honesty, I really did like the Jeep, but I think space would be a huge issue ultimately. And for a trail rig, even with max lift on the Liberty, you are only matching, or barely surpassing, stock clearance on the Toyota.

[Tucson T4R]

4Runner V6. No question IMHO.

Scott,

I'm obviously a huge 4Runner fan here. Just curious why you selected the 4Runner as your first choice?

[JPFreek1]

One thing that would bother me right now is the state of flux of Daimler Chrysler. Will a CRD diesel be an orphan soon, parts availability in 5 or 10 years? One thing Toyota has going for it is longevity, they're not going anywhere, there is no talk of spinning off, who's buying who, etc. Toyota spares availability is very well known, you will not be left out to dry. But my criteria is a bit longer term. No doubt a Liberty would be a fine vehicle, but I tend to keep trucks for a very long time. I rebuilt the engine in a 17 year old truck and fully expect another 15+ years for it. Toyota still has parts for 20 year old trucks in their system and so I don't think that keeping it for 25 or 30 years is a completely unreasonable expectation.

I don't know that I'd be too concerned about parts availability based strictly on the sale of the Chrysler unit. If the Chrysler unit were be discontinued permanently then yes, I would certainly be concerned. The way I see it, as long as there are vehicles on the road of a particular make/model, parts will be available based on demand.

With that said, I completely agree about the Liberty front suspension and its limited spacing for larger tires. However, a well-equipped Liberty (per the original thread) will definitely surprise a lot of Liberty haters out there. Also note that we're talking about the small/mid-size SUV market here. I like Scott's assertion about the 4runner but isn't that considered a different class though?

[teotwaki]

4Runner V6. No question IMHO.

Agreed. It carries 4 more gallons of gas than the FJ and has better visibility out the sides and back. Suspension mods, sliders, lockers and skids are all available.

[Nullifier]

4Runner V6. No question IMHO.

Like this? and why the 6 not the 8? I know you spent some time in the arb rig which I thought was an 8. I will have a Cmapa unit bythe time I get ready to wheel whatever rig I will be using.

On a side note and this is crazy but a Snorkel is a big thing for me also. With Arb and the others not offering them for newer u.s. market vehicles, it makes it an even tougher dilema. A snorkel is important for Fl wheeling. I want my cake and eat it too LOL!

[Scott Brady]

On a side note and this is crazy but a Snorkel is a big thing for me also. With Arb and the others not offering them for newer u.s. market vehicles, it makes it an even tougher dilema. A snorkel is important for Fl wheeling. I want my cake and eat it too LOL!

I have driven the 4runner with the 8 and the FJ with the six, and think the six is a better choice. Hauling the heavy trailer would make the 8 nice though.

Neither the FJ, KJ or Gen 4 4Runners have snorkel options currently.

[pskhaat]

huge 4Runner fan here. Just curious why you selected the 4Runner as your first choice?

<sarcasm>
There's a difference between the FJ and the 4Runner?
</sarcasm>

[teotwaki]

<sarcasm>
There's a difference between the FJ and the 4Runner?
</sarcasm>

The FJC is funny looking...... sort of a 4x4 Scion Xb :sport_box

[Nullifier]

I have driven the 4runner with the 8 and the FJ with the six, and think the six is a better choice. Hauling the heavy trailer would make the 8 nice though.

Neither the FJ, KJ or Gen 4 4Runners have snorkel options currently.

Thanks for the feedback Scott. The KJ now has a snorkel option from a company called airflow. Lostkjs has a thread on it. http://www.lostkjs.com/forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=19923

The FJ snorkel should be out shortly according to Chris @ ARB

[Scott Brady]

Get the JK or 4Runner...

Without question, the best new offerings available today.

The Liberty and FJC will both be compromises to real-world functionality.

This is not meant to downplay the Liberty or FJC at all. The FJC is a crazy, fun machine for daily driver / trail use. The Liberty is high on value and has a diesel option.

But given your aspirations for travel, get the JK 4Door or 4Runner. The Xterra would be an option too (and a good one). In the world of reasonably priced, functional expedition wagons, those are the only ones I would consider...

If you want something wild, build a Brute!

[2006KJSPORT4x4]

Not sure if you have checked the L.O.S.T. KJ board at all, but they have a wonderful CRD section dedicated to all the pros and cons to CRD ownership. Maybe check it out if you haven't already...

www.lostkjs.com then forum and locate crd section


And yes lift selection sucks on the Liberty. The best IFS lift I know of seems to be the Frankenlift located out of Big Bear Cali out of a shop called All Js (www.boulderbars.com)

[Willman]

If you want something wild, build a Brute!

I'm missing something here......

:confused:

EDIT: Gotta remember here...I rode the small bus to school when i was a kid:hehe:

[SeaRubi]

i vote for the Liberty. :REOutArchery02:


let's look at what you want to use the rig for ... if it's "overland" type travel, there's alot of benefits to the Liberty.

Let's face it - you're not rock crawling, so the big lift and big tires has limited value for your application.

IFS front: advantage. On washboard and rough roads, IFS is an asset, not a liability. Who needs the solid axle and the rougher ride?

CRD: the crd libby felt pretty durn peppy to me, and solid as a tank. I still wonder if the unlimited rubi was the best choice. I was set to get a CRD Liberty but didn't due to my urges around more hard-core offroading and light rock crawling. The libby wouldn't have held up to the abuse.

However, we were scoping out a trip from Seattle to the Baja and back. I would sure love to have the diesel for an 80% pavement trip. And even looking back on events like the border 2 border, I wouldn't hesitate to take a Liberty out on one of those. With that beefy rear diff, a rear TrueTrack would be plenty in that dept, IMO. Some mud terrains in the same size as OEM and you're rolling.

the cons to the libby are space - as in there isn't much. I think the cargo and rear seat areas were smaller on the Liberty as compared to my '06 Unlimited wrangler.

[JPFreek1]

I'm missing something here......

:confused:

EDIT: Gotta remember here...I rode the small bus to school when i was a kid:hehe:

The Brute is an offering by American Expedition Vehicles in which they have taken the Jeep TJ platform and transformed it into a functional Jeep TJ 'truck'. Check out the following link, it's pretty cool!

http://www.aev-conversions.com/products/brute/

Another very cool alternative is an offering by Summit Unlimited. Their concept is similiar to the Brute but quality-wise, I hear it's even better. Check them out at:

http://summitunlimited.com/

[Grim Reaper]

Toyota will ALWAYS have better resale.
I am aware of people that have lemoned the Jeep because of vibration in the drive line.
The Toyota rear axle IS stronger then the JK. The front suspension it probably stronger as well and there are no videos of Toyota's blowing their entire drive line out on a hill either.

[jeffryscott]

i vote for the Liberty. :REOutArchery02:


let's look at what you want to use the rig for ... if it's "overland" type travel, there's alot of benefits to the Liberty.

Let's face it - you're not rock crawling, so the big lift and big tires has limited value for your application.

I brought up the lift limitations after coming from my Suzuki to the Toyota. I had the Zuk up between 4 and 6 inches over stock - which was pretty equivalent to where the lifted Liberty would sit. In Arizona, even if one isn't a hard-core rockcrawler, there are rocks. With the 4Runner in stock form, trails I bashed the Suzuki around on haven't even hit the underside of the Toyota.

Again, I liked the Liberty a lot and think they are probably underrated as a 4x4 (much as the Zuk's are), but it was just an observation I had between the choices given. It probably isn't an issue in Florida or where there is lots of mud, but I don't have any experience there.

[calamaridog]

Let me say this about the Liberty.

We own one, and we love it for around town and shorter road trips, but we cannot take it camping for more than one night at the most. One kid and one dog do NOT fit into a Liberty with all your stuff. Not even close to enough room for even a small family.

We get around 20mpg combined driving with the 3.7L V6, last time I checked. The drivetrain is good, and the part time/full time transfer case has worked out well for us for inclimate weather driving.

The Liberty can be a capable little trail rig if you get some skids and 32" tires. It's much smaller than my Land Cruiser, let me tell you. My issue with the Liberty is the underbuilt front end and small *** wheel wells. IFS is not created equal, and the design of the IFS in the Tacoma, for instance, is stonger, better, etc. in every way.

Honestly, if the Liberty was a little bigger, and had a better front suspension design, I'd have probably taken it from the wife and bought her a car and never bought the Land Cruiser. For that matter, if there was a 4 door Wrangler when we were shopping for the Liberty, We'd have gone that route, and I wouldn't have the Land Cruiser today either...

The 3.7L V6 is a good engine and I see no benefit to the added cost and headache of the CRD. People want to talk about the torque, but the Liberty is not a SFA rock crawler. The CRD would be awesome for a Wrangler that was built for crawling I think.

[Bergger]

The Xterra would be an option too (and a good one). In the world of reasonably priced, functional expedition wagons, those are the only ones I would consider...



I vote for the Xterra Off Road model as well! My wife got one last fall and its an awesome vehicle. Gobs of power, smooth ride, factory locker, nice interior room and layout, and good after market support. We got a brand new one for about 23.5k. I'd go with this or the 4Runner. I've owned a 3rd gen 4Runner and loved it. My neighbor actually bought a 4th gen 4runner 2 weeks after I got the Xterra so I've compared both very well and you won't be disappointed with either.

[Bongo Boy]

I have a 2005 Rubicon and the FJ Cruiser SE TRD, manual 6-speed--the worst mileage of the FJ lot by far. I don't think the FJ and the Liberty are comparable, but in any case I sure can't recommend the FJ for any purpose at all.

While, IMO, the FJ looks like a soccer-mom car, it would be fairly impractical for that purpose since no one can get out of the back of the car, curbside, without someone opening the front passenger door. The door configuration alone makes it a certain-injury for young kids, IMO, and I think a two-door would be no more inconvenient and quite a bit safer. In order to outfit it with aftermarket product to make it look something like a vehicle that might get out of the neighborhood, I think you're looking at an outrageous amt of cash, too--based on a few things I've looked at. I don't think there's an aftermarket bumper for it that's much under $1,000 USD, for example.

As an offroad vehicle--well, it simply won't fit between the trees on some of the easy forest service trails I frequent, and you can't see out of it anyway. It's NOT a rig I'd enjoy driving on anything but a wide-open trail. If you're accustomed to full-size, fat off-road vehicles, it won't be a problem, though.

I don't know what the range is, but it has poor mileage combined with a small fuel tank--bad conbination.

It's a quiet, smooth and comfortable ride on the highway and it tows 5,000 lbs (rated). That's the only reason I bought it, and if I got a divorce today, the FJ would happily go with her. She prefers it because it's quiet, and the top is always up so her hair doesn't get dorked. :)

I don't like it much, and wouldn't recommend it to anyone. I don't enjoy driving it (except on the freeway) and don't enjoy being seen in it, either. I'm really struggling to figure out what it's intended purpose is, actually. I've been spoiled by the TJ, I guess, and am really used to the high visibility and maneuverability. I have to think if you spend a good bit of time road-testing them both, you'd have to go with the Liberty, unless you just prefer the FJ styling.

[T- Bone]

I wouldn't buy either, unless I had to seat more than 2. I don't think you can beat the capabability of the wrangler or the overland potential of the Taco.

[teotwaki]

I have a 2005 Rubicon and the FJ Cruiser SE TRD, manual 6-speed--the worst mileage of the FJ lot by far. I don't think the FJ and the Liberty are comparable, but in any case I sure can't recommend the FJ for any purpose at all.

While, IMO, the FJ looks like a soccer-mom car, it would be fairly impractical for that purpose since no one can get out of the back of the car, curbside, without someone opening the front passenger door. The door configuration alone makes it a certain-injury for young kids, IMO, and I think a two-door would be no more inconvenient and quite a bit safer. In order to outfit it with aftermarket product to make it look something like a vehicle that might get out of the neighborhood, I think you're looking at an outrageous amt of cash, too--based on a few things I've looked at. I don't think there's an aftermarket bumper for it that's much under $1,000 USD, for example.

As an offroad vehicle--well, it simply won't fit between the trees on some of the easy forest service trails I frequent, and you can't see out of it anyway. It's NOT a rig I'd enjoy driving on anything but a wide-open trail. If you're accustomed to full-size, fat off-road vehicles, it won't be a problem, though.

I don't know what the range is, but it has poor mileage combined with a small fuel tank--bad conbination.

It's a quiet, smooth and comfortable ride on the highway and it tows 5,000 lbs (rated). That's the only reason I bought it, and if I got a divorce today, the FJ would happily go with her. She prefers it because it's quiet, and the top is always up so her hair doesn't get dorked. :)

I don't like it much, and wouldn't recommend it to anyone. I don't enjoy driving it (except on the freeway) and don't enjoy being seen in it, either. I'm really struggling to figure out what it's intended purpose is, actually. I've been spoiled by the TJ, I guess, and am really used to the high visibility and maneuverability. I have to think if you spend a good bit of time road-testing them both, you'd have to go with the Liberty, unless you just prefer the FJ styling.

Let me say that I am not defending the FJC but I don't think that you can compare it to the TJ and this thread was intended to compare the FJ to the Liberty.

Right now there is "FJ-Mania" so all of the vendors are charging what the market can bear. People who are buying the FJs at more than sticker seem to have no qualms about $1K bumpers either. other people then get cold feet and sell them. There is one near me up for sale that is lifted with bumpers and all of the goodies. Only 1800 miles too.

[Nullifier]

What's amazing about the FJ is that the units I have seen that apeal to me sticker at 27K you look on ebay and people are buying used ones with 20+k for 28-30K and they are stock ones. I just do not see why with the dealers stock up now, that peolpe are buying used ones at retail price. Now ay I'm paying 28k for an fj with 2ok miles on it.