2014/15 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk vs 2015 Toyota 4Runner Trail edition

[da10A]

If the cherokee had continued its life and evolution, like the CJ,YJ,TJ,JK.... Or the 4Runner through the years, you might have a battle. But as it stands, I wouldn't even second think that... 4Runner all the way!!!!!

 

[Blind_Io]

The 4.0 in the XJ was brilliant for off roading and produced a higher percentage of max torque all low RPM than any gasoline motor I have driven. The problem with Jeep and Chrysler is, and has been, inconsistency. Some XJs were great and would run forever with no problems, others were rolling pits you threw money in every 8 weeks when something would break. I would rather not roll the dice on something that important.

 

[kojackJKU]

I would go with Blind Lo's rig if I was not driving a Jeep. Xterra, way better than a Toyota, and still very reliable.

 

[Root Moose]

The 4.0 in the XJ was brilliant for off roading and produced a higher percentage of max torque all low RPM than any gasoline motor I have driven. The problem with Jeep and Chrysler is, and has been, inconsistency. Some XJs were great and would run forever with no problems, others were rolling pits you threw money in every 8 weeks when something would break. I would rather not roll the dice on something that important.

This is true.

I've owned my 2001 since 2003. It was a low km cream puff when I got it. In that time I've only ever done regular maintenance type stuff other than the head cracking in 2009 (google jeep 0331 cylinder head). The stuff that has failed on it has been 8 to 11 year old parts that probably should have been on a preventative maintenance schedule.

That said, I'm under no illusions that the XJ isn't basically a cheap piece of junk that is built to a low standard. But it works when you get a good one and not having too much money into a rig can be "freeing" at times.

If I was going to spend "real money" on a new vehicle I wouldn't buy another Jeep. For something for under ~$15k that is going to be beat on they are great but for real money at this stage of life I want something that is built properly.

I was thinking about making my XJ a little more bush rig and replacing it with a UZJ100 for overlanding. Lately I've been thinking about a 200 series even.

2¢

 

[machine1]

We had a couple of TH's at our Soft Road Meet, they're more comparable to the Subaru Forester than the 4Runner.

http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...ft-Road-Meet-2014-in-North-Texas-event-report

I'm looking at the 4Runner TRD Pro as a worthy replacement for my Forester in the future. There are just some places I can't go because of ground clearance in the Subaru.

 

[mikeJKUR]

I would go with Blind Lo's rig if I was not driving a Jeep. Xterra, way better than a Toyota, and still very reliable.

I would agree with that. The Xterra is an awesome vehicle and still built to be used as a true SUV.

 

[Blind_Io]

It is way overbuilt for the size. The XTerra shares the same chassis as the Titan, it is a fully boxed frame compared to the Tacoma's lighter c-channel chassis. Really, the XTerra/Frontier are closer to the Hilux and Hilux Surf than they are to a Taco. That being said, the 4Runner is significantly larger and more comfortable than the XTerra; the Toyota has more rear seat space and larger doors for easier access. The 4Runner has a far better ride out of the box and a more refined interior (at leased compared to my '06). But, the XTerra Pro-4X with the locker and upgraded suspension is about $10,000 less than a 4Runner Trail, and although it has fewer options for aftermarket parts, I've never struggled to get what I need. The more primitive suspension on the Nissan can be an asset off road because it is far simpler to fix than the complex mulitlink coilovers on the 4Runner.

As with all things, there are tradeoffs to be weighed. I own the XTerra, my mom has a 4Runner Trail. Eventually she will catch me up with lifts, armor, and other mods - but I would trust my life to either rig in the back country.

 

[CF1973]

Nissan Xterra

The price point of the Xterra is much better and several people have mentioned some intangible features. I don't understand why it has such a high curb weight with that GVWR and yet it can tow 5000 lbs which is more than the other two here.

MPG
Trailhawk: 18/20/25
4Runner Trail: 17/18/21
Xterra Pro-4x: 15/17/20

Range, calculated
Trailhawk: 284.4 to 395
4Runner: 391 to 483
Xterra Pro-4x: 315 to 420

Weights
Trailhawk: 4106 lbs curb, 5500 GVWR, 1394 lbs cargo(calculated), 985 lbs (as listed in door jam, does not include fluids?)
4Runner: 4750 lbs curb, 6300 lbs GVWR, 1550 lbs cargo(calculated)
Xterra Pro-4x: 4429 lbs curb, 5399 GVWR, 970 lbs cargo(calculated)

Cargo volume
Trailhawk: 29.7 and 54.9
4Runner: 47.2 and 89.7
Xterra Pro-4x: 36.3 and 65.7

Off-road numbers
Trailhawk: 8.7" listed clearance
4Runner: 9.6" listed clearance
Xterra Pro-4x: 9.5" listed clearance

Pros and Cons as I see them in this context.
Pros for the Xterra:
- Price
- A simpler suspension and 4x4 system
- Some available upgrades allowing for larger tires and a mild lift

Cons for the Xterra:
- Does not have electronics like selec-terrain and A-TRAC
- Add your typical bumper, winch, larger tires and some tools and there isn't much GVW left for me and one other person

It seems apparent that average reliability of the Jeep is below the other two, but anyone could get lucky, .
Resale value on the Cherokee is very likely going to be absolutely terrible in comparison.

 

[Root Moose]

FWIW, for a truck that will be used as a truck the lack of driving electronics is not necessarily a negative. One less thing to break and/or piss you off when it doesn't work as expected. I like electronics as a general rule but would not give the lack of these systems the same weighting as say a bad tow rating or similar.

Resale is a mixed bag. Nothing that gets used and "country pin-striped" is going to have a great resale so it's kind of a second order thing as well.

Tow rating is a huge factor but anything over 5000-6000 lbs is gravy for this size of a vehicle.

As for curb weight, the Xterra is not really that heavy. That's what a built XJ weighs.

Fuel economy doesn't matter. The ability to carry your load "effortlessly" is more important.

FWIW, I would take the Xterra over the new Cherokee all day long. In fact, I'd take a million other vehicles before I took the new Cherokee. It just does not fit what I want in a vehicle... ever. Can't get past the style/look of it.

Between the Nissan and Toyota I'd have to go drive them, see what fits my expectations better, etc.

Consider used vehicles. For the price of one of these you can get a really nice, possibly built truck depending on budget. 100/200 series Landcruisers, Land Rover LR3+ come to mind at the new Cherokee or 4Runner price point. No comparison IMO. A local guy is selling a 2010 LR4 HSE for ~$22k for example. Cream puff soccer mom mobile.

HTH

 

[Blind_Io]

One of the reasons the XTerra is so heavy is because it is built on a Titan chassis (the F-Alpha chassis is shared by all the body-on-frame Nissans). The same chassis is used under the Navara which competes with the Toyota Hilux. Overlanders and crawlers both complain that we don't get the Hilux in the US, but then complain about the weight and fuel economy of vehicles that are the international competition for the Hilux. If you want the more lightly built chassis, then the watered down Tacoma is the way to go.

The XTerra can be horribly overloaded and as long as you install the right suspension it will just keep going. I have custom Alcan springs in my X with Bilstien 5100 rear shocks. I have two spare tires, a high-lift jack, Shrockworks 3/16" skids, and an off road bumper weighing it down. I have also completely filled the vehicle with bags of soil (front seats to tail gate, floor to roof) from a garden shop and hauled it home on the freeway without any ill effects.

As for the electronics on some SUVs: more sensors and delicate wires to fail. I'm old school, I would like an old diesel that will run as long as it has air and fuel. I want something that I can bodge on the trail if I have to. These fancy systems don't actually increase vehicle capability in proportion to the complexity they add. The systems can only react to sensor input, not predict what the vehicle needs to do next, that takes a human making a judgement call. The electronics seem to generate complacency and that will result in someone trusting a system to get them into a situation where the computer can't figure it out. You already see this with people who blindly follow their GPS up rugged tracks only to get the minivan stranded.

 

[KiwiKurt]

The price point of the Xterra is much better and several people have mentioned some intangible features. I don't understand why it has such a high curb weight with that GVWR and yet it can tow 5000 lbs which is more than the other two here.


Pros and Cons as I see them in this context.
Pros for the Xterra:
- Price
- A simpler suspension and 4x4 system
- Some available upgrades allowing for larger tires and a mild lift

Cons for the Xterra:
- Does not have electronics like selec-terrain and A-TRAC
- Add your typical bumper, winch, larger tires and some tools and there isn't much GVW left for me and one other person

It seems apparent that average reliability of the Jeep is below the other two, but anyone could get lucky, .
Resale value on the Cherokee is very likely going to be absolutely terrible in comparison.

I really like my XTerra. My pro 4x (leather/all options) was 12 grand less on the road than a 4runner equipped the same before tax/tags, and Nissan threw in a 100k bumper to bumper factory warranty. toyota wouldn't budge one red cent on it when I was shopping either....

The selec terrain and atrac are cool features, my buddy has them on his FJ, but I honestly don't think the xterra is at a disadvantage. It still controls slip in 4wd if you want it to(or can disable it) which is essentially what that stuff is anyway..... Just my $.02 on it.

There are great lifts available for the X. You can go simple with a OME, or Radflo makes all the way up to a 2.5" diameter remote resi front and rear adjustable height coilover system for it.

I suppose some people who want cast iron drawer systems and such will run into issues with GVWR, but that is part of the reason suspension is upgraded. The stock springs on the xterra sag pretty good under load, so my humble guess is that has a lot to do with the lower GVWR. The Xterra also gives up smaller brakes to the 4runner, which could be the other part. The x has more torque stock (and easy to get a lot more out of it) and the Titan's frame, so those certainly aren't weak points.

At the end of the day, if you think you need to carry as much as the 4runner is GVWR'd for, then that's pretty much the only thing on the market at the price range that will do it (new, at least). I can't ever imagine needing that much GVWR. I've traveled pretty darn loaded down without issue. Next month the truck is getting front and rear bumpers, drawer system, fridge, and a lift. Keep an eye in the Nissan section for my review of that. The factory Nissan bumpers are pretty heavy, so adding f/r doesnt add that much weight. The 4runner is a great truck and we liked it. I legitimately liked the xterra a bit better due to interior feel/layout/room(numbers be damned, i was more cramped in the 4runner by far.) being damn near 15 grand cheaper after tax/tags/warranty made it a no brainer. The 4runner is unquestionably a great truck, I just personally can't justify the Toyota-Tax.....at ~45k for a loaded 4runner trail, I would shop a used lr4....but that's just my $.02

I wouldn't even consider the trailhawk unless I was cross shopping a subaru or a honda CR-V.....

 

[Blind_Io]

For those wondering: Here is what my XTerra looks like right now. The stock rear springs are pretty weak and probably the source for the light GVW. I replaced mine with Alcan springs; I highly recommend Alcan, they interviewed me about how I use the vehicle, mods I have made, and even had me go to the scales before they built the springs. One word of warning, however, the bushings on the Alcans do not fit the stock shackles; I had to get some adjustable PRGs to get the springs installed. Due to the change in ride height I also installed extended brake lines and removed a mounting bracket for the parking brake line. The rear shocks are Bilstien 5100 dampners which were necessary to get enough extension to reach the bottom of the flex. Up front is a PRG advanced coilover kit with Radflo shocks and PRG upper control arms. Tires are 285/75/16 BF Goodrich All Terrains

Here is how it sits:





As you can see, I have pretty good droop on the rear and can stuff the front without rubbing.



Here are the springs that I installed from Alcan:


As you can see, they are significantly heavier than the stock springs

 

[Ryanmb21]

Not sure how the tacoma's frame being partially C channel is relevant to this conversation...

But it seemed to imply that the 4runner frame isn't boxed. The 4runner frame is boxed.

 

[mikeJKUR]

Cons for the Xterra:
- Does not have electronics like selec-terrain and A-TRAC
- Add your typical bumper, winch, larger tires and some tools and there isn't much GVW left for me and one other person

Nissan 4x4 have ABLS ( Active Brake Limited Slip since 2005.

Not sure how the tacoma's frame being partially C channel is relevant to this conversation...

But it seemed to imply that the 4runner frame isn't boxed. The 4runner frame is boxed.

That is true. I have never understood why they put a C cannel in thier truck. Very disappointed when they made the change.

 

[Blind_Io]

No implication intended, just trying to compare to the most similar vehicle in the Toyota line. The 4Runner has an excellent chassis.