Commute, Toy or Destroy – Ford Raptor Vs. Jeep Wrangler Vs. Toyota FJ Cruiser
We are back with this week’s installment of AutoGuide’s newest, interactive weekly feature “Commute, Toy or Destroy.”
Once again, we present to you a choice of three vehicles. We are asking you to decide which one you would make your daily driver, which one would become your Saturday afternoon show ‘n shine winner and which one you would send to the scrap yard.
Remember, the commuter car you must live with every day. The toy would be only available to you for occasional use on weekends and the final car would be the one you’d drive over an IED with.
This week we are switching it up a bit and leaving sports cars behind for rugged, off-road trucks. We present three modern day vehicles all design to travel off the beaten path. So, now it is up to you to decide which one you would commute in, which one would be your off-road toy, and which one you will destroy.
Ford F-150 SVT Raptor
One look at this monster confirms this ain’t no ordinary Ford F-150. Designed to be abused, the SVT Raptor upgrades all the important mechanical bits to ensure you don’t get stranded in the middle of nowhere when out trail riding. A 411 hp 6.2 L V8 gives this aggressive truck the proper amount of power to back up its mean looks.
Jeep Wrangler Rubicon
The American icon of off-roading, the Wrangler still sports solid axles front and back, three lockable differentials, and a two-speed transfer case. If that isn’t enough, step up to the Rubicon model which also enables the front sway-bar to be disconnected electronically. Of course Wranglers are still convertibles and last year a 285 hp 3.6 L V6 helped give this Jeep some much needed oomph.
Toyota FJ Cruiser Trail Teams
The FJ Cruiser harkens back to Toyota’s original Land Cruiser; a wholly capable off-road machine. Using a proper body-on-frame SUV chassis, the FJ Cruiser is powered by a 260 hp 4.0 L V6 engine. Select the Trail Teams Edition and a plethora of TRD parts are added to the FJ to make it even more capable off-road.
A 20+ year industry veteran, Mike rejoins the AutoGuide team as the Managing Editor. He started his career at a young age working at dealerships, car rentals, and used car advertisers. He then found his true passion, automotive writing. After contributing to multiple websites for several years, he spent the next six years working at the head office of an automotive OEM, before returning back to the field he loves. He is a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC), and Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA). He's the recipient of a feature writing of the year award and multiple video of the year awards.
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I'd honestly destroy the Ford and the Toyota, let the Jeep be my toy and everyday vehicle.
Everyone gets to like what they like about any vehicle and anyone with a truck or car bug is going to be highly influenced by what they like. Consumers need to justify spending the money that vehicles cost, especially these days, and manufacturers try hard to convince buyers that their product provides all the reasons, or more reasons than the competition, to part with money. Specs matter but they are still specs. For example, none of these 3 have a high towing capacity, so if you need that in the vehicle you're about to buy you're crossing all of these off your list. "Reliability" is not the strong suit of any of these vehicles. Overall the FJ's record is pedestrian and indicative of Toyota's steady slide away from the 100,000 mile issue-less reputation they had established by the early '90's. No Ford or Jeep model (not talking about individual units) has ever been issue-free. The FJ was a cool release in the context of the market at the time and it still has visual appeal. It is more than just a look on wheels but really, in truck terms, it's not much more than that. Some may like the styling better than the Raptor or Wrangler, but it doesn't win any other category. Since I caved to age and wanted to drive it more in the Summer months, after adding A/C to my '78 FJ, the only thing that the modern FJ does better is drive like car. My reaction couldn't be flatter. A big, sarcastic: Whoop. De. Do. The rated mileage on the current FJ is nothing to brag about and the consensus is the real-life mileage is so far from its rating that the gas cost factor among this group of 3 is essentially even. Ymmv, but the real difference for model comparison is slight at best. The Wrangler can go convertible and if you're going slowly over rocks or cruising to the beach it's the choice, period. The Raptor comes 4 door or 2+ door, has a bed that's big enough 90% (!) of the time, and has stability and ride quality that puts other pickups as well as Wranglers and FJ's to shame. Space for drivers of almost every size, including adjustable pedals, and cabin room? FJ? Meh. Wrangler? Laughable, really. Raptor? Acreage. The winner for money in your pocket when its time to sell? Raptor. At those times when you want to mash the gas and go like you're being shot at, two of these trucks look like they are standing still compared to the other one. Hmm, let's see if we can figure out where this is headed... Commute, Toy or Destroy? Of this group, the Raptor has the most toy in it, is equal or better than the others in cost to operate and DD comfort aspects, and beats them with by far the best DD utility factor. I am destroying my Raptor every day, every chance I get, in every way I can find, and loving every damn minute of it.