Compare the2024 Jeep WranglerVS 2023 Toyota Tacoma

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Jeep Wrangler have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Toyota Tacoma doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

Full-time four-wheel drive is optional on the Wrangler. Full-time four-wheel drive gives added traction for safety in all conditions, not just off-road, like the only system available on the Tacoma. Four-wheel drive of any type costs extra on the Tacoma.

Both the Wrangler and the Tacoma have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, rearview cameras, available crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

There are almost 2 times as many Jeep dealers as there are Toyota dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Wrangler’s warranty.

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Wrangler’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the Tacoma’s camshafts. If the Tacoma’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

The Wrangler has a solid front axle with a floating power axle for durability that the Tacoma 4x4’s independent front suspension and exposed front driveshafts don’t offer.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Wrangler has a standard 650-amp battery (700 optional). The Tacoma’s 582-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Jeep vehicles are better in initial quality than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Jeep above average in initial quality. With 3 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is rated below average.

The Wrangler has more powerful engines than the Tacoma:

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Wrangler Rubicon 392’s fuel efficiency. The Tacoma doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the Wrangler 2.0 Turbo/4Xe’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Tacoma doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Wrangler (except Rubicon 392)’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Tacoma doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The Wrangler 4Xe has a standard locking fuel door with a power remote release convenient to the driver. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Tacoma. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

An eight-speed automatic is available on the Jeep Wrangler, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the Tacoma.

The Wrangler Rubicon 392’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Tacoma doesn’t offer launch control.

For better stopping power the Wrangler’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Tacoma:

The Jeep Wrangler has standard four-wheel disc brakes for better stopping power and improved directional control in poor weather. Only rear drums come on the Tacoma. Drums can heat up and make stops longer, especially with antilock brakes that work much harder than conventional brakes.

For better traction, the Wrangler 4-door Rubicon 392/Xteme 35’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Tacoma (315/70R17 vs. 265/65R17).

The Wrangler High Altitude/4Xe’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Tacoma Short Bed Limited’s 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Wrangler has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Tacoma. The Wrangler High Altitude/4Xe’s 20-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels on the Tacoma Short Bed Limited.

The Wrangler has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Tacoma doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Wrangler Rubicon has an active front sway bar, which helps keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnects at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Tacoma doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The front and rear suspension of the Wrangler uses coil springs for better ride, handling and control than the Tacoma, which uses leaf springs in the rear. Coil springs compress more progressively and offer more suspension travel for a smoother ride with less bottoming out.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Wrangler is 1.4 inches wider in the front and 1.2 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Tacoma.

The Wrangler’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (50.1% to 49.9%) than the Tacoma’s (56% to 44%). This gives the Wrangler more stable handling and braking.

For better maneuverability, the Wrangler 2-door’s turning circle is 7.9 feet tighter than the Tacoma Access Cab’s (32.7 feet vs. 40.6 feet). The Wrangler 4-door’s turning circle is 5.3 feet tighter than the Tacoma Long Bed Double Cab’s (38.8 feet vs. 44.1 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Wrangler 2-door has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Tacoma (9.7 vs. 9.4 inches), allowing the Wrangler to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Wrangler 4-door Xtreme 35’s minimum ground clearance is 3.5 inches higher than on the Tacoma (12.9 vs. 9.4 inches).

The Wrangler 2-door is 3 feet, 9.5 inches shorter than the Tacoma Access Cab, making the Wrangler easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Wrangler 2-door has 1.1 inches more front headroom, 5.4 inches more rear headroom, 11.1 inches more rear legroom and 1.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Tacoma Access Cab.

The Wrangler 4-door has 1.1 inches more front headroom, 2 inches more rear headroom, 5.7 inches more rear legroom and .4 inches more rear hip room than the Tacoma Double Cab.

The Wrangler 4-door has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Tacoma with its long-bed bodystyle (72.4 vs. 42.6 cubic feet).

The Wrangler can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Wrangler can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Tacoma can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Trailer Sway Control is standard on all models of the Wrangler, using the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. Only the Tacoma V6 offers a trailer sway program.

The Wrangler has a higher standard payload capacity than the Tacoma (1218 vs. 1105 lbs.).

The Wrangler Automatic offers a remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Tacoma doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The Wrangler’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Tacoma does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The power windows available on both the Wrangler and the Tacoma have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Wrangler is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Tacoma prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Wrangler’s available front power windows lower with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Tacoma’s standard power windows’ passenger windows don’t open automatically.

The Wrangler’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Tacoma’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Wrangler’s speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Tacoma’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Wrangler has a standard rear wiper. The Tacoma doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

On extremely cold winter days, the Wrangler’s optional heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The Tacoma doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Wrangler 4-door offers an optional center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Tacoma doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

Both the Wrangler and the Tacoma offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Wrangler offers optional rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Tacoma Double Cab doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

The Jeep Wrangler JL comes in four door and soft top bodystyles; the Toyota Tacoma isn’t available as a four door or convertible.

Motor Trend selected the Wrangler as their 2019 Sport Utility of the Year. The Tacoma was Truck of the Year in 2005.