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thirteen Jeep Wrangler Alternatives to Consider: Not Into the Classic Jeep? Try These Vehicles Instead

These off-route-capable SUVs offering everything the Wrangler does—and sometimes more.

Then y'all desire to exercise Wrangler things, but for whatsoever reason you don't want to purchase a Jeep Wrangler. It's OK, not everyone is into the "Jeep affair"—y'all know, the piddling two-finger steering-wheel moving ridge Jeep owners requite each other, the general brand civilization, or just the simple fact that Wranglers, former or new, are pretty expensive.

No matter why you're seeking Jeep Wrangler alternatives, there are several Wrangler-like vehicles that deliver off-route performance, have a fully or partially removable superlative, and are just plain fun to own and operate. Nosotros kept our list to intermediate or small-sized vehicles because, though they're great trucks, large total-size candidates like the Ford Bronco, Chevrolet Blazer, Dodge Ramcharger, Plymouth Trailduster, and others are merely too large to be Wrangler-like. Read on for 13 great Jeep Wrangler alternatives that may or may non bust your budget.

What Is Jeep's Biggest Competitor?

For this question, the true answer may seem like a cop out. Yes, the new Ford Bronco is making waves and enjoying some success with new buyers who wish to have a fun off-road-capable vehicle with a removable superlative and doors. Simply in reality the Jeep Wrangler's biggest competitor is, well, the Jeep Wrangler—Jeep sells every Wrangler information technology tin manufacture, and that'due south one of the large reasons why you hardly, if ever, notice any dealer incentives or markdowns on new 2023 Jeep Wranglers.

What Is the Best Jeep Wrangler for the Money?

Some other cop-out answer: whatever Wrangler you tin beget. It'due south generally true whether yous're shopping for a new or quondam Jeep Wrangler, but and then many of them end upwardly personalized with interiors, exteriors, lifts, tires, bumpers, and other upgrades that we take to look at this question a bit differently. If you lot want to become rockcrawling and do serious slow-speed off-roading, a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon makes sense. If on-road mileage is a huge business concern, then you're better served by looking at a 3.0-liter EcoDiesel or 2.0-liter four-cylinder Wrangler. Outside of things like that, don't go hung up on trim packages and manufactory/dealer options because at the end of the day most of us are going to add a slew of aftermarket upgrades, anyway—so why pay more than for factory-installed parts that you're but going to remove? Oftentimes, if yous're into modifications, the cheapest Wrangler you lot can find is going to be the best one to buy.

Why Is Jeep Wrangler Resale Then High?

Whether you're talking former and used or new off-the-lot, Wrangler prices tin cause some significant sticker shock. We've already mentioned the fact that Jeep sells every Wrangler information technology makes, and with demand for new vehicles so high and new inventory slower to market lately, information technology stands to reason that used motorcar prices are staying strong. Since the pandemic, we've seen prices on newer Wrangler JL and JKs hold steady or increase, merely even older TJ and YJ models are now fetching a staggering premium. Where one time nosotros could pick upwards a good, used 1997-2006 TJ Wrangler for anywhere from $4,000-$seven,500, now we see prices for similar-condition Wranglers of the era reaching most double that. It'due south a seller'due south market place, and so if you lot detect a skilful bargain on a Jeep you lot think you like, it'south probably best to leap on it.

Is Jeep Discontinuing the Wrangler?

Jeep has no plan to discontinue the Wrangler. Quite the contrary—Jeep is said to be planning a mid-2024 refresh for the JL Wrangler platform—and so for the near futurity at to the lowest degree, y'all can rest assured the Wrangler is rubber. And with new plug-in-electric hybrid models similar the Jeep Wrangler 4xe that can operate in fully electric, hybrid, or Eastward-Save modes (the gasoline engine motivates the vehicle while simultaneously charging the onboard battery packs), the Wrangler already has a baseline of flexibility to meet time to come platform demands.

2021–Present Ford Bronco every bit a Wrangler Alternative

The 2021-nowadays Ford Bronco ticks a lot of Wrangler-esque boxes and is maybe the strongest candidate to rival the Jeep on its dwelling house turf. It offers things like a roof and doors that can be removed past people who don't concur an advanced technology degree. And, similar the Wrangler's model line that goes from basic transportation to luxury-appointed models to as off-road brutes like the Rubicon, the Ford Bronco similarly offers multiple trim levels and entry points, from a mild-mannered base model for effectually $30,000 all the way upwards to the $eighty,000-plus Bronco Raptor bundle with 35-inch tires, electronically locking differentials, and fifty-fifty 17-inch beadlock wheels.

1966–1977 Ford Bronco Compared to the Wrangler

Granted, prices for even used, handbasket-case early Broncos accept gone through the roof, but if y'all're looking for a good culling to whatever Jeep Wrangler model and want something that's distinctly not a Jeep Wrangler, a 1966-1977 Ford Bronco might just be what you're after. Initially hitting the market as a 1966 model with an underwhelming 89-hp, 170 cubic-inch inline-six engine, the Bronco was ultimately upgraded with parts like a 289ci and afterward 302ci 5-8 engines, automatic manual, high-pinion Dana 44 front axle with disc brakes, and, of grade, the ubiquitous Ford 9-inch rear axle. For its time, the Bronco featured cutting-edge suspension technology, doing away with the then-standard foliage leap front suspension in favor of coil springs atop a solid axle located past simple radius arms. Although the design had some limitations, it worked well and helped offer Bronco drivers and passengers a smoother, more civilized on-road ride and less crash-land-induced fatigue in the clay compared to its Jeep and Sentry counterparts.

2020–Present Jeep Gladiator Over Wrangler

OK, OK, if you don't want a new Jeep Wrangler then chances are you probably aren't likewise not bad on the Jeep Gladiator JT, since to the layman information technology's basically a Jeep Wrangler with a pickup bed. Merely that'due south as well its beauty. If you want to, you can do Wrangler things like accessorizing your vehicle with virtually any function that suits your fancy or yanking the top and/or doors to more than intimately enjoy the great outdoors, or you tin can do truck things, like tow upward to 7,650 pounds. In this regard, the Jeep Gladiator is pretty much the merely game in town. Of grade, Jeep offers the Gladiator in several trim packages, from the $38,775 base of operations-model Sport all the way upwards through the Rubicon and Mojave off-route packages. It also makes the super-luxurious High Altitude edition with civilities galore that jumps off at $54,080, and the price simply goes upwards as yous stack options. Every bit of 2023, y'all tin option a Jeep Gladiator with either the three.6-liter Pentastar gas engine that puts out 285 hp and 260 lb-ft torque, or go for the iii.0-liter EcoDiesel with 260 hp and a whopping 442 lb-ft on tap.

1993–1997 Land Rover Defender 90

Although it was first introduced in 1983, the Land Rover Defender 90 wasn't available in the U.S. for an boosted x years. When information technology finally did come up to this state, its 90-inch wheelbase, removable top and doors, 5-8, and solid front and rear axles with locking diffs and low-range transfer example were the stuff of legend. Nothing else in factory-spec trim bachelor at the time could match a Defender 90 when it came to off-road performance or on-road condition, and the prices they fetched so, every bit now, reflect that.

Sadly, 1997 would be the last year Land Rover could offer the Defender xc for auction legally in the U.South. because of airbag regulations that came into play in 1998. Afterward, some tried importing and so-called "gray market" State Rover Defender ninety or Defender 110 vehicles, simply there are horror stories of owners of these dubiously imported vehicles getting caught and having their SUVs confiscated and destroyed. If you want to skip that misery, there are still plenty of 1993-1997 Land Rover Defender 90s kicking effectually the U.South., only be warned—resale prices can easily range from $xxx,000-$lxx,000, or more than.

1989–1994/1998–2000 Isuzu Amigo

We'll outline 2 generations of Isuzu Amigo, the spunky picayune import that delivered solid build-quality with tried-and-true drivetrain components, transfer cases with a real low-range ratio, bulky contained forepart interruption, and solid rear axles suspended by either leaf springs on the first-generation or coil springs on the second-generation models. The rear beam was a xxx-spline Dana 44 that could be fitted with a limited-skid differential. Good ground clearance for its time, a removable rear top department for open-air enjoyment, and a nimble turning radius made the Amigo a great little in-city or backwoods exploration machine. Although rear seat legroom wasn't anything to brag about if yous were a grown human, the front was quite comfortable and roomy. Indeed, the Isuzu Amigo was too a practiced long-haul driver that did not induce fatigue like some Jeep Wranglers of the fourth dimension could. Isuzu ultimately renamed the Amigo the Rodeo, and the company rode out the model run until it discontinued the vehicle in 2004 due to slumping sales.

1961–1980 International Scout

Nosotros'll say this up front end: If you lot can't spin a wrench or deal with certain mechanical issues, an International Lookout might not be a nifty candidate for y'all. It'southward not that they're inherently unreliable, to be articulate—really, the opposite seems to exist the consensus about the lilliputian vehicle that sprang from the company perhaps best known for its tractors and farm trucks—but there are some things to know going in.

In 1961, International came to market place with a Jeep competitor that featured a removable roof, solid forepart and rear axles suspended by leaf springs, and the ability to exist hands configured as an SUV with rear seats, a one-half-cab with a bed for hauling, or anything in between. The little iv-cylinder engine was underpowered, but it was also reliable and durable. As the model years went on, the Scout 80 (80-inch wheelbase) was upgraded and enlarged, becoming the more Ford Bronco-sized Picket 800 in 1965, then upsized again to become the final Scout Ii iteration in 1971. With each model year upgrade, options like ability steering, more luxurious interior appointments, and different engines and drivetrains, from I-4, I-six, and V-8 gas-burners to an I-half-dozen diesel, were offered.

The issues Scouts face aren't so much to practice with unreliable parts, but rather the steel with which these vehicles were made, which wasn't really rust-proofed to whatever great degree other than getting a quick spray of cheap primer and/or paint. Furthering the issues for Spotter owners today is the fact that construction techniques involved bolting multiple layers of more or less flat sheetmetal panels together, forming a perfect environs to trap mud, salt, and moisture, and assuasive many of these vehicles to literally rot away from inside. At that place are plenty of Scout aftermarket facilities that specialize in replacement parts and total restorations, though, so if you lot are neat on getting yourself one of these tough American roadgoing tractors, check out places like IH Parts America for more info, and to find anything from partially running or completely restored projects for auction.

1986–1995 Suzuki Samurai

Although offered for sale in Japan and markets outside the U.South. for years, the Suzuki Samurai fabricated its debut in U.S. dealerships in 1986. Its anemic 63-hp, 1.iii-liter four-cylinder engine was nothing to write dwelling house about, but the Samurai plant American devotees as a smaller, more nimble, equally fun but less expensive alternative to the YJ Wrangler that striking the market in 1986 as a 1987 model.

From an enthusiast perspective, the Samurai is a great platform to build off of, with simple solid axles hung from leaf springs at each corner, a body-on-frame design that'southward durable and solid, and a good amount of aftermarket back up bachelor. The vehicle can hands be flat-towed behind a motorhome, or but enjoyed as yous have your fourth dimension, smell the roses, and cruise to the embankment or trail with the top off and the doors left at home. Ultimately, the Suzuki Samurai cruel victim to the aforementioned rollover scrutiny that got the Jeep CJ, and always-increasing rubber regulations led Suzuki to terminate its U.South. availability after the 1995 model year, though it was still sold outside the U.S. in many foreign markets.

1984–1989 Toyota 4Runner

In that location'southward a lot to love well-nigh the first-generation Toyota 4Runner, specifically Toyota's legendary build quality, simple and tough construction, reliability, awesome passenger and cargo room, and the fact you could easily unbolt the rear fiberglass roof section and run in the open air. Though technically one generation, there were many changes inside the 1984-89 4Runner line. The 1984-85 vehicles had solid front and rear axles suspended by leafage springs at each corner. The 1984 4Runner was powered past Toyota's 2.iv-liter 22R carbureted iv-cylinder engine, only the 1985 4Runner got Toyota's legendary 22RE fuel-injected 2.four. These '85 4Runners are generally the virtually sought-afterward today, having the do good of both an easily-modified solid-front-axle break and the improved drivability and functioning of the injected engine.

Toyota switched things upwardly for 1986 with a new frame that supported an independent front end interruption and a slightly wider rear axlehousing that matched the new wider front runway-width. Engine options eventually came to include a turbocharged 2.4-liter 22R-TE engine, available from late 1985 onward, that churned out 135 hp and 173 lb-ft—a significant increase over the pedestrian 22RE's 116 hp and 140 lb-ft. Finally, in 1988, Toyota's very good 3.0-liter 3VZ-E Five-6 engine was offered equally an selection if yous wanted 150 hp and 180 lb-ft.

1989–1991 Daihatsu Rocky: the Wrangler Alternative Y'all Never Knew

Near people born later the appearance of the net have probably never heard of the machine visitor Daihatsu, let alone realized it sold a corking little 4x4 SUV chosen the Rocky in the U.S. market place. And, just as the model'south name implies, this little Toyota offshoot was capable of triumphantly scaling a flight of steps or a rutted hillside with equal ease.

Equally a small, two-door SUV with a removable rear roof, spartan interior and amenities, and a relatively depression entry price, what it offered in durability and adequacy was sadly somewhat start by its styling and lack of brand swagger. During the fourth dimension information technology was brought into the U.Due south. marketplace as an '89 model, Jeep was withal reeling from negative public perception from the CJ's reported rollover problems, and Suzuki was experiencing the same with its brusk, narrow Samurai. The tiny Rocky was idea to be a more than stable, safer culling to Jeep or Suzuki, only despite the fact that it was a good picayune vehicle with Toyota Dna, information technology just never plant a warm spot with the majority of pocket-size-SUV buyers. Suzuki pulled it from the U.South. market later the '91 model year. If today you find one of these keen petty body-on-frame vehicles and the price is right, it can prove a fun niggling scooter that won't disappoint when the road ends and the trail begins.

1961–1985 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40

The same year that International brought the Picket to market, Toyota made inroads with its very Jeeplike Land Cruiser. Although various pickup and long-wheelbase versions were mutual overseas, the majority of U.S. sales were of the two-door, iv-seat FJ40 many are familiar with. These vehicles were equipped mostly with an inline vi-cylinder, a three- or 4-speed manual transmission, and solid front and rear axles on leaf springs. As you lot might expect from a vehicle produced as long as the FJ, myriad drivetrains, options, and upgrades were made throughout the FJ40's lifespan, with afterward models featuring upgrades similar power steering and power disc brakes. That said, the FJ40 was always a no-nonsense, no-frills machine that prioritized capability and solid dependability over animal comforts. You tin still observe examples today available for a reasonable toll, and aftermarket upgrades are readily available, though the FJ is not supported with the same volume and selection as the Jeep Wrangler is.

1967–1973 Jeep C101 Jeepster, C104 Commando

Jeep originally made the Jeepster from 1948-1951, and the get-go-generation "VJ Jeepster" was a 2-wheel-drive vehicle geared more toward transportation than off-road adequacy. Only that changed in 1967 when Jeep reintroduced the C101 Jeepster every bit a 4x4 sporting a removable top, a modernistic-for-the-time tub and sloping door styling, and a rugged drivetrain with either Jeep's tried-and-truthful F-head four-cylinder or an exciting Buick-sourced 225ci V-6.

The 1967-71 Jeepster had either a T-90 three-speed behind the I-four, or a choice of a T-14 three-speed manual or TH400 auto backside the V-6. The forepart axle was a drum-brake Dana 27, and the rear was a Dana 44 with a centered differential that lined the pinion up with the Dana 20 transfer case. Afterwards AMC purchased Jeep, the Jeepster was redesigned for the 1972 model year as the C104 Commando, with a squared-off front end reminiscent of the International Scout. The wheelbase increased from 101 to 104 inches and front sheetmetal was elongated to adapt the bandy from the I-4/5-6 Kaiser-era engines to AMC'southward 232ci and 258ci inline-sixes or 304ci V-8. Perceived equally ugly by some, the C104 Commando also offers many mechanical upgrades over the C101, such as a Saginaw steering box—modern compared with the complicated Ross cam-and-lever steering of the Jeepster—a firewall-mounted brake master cylinder with hanging pedals, and options like power steering and ability brakes.

2007–2014 Toyota FJ Cruiser

The Toyota FJ Cruiser is more similar an honorable mention than a truly viable replacement choice for a Jeep Wrangler. That'due south mostly because, unlike the other vehicles on our list, which offer a fully or partially removable roof, the FJ Cruiser employs a solid egg-shaped body with no removable panels at all. That egg-shaped body sits atop a chassis and drivetrain full of Toyota's reliable and capable technology, however, with optional features like a locking rear differential, and the FJ'due south excellent approach and divergence angles mean you can climb and descend steep off-route obstacles without completely munching your fascia and bumpers. The FJ Cruiser enjoys something of a cult following, and many aftermarket parts—whether specifically manufactured for the FJ Cruiser or adapted from the 4Runner or Tacoma lines—tin can exist used to improve its adequacy, looks, and personality.

Suzuki Jimny

Information technology'south a crying shame the Suzuki Jimny has never been sold through mainstream channels in the U.S. Nosotros love this piffling SUV so much considering it's a dirt-elementary, nimble niggling 2,500-pound trail-slayer with solid front and rear axles suspended past a link-type interruption. It'due south and so small you'd swear you can just toss information technology in your pocket, and the Jimny screams fun—even if it doesn't scream safety, good forepart-end crash rating, or rollover resistance. Whenever we, er, run into one of these little 4x4 SUVs at an international auto show, we merely want to pack information technology up and bring information technology habitation in our comport-on baggage.

13 Bang-up Jeep Wrangler Alternatives

2021-present Ford Bronco
1966-1977 Ford Bronco
2020-nowadays Jeep Gladiator
1990 Land Rover Defender 90
1989-1994/1998-2000 Isuzu Amigo
1961-1980 International Watch
1986-1995 Suzuki Samurai
1984-1989 Toyota 4Runner
1989-1991 Daihatsu Rocky
1961-1985 Toyota State Cruiser FJ40
1967-1973 Jeep Jeepster/Commando
2007-2014 Toyota FJ Cruiser
Suzuki Jimny

Source: https://www.motortrend.com/features/jeep-wrangler-alternatives-to-buy/