I've had the 78 Comanche (J10 Gladiator), the 92 Comanche, the 91 LandCruiser PU (J70) and an 84-4WD Toy PU (Hilux). The Jeeps were nicer handling, faster & more nimble on the road. The longevity of their engines and transmissions similar, as long as fluids were regularly replaced. Toys were more resistant to neglect, although they could fail too. Renix system on an 87 Comanche sucked, that one I had, got rid off quickly. Off road, stock, the Toyotas have more articulation. Once you install front Quick Sway Bar Disconnect, articulation is par. Angles are similar; most pickups can benefit from OS tires, 35 or bigger. 22R does not handle OS tires well, even with 5.29 gears. 4.0 has no problems with OS tires. The Gladiator and Landcruiser frames are super heavy duty. The Hilux Frame is strong for what it is, a compact pickup. The MJ Comanche's frame is a mixed bag, as it is made from a compact front mated to a half frame rear.This could have been horrible, but it ended up working well, as it is a lot more rigid than most small pickups. The Toyota, by comparison, feels wobbly. So yeah, the Comanche is a better handling, faster, more powerful PU than the Hilux, at the expense of questionable electronics and more maintenance. For work, I always picked up the Hilux, but the Comanche was a superior personal vehicle.
I am glad that we had awesome Solid Axle, normally aspirated, simple options to play with. The present is not so kind to budget offroaders.
