Yes, Toyota has made some very practical offroad vehicles in the past. One thing I have admired was the fact that many of their older stock rigs had good ground clearance. 10 or 11 inches between the ground and the bottom of the differentials just doesn't provide the clearance needed for most moderate and difficult trails. In hindsight, most moderate and some difficult trails can be traversed with 33 inch tires if done with a little driver finesse (offroad driving experience and personal skills).
33 inch tires provides only between 2 to 3 inches of ground clearance over stock Wranglers, surprisingly providing sufficient ground clearance for most trails. Obviously, a rear full locker (the very minimum) and a winch will enhance your Wrangler's trail worthiness. Jeep TJ's are extremely trail worthy (better than any other Jeep previous to its introduction) without modification.
I've four-wheeled with a friend that was on a shoestring budget; he and his 98 TJ were nearly unstoppable. Never had I, nor since, observed such a skilled driver as he. He ran 33" BFG retreads under his TJ; a simple budget boost coil lift kit, and a full locker in the rear differential were the only modifications to his rig.
His passion for traversing difficult trail obstacles was unrelenting, at least, until a week long trip to Moab. Until, he and I did what is considered a moderate trail on the last day of our vacation. We climbed a 30 foot or more nearly vertical rock wall of Moab's remarkable slickrock; we did it simple because the group of LandRovers ahead of us had climbed the rock cliff with ease. I was first, I made it over. But, I was apprehensive. Heck, I'm white-knuckled just about every time an obstacle has a great deal of risk. The climb up this rock face is all about traction, balance, power, and nerve. The risk obviously is that you could lose traction and the Jeep falls about 20 or 30 feet with the driver in it!
My buddy's 4 cylinder TJ started lossing traction near the lip of the cliff during his ascent. He stayed on the pedal with his tires barking on the slickrock and managed to make it over the cliff's rim. Later, he told me some brief stories about what he had to do behind enemy lines during the Gulf War; nothing, he said, frighten him more than what he had done that day climbing the vertical rock wall. He said that he had serious doubts about his passion for four wheeling after that experience. After returning home, he sold his Jeep.
IMHO it's better to start with a stock Jeep. Is this passion for four-wheeling something that will be ever-lasting? Certainly a fair question for every four wheeler. If this sport is for you, I believe it is much wiser to build your own rig. Build it your way, learning what is necessary to build your Jeep and how to repair it out on the trail, if the situation arises. Wheeling a stock Jeep is the best method to developing the necessary driving skills. It also is a great way to determine if four wheeling is something you want to invest your time and money. Four wheeling with other Jeeps is also a great way to learn about your Jeep and the sport. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />