Help me decide! 15 4x4 Sport or 16 Prerunner Sport

$30k out the door for a 16 TRD Sport??? What dealer is this?

 

Why not buy a 2016 4x4 SR trim?

 

Where I am, it would be borderline ridiculous to get a 2WD truck. But, that's because of winter. I rarely use 4WD in the summer.

Maybe it's the New England mentality, but "rarely" would be enough to merit it for me even if we didn't have winter to deal with.

 

+1

In the snow, 2wd with real snow tires (not A/T or M/T tires) and weight in the bed goes a long ways. Hell, It's better than 4wd, highway tires, and unloaded bed.

 

IF I lived in the NE or Mid West I would but a 4x4 EVEN if I did not use it......Resale resale resale.....Many northerners come south to buy used 4WDs although pickings are slimmer because they have never seen winter.

 

I got the 4x4 so I didn't have to keep an extra set of wheels and tires handy for snow. Nowhere to put them in an apartment without giving up the truck bed.

 

I have a 4x4 and keep an extra set of wheels and tires for snow anyway. Feels like it's on rails even in the nastiest storms.

 

Makes sense. Nobody wants a PreRunner here, can't imagine they are easy to sell or that you would get anywhere close to an asking price on them.

 

I've never had an issue in the snow. Granted, I have the camper shell that adds a good 300lbs to the bed and a DCSB on top of that, so the weight difference isn't as drastic to begin with. Plus these SilentArmor tires are the best A/T tires in the snow I've encountered.

 

With 4x4 and A/Ts you're already much better off than 90+% of the people on the road, especially being further south.

I just like having the best case scenario.

 

4 wheel drive might become handy on a steep boat launch. Don't worry about the 2015 becoming outdated mechanically (already outdated cosmetically). It's the same truck as the 16 if you overlook the engine and transmission. Everything else is body panels and frilly creature comforts. I say go for the 16 if you don't wheel.

 

This is almost impossible for anyone to tell you what to do; you'll have to decide for yourself. But here are my two personal opinions:

1) If you can find the patience, I'd wait a year to get exactly what you want, which I'm analyzing is a 2017 4x4 Sport; 4x4, new design, without the 1st production year stigma uncertainty.
2) But if you can't wait, I'd choose functional range of capability and get the 2015 4x4.

Good luck with your decision.

 

I can't help but chuckle at some of you, drop trim levels to something that is lacking what he wants to buy something he won't use... Money is already counted as a major factor in his decision and 4wd reduces mpg, adds upfront costs, increase maintenance, adds another expensive layer of parts to replace if something breaks/wears out, increase insurance costs and pays more in interest.

BTW, it adds about $3k to the price, not $1k.

Get what makes you happy and use OP.

Tyler

 

If you don't plan to go off road, have dirt roads you need to travel on, deal with a shit load of snow, etc. don't turn your truck into a parade float. (Parade float is defined as a 4x4 vehicle, lifted vehicle, that does not get used for its sole purpose.)

I see them driving around SoCal all the time. 4x4 lifted Tacoma that has never seen the dirt or snow. I ordered a 4x2 TRD Sport because I like the look and its not too much truck for my needs.

If at the end of the day you feel more of a man driving a 4x4 but you will never use it more than twice in the life of the truck, get the 4x4.

 

I think that in defense of your decision to buy a 2wd truck, you're mistaking a 4x4 tacoma for a jacked up 1 ton diesel. Driving for a compact 4x4 pickup doesn't scream 'OVERCOMPENSATING' to me.

A capable 4wd system is nothing like a suspension or body lift done solely for looks.

 

Put your stock suspension back on and sell the 37s. Boom, practical truck. If you didn't re-gear, no wonder you have to replace the rear end.

 

That might not be feasible, he probably had to make a ton of changes in order to get 9" on a Taco without being extremely unsafe.

 

Eh, I stand on what I said. 4x4 anything. We have people who buy BMW X5 Xdrive (all wheel drive) that use it for daily driving the freeways here in SoCal.

Just a bunch of parade floats.

 

i dont see nothin wrong...with a little 2 wheel drive (R kelly voice)

 

My useless two cents

You live in the south; so no snow. In my twenty plus years of towing a boat. Once I needed 4x4. Once! Granted it was embarrassing having to have a Jeep tow my ford sport trac and boat trailer up the ramp but still it was one time. IF you aren't wheeling I for sure wouldn't stray from the Pre-Runner. And the Keys as an FYI won't be a problem for your 2WD if that's what you go with. Good luck/ both sharp looking trucks your looking at.