Is TRD Off-Road worth it?

so it handles better and worse?

 

Who knows, in 10+" of snow nothing handles well ( ;

 

My TRD Sport eats a mear 10" of snow for breakfast....in 2WD... in 4WD, it will take on 2' of snow and rip off the mud flaps, if it's wet or frozen snow....

Amazing what it will go through.... Never even used 4LO....

 

I wanted the locker and the manual transmission that is the only reasons I went with the OR. If I could have gotten a locker and a manual in a SR5 or SR I would have done that.

 

i went with TRD for RESALE ,, at least around here, there crazy and almost impossible to find. In arkansas everyone thinks its the best in the world. I really don't use it that much, but find i get it back later anyway, and finally i hate the hood scoop! Im 40 not 20 ,, lol

 

My locker has gotten past obstacles that would have been impossible without it. Lockers, whether stock or aftermarket, will vastly increase a truck's capabilities. If it costs the same as a Sport and you wheel, get the OR.

 

I went OR because:

1. Had a locker on my first gen and only used it a few times, but holy crap, when you need it, you need it. It's like a reserve of capability that can get you out of a bind.
2. MTS is roughly equivalent to adjustable ATRAC and I think of it as giving me half-a-locker in the front with the rear locked for 1.5 lockers. It also does not have the binding/steering issue of the mechanical locker so it can be used under more conditions. CRAWL is interesting, I wouldn't kick it out of bed for eating crackers, but I'm not sure how much I'll end up using it.
3. I wanted the TRD interior and upgrades
4. Do NOT want hood scoop

In my opinion, the OR handling on the 2nd and 1st gens was terrible. The 2nd gen sport was good. I think the 3rd gen OR handles pretty good for what it is, but I will probably upgrade the suspension at some point, so I'm not sure how much I would care about the shocks and springs. However, some folks have said the shocks on the 3rd gen OR are much better than the sport. I think they are pretty good, but I have not driven a 3rd gen sport for comparison.

If you don't plan to do much off-roading, the Sport 4x4 would be a fine choice if you like the styling. The OR will be more capable off-road, but will you ever push it that hard?.

 

Solid Post.

 

My ORs got heated seats too. Idont think its just the Limiteds..

 

Solid Response. Appreciate the feedback. I'm getting the TRD OR DCSB in the 6MT. Just can't see myself driving the slush box.

 

I thought the same thing when I got my first taco (2006 TRD OR AC MT). I have always been a manual evangelist. What I found was that for really low speed operations I was always burning the clutch. Hooking up and maneuvering a trailer on a dry parking lot for instance where you can't be in low range. I do enough very low speed driving that it was worth having a torque converter over driving the manual. It all depends on what you are doing with it but as much as I don't like the hunt and peck shifting on the highway I am glad I got the auto for my particular use case (2016 TRD OR AC AT).

 

@J-Rock , ^very true statement. That's why they put in lower gearing in manuals for climbing so you don't burn the clutch correct? I just experienced this while wheeling up a rocky slope in my 2WD, and was smoking that clutch...ended up getting pulled out by a jeep, lol. Bit off more than I could chew..That is my hang up with the Manual is just what you mentioned though...other than that... #ManualTransmissionFTW

 

I'm a Toyota tech and I wasn't too impressed with the first batch of Taco's we got and I had no real interest in buying one because the cab stayed the same. It wasn't until I test drove our first OR that I wanted one and I learned the grill can be swapped for a base model.

I really liked the inclinometer that the FJ had and found it awesome to be in the HUD. I liked the crawl control because its basically a hill decent you can control the speed on.

The diff lock was something I've been wanting for a long time after wheeling in an open diff jeep for a few years.

But the ride is what made me like the OR. I had a Forester Turbo that was destroying my back after a long day, the soft ride in the OR was a welcome thought.

The Sport looks better, the OR drives better.

 

Maybe different expectations?

On my 2000, I ended up adding poly mounting bushings to the rack and sway bar and upgraded the tires. That made it "tolerable" but not good. It was my 5th truck, so it wasn't like I had no experience with truck handling to provide realistic expectations. It did have a cab-high Snugtop on most of the time and that made it worse.

My daily commute has many tight turns. I probably value handling more than 95% of Tacoma owners. When considering getting my current truck, I went so far as to borrow back my old truck from the guy who bought it so I had a recent baseline. I drove it once on my commute and said "I can't live like that anymore." I also took a buddy's 2nd gen Sport on the same road and it was fine. I only have a few test drives in the 2nd gen OR's and the only thing I could really test was the turn-in (which was houseboat-like). Since I couldn't take a 3rd gen on my commute until I bought one, I was apprehensive that it would be a dog. However, it does fine in the turns and I'm quite happy with the handling considering the ground clearance. My Snugtop does cause more lean and negatively affects the handling, but I would classify it as detectable, but not significant degradation.

There were suspension changes with the refresh in 2001 IIRC, so maybe yours handles better than mine did? Mine handled like crap, and since I drove it for 12 years, I'm pretty confident in that assessment. It is however, just my opinion.

 

Get ready for a 2-4 month wait for the 6mt truck.. I have been waiting sense 10/23/15 for mine still don't have a build date.

 

Took 3 months to get mine. The wait was worth it.

 

I said handling. I did not say ride quality. I see those as separate qualities that do interrelate. I was speaking only of the responsiveness to steering input and stability while cornering.

I'm a bit surprised that has you so worked up. It's good that you are passionate about your truck; that's something that seems to be going away as more vehicles become appliances. This is the 3rd gen forum, it can be rough in here, but I challenge you to find one unkind word I have said to anyone in any of my posts.

The 1st gens are great trucks. I loved mine. I only sold it when I knew it was going to a good home. I'm glad yours is capable: I like to see people modify and enjoy their trucks. I just needed rear seat room and wanted modern amenities (XM instead of a cassette player for instance) and safety features. My payments are reasonable. I won't actually enjoy them, but they won't cause me any consternation either. It's less than twice my water bill, so it's almost down in the noise.

I still don't know what this is really supposed to be, but here's a pickle with a perm, or maybe a dancing broccoli floret? I find it amusing.

 

You think the OR rides soft? It rides rougher than most 3/4-1 ton trucks I drive

 

OP, take it from someone who has a 4x4 with open diffs. If you plan to wheel, get the OR. If it's gonna be a DD with a trip down a muddy path once in a blue moon, maybe get something else. I've been in countless situations where a locker and ATRAC would have been wonderful.

 

A 4wd truck with out a locker in the rear is pointless IMHO. All you have without the locker is a 2wd truck i.e. the right rear tire and the left front tire most of the time.

Granted the locker in stock form only works in 4-low but like the second gen trucks "grey wire mod" there is a way to get around that just haven't seen anyone figure it out yet. As soon as I can get my hands on a schematic I am going to get that worked out where it is usable in all ranges.