TRD SPORT or TRD OFFROAD

Keep us updated OP, and post some pictures of what you go with

 

We replaced our 2nd Gen Sport with a 3rd Gen Sport DCLB, so auto. I don't find the auto to be as bad as it's posted about in the 3rd gen section. It's tuned for mileage and the 3.5 likes to rev.. that's it.

We went with the sport because while I go offroad and play around, we also cover a lot of distance traveling around BC. So far in one year it's been over to the island, up to northern AB, down to the east Koots, and all over in between.. The sport handles nicer and tighter on the road, and as much as I enjoy getting in the dirt - the majority of the mileage is going to be pavement.

I learned manual by buying my 86 Toy 4x4 when I was 16 - you will be fine after the first 20 minutes as well.
Either of those trucks is going to be awesome.

 

Thanks for the input. Not really looking for a long bed as i find it too long for my needs. I'm now leaning towards the offroad for its auto transmission as I think itll be better to get a manual for a smaller car (like toyo 86). If they only had a DCSB sport in auto..

 

This is the easiest manual I have ever driven

 

I went from an 09 M/T TRD Sport to a 17 A/T TRD OffRoad. I got the auto for my wife as she cannot lift both feet off the ground because of back issues. The Offroad suspension is designed to absorb bumps so that is better for her back as is the TRD seats. I have no issues with the Auto hunting for gears, it works fine.

If you want to learn to drive a stick, try this.. Once you start the truck on level ground, put it in 1st. Take your foot off the gas and very slowly, release the clutch. When the truck starts to move , put the clutch back in and repeat several times. This point is called the friction point. Once you are ready, when you hit the friction point, slowly continue releasing the clutch as you count 1 thousand and 1, one thousand and two, one thousand and three. At that point your clutch should be released. If you do this every time, the truck should never jerk. If it does, you probably did not count. Once you learn the friction point, hills are not an issue. As you release towards the friction point, you can hear the engine loading down. At that point you, you can release the brake and the truck should not roll back. Try this in a parking lot. Take you foot off the brake and put it on the gas. Increase the gas as you count and you should drive away smoothly on any hill

Good luck

 

Reasons deterring me from getting a manual
-work commute already pretty tiring. Adding m/t might make it worse
-live in a pretty hilly area (lots of stop and go on hills)*very intimidating*
-no family member who can bail me out if I get injured(play sports a lot)
-i still haven't learned how to drive an m/t and I dont really have time to(no m/t vehicle I can practice on as well)
-i feel like I'm just going to ruin the clutch if I get it new without learning m/t beforehand
-auto will be more fuel efficient as opposed to my lack of m/t skills

 

I know man I'm just saying if you do want to learn MT this one will be very easy and quick! But you gotta go with your gut and do what's right for you for 30K! Lol

 

Reasons why I want a manual
-ive always wanted to learn how to (doesn't necessarily have to be on a truck)
-fun factor
-3rd gen auto "issues"
-more truck control
-hits two of my bucket list items in one shot(get a truck and learn to drive manual)

Like you said it's a big investment that's why I want to hear as much opinions to make the best informed decision.

 

Get the sport in stick, auto is crap on those trucks. With the manual you can do all the trails that off-road can, I've owned them both and never had the need to use locker. It's all about the driver skill. Unless you crawl rocks 24/7 locker is unnecessary.

 

Thanks for the tips. Just a quick question. I tried my coworkers m/t car and I had to balance the clutch and the break in first gear or it will stall. On my friends truck(m/t ram3500) however, you dont need to step on the gas to get going, just properly releasing the clutch is enough.
Which one is the tacoma like?

 

I might add... of the OR options you mention:

Off Road
- *cloth seats*
- rearlocker (do you need it?)
- crawl control (do you need it?)
- mts (do you need it?)
- *automatic*

I've run Tacomas for 20 years without those three. I don't rock crawl, but I'm off road a lot and have been just fine. It's a very capable truck in 4hi/4lo.

 

Yeah it's pretty sad how I'm equally considering the offroad just because of its transmission.

 

Can’t you get hold of a manual to test out for a day? Even if you had to shell out some money to someone to borrow it would be worth it to even wrap your mind around driving a manual. For me, they are so much more fun and engaging. However, I drive in a lot of severe traffic and have a second car that is automatic I shuffle with. At my age it isn’t as practical to have a manual exclusively, but I don’t know if the same holds true for you. I had a dedicated M/t for years with no alternative and now I love having the luxury to use both for when I’m feeling tired and lazy.

I hope you are able to get a manual, learn quick and love it. But if you have any doubt, try on a friends first. Having to sell and get a new car is a pain in the butt, not to mention, costly.

 

To me the trans choice is probably the biggest one there is out of what you listed. The rest is just "extra stuff".

For what it's worth, I loved my manual 1st gen regular cab. It was zippy, fun to drive, it retained the characteristics that have always drawn me to manual transmissions. But I didn't like my 2nd gen manual double cab (2012). Too much weight and low end torque to be "fun" like the 1st gen (I'm not arguing with anyone here, just my personal opinion).

That said, with the "zippier" 3.5L in the 3rd gen, perhaps my opinion would change. My time in a 2018 OR auto made me think a manual might be fun again because it felt like a quicker truck around town (less low end torque). The 3rd gen felt more like a Honda Civic to me than a truck (as I had grown so used to the 4.0 in the 2nd gen).

 

The 3rd Gen is pretty easy to drive manual.

I haven't driven manual in years and got in my friends and was fine.

It's not that hard to learn pretty easy actually.
Although I would say learn on something else . You'll wear the clutch faster and better to learn before driving your new truck.

But my vote would go to off road because you actually get more truck for the price.
The 'leather' in Toyota is crap and the scoop is fake and does nothing.

Even if you don't use the locker etc, never mind the usual it's better to have and not need shit, in resale would fetch more.

And the offroad, at least when I bought mine, was actually slightly cheaper than the sport.

You're only seeing a difference because it's manual vs auto which is what's changing the price so much. The auto Sport vs off road when I got mine was $800 cheaper for off road msrp

 

With the recent update all of my issues with the auto are now gone

 

Finally someone "pro" offroad/automatic. Thanks for your thoughts.
In Canada, Toyota doesn't offer an auto trd sport. Just a manual trd sport with the premium and tech package. They also dont offer the offroad with the premium and tech package or even a manual. So I'm stuck picking between the twoffroad auto vs sport manual with premium and tech package (both DCSB).

I dont think I have any realistic opportunity to learn m/t on a different vehicle. Was able to try my friends jeep but she just replaced her clutch for 4 grand and I dont want to mess that up. They would let me be a passenger and observe but I dont think its the same.

 

I’ve been in his truck with auto, and I hated it, he drove my truck with manual and regretted not getting one.

Get manual and learn it, the clutch is forgiving and you won’t break it unless you ride it constantly.

 

Off road! Fake hood scoops are retarded!

 

Would you still get the offroad if the sport came with the premium and tech package and a cheaper price tag?