The TRD Sport Appreciation Thread

When we bought the new 2020 Tacoma, I really wanted to get a manual transmission access cab configuration. To do that I had to say goodbye to getting a PRO (was really out of our price range anyway) or sadly, even an Off Road here in 'Merica. I was kinda bummed I didn't get that sweet locking rear diff, but I did get the Access Cab manual transmission configuration I really wanted! I thought "man, I might really need that rear locker off-roading sometime", but as it turns out it wasn't even close to being needed on the forest service and BLM roads that I have taken it on. My '99 SR5 doesn't have a locker either and never needed one since I got her in '07. Granted, the ride is a bit stiff on the trails in the sport, but handles real well on road.

Well after our recent 1600 mile round trip journey to San Diego to visit the new Grandaughter, I have a newfound real appreciation for the Sport! Since 85 is the new 65 in California and the roads down there are SHIT (Alaskan roads get pretty bad with the frostheave and all, but damn California with 40 cents a gallon state tax on fuel, one would think you could keep yer damn roads in good repair! *rant over*), we really put the suspension through its paces and the Sport performed BEAUTIFULLY! I am sure the PRO or Off-Road could have handled the roads easily as well, I do not think they could have handled then as well at the speed we were going. (90+ for a good portion of it)

Since my serious off-roading is done on my Yamaha Kodiak 700 quad these days, I am now thinking the Sport just may be better suited for me than I thought!

I know a lot of folks on here like to chide us Sport owners as having the "Diet Coke" version of the Tacoma, but I gotts it's say, for road trips, especially through California, the Sport is a friggin' ROCKSTAR!





Anyone else with a newfound appreciation for their Sport, or have you just loved it from day 1?

: )B

 

Bought mine new and I don't regret it. She's been rock solid on and off road.

 

What do you like best about her?

 

Have had mine a month, a 2019. Didn't originally set out for a sport but when prices of new ones got crazy around me, had to go with what used inventory was around. Certainly no regrets or anything. Love it every day. But I do sometimes wonder what the real benefits of the Sport over just the SR5 are. I do really like the push button start and touchless entry, that's a convenience from the car I traded in that I didn't want to lose when making the switch to a truck.

 

I think the sport gets a fair amount of love. Here's mine, it's a manual and that's why I love it.

 

I bought a 2020 Sport about a month ago with 23,000 miles. Honestly it didn’t matter what package it was, I just wanted a DCLB and found this one locally. No regrets, I love it.

 

dream state

 

Like you, I found that to get a manual transmission, long bed, Access Cab (and in Army Green, no less!), I had to get a Sport. So far, after many mods, I'm very happy with it.

 

Yep , love my Sport

 

I'll go a step further and say that I can get pretty dang far off the beaten path with 2WD and that autoLSD button. I knew when I bought it that I wouldn't need OR or 4WD, because my youthful lessons of why you shouldn't bash on your daily driver are mostly learned.

 

TLDR: Love my Sport Tacoma!
Love my 2017 Sport 4x4 DCSB. Although my previous cars ('02 Acura TL-S and '05 Audi A4) were 12-15 years older and had double the amenities (the Taco non-adjustable front seats are terrible), I knew what I was getting into with the Tacoma and it's lack of creature comforts (my '96 Tahoe probably had the same options, lol... but seriously). It does everything I need it to and I love it for what it is. And less options = less crap to break over time. After owning it for almost 2 years and getting to know the truck, there have been a lot of times where I've said to myself "wow Toyota really went the cheap route here, didn't they." (cough cough, super white paint is complete sh*t and starting to fail) Probably the best thing I've done is swap out the stock struts for bilstein 5100's. The ride difference on gravel/potholes/rough roads is much improved over the stock struts.

 

Love my 2020 DCLB Sport premium ,it is excellent on the highway and hauls my motorcycles with ease along with any other loads I throw at it.I never considered the off road only the sport because like all my trucks I have owned it hasn't seen a mud puddle in the 9 months I have owned it nor will it, great little truck no regrets

 

I love my Sport. Access cab is perfect for the longer bed and it is very comfortable. I've found the suspension to be a little bit softer than I like so will probably do an Eibach 1.5" lift at some point, but it is very capable up in the mountains and with the 2LO mod I'm thinking this is the last truck I'll ever need.

 

had a 2016 sport and now I have a 21 Sport.
I obviously like the sport since I bought it twice.
The only thing I have left to do for my mods is waiting for the rest of my TRD lift to come in. 2 shocks came in and waiting on the backorder for the other 2

 

That is a beautiful Cavalry Blue!
It is not really fair to compare the new suspension on my 2020 Sport to my 99 Sr5 (with 270k on the OG suspension), but I think the Sport has a firmer ride and is more "planted" in the corners. Wish I would have test drove another model for comparison sake.

 

Does anyone else get the irony of a "TRD Sport Appreciation Thread" with a bunch of TRD Sports that have been lifted, chin spoiler removed, A/T tires, etc?

 

Only thing to appreciate is that this truck is the Brittany spears of Toyota trucks.

looks pretty. Sold a bunch of units, but ultimately shallow with no staying power.

 

in true fashion of TW. If you don't like what i do or have what I have then I will dog on you for your choices.

 

Skewp life indeed. Primary reason I ended up with a Sport was because I was already set on getting a red SR5 or Inferno TRD model - but nothing was available at the time (late 2015). Then this Sport showed up at the dealer with 4,000 miles but sold as new. Seems someone drove off with it and never paid so they got it back. Ended up getting a deal on it that put it near the SR5 price.

I love the body colored flares and bumper. Though the paint is really flaking off the flares in my case after 80,000 miles.



It was stock once upon a time.

 

Sport getting feet wet.