Air filter replacement vs upgraded intake

About to order an AFE replacement air filter for my 2017 sr5 v6 but I noticed they have a "flexible" and "rigid" option for the filter. Which one to get? I'm assuming flexible, but I didn't quite get the explanation they have on that page.

Or if I have $400-500 ready to spend on my truck, would a cold air intake kit be worth it? It's stock, no tune or exhaust. I noticed one intake kit on AFEs page says it can "gain up to 7 hp" and the other kit says "up to 17 hp" I think. I know these are just claims, but how much power is the 3.5 actually able to gain from one of these? Is a cold air intake for this truck a "must do" mod, well worth the money?
Or, Are there any mods worth doing to the stock air box? Snorkel removal, hole cutting, etc
Barely off-road this truck or drive in dust if that makes a difference..

 

Your stock setup is CAI. Systems like aFe which I have and personally enjoy, add a nice engine bay aesthetic and increase the volume/loudness of the engine dynamics. As to whether there is a noticeable output in power is highly debatable. If you were to add a cat-back exhaust at some point then the potential for debatable output increases…., and with a SC then absolutely.
I like the way mine looks and my butt dyno enjoys the combination of both my TRD cat-back and aFe system.

TRD cover is courtesy of Coupe​

 

Total waste of money. Spend the $500 on gas!

 

There are deals out there, picked mine up for less than $275.00

 

I don’t understand the draw to these things. I’d rather have the best air filter on my non-performance Tacoma that protects my engine from ingesting dirt. CAI’s allow more airflow = less filtration = more dirt.

With all the talk about mpg on this site have you ever noticed your mpg increases in the summer? Cold dense air reduces mpg. With no appreciable hp gain it would make sense to look for an hai, aka hot air intake, especially during the winter.

 

I like my S&B just for looks. The 4K miles of road driving I have put on in the last year and a half leaves little worry in me for filtration issues. Plus I do have a cat back, so I like the obnoxiously loud noise in my quiet suburban neighborhood.

 

I get that stuff looks good, but how often does anyone drive around with their hood off so people can see?

 

I picked up a K&N air filter. Are they worth the hype?

 

As long as you maintain it correctly, it will serve the life of the truck. Slight gain in noise when you tromp on it.

 

It’s legacy advertising. Shows u how well the psychology works. Powerful stuff

 

Nope cause more problems. Messes with Mass air flow sensor. The oil on them cringes to mass air flow sensor, and collects dirt.

 

What site did you order that on?

 

https://mbenzgram.com/
It took awhile for them to finally ship my intake to me, I must have emailed them once a week for a month. It was worth it though, for the price.
Like all sites they have specials and varied discount offers, present prices may not match what I checked out at.

 

But I told you, my butt-dyno likes it

 

I see

 

I've had K&N's for over 20 years on various vehicles. I have never once had an issue with oil messing up the sensors. I would also let it soak in and absorb for a day or two before installing. I don't run one on the Tacoma and probably won't, I know with my past experiences CAI will cause a decrease in the low-end torque on V6 engines.

 

Nope

 

I found a AFE Momentum GT w/ scoop on FB marketplace for $100. Cleaned it up and replaced the filter with a new dry one.

Totally worth it, but I can’t say that it makes any more power or gets better MPG. But it sounds good, and it’s super OEM+ looking.

if your between an exhaust or intake, I’d go intake cause you get all the noise without it ever droning.