2023 SR5 vs TRD Sport

The look of the Sport got me to stop and check it out, the ride sold the truck.

Every time I get in the truck it says "game on, let's roll". Few things are better than cranking out 3-400 miles in a day with this thing.

 

THIS

 

My 23 SR 5 came with Dual Climate Control and Remote Keyless. Added Toyota OEM remote locking tail gate lock, Toyota OEM Bed Lights, Toyota OEM Bed Mat, Tri-Fold bed cover and a Ranch Hand Grill / Front Bumper Guard. Doing Dr.CarNow Set Covers, Toyota OEM Mud Flaps and Sokietech Hood Shock Struts. Thats all I plan on doing..........

 

Yes, you should totally buy the thing that I bought and will defend to the death, despite having no experience with the other thing.

 

It seems the biggest difference with the Sport vs the SR5 I ended buying was the suspension. I wasn't interested in spending more for a street tuned suspension that really wasn't what I wanted.

 

An SR5 would have served me very well but no power adjustable drivers seat back in 2020. Needed adjustment for my wife to drive. Only TRD trims and above at the time.

Also, nearing retirement this most likely is my last new truck so I splurged on the TRD trim level. Wanted the DCLB Off-Road but the 6’ foot bed is not available for the Canadian market. The TRD DCLB Sport is what I went With. Super White exterior, all black interior with the cement coloured seat trim. The Sport wheels were changed for 2020. Love the looks of the Skewp as well. Took some getting used to at first while driving and looking over it.

Very happy and satisfied with the truck after 2 years. Still look back at the truck all the time after parking.

If possible test drive each trim you are interested in.

 

No manual transmission in SR/SR5.

 

DUDE!

I totally forgot to mention the power seat!

What a "luxury" it is to have.

Although, the passenger seat does not include one...which is hard to come by these days on higher trims, it's nice to have on driver's side!

I've been able to add upgrades that are pretty much plug-n-play because of the TRD trim:

OEM LED Headlights (with Dave Easa harness)
OEM Bed Lights
OEM Tailgate Lock

I friggin' love my AT/DCSB Sport...so much so that I plan on upgrading my wheel/tire/suspension in the near future.

I also frequently use these features: ECT, LDA, Auto High Beam and side mirror defrost.

 

I went the SR5 route and has east coast gears put a locker in. Still ahead as far as price. Didn’t like the storage in the bed on the trail. Just going to take it out anyway as I haul tons of gear back and forth from bases when I’m called. Just my half of a peso opinion.

 

Is your wife okay with you having a girlfriend now? And a bunch of dudes checking out your truck?

 

How much did you spend on having a Locker installed?

 

I was originally aiming at an SR5... a few grand more got me keyless locking, larger head unit, aluminum wheels, push button start, a super duper sweet hood scoop, different seat material, and a few other options. Not sure if what all has changed from 2016 but for me it was worth a bit more money for those options. The keyless entry and locking alone is great.

 

It can be a decent deal but really depends on what your needs and wants are, the price difference is honestly not all that great.

 

I was going to go with an SR5 but after really looking at the differences in features like a power sliding rear window, wheels, ride, scoop, stereo system, looks, I was sold, plus my Wife saw the difference in features and pointed things out I was missing. Added ,my own heated leather seats, 4Runner wheels, lift and other upgrades it seemed like the look I was going for. So I waited a few weeks for the dclb 4wd sport to come in and was happy with my decision. I knew right off the bat I didn't want the Off Road because I didn't want the Crawl Control sa in my mind it was something that if it broke I knew it would be expensive to fix. I also knew I wasn't taking it off roading except for the beach and maybe some trails and knew I would not use it. Plus the Off Road looked like a strip down model and no Pro in a long bed. So, end of the story I'm happy with what I bought!

 

Push start is for wussies.

 

You should get seat covers with a better headrest

 

I guess things have changed availability wise. My 2022 SR5 has the sliding rear window, power driver's seat, keyless entry, alloy wheels, and last I heard Toyota is not taking orders for manual transmission trucks (I saw a couple of posts on FB Tha people have even had their manual trans orders canceled). Just wanted to mention this in the interest of accuracy.

 

I originally ordered a Trail Edition (based on the SR5), but when I went to pick it up a deal on a Sport in the same color fell through. When I saw them next to each other, the $2k difference was worth the upgrade.

It may sound dumb, but beyond the push to start, hood skewp, and wireless charging (that I never use), the black headliner on the TRD's was also a big selling point for me.

 

Yeah I like having a key. Push start is just one more electrical thing that can break and leave me stranded somewhere lol

 

I originally wanted a Sport, but I didn't want the premium package with leather seats and a moon roof, those were deal breakers for me. I also didn't want a manual, or an access cab or long bed.

Alot of ppl look at SR5's as a base model tacoma to upgrade/customize their own wqy. I personally went with an SR5 because I knew I didn't need a rear locker (TRD OR) and I knew I was going to put money into a new suspension, wheels and tires almost immediately after purchase anyway. Money saved was able to be spent on things i wanted. Once I figured out how to get LED headlights installed on an SR5, it was a done deal for me.