2023 SR5 vs TRD Sport

I doubt it will ever break unless someone makes it, but to me its a useless gimmick.

 

Just another irrational fear of mine. Lol.

 

I always had sr5 toyota trucks as they've been more reliable than the trd trims from the years i've seen. I don't do any serious off roading, or big mods which a trd is a good place to start. I can't see the need for led lights on my sr5 as i see very well at night with its stock headlights....maybe one needs to eat more veggies like carrots to see better at night. I ordered the sr5 with everything i wanted this time including a power sliding rear window, and tonneau cover. So far its been better than expected.

 

I just like the look of LED headlights.

My SR5 came with the tech package (rear parking sonar, color matched rear bumper caps, blind spot monitor and rear cross-traffic alert) which i absolutely love. But sr5 didn't have the LED headlights which was a huge bummer.... until I found this forum lol.

Is it true that the tech package is very hard to find if not outright unavailable in tacomas for 2023 models?

 

I've got some of that nanny bs that came with my sr5 to that i can honestly do without. I turned much of it off, or at least desensitized it. I actually don't mind having those chrome bumper caps it came with. I only wished the wheels, and the grill were also. I don't do much off-roading anymore, but do have a 2 mile crappy dirt road i live off that gets real nasty when it snows a foot, or in the spring mud. I enjoy pulling out morons that try driving through with their honda's, and bmw's then get buried on that road in winter, or spring.

 

A couple things I like about the TRD Sport is the infamous hood skewp, and the off-road incline and tilt indicator on the dash.
But tbh, IDK if the latter still comes with it, as TOYOTA mixes and changes option from year to year.

Things I hate about the trim on the sport is the dual climate and the PTS. I have nightmares on loosing the fob (on my 4R) and to have to fork $800-1k to the stealer for a copy, or repair cost when something goes awry. That on top of having the fob cloned in a parking lot.

Moreover, the added complexity of the dual climate control makes the repair expense outrageous vs the SR5.

And I hope you’ll forgive me for sounding like a cheap skate when it comes to R&R issues, but I usually outlast warranties mileage or time periods and don’t ever takeout extended warranties.

That said, If I can get the SR5 without the PTS or auto climate, so much the better, and I’d be a happy camper.

Good luck, and have FuN with your choice, It's all good.

 

I was between an OffRoad and a Sport. Here's what I did.
Make a list of what you would want on a Sport and SR5.
2 lists, color, options, and more important what you don't want (they install tons of port/dealer stuff here).
If you find the truck you want, in either trim, buy it.

 

I understand what your saying, but I believe you should consider Tacoma's have been getting driven off by thieves long before PTS, along with all other car makes and models. It would depend on what level of tech said thieves are operating with Learning to pick a lock on a ignition is not too difficult if you have the right tools. And same with hacking it electronically. Both probably take close to an equal amount of time.
For me, the "better" part about PTS is not having pointy keys in my pockets all day, never having to take my fob/key out of my pocket to start the truck, as well as less jingling keys when 4 wheeling. Yes they are creature comforts that are not necessary but you can take that logic pretty far down the rabbit hole. Who needs heat, AC, power locks/windows... The list can go on forever.

To answer the thread question, I'd go with the Sport, but I also like gizmos and gadgets

 

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As some of the other TW members suggested try working backwards by identifying the features that you must have, rather than the trim level itself. The reason for this approach is because not every "configuration" (I think there are 32), in every color, is available in every geographical region.

I was initially looking for a Sport, but "had to have" 6-MT, DCSB, Silver Metallic (or cement), and LED Headlights. That combination wasn't available where I live, so I bought the TRD Off Road. It turns out that the TRD "Off Road" actually drives and rides really nicely on the road. I do have 2 regrets though: Little and None

 

KIA has entered the chat..

Kia, Hyundai Theft Class Action Lawsuit | ClassAction.org

 

It just seems buying from a new standpoint the price difference is so minimal its almost no debate. SR5 is a solid looking truck, just lacks some of the nicer features found on most modern/newer cars.

Could this this, or the ...stiff, hard ride she enjoys. Jokes aside I've never hooked up in a vehicle as much as the tacoma.

 

Features that used to be on high end trims back in the day, now come standard on lower trims.

I had a 2010 TRD Sport trim that got totaled earlier this year, and it was upper mid tier in features back then. When I was searching for my 3rd gen, I started looking for a TRD Sport trim cause I thought I needed to to keep the features I had. Boy was I wrong. Going “down” to the SR5 model had everything I had and more of what was in my 2010.

Dual Zone Climate
Locking tailgate
Power Driver seat
Power sliding rear window

Only thing the SR5 didn’t have that my 2010 TRD sport had was the skewp. But other than that, it had everything I needed/wanted, and nothing unnecessary that I would have paid for and never used.

I’m glad I still have a key. The push start like someone said is just another electronic feature that can possibly break. I’m sure eventually all vehicles will have that but if you lose the fob, it’s $400 to replace!!! That right there is a deterrent. But like someone said, the 2023 SR5 now has push start.

 

You will have to pay for SR5 key replacement too.
I never had issues with fobs on pts car over 10 years (only 1 battery replacement). We do just take 2nd fob on any camping, hiking, long travel trips.
I do the same with a conventional key.

 

Yeah but key with transponder is much cheaper than the Smartkey fob

 

Give me keys or give me death -
Push / key-fob b.s. was the reason I went SR5 on my 2021 -
Guess this thing will have to out live me - and it will -

 

This is the only thing I wish my Trail had.

 

I never understood the need for dual climate. If the person next to me is a whole 18 inches away and sets their climate to 80 and mine was set to 65, you can bet I'm feeling their 80* air on me .

 

Just speaking from personal experience, I have been driving push to start vehicles for almost 10 years now and have never had an issue with them. Once a battery got low but the vehicle notified me every time I got in that it was low. As long as you don't ignore that notification and replace the battery, it shouldn't be an issue
In my younger years, I had a Chevy S10, the key on that truck wore down so much that the ignition/tumblers wouldn't recognize the key eventually and I was left in a parking lot stranded, had to call a locksmith and I'm sure it was a couple hundred to cut a key on site at the time (25+ years ago). I also had to replace that same ignition that failed several months later, which cost more $. Im not saying that push to starts don't have their issues but that doesn't mean the old school ways didn't have issues either. I never lose anything, especially if it is important to me. So losing a FOB doesn't ever worry me
Whatever works for ya

 

I feel like people who lose their car keys are the same people whose phone screen is cracked all the time. Like, just take care of your shit, man. Been driving for 35 years and have never even temporarily misplaced a car key, let alone lost one outright.

 

Famous last words.

It’s preference, I hear ya. But never say never dude. The universe has a way of humbling people.