TRD Sport -- Chrome Clads Only

Tried to build a new TRD Sport on the Toyota website. It appears that you can now only build the Sport with chrome clad wheels. Guess that's how Toyota resolved the problem they have had with the clear coated aluminum wheels.

 

The "Sport Upgrade" package adds the clad wheels. The regular Sport package does not have the awesome clad wheels. Not sure why those plastic wheel covers and 18" wheels add $700. Can't seem to find any other differences in the package descriptions. I've got the clad wheels on mine and they don't look that bad - just annoying that you're paying so much more for extra cheese...

 

I ordered a Sport way back in September. The dealer lost some allocation, they delayed things a bit more, but finally got the order in. My truck that was supposed to be delivered in December now has a late January build date. I just gave up a bought a Sport Upgrade truck from another dealer. The sad part is I could have had the exact truck I just purchased way back in October if I had not insisted on waiting for the plain Sport.

The Toyota build system is less than efficient. If you really want a Sport, I would just bite the bullet and get what you can find. Wheels are easy to change.

 

Although it is easy to describe them as wheel covers, they are not. Wheels covers are made in low cost countries from inexpensive plastic and can be easily removed. Chrome-clad wheels have an expensive engineered high-impact composite permanently bonded to the wheel to allow a high quality chrome finish to be applied. There is also a huge cost difference, they are quite a bit more expensive that traditional chrome-plated wheels when you add up the extra engineering, equipment and tooling necessary to produce them. Proof of the cost can be as simple as looking at which companies use them - Mercedes = yes, Audi = yes, Hyundai = No, Kia = No.

 

What he just said..... This guy is the bubba gump of wheels.

 

And all this time I thought that these Plastic Clad Chrome rims were a POJ...I am sadly mistaken...

I was actually thinking of taking them off during the winter months up here in the Nort...should I bother or what? opinions....