What to buy : SR5 or TRD ?

Hey guys,

I'm shopping to buy a Tacoma (2010 to 2012) within the next few weeks (by spring anyway) and I have to make a decision.
I have a 18.5 ft Shadow Cruiser travel trailer (only 2500 lbs empty). Presently I pull it with my 2002 Sienna. The old Sienna now has 414,000 kms (257,000 miles) It gets good gas mileage alone but hook up the trailer and I only get 250 kms or 150 miles per tank.

So now I've decided to buy a truck for work that can also pull my trailer across the country with the least gas. Now I only pull my trailer around 2 or 3 times a year but it's usually a good distance ( here to Florida - 3 days; here to fishing camp 3 hours; here to Toronto 9 hours ). The rest of the time I'll be running basicly empty. I had decided that the SR5 was the choice since it is partially boosted for towing yet wasn't geared down like the TRD (hence - better gas mileage, right?), but then I stumbled onto this forum and decided to throw the question out to a bunch of TACOMA OWNERS...

So guys... what's the decision ? SR5 or TRD ?

 

You might not even be happy with the MPG in the truck's stock form , Whenever I tow a trailer on the highway I struggle to get 10 mpg.

 

You're going to need to define what you mean by ^^^ this. The SR5 and the TRD models all have the same engine, transmission and final drive gearing. For towing, the only difference is if you have the tow package installed or not.

 

According to the Toyota web site, the TRD (which always has the tow package if I understand correctly) can pull 6500 lbs (900 lbs more than the other models) and THEY say it gets less mpg than the other models. Even with the tow package the SR5 is listed with less towing capacity and better mpg.
Hey, I'm no mechanic, I've just been shopping and reading for a month.

 

I wouldn't put too much credence in their listing of fuel mileage. A lot of people aren't getting the claimed mpgs anyway.

 

Ok here's my dilema :
I would drive around in my v6 Sienna with my ultra light travel trailer and get 10 - 12 mpg.
And I would meet all kinds of big V8 pick-ups pulling 35 ft 5th-wheelers and they would supposedly be getting 10 - 15 mpg - in totally awesome comfort !
So I figured that if I get a slightly bigger motor which is also better adapted to towing I should get 15mpg and up with my light little travel trailer - or are the gas-gods out to get me?

 

Nice truck! I need 4 doors too - still have kids. What kind of mpg do YOU get ?

 

Not all TRD packaged trucks come with the tow package. It is still an option you can add or leave off from the TRD package.

 

I have the 2014 SR5. I don't get the claimed mpg running stock with no load or trailer. If gas mileage is important, then you may want to consider something other than Tacoma.

 

You might want to verify the actual contents of the packages with another source. The points below are coming from past looks and posts on this board:

o The V6 auto milage is the same for prerunner and 4x4
o the V6 manual milage is a bit lower
o the 4 cyl milage is higher, but I don't think you can get a 4 cyl 4x4
o I don't think the tow package is standard on the TRDs, unless that has changed
o I had thought that the SR5 and TRD tow ratings were the same, only difference is whether the tow package was installed or not.
o as far as tow ratings and milage is concerned, make sure that the numbers you are getting are for the engine/tranny, and base/prerunner/4x4 you want, you may be getting some 4-cyl numbers and model differences

Again, I have not looked too close at the 14 models and contents though.

 

The mileage is listed as lower for the TRD because you can't get a single cab TRD package equipped truck. So, those numbers aren't an apples-to-apples comparison. If you look at the double cabs, 4x4, PreRunner, TRD, SR5, the mileage is the same for all of them. I have a 4x4 DCSB V6 SR5 and get the exact mileage listed on the EPA estimates.

 

Just so everyone knows, I will definitely be getting a double-cab (kids) and definitely a 4X4.
With that in mind : is there no difference in gas economy between an SR5 and a TRD with the same tow-package options ?

 

I was in the same situation two years ago and decided for SR5. The tow package is the same for both but TRD comes in Canada only with 5-ft bed. Dealer would charge me about $2k more for TRD and I was really interested only in two features from that option package (got one installed by dealer and one installed lately myself).
As per mpg, you can do research on fuelly.com to to get an idea what people are getting on other trucks.

 

No

 

I have a 2010 TRD Sport 4x4 with larger tires and a slight lift and get 17ish around town

 

Nope it's the exact same.

 

If I get that I'll be perfectly happy! That's about what I get with my old Sienna.
Do you tow anything? If so, what does it do to your mpg?

 

BTW, asking for people about their milage without asking about their driving patterns is setting yourself up for bad info. My DCSB SR5 can vary between 15 and 21 depending on the driving I do on that tank.

 

What does that mean?


And mileage is all over the place depending on driver habits, location, winter/real gas, as well as if the trucks even broken in.

Mileage gets better for those of u worried about mileage with brand new trucks.

Much does have to do with the peanut behind the wheel and how he handles the gas pedal.

I can get 21ish......... With lift, thru canyons, with 500lbs worth of people, another hundo in tools and toolbox, 30lbs in luggage, and probably around 100 more HP than a stock 4.0 Tacoma.

Or I can destroy a tank of gas with no passengers, and no luggage in no time depending on how much fun I'm having.

 

If you're buying on mileage alone these trucks are not the best and get about the same as the full size trucks with bigger engines.

Several people report better mileage on the highway with the supercharger and automatic trans due to less downshifting on hills when towing.