OR or SR5 "dilemma"

Straight to the point. I have a OR DC 4x4, V6, tow, tech-non JBL (just to get color keyed bumper) on "order". The more I think about it, the more I second guess myself. Yes, the OR is a great truck with lots of options. However, I prefer the color keyed fender/bumper look, which I can get with the appearance package on the SR5. Only thing I would really miss off the OR is the rear diff (can add aftermarket). Don't need the craw or MTS, moon roof...etc. The dual climate control would be nice, but not "needed". Its my truck, not the family car.

Question is/are. If I don't need the crawl, MTS, moonroof...etc. Why not get the SR5? I can throw on shocks and wheels with the money saved, right? How does the driving experience differ from the three. Plain SR5, OR, Sport? Is it that noticeable? Anything some aftermarket parts cant fix? I've only driven the 2016 OR.

I don't live anywhere near a place that would require the MTS/crawl, so resale is not a worry. Besides that, I don't resale my trucks. I'm still in my 2002 Gen1. I just need a truck with 4wd to get me out of "basic" mud holes that I come across while hunting. Of course the driving experience (inside and out) matters. I drive abut 60 miles (roundtrip) a day, to and from work. But, how much do they really differ?

The sport (minus the scoop) and limited are SHARP trucks. So is the OR, it just needs the colored fenders. Is the "stance' of all four trucks the same?

I know! Long ass post. Any insight/help is welcome

Thanks!

 

You'll be happier with the OR

 

I have been pondering this question myself. I was going to get a trd with all the goodies. But with the moonroof eating up to much headroom for my 6'3" self I am left with deciding between one of the trd's in the plain trim or an sr5 with the appearance package. I think I am going to go with the sr5 because the only thing I am missing out on, that I would like to have, is the push button start. I will gladly give up the push button start if it means I won't have to make myself live with the ugly hood scoop or black fenders.
Aside from the Limited I think the sr5 with the appearance package is clearly the best looking truck.

 

Better to have it and not need it then....Yadda and so on...get the OR.

 

Same-ish boat. Sport vs. SR5. The biggest draw for me is how much I like the wheels on the sports. The only option i would get on the sport would be towing. Options on the SR5 would be appearance pkg and towing, which brings my totals pretty close together...both look really, really good.

If i were you, i'd go SR5, especially if you dont NEED all the extras. Prob what i'll do too.

 

Have and need what? If he adds a (most likely better) locker aftermarket, he will have the best of both worlds and probably at a lower cost. OP, have you also considered the upgraded head unit? Also, are you sure you will never use the moonlight, dual AC, or other features? You may like them. Inversely to my SR5 argument, money is just money and will go away. Dual AC and moonroof won't go away.
But neither will those non-matched fenders

 

The SR5 is your best bet OP. Sounds like you don't want or need all the stuff in the OR/Sport packages. And you sound open to upgrading later (suspension,etc). You can add whatever you need later, plenty of aftermarket parts for these trucks.

Probably the moonroof and rear locker would be the two options that would be hard/expensive to add aftermarket but they can be.

On my 07 I got a TRD OR and ended up replacing everything that made it that except for the rear locker, although I even modded that. So in the end I'd have saved money just getting the SR5. But I never realized I'd get addicted to modding my truck. Damn you TW!!!!

 

Awesome post/feedback. Whats this upgraded head unit you speak of? Moonlight, dual AC...sure I would probably use but don't need them. Like and need are WAY different. Besides, I think a sunroof on a truck is stupid. IMO of course. Hell, my wife has one on her car and its rarely used. And of course fenders can be painted. However, the $ saved on the SR5 could allow for aftermarket tires/rims and other "stuff" and then some (hopefully). But, OTD on the OR leaves little room for any

 

Makes sense to me. And no way I would add an aftermarket sunroof. Hell, never wanted it in the first place. That's funny about your OR! My thoughts exactly.

Thanks for the response!

 

You know what, I think I was wrong. I was referring to this brochure, but it seems that the SR trim has a 2.2 LCD odometer whereas every other trim has the 4.2 multi informational display. I had confused that difference for SR5 and TRD.

http://www.toyota.com/tacoma/ebrochure/


Page 18, "Tacoma Grades" -> Interior Features

 

Im guessing I missed something bout the sunroof. So, the headspace is reduced with the moonroof option? If so, screw that. I cant even wear my ballcap in the wife's car due to clearance. I wonder if it would be the same in the truck. Back to the "specs" page. Thanks man!

 

Edit: please read that brochure carefully. I'm learning more and more by looking at it again. Apparently all MT 3rd gens have a 4.3 ratio instead of a 3.9 like all else. Secondly, the tow ratings. These new features that we finally got take up weight. 4x4 seems to be heavier now as well.

 

Definitely look into the moonroof dilemma. I haven't found any specs but there seems to be a consensus that if you're over 6' you will have headroom issues unless you like to have the seat leaned back. I'm more comfortable sitting upright so it's a problem for me.

I live in the frozen north, so heated seats would be a sweet option. For reasons I have yet to figure out, you can only get heated seats if you have a hole in your roof too.

 

If you are actually going to use the 4x4 for it's intended purpose, might be difficult to get warranty work if you put on an aftermarket locker. Moonroofs are bad ass for about a week. In the long term, they always have some kind of issue.

Just my .02. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what any knucklehead says on here...you are driving it and you are PAYING for it. Save those bucks and outfit your truck!

 

Hey mtn. What did you change exactly? Because I thought the locker I'd what made it. However I guess it's also tires and suspension. Also how did you modify the locker??

 

Well, related to the TRD package...

1. I changed out the rear feaf packs and the rear shocks and front coil-overs. The TRD package Bilsteins were terrible off road, bottomed out easily and on and off road that 3-leaf pack couldn't carry any amount of weight in the bed. Besides I was wanting a little lift. So, I wish I'd never paid for those TRD shocks since I replaced them pretty much right away.

2. I changed the tires out for larger ones. So, basically wasted my money on the TRD package BFGs.

3. I put a stereo AMP under my passenger seat and a sub inside my center console and had to relocate my inverter for the rear bed power outlet to under the drivers seat. It was a hassle for sure. And, I only ever used that outlet 3 times in 8 years. And two of those times I was going out of my way to use it just because it was there (when the truck was new). So, I now see it as a pretty useless feature I could easily live without and could add aftermarket pretty cheaply if I changed my mind.

4. That rear locker. It only worked if the truck was in 4WD Low going under 5mph. Pretty limited usefulness. So, I did the mod to "free" it so I could engage the locker anytime I wanted to. And now I use it all the time. But, I've since added an ARP air compressor/tank under the hood to let me air up my tires after I've deflated them for offloading. And it wouldn't have been a big deal to juts install the ARB rear locker if you consider the major wiring modification for the factory one. And, a rear locker means that you loose out on a limited slip rear end. The locker is super awesome off road but all around the limited slip is automatic engaging and disengaging at any and all speed on and off road and you really miss it - I have an open rear when I'm not using the locker. So, I don't know if the factory locker was really worth it?

I did a lot more to my truck, so much so that I can never sell it. I'm not sure it's even safe to drive anymore, ha ha? Pulled the front and rear bumpers for custom plate steel ones (now I had the OR package so I didn't have the color matched ones like the Sport package came with) so really this one had no effect on my TRD package.

Anyway, hope you can see a base SR5 would have saved me several thousand dollars upfront. And I changed all the things mostly that a TRD package afforded me within a couple years of ownership and the things I didn't change (bed outlet, rear locker) are of questionable value sometimes and could easily be done aftermarket.

Now, if I wasn't planning to mode the truck the TRD package, especially the OR one gives you a hell of a capable truck, stock. Pretty cool. And I got one because I never thought I'd have any interest in mods. Then Chris4X4 and the TW site corrupted me into a mod junkie. Now I'm hooked on mods and waste countless hours trolling the site for things I can still do to my truck. Most recently I put a TRD supercharger on it to help compensate for the extra weight of all the mods I've done.