Crawl Control?

Honestly, I think all these people claiming Crawl Control is a "gimmick" just don't really push the limits when offroading to the point where they would use it. For those of us that have been in those situations Crawl control can literally be a life saver.

Attached a pic of what happened to my old 1998 4Runner, we flipped it SIX times down the side of a cliff, all 3 of us in the car survived its honestly a miracle (and good engineering) that we did, our friends watching from the bottom of the cliff were too scared to even approach the truck for a few minutes because they thought for sure they'd just see three dead bodies in there (it actually landed upside down, the pic is after we flipped it back over).... I'm 95% sure if we had had crawl control that day back in 2004 the rear end wouldn't have kicked out trying to back down a steep ridge that we got stuck almost all the way up and we would NOT have rolled. I ran into almost the exact same situation just a few months ago (even posted about it on TW). If anyone is familiar with Blowsand in Anza Borrego I was dancing around it all day in my 3rd gen, even got a little cocky when a Ford Raptor couldn't make it to the top and I was doing laps around him

Then I got a little too confident and decided to go straight up the left face (where everyone usually just goes DOWN), I didn't make it and my rear end kicked out just enough that we were stuck, at an angle, on the steepest face of Blowsand. I just paused for like 30 seconds remembering what happened the last time I was in a truck backing down such a steep face (we all almost died). Then the thought came to me "I wonder if crawl control works in reverse?" Gave it a try and sure enough it did, and because the system can individually control wheels it prevents the rear end from kicking out on you which as you know pretty much results in flipping the vehicle multiple times on a 45 degree+ hill. Instead I did a perfectly controlled descent of about 150 yards, in reverse, on a super steep face (maxed out the inclinometer)... total control and gave me a ton more confidence knowing I have Crawl Control for the next time I end up in a tricky technical situation.

I've also used CC in the same situations I used to use my front lockers (now I don't have them) with great success. I've used crawl control at least 3 times for self recovery in the 6 months I've owned my 3rd gen (given, I do offroad a LOT, already have 12k miles on the truck and during the season I go offroad multiple times a month). And I'm a guy that's consistently offroaded for 15 years without CC so I obviously have the skill to get by without it, but its still really nice knowing its there.

Bonus pic: my new 3rd gen getting her first mud bath

TL;DR Crawl Control is actually pretty fucking awesome

 

Continue doing dumb shit while relying on CC to save your ass, and you'll end up rolling EIGHT times on the next episode.

CC is not a replacement for proper lines and common sense.

 

Expedition vehicle and daily? No, I wouldn't do it.

The e-locker is great, but in the use cases you've described, you'll realistically need it once a year at most. I do the same things, with some light trails thrown in, and have yet to find myself needing it (I don't have it). Would I object to having it? Definitely not. But I wouldn't buy the OR purely for that.

As you yourself have already stated, fancy electronics like CC will be an expensive pain if they ever decide to break.

IMO, the best part about the off-road is the softer, more comfortable suspension. I didn't like the OEM suspension on my Sport.

Test drive both the OR and Sport, and specifically test out the differences in hill-start-assist. The Sport has the normal, expected hill-start-assist that's found in all vehicles. The OR uses CC/brake components to achieve a similar result, but there's an initial roll-back and some noise involved. This will be part of your daily driving experience, while "missing out" on CC or the locker will be a once-a-year experience (if that, IMO). Consider what's more important to you.

Also note that the hood-vibration issue seems to be exclusive to the OR model. And I think (haven't really looked into it much) the differential howl is, too.

 

hahaha if you think climbing blowsand in a truck is stupid dangerous you should see what I can do on my KTM.

Sounds like you should stick to the fire roads

 

Short of being t-boned off a cliff, anything that results in your vehicle rolling six times is caused by doing dumb shit. Justify it to yourself however you want, but you bit off more than you could chew, made mistakes, and paid the price. Like you said, it's a miracle no one died. I know that if one of my buddies ever did something similar, I'd never in a million years get into his vehicle again. Stick to the KTM - less metal to crush you and no passengers to kill.

 

Welcome to TW!

I could care less about crawl control. But the OR also has ATRAC off road traction control system (in addition to the locker), which you will not realistically be able to install into a sport. Other differences over the sport:
-Electronically boosted brakes (more braking power than the sport, more stopping power if you are going to run larger tires)
-Rear locker
-Lighter swaybar for more flexibility
-Softer suspension

Sport has:
-Hood scoop
-Color matched bumper

Decide what is important to you. If you ever want to replace the rear locker with something else, you will need the 8.4 rear end from the sport.

 

You're REALLY offended that my roommate flipped my 4Runner lol, thanks I guess but no need. I think you missed it but I was a passenger when we rolled, and yes he's still my friend and I'd still even let him driver, he's probably more cautious than anyone after that.

And everyone in the history of off-roading that's flipped was doing something stupid dangerous? Come on, by those pussy definitions ALL off-roading is dumb, what if you get bit by a rattle snake!?!? OMG better stay home where it's safe.

Even with all the shit I do off-road the most statistically dangerous thing I do by far is commute on my street bike to work.

But thanks for being offended for me

You sound like a lot of fun at parties...

 

K

 

My Sport came with the hood already swapped to Offroad. I do notice that when I drive at higher speeds, the hood shakes in the middle, like it doesn't have enough support or something and the wind whips it about. It's nothing concerning, and I don't hear any noise from it, but I imagine that the Sport scoop probably stiffens that up a bit.

 

... I keep reading OPs name as "BEARDED HARAMBE". I really wish it was...

 

That's it? Just K?

 

See you name the offroad as a clear victor, but you don't know whay op is coming from. Personally stiffer sway bars and suspension is a plus for me as I drive fast on curvy roads and still offroad.

I hear that the brakes are better on the OR, but are they really, bc if the pads and rotors are the same and abs is still in control the stopping should be within the reason of wear on the system the same. What I think you believe is that because you see people talking about electronically boosted brakes and no one talking about vacuum boosted brakes there better

Honestly the OR has a locker advantage on the sport, and that has been known to give fits of howling.

If he's truly doing off roading a sport with an ARB package deal currently going on is the way to go.

Also everyone says that sticker is the same on offroad and sport and it is not, go to toyota.com and see for yourself. Honestly get the one that you like the most and get the best deal on.

Oh and btw the sport is not an 8.4 ring and pinion.

 

I don't think I agree with this totally but I agree with the sentiment.

It's good (shaky hand) to push a vehicle to the limits where the stakes are high (six rolls?). But to rely on electronics to save you? Not ideal.

I think that crawl control is a new age replacement for low gears. Ok but not worth putting your life on the line.

 

Crawl control, who needs that garbage buy a standard transmission save $1400 and dont worry about it. Still get the off road dont need another thread about the sports ride quality.

 

It's the same price! Go for OR and you have instant lockers and MTS. Crawl is only useful for sand and lose rock on vertical climbs. Crawl drives each wheel separately based on traction. People need to stop being delusional... why would pay the same for less? All this suspension and sway bar crap. If the OP is talking about installing ARB lockers I bet you he will be installing new suspension better than all the crap stock suspension. If you don't use the electronics and they fail why does it mater?! Also what electronic is going to fail? All of it is driven by the wheel speed sensor and the ecu. The only thing additional to fail is the electric brake booster. Have the OR you get the bigger diff and if you still want to install ARB' then go ahead but you have elocker incase you don't want to do them right away.

 

You get a the bigger 8.75 differential with manual transmission... yes? I don't think that is exclusive to the OR.

 

Correct..

Again go with what one you get a better deal on.

 

That being said, some dealers may negotiate better with the sport. As for the price difference in msrp on toyota.com I'd go sport.

Ask yourself what you need not what others say you need.

 

I got my Sport with 8K on the odometer for $31K + TTL. I couldn't find anything close to that deal in an offroad, even looking at 2014 and 2015's. I did change up to the AC instead of shopping for 4-doors though. Turns out I didn't need it. Sometimes it's about what pops up in front of us and is meant to be. There were a lot of positive signs including the fact that I was already acquainted with the seller. My credit union gave me another $1k off the deal too since I was buying another vehicle through them. Total 30k... I've got enough left over to do lockers myself later.

 

Why are smaller wheels better for off road?