New OR vs used SR5

If the SR5 is similar to the Sport it will ride rougher than the softer Off Road.

 

Do the math first.I would definitely buy new if I can.I want to know that what I spent over $30,000 has never been abused.Car Fax is a scam.Can't trust their reports at all.

 

It's not, the suspension is more like the limited

 

shakerhood is correct. I had it backwards. On road vehicles tend to have stiffer suspension to keep all the wheels on the pavement. Race cars have a stiff suspension. Makes sense. Off road vehicles have the softer suspension so that you don't get bounced around in the cab when off road. I guess with a stiff suspension you feel every bump in the road, or so I read. I did read that a stiffer suspension helps with body roll. Would a stiff suspension also help with towing? That was one of the OPs concerns.

And a question of my own. If a softer suspension gives a better on-road ride, what are the advantages of a stiff suspension and why don't manufacturers just use a soft suspension for all of their vehicles? Do they use the stiff suspension in lower trims so that they can sell the soft suspension as a package on higher trims?

[edit] I just read an article that claims a softer suspension keeps the wheels on the road better. So now I'm confused as to why anyone would ever want a stiff suspension. I'm going to search for a thread on suspension 101.

[edit] Also just read that race cars like a stiff suspension to counter the G-forces forcing the car down.

 

Dude. Get the OR. At the end of the day, it's a few dollars more each month for a few years. I'm in my truck every weekday for about 50 miles. Expressed as time, that's like 2-3 hours. So yes, I want the rugged 4X4, but I also want every effing comfort feature I can get. I want to press a button and have my robot butler hop out and open my door for me.

You want heated seats. Get the full tech package... Do it.

-Craig

 

Re football: I am a big Packer fan. Once you move to Wisconsin, they dye your blood green, and it never goes back even if you move.

Good advice on the vehicles. I won't know what to think about the used SR5 til I get a look at it. Looks in good shape from the pictures, and price seems reasonable (per KBB).

I went through a period where I always bought used, and generally had good luck, but the last 2 cars I've bought (WRX and MX5) were brand-spanking new--one only had 5 miles on the odo (WRX). Of course several of cars I bought used were BMW's, i.e., potential money pits, so I was glad to have something brand new with many years of warranty available...no unexpected huge repair bills. And yes, I am a bit addicted to up-to-date tech.

As far as the ride, I doubt it will be a huge difference for my purposes. Right now the roads around here are super-crummy--it's been a hard winter, and the potholes are ubiquitous. So I wouldn't mind a bit of softness. I'm pretty sure the ride of any of these trucks will be less harsh than my WRX or MX5...

 

Jeff, if you only need a truck to tow and not into Off-Roading, then save your money and go with the SR5.

*** Just make sure the salesman isn't lying/mistaken about the Towing package.

 

SR5 suspension in my case is on to-do list.. Bouncy and nose dives while braking

 

Exactly

 

How much do you want a manual transmission? It is one of the defining traits of every vehicle choice I make. More so than engine in fact.

 

Definitely test drive the manual. It's quite nice. I'll admit my OR is loaded with the tech and premium packages, but it's also my daily / tow rig / camping / yard work etc etc vehicle. From a money perspective the SR5 is cheaper, and and you can certainly mod it as others have mentioned. If you're big into things being "factory" then the OR is the way to go.

A big difference between the AT and MT is the drive ratio: 3.9 for AT and 4.3 for MT. Backing a trailer with the MT up hill / over a curb is not super fun because reverse is so tall.

When I got mine, I couldn't find any MT tech/premiums close to me, so I ended up flying to Tuscon to get it.

 

Very smart, life of vehicle over cost is a foolproof way to know if you are getting a good deal or not.

Great way to buy used Toyota's given the reliability.

For comparison I have seen a couple 4x4 Sr5's with 10-30k miles for mid 20's which might be worth looking into.

Use autotrader and you'll find the very best deal on a used tacoma with low miles around your area.

Using the math from @Woodrow F Call, and assuming a brand new 4x4 DCSB sr5 is around the $32k range then anything less than 25k for a used one with 60k miles is a decent deal and it gets better the lower the price gets.

 

I have an SR5. I want an OR. When I buy the OR I want the PRO. When I get my PRO I’ll want the SR5 to save money.

 

Yeah I agree...really want one. 80% of all my vehicles have been MT--Saab 900, Audi 80, Mazda 626, Honda Accord Coupe, Subaru Outback and WRX, BMW Z4, Fiat 500L, Mazda MX5...

But if I could get a truck that would fit my needs for a really good price, that would trump MT. I've posted elsewhere that (until recently) it was hard to find an MT OR with a price that wasn't pushing $40K. There seem to be quite a few more MT Sports around, also some nice colors (CG, CB, BR), in the mid-$30's. I'll check them out as well this weekend.

 

What dealers are you looking at? I bought from Village Pointe Toyota. Good price but they tried all the dealer add-on BS on me even after we had agreed to a price via email. Then tried to hose me on a spotless 2 yo trade-in which was also negotiated before I drove down there.
I probably wouldn't go back.

 

Just finished another 1500 mile trip in my SR5. If you want to save the money and heated seats are the only creature comfort you care about, try the SR5. You can add heated seats for much less than the OR.

 

The truck I like is at Village Pointe. I haven’t agreed to any deal with them yet, fortunately. I’ll check out the others and could even go to Lincoln or Des Moines if I could find what I want there.

 

FYI, I added heated seats to my OR for about $300 including a new lower dash panel courtesy of the internet.

 

Well, here’s what I got...

 

Nice!