Possible Buyer

They still cost exactly the same, the reason you are seeing that difference is because the sport comes in an Access Cab with MT and the Off Road does not.

 

All taco models in 3rd gen have the limited slip feature. yeah I'd say the biggest standout with the off-road is the locker and the rear, followed by crawl control which some people like, and some people hate. then you have the different off-road modes with the automatic switch again, some people like and some people hate.

 

Sport or OR, get whatever you can get the best deal on.

 

Unless you live in the great white north

 

Odd man out, but don't completely rule out a pro just because you don't need the features. I walked into my dealership in Jan 2020 and left in a new unsold 19 pro for 20% off. That's nearly $10k off, which I've learned is unheard of in the Tacoma market. Besides, there's no other way to get a sunroof AND fancy red stitched pleather seats . In all seriousness, I think pounding the pavement, talking to the mostly annoying salesmen, and going for test drives is still the best way to find a "deal" on a high demand vehicle. Good luck with whatever you decide...mine has been my favorite vehicle in 30 years of driving...

 

An inclinometer is not “tech” you could buy that cuteness off Amazon with a nice 3M sticky backing. Do you use an inclinometer off-road? Does that gauge feed your decision making in the lines you choose?

Your opinion about the ride quality isn’t fact, it’s your opinion. Are you a Toyota engineer? Maybe you’ve spent time cutting the shocks open? The spring rates on the Sport and OR are the same, the Hitachi and Bilsteins share the same diameter, the Bilstein has a higher nitrogen charge and firmer valving, giving the OR a marginally firmer ride on pavement, a subtlety neither you nor I would notice on our daily commute.

No need to insult people my friend. My research and experience span 15 years of owning, researching, and building more Tacomas and 4runners than I can count. I’m simply trying to save a dude a large pile of cash that so many Tacoma consumers get sucked into spending due to highly effective Toyota marketing.

 

Absolutely. MUST. test. drive. all. models. and. then. decide.

 

yeeeah.... no.

Ok, I just saw you’re from Florida so I understand why you might think that.

 

The Off Road actually has the softest ride of the entire line up, even if the Sport and Off Road had the exact same suspension components, the Off Road would still ride smoother because it has more tire sidewall than the Sport.

 

Now that might be spot on, 17” wheels on the Sport, 16” wheels on the OR. The 7% more side wall meat on the OR could make up for the firmer Bilsteins. Great point.

 

Calm down dude. warrantied tech that's actually built into the truck is very different than Amazon stick on crap. Also they absolutely do not have the same shocks. Mr I've owned Tacomas for 15 years and do all my own research. You clearly need to take Google 101.

Valve ratings are not opinions, they're empirical data.

 

Ditto on test driving. I got a loaner 2021 Sport when my 2017 OR MT was in for the frame recall. I will say I absolutely hated the automatic transmission. When I discovered the ECT PWR button is was a little better. However, you do not need to get a MT. I'm just posting my opinion which might trigger some people here, but honestly get what you want.

If you have the option I would get a 4x4 for re-sell value alone. Everything else you do should be what you want.

 

No one said the shocks are the same and you, good Sir, never mentioned shock valving...you mentioned ride. For your knowledge, springs have rates, not shocks. Shocks have compression, dampening, and rebound. If you’d like to come over and rebuild one with me I’ll show you.

Google did not help me tear apart and rebuild two Tacomas over the last 3 days. One of which being the 2021 SR above with Kings, Deavers, Total Chaos, Eaton locker and 4.88s. All done for the sticker price of a TRD OR. That work was accomplished with a brain and two hands, and with experience in Moab, Colorado, Pismo, and the Sierras. A smidge more diversity than you might have down in good ole’ Missouri.

I shouldn’t indulge your inner troll, it’s clear you’re just having fun with this and not really making any sense.

 

Just for fun test drive a Ford Ranger. Doing so might have you liking the Taco more. One thing I do like about the Ranger is you can get a rear locker with theFX4 pkg, and also add the Sport pkg, no scoop though on top off the FX4 pkg.

 

Compression rates, dampening rates, rebound rates, different valve types and flow rates... Ok buddy.

Also, that's great that you have off road experience in places you don't live in.

Guess what? So do I. Woo. Big flex. Lol. And not all of us are so lucky to get to drop $15k in aftermarket stuff into trucks. I think it's cool when people do, and I think it's great when they share the build pics and info. Helps build community.

 

That was not my experience at all. My OR was downright squishy compared to my Sport. There was nose dive on braking and body roll when cornering. The other ORs I test drove felt the same. I liked that truck, but I would have swapped out the suspension if I hadn't traded it. I bought my 2020 Sport, partly because I wanted the firmer ride on road that my 2016 Sport had.

 

I would definitely give the SR5 a good look. If you don't care about premium options on the TRD models, the SR5 is a solid choice and it'll save you some money (more money for mods!). My dad had a 2016 and 2018 SR5 and they were both great trucks. If I hadn't been set on some of the premium options on the TRD Sport that I wanted, I would have been looking hard at the SR5. Test drive them all and see if you fall in love with any of them.