Sport or Off road? need help deciding.

Functioning is a keyword here...
3.73 diff that can explode is hardly functional. unless by functional you mean it can handle dirt roads and asphalt but then pretty much any 4x4 can do that too.
At least if he buys Sport he won't have to deal with warranty Its easier to replace Scoop on sport then axle on TRD Offroad.
Active Traction Control. ? for what? Dirt roads? oh yeah that is "very functional system" because we all know every mud hole has strategically positioned patches of asphalt for one wheel to pull you over .

 

When I was shopping I liked the looks of the color-match bumpers and grill but hated the scoop...it provides nothing but eye appeal to some... I went with an Off Road model and bought a new color-matched grill for $175 and am planning on painting or, dare I say it, Plasti-Dipping the rear bumper black to see how it looks. I'm not much of a chrome fan but I preferred some of the features the OR model had over the Sport.

 

You put down what the Sport has, but not anything the Off Road has.

Oh, and yes... I do understand not everyone wants a 4WD truck that can go nearly anywhere from the factory without expensive traction mods. I do understand many want a 'cool looking' truck that stays on pavement or perhaps a cool looking truck with 4WD.

For the money... like 30K+ new, it is up to you... but know this for nearly the price of a Sport you can have a go anywhere truck with fantastic factory installed traction systems. Glue on a fake hod scoop it that look is so necessary.

As for failures... I am on Tacoma Off Road 4WD #3, and the driveline or motor has never failed for a combined mileage of 260,000. The A-TRAC uses the brakes and the brake system on trucks is perhaps the strongest component. I must not be alone in having a trouble free truck, as the Tacoma is sure miles away more popular than others. If the differential always blew on them, I think word would get out and sales would drop.

About the chrome... I don't choose a truck because of what the bumper is made of... I don't care if it is chrome or not... Chrome don't get you home, afterall... 4WD, a locker and A-TRAC DO!!!

 

Longbed FTW

 

So what you saying rear diff blowing on elocked rear diffs is urban legend . It does not happen?
of course yours did not blow up. It does not explode if owner only cruises highway and occasionally hits dirt road.

Brakes are wear component and like or not that ATRAC system will have to be replaced. Seals do wear out. On regular brake booster seal replecemnt is a 2 hour job costing around $20 in new seals. ATRAC system has to be done at the dealer and just parts are around $1000.

 

That's fine if you feel you need the or. I was tempted as I originally wanted the sport. Then I learned about the locker and traction stuff. I got tempted for it even though I really don't need it. Then I found the exact truck I originally wanted, color, package (w/JBL), and short bed. So it felt right. It was the only truck in the state I could find in 4x4 w/JBL. I just wanted a 4x4 for occasional off roading or possible snow which isn't very often for us. Therefore I figured why would I need the locker? It's already 4x4 so it should do all I need it to and has the appearance I wanted, win/win for me personally.

 

Sometime you find new fun things to do... and if you start to want to go off roading beyond what the standard 4WD can do, you will be all ready... without adding thousands of dollars. It is better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it!

 

Longbed FTW

 

No, you cannot find anywhere were I have said that or even hinted to that kind of thinking... can you be serious for a change?

Sure things break... but to say all off roads or a majority of off roads will have a blown differential is not reality. I am really sorry for those that has happened to. When we went to Mision Santa Maria last year, of the 4 Toyotas... only the one with a non-stock differential broke down from a blown diff. He was an '03 TRD extra cab with a heavy pop up camper. The others were a 4Runner and HB Murphy's '09 and my '10 Off Road DCs.

The brakes wear out no matter what traction system you have. If they wear out faster because it has TRAC and A-TRAC, that is fine... because those systems work and I love my 3rd Tacoma the most because of them and where they take my truck with ease.

You know my dirt driving is more than dusty trails if you looked at any of my trip reports... My thing is praising an awesome truck Toyota makes that DOESN'T NEED thousands of additional dollars for lockers or other things to go nearly anywhere any other 4WD can go... or beyond!

 

What kinda truck does HB Murphy have ?

 

a-trac!

 

Same as mine (Off Road 4WD DC), but a 2009 model.

He did add a ARB front locker when it was new... and has compared his A-TRAC with his front locker. It is from him and Art (4WD motorhome with front and rear ARB lockers) on our epic Mision Santa Maria trip that the praises for A-TRAC came comparing it to their lockers on the über steep trail.



Here we both are.

 

Nice

 

Thank you... here, look at the trip web page I made: http://vivabaja.com/msm2010/

 

Where did you find the grille at?

 

I kinda wanted the LB but part of my reason for trading was going smaller, partially to fit in the garage easier. The LB was barely shorter than my QC Ram. I figure if I need more room to haul, I have access to a utility trailer and may even buy one down the road.

 

Right here:

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/bu...ed-oem-grilles-175-shipped-brand-new-box.html

 

Got the salesman down to 28750 for a white off road double cab 4x4. think i will have to bite on this one i think that is a decent deal...... how about ya'll?

 

I will admit that I didn't read anything other than the first post, but I'm just going to state why I bought the sport instead of the OR.

I wanted the body color painted bumpers, mirrors and handles. Don't get me wrong, I like the OR, but those plastic handles and mirrors just look cheap. I do more highway driving than I initially planned when I made my purchase, which has small rocks flying at my front and hitting my side mirrors on a fairly regular basis. I have a few small chips, but nothing that you could see without a close-up inspection. I've already taken the truck off road several times (4x4 is necessary for a truck) and feel that the lsd is more than sufficient for what I need. I've been in door deep mud, moderate snow, through a couple of creeks and up some pretty steep grades. I have to go through/over some pretty rough terrain during hunting season, and I have yet to get stuck.

My vote: Sport w/ 4x4 and some rock sliders. Upgrade the tires when the factory ones wear out.