SR5 4x2 or TRD OR 4x4?

Your description speaks for itself. A 4x2 suits your needs just fine. I have not been able to justify a 4x4 after all these years of buying trucks.

 

This is not how it works, people! You are all supposed to vote one way to make my life easier!

 

If you cannot find a lower model (SR/SR5) 4x4 at a much better price point then get the 4x4.

A vehicle's true cost of ownership is:

What you pay for it
+ What you spend on maintenance/repairs/taxes
- What you sell it for
-------------------------------------------------------
= Cost of ownership

You mention that your general plan is to keep the vehicle for years. Unless the used vehicle market completely turns it's nose to ICE vehicles the 4x4 higher end package will be worth much more $ than the 4x2 lower end package. How much more?! No one can see into the future but my SWAG (scientific wild-ass guess) is that it'll be more than a $5k span ten years from now.

So buy the nicer truck with 4x4 in case:

* You pull off the side of a road an underestimate the sandy soil.
* You pull off into a grassy lot and underestimate the wet mud underneath.
* You jump a curb at the supermarket.
* Your hot rich boating GF wants you to pull her (and her dirty little oars) up a slick boat-ramp.

 

SR5 V6 4X4 is all 95% of us would ever need. Serious off roading and you wanna go up a notch but I never plan on
doing serious stuff. If you ever have to sell the 4x4 will sell 10 times faster than a 4x2 and will hold value a bit better as well.

Never say never, there will come a time when you'll be happy you have the 4WD capability.

 

Keep in mind it’s not just the cost of the vehicle that’s more, it’s maintenance, fuel and insurance. An extended warranty if so desired will be more as well. If you will never use the 4x4 the cost of upkeep is going to eat up the return on recuperation returns.

 

This is really simple in my mind. You’ve said you don’t need/want 4wd, so I won’t ask that question.

1) do you want a manual transmission?

no: get the SR5
yes: get the OR

Alternatively, shop around for a Sport or Limited.

4wd comes disadvantages that you won’t recoup if you don’t use it. It’s heavier which reduces your max payload. It has more maintenance. It’s harder to lift (no spindle lift for you). It costs more. Am I missing anything?

Also the OR gets less gas mileage because of the lack of air dam and a/t tires.

 

TRD 4x4 Sports

 

Thank you all for the replies! I agree with many of you that a SR5 4x4 would be perfect for me. However, I cannot find any new ones anywhere and the used ones I liked started at $38k.
I'm going to hold on to my deposit and wait on my 2021 TRD OR 4x4. Who knows, maybe I'll get into off-roading.

 

If for nothing else, get the OR for the black fender flares… and the 4wd, as well as a few additional bells and whistles. Honestly I’m still trying to wrap my head around $37k for a 4x2 SR5. Not that the OR is a bargain either, but whoa!

 

I just picked up a 21’ TRD OR 4x4 after a few weeks of finding the right one.

Unless you’re driving your truck to the ground 4x2 will be harder to sell and worth less, just look at the cars for sale right now.

 

Choose the SR5 4x2. In addition to saving a couple dollars by NOT choosing the TRD OR 4x4, you will also have cheaper maintenance and repair cost for not having a transfer-case to deal with if the powertrain ever breaks down.

 

5k and 4x2. All day

 

It took me a month to find my 2021 TRD OR 4x4. Couldn't be happier..but I p[lan on tearing shit up in the mountains and I need something to haul the dirt bikes.

 

I'd go with the trd off road

 

As those freaks in Cali and good ol Greta Thunberg would say. CLIMATE CHANGE!!!

Bet those NorthEastern folk would love to have 4x4 with all the recent cold/ snow spurts these past few years. Texas could be the same…

11 years is a lot of time for changes. May need it later.

 

2021 SR 4x4 DBL Cab for me was 35,146 out the door last December. If you want some more bells, SR5, add some whistles TRD. Is it worth it, idk that is all matter of opinion but if you’re NOT gonna really use 4x, then save the cash up front. You’d be surprised where a 2wd can go with tire chains. Or a 4x SR could get you pretty much anywhere you needed to go since you’re not really gonna do much off roading. One of the biggest factors is not even 2x or 4x, it’s driving skill and common sense. I’ve seen Raptors buried in the sand and trucks with 35’s plus buried in mud. Finesse and not being stupid goes a long way in getting from point A to point B. Any truck and driver has its limits.

 

37k for a 2wd taco is a joke, sorry. Stick with the OR

 

I'm in TX with a pavement princess SR5 4x2. Just take the $5K and use it for customizing. You already answered your question in which one suits your needs.

I live in the hill country and my buddy will make it over a gravel driveway (not on the daily) with a limestone rock here and there just fine.

 

Get exactly what you want & you won't have "buyers remorse".
As far as opinions go, mine is that the $5k 4x4 OR is an investment in it's equity, whether you use it or not.

 

I'll go ahead and chip in my $0.02 here as I was in this exact same predicament 3-months ago.

I was torn between an OR and a 4x2 SR5 back in July. Like you, I'm in a relatively snow-free zone (Alabama - although we do have our share of freak days). I wouldn't be doing any serious off-roading and this would be my primary daily commuter to the city too...The ONLY reason I wanted the OR was to get the manual - that was it. I was coming off my trade-in 20 Sierra X-31. I owned that truck for 14 months and never even turned the 4x4 selector knob - not once (and we had a couple of snow/ice days too).

No serious off roading, no extra parts... shorter wait for the 4x2 SR5, and the slight money savings... heck - i would've paid something to get the manual in my SR5. I was coming from a flashy cowboy Cadillac and really didn't want to go back to that. I wanted something simple and plain-Jane...Just needed a bed and a hitch. I'm really happy with the SR5.

Good luck - whatever you decide on will be awesome, no doubt!