SR5 vs TRD Off -Road Better option for 4x4 Overlanding/Daily Driver

Agreed. My 19 SR5 was adequate but the stock Firestone tires were meh. Also my 2021 DCSB OR drives more solidly, has IMHO better brakes and shifts better but yeah the OR should have Duratracs standard.

 

OP,

You really can't go wrong with either so my vote would be to find the best truck in terms of value and you will be fine. It also depends on where you live, as well.

Let me give you a little background. I had a 2005 Tacoma SR5 access cab. I loved that truck. When I bought it it had a lift kit on it. I thought it was fine at the time but I put on new tires (some beefy Nitto Ridge Grapplers) and Bilstein shocks all around -- they were not that expensive to do really. That truck was not a daily driver, though, but it could have been. I drove 80 percent of the time on the road and 20 percent off road. Or maybe more 90 to 10 but you get the idea. I am in the Northeast and drove that truck through the Adirondacks and well into northern Quebec. I would rate the off road as about no more than a 5 on a scale of 1 to 10. So when I say off road I mean light to medium off road duty. If that makes sense. This was not true rock crawling that is so prevalent out West in CA, OR, UT, CA, etc.

I will tell you the SR5 is the best value in the Tacoma line. If you got that, put good tires on it and maybe did the Bilstein's you would be all set for years. And then you could grow into what ever else you thought would best meet your needs. I seriously doubt there is much you would want to do that the SR5 would be unable to tackle.

When I went to upgrade to the 2020, I wanted an SR5 there were none to be found. I got the TRD OR. It is a great truck. A few more comfort features but not needed. I would have picked up an SR5 but as hard as I tried couldn't find one.

Where are you located? That might help to think through the kind of off roading you are looking to do. But I will say this ... if you are looking more for camping it won't matter that much. Both trucks will be great.

 

OP, I'm with @averagejp in that the SR5 would do what you need. When I went to get mine I wanted an SR5, but they didn't have any 4X4 on the lot. I went with the OR because I got a deal I couldn't pass up.

I do light to medium offroading with mine and haven't used the rear locker yet and I've only used MTS twice. Yes, the OR has some more features than the SR5 and the question you should ask yourself is "Do I really need them?" and then test drive both.

 

I'm fairly new to Tacomas, but the one thing that I've always kept in mind over the years whether it is with my truck, my old Mustang, or other vehicles I've had is....."What do I want vs. what do I actually need". I'm willing to bet that the majority of people on here outfit their rides based on what they "want" over what they "need". There's absolutely nothing wrong with that as I do the same damn thing, but realize it is what it is.

 

The price difference between an equally configured SR5 and Off Road or Sport is only about 1800, you get quite a few extras for that small of a difference.

 

Whichever one comes in your favorite color.

 

OP - I was in the same position as you a few months ago. I went with the OR after consulting friends and doing my own research and couldn’t be happier. It’s my daily driver for 80% Highway and 20% off road for weekend trips. I have taken it off road 3x so far and it is more than capable. I figured with the OR, though you won’t use most of the features every single day (4wd, rear locker, crawl control) it’s better to have them just in case - rather than wishing you had them. Just my 2 cents. Goodluck to you the resale market is wild!

 

Go with the OR. The more you get out there the more you will want to do harder trails. And you never know when you will end up on a road that needs extra ability while overlanding. I went though this with Jeeps. We just went out with a group and there was an SR-5 with us, PITA waiting for him and all working to get that thing on the trial. The SR-5 had to take all the bail out trails and I was surprised how often 2 wheels were spinning and the truck no moving. Sure you can fix all that with lots of coin but wont have the CC or MTS and I use them all the time. So that's my 2 cents.

 

Have you considered a 5’ or a 6’ box also? Some here have expressed regrets with the short box and not having a long box. However, either truck will be awesome. Sometimes it just simply boils down to what’s available near you.

 

Agree, maybe when I got mine back in 2017 if I recall correctly the price difference was a little more between the SR5 and an OR/Sport.

 

Yeah looks like about $1900 back in 2017, that was using the DCSB 4x4 AT Configuration:

SR5 - $33,220
OR/Sport -$35,160

 

Bullshit. Get the cheapest Tacoma 4wd you can. Lockers and crawl are way over rated. In the 100 times off road I never needed a locker. Period. The pseudo locker on the lower models work fine.

 

Wow! Don't recall the difference being that little.

 

I have a Sport, no lockers and no crawl, I'm surprised how capable it is off-road. The only performance upgrade has been an AT tire. If the OP has no off-road experience it'll be a while before needs more than the capability of the SR. If buying used though it depends on what's available in your area.

 

Exactly. The OR guys just try to justify the locker and... they can't. Most important off road mod is... experience!

 

So true! After 3 years with my truck I find I'm doing stuff in 2wd that at one time I'd be switching to 4lo for.

 

I have a 17 SR5 that is my daily driver but I have also heavily modified it to be an overlander. I am planning a big trip out to Moab on the Trans America Trail.

If you will be going off road any I would suggest going ground up order tires, armor then suspension. I did mine the following order

1st. RCI sliders and full skid plates- any off roading you will need protection. Armor will also give you freedom to know you can go on some trail and not take damage

2nd. Falken Wildpeaks 265/75R16. I upgraded in quality and size. SR5 comes with 245 all season tires. I believe OR comes with 265's. I went with an all terrain that is over and inch taller (>half an inch again in ground clearance) than OEM tires. The bigger gave my SR5 same ground clearance as an OR. Anything bigger than a 265 might require trimming or a cab mount chop to prevent rubbing.

3rd. Fox ultimate lift. 2.5 front coilovers with DSC adjustor, 2.0 rear shocks with DSC adjustor. oem 660 leaf pack. This was overkill but the ride with weight on it is great. SR5 will definitely need a suspension upgrade for any quality offroading or overlanding. I have better travel and a smoother ride with the upgrade. OR already have an upgraded suspension with Bilstein shocks. I put the leaf pack on to prevent sagging in the rear but if I don't have my tent on and gear in the back the heavy duty springs have a very harsh ride.

Will all the mods on, my gas mileage has dropped to the 15 mpg range, 16 mpg range if I'm carefull.

With enough money you can mod a SR5 equal or better than a OR or even Pro with the exception of crawl control and Multi Terrain Selector.

 

95% percent of us will never use our trucks to slow crawl over rocks and boulders nor need the more advanced features such as lockers and crawl control. Most of us simply go off the beaten path to find fishing holes or camping sites, or maybe something a little tougher. Get a truck for what your needs are, not what someone else says because of theirs.

 

In my experience, the off-road will be a little more forgiving while you have less experience Offroad. The ability to go slow and steady while learning, and having the option to lock the rear and still go slow over something was enough for me to pick the off-road. Once I got more experience, I found myself having to use the locker less and less. Or maybe I’m an off-road trim guy trying to justify my purchase... either way, I’m happy, and I’m sure you’ll be happy with either trim.

 

Get an SR and add a pair of ARB lockers at your desired ratio, an OME lift, a good set of tires. You'll still save over $10k. and have a better off-road rig.