Stock Suspension: Sport vs. Off Road

Question for those who have driven both a stock TRD Sport and a stock TRD Off Road: How does the suspension compare between the two, in terms of stiffness, ride quality, and whatever else you care to comment on?

Background info: I've test-driven both but the test drives were two months apart in two different places and 70 degrees temperature difference, so I really have no basis for an honest comparison. When I drove the OR (the more recent of the two) the suspension felt extremely stiff whereas I remember the sport feeling pretty comparable to my dad's Sierra. When I get a new truck this summer I'd love to have A-TRAC and a locking rear diff for all the snow and ice we get up here, but honestly I drive 95% on paved roads so the difference in off-road prowess (considering that they're both far superior to my current car) is going to be less important than ride quality for me.

If anyone can comment based on your own test drives, driving buddies' trucks, etc. that would be great. Despite being new here I'm far from new to online forums so I did try searching to no avail before I posted this... if anyone remembers another thread where this is addressed please post a link! Thanks.

 

When I drove both years ago there really wasnt a difference for me. Physically the offroad has a progressive coil and the sport has a slightly thicker swaybar. I would choose for the features not the ride cause theres not much of a difference. I think it should be between wanting a hood scoop or wanting a locker

 

hmm scoop or locker? You mentioned ice and snow? fortunately i haven't driven in either but i've heard lockers cause more frequent spinouts on ice. Looking at the key difference in the two(locker or lsd) though the lsd is far more suited to street driving/ the locker is only on for minutes at a time whereas the lsd is constantly there

 

I've seen Toyota's descriptions of the two packages on their website and a ton of threads about the "sport vs. off road" debate here so I've got a pretty solid handle on the equipment differences between the two, the suspension stiffness is something I can't really read in a brochure so I was hoping you guys could shed some light on that area. Thanks for the quick responses!

 

also if you stay around here you wont keep that suspension for long anyways lol.

 

x2

 

Haha, too true. A good project is never finished, right?

 

never ever, it just stops when you run out of money

 

I have had both... A 2005 AC 4x4 OR that I traded in for a 2010 DCSB 4x4 SPORT. I actually like the DCSB sport better, maybe because thats the one I always wanted. I never had the rear leaf spring TSB done on my 05 but I never had problems with overloading it either, and i did haul a ton of stuff in it and my trailer. All in all, I couldnt really tell any differance in the suspension of the 2.

I spent alot of time in the sand in Oregon and up in the mountains in the snow in the PNW, and in some mud in Hawaii and I honestly NEVER used my locker once in my OR. I never got into anything that I needed it for. I havent had a chance to even have my sport off a paved road yet as 3 weeks after I bought it I left for afghanistan. Now I have a laundry list of parts to put on it (suspension as well, so that will change it all).

In all, I couldnt feel a differance honestly. The hardest part for me was getting used to the reflections from the hood scoop, it was slightly distracting.

Just buy the one that looks better to you. In all honesty, if you are planning on doing any real off roading that you need a locker for anyways you will have changed your tires, suspension, etc and it wont be to big of a thing to just throw a ARB locker in the rear end if you need it! If your in a situation in your stock truck with the rugged fail tires that you need your locker, your pretty much fucked anyways.

 

in a 4x rig i could understand, but for 2wd guys situations like you said are exactly what the locker keeps you out of. i had a friend with 4x stuck in some mud and when i pulled up next to him on what i thought was solid ground my LF tire found a sinkhole about a foot and a half deep i was up to the center cap and after a bit of shovel work i was able to slip the clutch and creep out. no way i would've done this riding on dunlop grandtreks(thats right not even rugged fails) without a locker. My RR wheel was so unloaded it would've sat there and spun til the sun came up

 

I test drove both when I bought my truck. The off-road was noticeably more stiff and didn't ride as well as the sport.

I personally didn't like how stiff it was, although it had the lockers and other options the sport didn't. I liked the sport hood scoop and how everything was painted the same color as the body.

I don't understand why Toyota don't have the locker in the sport, seems dumb to me.

 

I broke down and put an ARB rear locker in my sport, I routinely play offroad in some stuff that I honestly shouldn't have my truck. The locker has made a HUGE difference in the capability of my truck, I can now creep up stuff that I used to have to wind up and slingshot up. If you plan on running in some really gnarly stuff, i would get the off road package with a diff locker. If most of your time will be spent on road and medium grade off road, the sport has done very well, and on road it handles like a car, fairly smooth and excellent cornering. and its hard to argue with the standstill looks of the scoop, although it is a surprising PITA to look around when your in the rough

 

If you plan on going off the highway than the off road is the way to go.

 

Bought a new 2011 4x2 DoubleCab with TRD Off- RD Package, 4 days ago.

Let me say here I am a old guy..senior citizen as they say, so my feedback is old 'geezer' feedback.

I had the Tacoma Access Cab, 2003 ,until couple years ago, and it had the TRD options. Much different TRD Package back then. Great truck, never should have sold it. Missed it so much I finally bought this new one, taking advantage of some nice year -end dealer pricing.

I did test drive the one I actually bought, a couple of times, and was impressed with the 'solid' feel of steering and handling. Of course it was all on road.

I will say that after 200 miles so far, this guy definately has a 'truck' firm ride with this suspension package, that I noticed much more of course now, then the test drives.
I like the TRD 'off road extra value package' for all the other items included, which are many, and, the stiff on road ride, is a trade off worth it form me at this point. After all it is a truck, and as others have said here, if you have been driving a average passenger car prior to this, it will feel much different...it should. I kept my passenger car also, so drive both now.

By the way , I don't do real off road driving for sport, but living in Arizona, many of my friends have homes, where you do go off road, up in the hills, to get too. This guy has no problem those times so far.

I didn't want the sport with the hood scoop, so now days to get the TRD extra value package, it is the off-road option, loaded with good stuff.

This truck definately drives and handles much different than my previous TRD...which came back then with no off-road package required. That truck did drive more like a passenger car much softer that this new one. I guess If I wanted a comparable truck ,to that, the SR5 non TRD would have been the way to get that.

So far I'm happy, and not trying to compare apples to oranges really.

Just be ready when you test drive , and be ready for a real solid.. firm ride, on road. And, a nice solid feel in the steering.

I recommend all Toyota Tacoma trucks really...good products. Since I'm an old guy now, I have owned 7 Toyota Trucks over the years.

 

To me, the TRD Sport 4X4 suspension feels better both on and off road than the TRD Off-Road PreRunner I had.

 

I got the non-TRD SR5 package because I felt the TRD option was too stiff. From what I read I was going to replace the shocks anyway and if I really wanted to get into wheeling it I'd just through an ARB locker in. It also made my truck come in at 29.5k out the door before taxes.

 

Why not just head down to a local dealer and test drive both back to back. Why in the world would you trust what people on the Internet tell you when you can go test for yourself.