This is my dream truck, but I need some help.

Half of the fun is customizing the truck to how you want it. I HAD to have a manual 4x4 DCSB, and when I looked there were amazingly few vehicles that matched that. I ended up with a SR5, and couldn't be happier.

The color matched grill was my first purchase. They're easy to find. But hey, if you go to the dealership and lay it all out on the line they should be able to build you exactly what you want. I had a tough enough time finding what I wanted and my list was short, so I just made it fit me.

 

Thats a sick truck. If I cant get speedway blue (discontinued) I'm going for metallic grey.

So, say I go with an SR5 with no sport or off-road options... 4x4 should be good enough for basic offroading? I would like to add after market things to it - and I think maybe an after market front locker would be good enough for me, but apparently those things are super important.

 

I bought nice recovery points for both ends and straps, if I HAVE to wheel up something where tires will be off of the ground and I can't make it then someone will have to pull me. This truck is pretty sick in 4lo and I haven't had a tires off of the ground yet. I'm about to go out west and drive a bunch of trails, so we'll see.

The best advice I've seen is that don't buy anything for your truck until you've been on trail where you needed it. I've covered the recovery gear pretty well, and I'm confident that my decision making skills will either not let me get into a situation where I'm SOL or get me out.

ETA: I have a 4by ATV and I owe entirely too much money on this truck to really try to do serious offroading. Maybe in 5 years, but for now I'm going to try and enjoy it without damaging it.

 

Basic offroad yes. Until you cross a deep ditch and 2 tires are in the air. Or you frame out and 2 tires are have enough traction, but cause of open diffs all the power transfers over to the ones doing nothing(buddy had that happen). If I were you, check out detroit truetrac front and rear. It's a gear driven LSD, so if you do ever lift a tire, tap the brakes and it lock back up. I have one. It makes my prerunner so much better offroad, and is a lot cheaper then a locker. And it's never wears out like a clutch driven, plus no LSD additive

 

ya it would do fine but you really need to decide weather or not you want a brand new truck. Also go around to all the dealerships in the area sometimes ford or Chevy dealerships have awesome deals on trade-ins that might have just what you are looking for and save you the time and money having to do it your self

 

For me, at this point, it comes down to either:

SR5 or TRD Off Road with navigation (apparently OR is hard to come by with Nav without having a custom order)
Manual or Automatic

I like the idea of getting the base SR5 and adding my own parts to it, but it seems like I wouldnt be able to add ATRAC.

And then I'm still on the fence about manual or auto. I've heard great points about both, so I have to come to a conclusion about that. Like I said, I've wanted this truck since I was 14, and I just don't want to regret anything when I finally get it.

Price isn't the biggest deal for me, it's just more about what will make me happy. And since I've never driven a stick, I cannot say if it would or not.

 

well do you have any friends that drive a stick shift?

 

ive got an 08 dclb trd sport. ive taken my trd sport on a bunch of trails up here and yes a locker would be nice but makes more sense to add an ARB when the funds become available.

all i have is a set of 33" km2s, body armor, skid plates and 5100's,886 coils and an add a leaf in the rear.

the scooped hood isnt a big issue but im sure you could find someone to trade hoods with super easily.

i would test out the non-trd sport seats and see how you like them. ive done a few nonstop 20+ hr drives and my back was fine with my truck yet driving my buddys 07 with the base seats killed my back within 2 hrs.

 

Hmm, I wasn't aware that the seats in the sport were functionally different. I assumed they just looked differently. I do have back issues, so lumbar support would make more sense for me. This actually might be the deal breaker for me between the two packages.

As long as I can add in some locker support after market, I would be fine with the sport edition.

 

Yes sir, and they've offered to teach me.

 

Just get a TRD off road and custom order it with the nav and jbl you won't regret it. Its what I have and I like it.

 

I have an OR and yes, it does have nav! Don't know where you got the idea that it's not available in an OR. It seems to me that if you're going to buy a 4x4 you'd want the OR because of the drivetrain options that come with it. If you want something sporty buy a 370Z!....

 

After doing a bit more research, the OR also has lumbar support.

I think that, for what I want to do, the OR makes the most sense. I can always swap out the chrome outer grille. I feel like if I am going for a 4x4 v6, instead of a 4x2 v4, I should just go that extra step and get ATRAC and rear lockers. I already know that I want to off-road, why would I settle for a bit less of an OR truck just because I want a different grille?

Now it just really comes down to deciding between Auto or Manual.

Pros of manual that I have heard:

More control
More fun

Cons:

6spd to some seems rigid and long
Can get tiring or repetative in traffic
Has less resale value than auto
Auto has a tranny cooler
Auto seems to be considered better for off road


We're close guys! Haha

 

then you should definatly take them up on the offer before you decide but just remember that driving a manual in traffic is just about the worst thing on earth

 

Look bro first of all I would ditch the Baja edition. Sure it has nice upgrades but I went with a TRD offroad and instaled a stage4 Icon lift kit, that's a lot better than the Billstein suspension that comes with the Baja for less price.

Never had a manual Tacoma but I don't see great reviews of the manual transmission, they're just about average. My buddy steered me away from a manual and I'm glad I listened to him but this is only a personal opinion of course and if you decide on a manual believe me you'll learn.

If the chrome bugs you like it did me do a simple and innexpensive mod: Plasti Dip. This stuff works amazingly great, it's cheap, durable and easy to apply. You can always find a used grille here in TW, I see lots of them available for a decent price.

I wouldn't put all my money for a down payment, if I were you I'd keep some extra cash for the immediate upgrades that you may want (all-weather floor mats, lift kit, tires, etc.)

Good luck

 

If you're set on off-roading and you haven't driven a manual, then just get an auto. Autos are better for rock crawling or extreme trail riding, where there are steps, due to the torque converter. You'll burn the piss out of the clutch if you're not careful.

I HAD to have a manual since I went through all sorts of shit to get my wife a manual 5 series. I couldn't, wouldn't, follow that up with me getting an auto. I absolutely love it and wouldn't have it any other way. Shifting through the gears in 4lo is a damn hoot.

The clutch feel in my truck compared to wife's BMW couldn't be more different. She actually drives mine better. She dumps the shit out of the clutch in her ride.

 

I heard from my dealer that they are very rare, but I will call him and see if he can do a wider search. Waiting 7 weeks for a custom build would suck.

 

Thanks for the advice! Well, my credit isn't great, so I'm kind of having to put a large down payment to get a decent APR and monthly rate. It's not all of my money, I do have some left to add some extra gear to the truck.

Not sure what I would add first to my OR, but I do want to get into the modding scene.

 

Now your talking. Just get the OR, it has everything you need, and it has everything the next guy needs if you ever sell it.

 

I don't know why everyone bashes on the manual transmission in these trucks. I've always driven manuals and this one is no different. Sure, there's a little bit of rev hang, but that's no big deal. I do just fine off road with the manual.

The OR is a great choice. I went with the sport and added air lockers later.