Trail vs TRD Off Road

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pSqLOtV_0b4

This Sport is GNARLY, nuff said. No traction control needed, unless he’s at Pismo and is cruising past a stuck OR :0)

 

@Topanga Taco I fail to see the point you are trying to make, you can add a front locker to any 4WD (SR, SR5, TE, OR, Pro) if there is support for it, I have front and rear on my 2000 Jeep Wrangler (Aussie in the back, Eaton E-locker in the front), this had nothing to do with the question the OP asked. @OnTheSquare a lot of people don't seem to care about the storage boxes/cooler, but so far I have found it handy to keep some offroad and other items in (tow straps, bag with tools, ratchet straps) but some people pull them and sale them. So that is an option for your friend if we was wanting to recoup some the difference in the cost of the two and he was leaning towards the trail. I have seen them on ebay for about $1000, so that could be a payment and some change, so go toward installing a front locker (like someone keeps driving at) or some recovery gear, winch, traction boards, or any upgrade to the truck he might be looking at.

 

I got the Trail over the OR simply because our dealer had one on hand. They didn't seem to have any OR's coming in any time soon and I was offered more for the trade in than what it was booking at. We got it at MSRP, which isn't a smoking deal, but we weren't charged any of the bullshit "market adjustment" charges.

 

All Tacoma's rock. Any trim. Only suggestion I have for those looking is get a 4X4.
My 2020 OR 4X4 is bad-a$$. My favorite truck so far and I've had a few.

 

After selling my FJ80 Land Cruiser and Lexus LX450 for a princely sum, and with this cash burning a hole in my pocket I was all set to get a TRD PRO in October 2021. Whoa there fella!!! This was during the great "chip" shortage where nobody had any inventory and you just can't walk into the dealership with a fist full of dollars and drive out with whatever you wanted especially in Durango Colorado's dinky Toyota dealership. After a short conversation they had no TRD PRO's coming for a while and all the TRD OR were spoken for and didn't get the TRD Sport whatever... They did have a not spoken for new for 22' SR5 Trail edition on the way ETA 8 weeks. Reading the specs it looked as if it was the poor mans TRD PRO without all the electronic gewgaws and leather seats, but fully capable going off road anywhere in Colorado or Utah.

Yeah yeah it was pricey compared to a bone stock TRD OR but beggars can't be choosers. My previous 4x4 experience was in a 1983 CJ7 manual transmission and the forementioned 80 series Land Cruisers so all this crawl control and other electronic stuff wasn't a selling point for me with the TRD OR neither was the LED lights or seldom used fog lights. Therefore I pulled the trigger on the SR5 Trail and it's been more than capable going all over the western slope of Colorado and Moab Utah offroad trails bone stock. I have done some upgrades in the last year mainly intake and exhaust with the TRD catalog stuff and a 2" lift and BFG tires.

I do like the fact that out of the ocean of TRD OR and Sports out there you just don't see many SR5 Trail editions out on the road, so it is nice to have a niche vehicle only wish that it did come in silver or RED! as the bronze wheels would really pop with that color combos. I've included a few photos from last summer and a recent one with the lift and tires. My only gripe is that I wish they had completed the interior all black theme with black A-pillars and black head liner. Bottom line is get what YOU want and ignore all "keyboard warriors" who are self proclaimed internet experts.

 

What he said… yes. Get what makes you happy and get out there and actually use it and enjoy it.

 

YO!!!!! I may just have to bite your style

 

??? No you didn’t?

 

Samesies! Bare bones OR with LED Headlights

 

Brother?!?! It’s you!

 

As long as this threads going off topic...I see you went with the camburg billet uca's. How do you like them so far? I was set on accutune, but for a little more I could get these

 

I chose Trail Edition because I wanted the rear locker and the minor lift/level with the added bonus of the super cool bronze wheels and heritage grill. For me at this point in my life with college tuitions and HS tuition getting wife to agree to letting me spend money on a lift for a new truck wouldn’t be feasible. So for the extra clearance for weekend fun until kids are out of college, the lift and rear locker sold the Trail Edition for me. I wouldn’t use the crawl control or MTS anyway. So all the initial mods (I would want) wheels, lift, grill were all done out the box.

And in my area the markup on Off Road trims ranges from $2500 to $5000 so there is a slight price reduction for a Trail Edition.

Once the kids are off payroll and truck most likely paid off, I can get the lift and suspension mods I want to do.

 

Let you know in a few months after I log some 4x4 miles on them. It came down to either Camburg or Icon. Went with Camburg because their heim joint was 7/8" and Icon was 3/4"; that 1/8" inch difference in diameter may or may not make a big difference but thicker is stronger. Both are similar in design and close in price.

 

I went with a TRD OR because I wanted a long bed.

 

Every time somebody asks for opinions from TE owners, the OR guys descend to say how much better their trucks are. And the thing is, as a strict value proposition...they're basically right. I do not understand why the TE costs more than a comparable OR. But it does, and I bought one, and I have zero regrets.

The TE is really good at being what it is, which is basically a pre-modded option for people who don't really want to spend all that post-purchase money. Small lift (and after living with it for several months, I wouldn't want it any higher), unique wheels (that a lot of people are choosing to put on their ORs), factory heritage grill (sorry, but the aftermarket knock-offs look chintzy), non-ugly seat fabric. Rear locker if/when you need it. OR has the fancy off-road software that is worth exactly zero dollars to me. No doubt someone will show up with "My Toyota Multi-Terrain Select System saved my life and the lives of my wife and children and I will never buy another truck without it" or whatever, but for me, I know I'm not going to places where I will need any of that.

The rarity factor of the TE is also something I really like. There are ORs EVERYWHERE where I live - it's the volume trim. they are literally in every parking lot in town. I get why it's popular, but I like having something else. I'm not kidding myself into thinking I have a baby TRD Pro, but the only thing rarer than a TE is a Pro, and that's worth a few bucks to me. I see ORs and Sports every time I leave my house, but I've only ever seen two other TEs.

Drawbacks: The shocks are definitely a downgrade from the OR. TE is a gussied up SR5, so you also won't get things like remote start. I seem to be the only person in the world who has never wanted to start my car from inside my house. My wife's last two cars have had it, but we've literally never used it. And the trail boxes are literally useless - mine are sitting in the back of the garage. And I do wish it had a black headliner. That's about it.

The "NOBODY SHOULD EVER BUY A TE OVER AN OR" voices are basically drama queens. They're both worthy choices - it just depends on what you value, and, in some cases, what you can get your hands on.

 

Agree with a lot of what your post states. I chose a Trail Edition for similar reasons. In my area I have never seen another Trail Edition yet. I had to drive 450 miles to pick mine up.

 

I definitely want to upgrade the suspension 1.5" front and rear but having the mild lift on it from the factory definitely kept me from dumping another 3k in the pickup right when I got it. Also, made me realize I don't NEED a 3 in lift and 285s.

 

Yeah, the TW kool-aid can be pretty strong. I had a whole list of mods I thought I 'needed' until I got the truck and actually lived with it for a while. My list is much shorter now, although now I do want some things that I DIDN'T want before...

 

The 285s and 3 in lifts do look good, don't get me wrong. I just don't know if I would get any real benefit with the other problems that can arise. My list got very small after having for 6 months. Basically small lift with better shocks, jump up 1 tire size, and eventually sliders (not on the original list). If I can't get where I'm going with that, I probably have no business going there.

 

I put Bilstein 5100's on mine it's a inexpensive upgrade if you want to keep the stock height.