TRD OR vs non-OR capabilities/usefulness

I'm certain there has to be a thread, or two, about this already but my search fu is weak today.

I am in the market for a new (or well loved) Tacoma, mostly looking at the Limited. But since I live around Boulder and will be driving to some trailheads that I understand require high clearance 4x4. Is the standard Tacoma 4x4 system adequate or would the money be better spent on an OR instead?

How much have you had to use your locker while getting to winter trailheads or summer adventures in CO?

As I understand the Limited is just an SR5 loaded to the gills with tech and leather. The MY16 OR can option everything in the Limited but the leather. So the trade-off for the luxury of leather is the locker and the fancy new CRAWL feature.

I'll step into the firing line now.

Thanks,

 

I've owned 4x4 for a long time now and some lock and some don't. Unless you are getting yourself in situations like crawling/sand/mud, I think you'll be fine with a non-locking rear axle as those were the only times I have ever engaged the rear-diff lock. I refrain from locking the rear in snow or icy situations and most of the time only use rwd.

 

I think it all depends on your driving style/how much you abuse your truck. I have the sport (no locking rear diff) but I have never needed it. 4WD and 4LO are all I've ever needed. I don't go rock crawling, just camping/hunting roads, mud pits and stream/water crossings.

 

Here is a shot of one area I'm thinking of


I'm sure several are familiar with the Hessie trailhead.
Crossing this is not required but since the alternate parking can get very crowded having the ability to cross this means you can actually start at the trailhead. Though an OR likely isn't required to cross this.

Apart from odd stuff like that I'm thinking about snow along the front range, both in town and in the mountains, and fire/logging road access, mostly spring through fall.
A trip over Black Bear Pass looks really cool but I don't think I own enough pairs of underwear to show up in Telluride with a clean pair.

 

I would go through that in my Sport. As far as I know, the Sport and OR have the same height/ground clearance. I have a 2" lift with one size larger tires (265/70/17) so that raises me up a little.

 

I also have a Sport. There have been a few times where I would have liked to have a locker and maybe a couple of times where I actually needed it. But I do probably about the same level of wheeling as you, and for the most part my comfort levels are still below the capability of the truck, as I recently learned in Moab when I easily walked a few things I thought might be issues. The locker is the only real difference - the '4x4 system' is the same otherwise though I'm not familiar with the new CRAWL feature (or any of the older things like ATRAC, etc.). I'm not familiar with Hessie, but just from that picture I wouldn't have a problem forwarding that. As you can see from my icon, I've done deeper/nastier (and regretted it when doing the cleanup). BTW I have no lift an am running 265/75/16s.

That said, and while I haven't done any research on the new ones and the Limited didn't exist when I did, if there's no price difference I'd get the OR. It'd be different if you were talking about a standard SR5 and the OR and trying to save money. Remember you can always add a locker later, which is what I eventually plan to do. Some day. When money starts growing on trees or the clutch packs in my LS wear out.

 

I just bought a 2015 DCSB TRD Off Road to use as a daily driver, it was the same price as a sport and I figured for $30k I would rather have the locker than what ever different options the sport had. My thoughts are the locker is just one of those things that would be a PIA to add later on. And even though I have a Wrangler for my 4wheeling adventures I have a funny feeling I ll make a bad choice or two in the Tacoma. I have had two jeeps and 1 samurai with lockers and I like having them, cause you don't need'em till you need'em