Which 2016 DC 4x4...SR, SR5, or Sport?

Hello TW,

Long time lurker here and in the planning stages of my first Tacoma purchase.
I am trying to decide between the SR, SR5, and Sport configurations. I have mostly ruled out the OR since I like the idea of putting in lockers of choice.
I plan on eventually doing an expedition style build.

Does anyone have thoughts on which is a better starting platform for a slow build DD/expedition rig?

Cheers,
Elphane

 

After doing a bit more price comparisons the OR and the Sport are nearly identical.
With that in mind, what are the benefits of one over the other?

 

Get the OffRoad and only have to deal with installing the one front locker. The 2016 OffRoad comes with so many driving configurations.

 

Sport all the way! The hoodscoop and color coded flares and front bumper really blows it out of the water!

 

Fake hood scoops and paint is only going to help the expidition to the mall. Otherwise, completely a waste of money for any other expidition.

 

You really won't need to add a front locker to the Off Road since it has A-TRAC/MTS. It will take you everywhere you would want to take a $35,000 truck to!

 

I vote SR5 after having owned a TRD OR for over 6 months with 12k miles on it. And definitely wait for the 2017

 

Hey fake or not them hood scoops are awesome and you know it. And why are you even on the 3rd gens? Your stuck with a 1st gen

 

• Fake hood scoops aren't awesome.
• I'll admit I like them on second gens, but on the third gens- there's just too much going on.
• I'm not on third gens, I'm on the couch.
• I'm not stuck with any vehicle, I chose the first gen.

 

Even though it was a smart comment. The third bullet about the 3rd gens was a pretty dang good come back. I have to give credit where credit is due

 

The OR locker is better than ARB.

 

That's debatable.

 

The tech package on the OR has that...minus the hoodscoop. And the hoodscoop isn't a decision point for me since its cosmetic only.

Thats good to know. I don't plan on doing any major crawling with the thing. Mild-mid offroad with the capability of getting out of a jam safely.

Any particular reason you recommend the SR5?
I'm fully on board with waiting for the 2017, especially since the prices are not really going to be any different and there might be a few small QOL improvements.



I ran the numbers on specific trim levels...sticker prices of course since I have no way of factoring in dealer price changes.

SR5 came out to about $33.5
Sport came to around $37 and change.
OR barely tipped over the $38 mark.

 

Get an SR for around 28k and you'll have about 4k extra to spend on making it what you want. That's what I did and the only thing I don't have that the SR5 does at this point is the little screen in the dash. I only look at my dash to see my speed, so meh.

You'll be more limited on colors though, if you care about that sort of thing.

 

Don`t feed the trolls.

 

First gen best gen

all trolling aside, a Tacoma is still a Tacoma and they all rock in their own way. The 3rd gen is just new and still needs to prove itself, but I will say this; the group I go wheeling with 2 or 3 times a month consists of at least a few third gens and they definitely hold their own on the trails. I wasn't a fan of the 2016 models until I saw them in action in person, they are actually pretty badass. (I do on occasion wish I had a 2016 TRD OR M/T in Quicksand, there I said it.) Only practical downside I've seen is their size/length. That's why I shopped around for a first gen when I was looking earlier this year, I prefer the compact trucks of yester-year (RIP).

carry on

 

First off, I wouldn't buy the Sport. The sport comes with stiff suspension made by Hitachi and painted fenders, it has no locking rear diff and none of the off road bells and whistles that the TRD OR comes with. If you plan on rolling through strip mall parking lots, I guess the Sport is good for you but for the cost of the upgrades that come on the OR over the Sport, I just don't see how mathematically it makes more sense to purchase a Sport. You could paint the fenders and add a hood scoop for a lot less than you could add the better off road suspension, rear locker, MTS and crawl control. So to that point, I recommend the TRD OR over the Sport every day of the week.

Now for the selling point on the SR5, consider again the cost savings, a simpler vehicle without a lot of bells and whistles not necessarily needed on the TRD OR. Yeah it "feels good" and you get bragging rights with the TRD OR bells and whistles but do you REALLY need all of the extra buttons for maybe $4 or $5k additional cost? Think about the suspension, tire and wheel upgrades you could do to the SR5 and eventually you can add a locker for another let's say $1200 to $1500 max if you really think you need it. Also it seems like many of the people here reporting problems are having them with the TRD OR, plus there's more shit to break or go wrong with all of the extra (mostly unnecessary) technology on the TRD OR. So yea if I could do it again right now, I'd trade for a very basic version of the SR5 4x4. I wouldn't even get the entune stuff because I think most of it is worthless. Love my buddy's SR5. If Toyota told me today I could trade straight up my TRD OR with 12k miles for a new SR5 with tow package, I'd do it!

 

This!

For an overland or expedition set up, I think this is the best way to go. Keep it simple.

 

I agree with you on the logic you use for wanting an SR5.
However, if one is not into after-market mods and potentially violating the great warranty by modifying the stock truck, and that person wants a showroom ready off road capable truck, then the Off Road TRD is the ticket.

It is a major bummer that you and others are having issues with your 2016, no doubt. It is bound to happen with the first year of a new generation. I bought a 2005 Tacoma (first year of the second gen) and it had several expensive issues I had to deal with or ignore (brakes bad, suspension bad, clock spring cable fail), but overall it was not enough to push me away from Toyota (I owned many other makes, and Toyota wins). My 2010 OFF ROAD 4WD has been fantastic, even with a couple of fails now, after 85,000 miles (rear shocks, front hub bearings, blower fan not always working a less than high setting). It was the A-TRAC that blew me away on this truck, compared to having only the rear locker on my previous two Tacoma 4x4s. Nothing can compare to having the crawl-ability/ no tire spin, of a Sherman tank, on all 4 tires (instead of just the back two).

 

I'm having problems now with the stock TRD OR suspension and transmission. Fuck the warranty, they won't even fix the shit that came on the truck!!!