Undecided TRD Offroad Premium v TRD Sport Premium - INPUT REQUESTS

[FWTBT]

What made you give up the 5th Gen for a 6th Gen?

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[Nodak]

probably got tired of that 7.7 sec 0-60 and wanted one to do it in 7.2

/s

 

[Nodak]

yeah i know, thats why i put the "/s" at the end for the end sarcasm (i guess i should have done /sarcasm since "/s" is bbcode for end strikethru)

 

[ngfilla94]

Here's the deal with the "poser" comments or people pushing you to the Off Road vs the Sport: unless you are going on very serious trails (lets be real, most owners aren't), you don't NEED the rear locker or other off road gizmos. This is coming from someone who currently owns a 5th gen Trail that was drawn to it for having all the off road extras (crawl control, rear locker, multi terrain select). I've used the rear locker exactly once in my 7 years of ownership on a trail. The others I was with on the same part of the trail did not have lockers and they were just fine. The vast majority of owners don't need or will rarely use those features. I'm getting a Sport Premium myself. I don't like that it comes with 20 inch wheels and highway tires, but wheels and tires are probably the easiest mod to a vehicle and I'm prepared to make those changes. Good tires and 4 low will get the majority of owners where they want to go. I initially wanted an Off Road Premium. I personally don't like the black plastic fenders, and I really wanted Wind Chill Pearl, which isn't available on the OR. The price difference between the two is negligible, and I preferred the styling of the Sport, so that's what I went with. Styling and hybrid vs non-hybrid should be your deciding factors. The Sport is not offered in a hybrid if that's what you want.

 

[FWTBT]

You've really captured what this debate is about, styling over substance...

 

[theo]

An observation, not a judgement: The "poser" thing is a big part of 4Runner culture. I've been in thousands of conversations with 3G-5G 4Runner owners, and it's common for them to mock people for buying these vehicles then driving them only on the street.

People who buy trims like the TRD Pro for the looks, who just use them as "mall crawlers," are a prime target.

Meanwhile, those who buy trims like the Sport get mocked for buying something that the manufacturer has essentially kneecapped (eg 20" rims aren't good for off roading) to cater to consumers who are focused on on-road and family functions that would actually be much better served by a minivan or some crossover.

The Limiteds sometimes fall into a third category, since while compromised for off road duty they have things that the off-roaders often wish they had: full time 4WD and creature comforts like ventilated leather seats and dual zone climate control. So you'll see some Limiteds on smaller wheels and bigger tires with lifts, making them more like prior Land Cruisers -- super capable for off roading while relatively posh for the road.

Now my own view: a lot of consumers are kinda sheeple, they blindly follow the herd and are attracted to shiny new things whether they're actually good for them or not. The Sport trim caters to this dynamic more than the other trims. It has more focus on visual appeal. And on on-road duty, which raises questions about why it's a better choice than something like a crossover, which can have more useable interior packaging with better gas mileage and comfort, and often for less money.

I think a lot of people buy them cause they look "cool" or "tough," which of course people are entitled to do. IMO it's just not that rational.

There's another category of 4Runner owner, which I'd put myself in: Little interest in hardcore off roading but lots of interest in bad weather ability, overall utility, reliability and durability. It's hard to find a vehicle that is likely to last longer than a 5th Gen 4Runner. It has a lot of cargo space, especially for its exterior dimensions, since it's an efficient box in shape. It can seat 7 (I wouldn't have gotten a two-row). It has almost 10" of ground clearance, which is awesome for snow etc. It has a long travel suspension and underbody protection, which can come in handy in crumbling pot-marked cityscapes as well as off road.

Which brings me back to the topic of this thread. To me, the Off Road just provides so much more bang for the buck than the Sport. If you ever take it off road, it's obviously a much better choice. But if you never take it off road, you've still given yourself an advantage for bad weather and road hazards.

Yes, if you buy an Off Road and never take it off road, some will call you a "poser." But I rather be that kind of poser than the Sport kind of poser, so long as I was motivated not by the looks and "cool factor" but by the added ability and toughness I'd gotten.

Every four runner not with the off road package is really the same as a sport ? Why people hating on the sport. Their sr5 is no off road either

 

[theo]

It all depends on how beat up an off road four runner get. Buying one can be a nightmare . A suv knows for riding in mud,swamp, 2 feet of water, climbing boulders, many parts are damaged underneath not worth more. Many are rust buckets

 

[jdgreen]

Am I missing something? I was just comparing specs on the Toyota website; it looks like the Sport comes only with rear wheel drive and limited slip. Is that correct? Before seeing that I would have said that the biggest difference for folks going off-road would be the locking rear differential on the TRD Off-Road. For my own easy to moderate off-road use, I wouldn't want to be without 4WD or a locker. I seldom need the locker but it's comforting to have an extra too available just in case.
Sure wish Toyota had offered full-time 4WD on the TRD Off-Road.

 

[JR1]

Am I missing something? I was just comparing specs on the Toyota website; it looks like the Sport comes only with rear wheel drive and limited slip. Is that correct? Before seeing that I would have said that the biggest difference for folks going off-road would be the locking rear differential on the TRD Off-Road. For my own easy to moderate off-road use, I wouldn't want to be without 4WD or a locker. I seldom need the locker but it's comforting to have an extra too available just in case.
Sure wish Toyota had offered full-time 4WD on the TRD Off-Road.

The Sport comes 2WD or PT4WD. It doesn’t have a rear locker like the off road.

 

[Rays4runner]

I went with the TRD Sport Premium. I was replacing my 2006 Honda Pilot. My priorities were for functionality, reliability and style.

I camp, kayak and bike. I don’t off-road but wanted something for northeast weather while comfortable for long distance travel The sport premium checked the boxes. I also preferred the paint wheel flares vs black plastic look.

To each their own ?

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