LTB - SR5 or TRD OR?

[TX_MD]

Hi there! New to the forum, but not Toyotas. I’m in the 4Runner forum (3rd-gen) also. Love my 3rd Gen 4R but needing the convenience of a truck. I can’t decide between the SR5 or TRD-OR. I want to get 4WD since we plan to do some ‘outdoor-ing’ and camp/trail/hike activities - nothing over the top like rock-crawling - so wanted to see from everyone’s experience if the SR5 is capable for those situations? I also prefer the versatility of the 6ft bed option. Having test drove both trim levels in the long bed version, we felt the SR5 was a little smoother for highway driving. Am I just imagining or did anyone else have a similar experience? Thanks for all the feedback and thanks for having me on the forum! Will post a pic when I decide on what to get!

 

[tacomel]

The SR5 is plenty capable and the base 4wd system is excellent. ATRAC has been integrated into the 4wd low and really is perfectly capable for dirt/gravel roads/Forest service trails etc.

That being said, If your budget allows for it, I would go with the TRD off-road. The big advantage is it has the rear locking differential, multi-terrain select/crawl control and you can get it with the sway bar disconnect. While these might not make sense for your current use case, they are also the hardest/most expensive to install aftermarket. And if you do want to get into more technical off-road later, you already have them.

Other key differences are suspension - which you noticed in your test drive. The TRD off-road has red Bilstein shocks tuned to more off-road use. The Front air dam has been removed on the TRD off-road from factory and you get some very cheap skid plates on the TRD off-road. The TRD off-road also has more factory packages available for it such as the premium package.