2018 TRD pro VS 2018 Chevy ZR2 for overlanding

[madcratebuilder]

In early 2017 I was ready to buy a serious off road truck, I narrowed my choice to the ZR2 and the TRD. The ZR2 had not been released yet so I researched the Z71. What I found is both have about the same reliability, each platform has it's own problems. I must have test driven over a dozen rigs at dealers up to 200 miles away. I think I aged 10 years fending off salesmen.

I'm 6" 220lbs and for me the Colorado was just a much more comfortable rig. I can drive it all day without needing a chiropractor. This is just personal preference.

I drove both gas and diesel ZR2's. The diesel just didn't have the power I felt I "wanted" for hiway use. Crew cab or Ext cab?? I wanted the 6" bed without added wheelbase so I chose the Ext cab.

Ground clearance?? TRD is 9.4" ZR2 is 8.9". This is on oem tires. I lost 1/4" when I installed rear shock skids. I have yet to hit anything with them.

I think the most common complaint on the Colorado is the 8sp trans shifting, it's deserved, it can be terrible at times. The transmission has "adaptive learning" for the shift and you need to drive 500-800 miles for the computer to "learn" your driving style. Another complaint is the throttle by wire. I didn't care for this and I bought a Pedal Commander the first month I owned my truck. The PC is amazing, made a night and day difference in drivability. I have since installed a Trifecta tune and removed the PC.

Another common complaint is Trans shutter, the torque converter clutches have issues caused by programing. Apparently there is a new ECM flash that corrects this. I used a additive called "Shutter Fix" and I have not had a single problem.

I have a set of SuperMod skid plates coming, one thing I still want is a fuel tank skid. The Bison is reported to have one. I've been told by my dealer they are expecting the base Bison to be 5K on top the ZR2 package. 5K is a lot for fugly bumpers and skids. The Bison is still on 31" tires. If the Bison was on 33" tires with longer DSSV shocks I would be in line for one.

Soapbox off.

 

[m_lars]

.I drove both gas and diesel ZR2's. The diesel just didn't have the power I felt I "wanted" for hiway use..

I wonder if the little duramax will be as tunable as the big one? Although I’ve been out of that loop for awhile and the newer ones were getting harder to tune due to emissions.

 

[madcratebuilder]

I wonder if the little duramax will be as tunable as the big one? Although I’ve been out of that loop for awhile and the newer ones were getting harder to tune due to emissions.

There are tunes for the baby max. The DEF fluid was a turn off for me, some have issues with the regen cycle. The diesel has a lot of off idle power, if I was going to be doing mostly low speed technical stuff it would probably be a better choice or the gas.

 

[Michael Kinnett]

I don’t know about YouTube videos comparing the two, I do know the ZR2 ran the rubicon in stock form. Given your account of how terrible the Chevy is I wouldn’t think that’d be possible.

In the YouTube videos, were they comparing with both trucks on stock tires? Are you saying they intentionally put the Toyota on tires that would be detrimental?

If I remember correctly it did the Rubicon, with full support and a professional driver. Hell a Kia Sorrento did Hells Gate with a professional driver and PLENTY of built vehicles have failed that being driven by amateurs or weekend warriors, does that mean that a Sorrento is more capable? Not being snarky, just making a point.

Any true capability test needs to have as equal parameters as possible. Same driver, same lines, same tires, otherwise you're not going to get anything close to a real result of capability. All of the YT comparisons have been on the stock tires, and Toyota sells their Tacos with more road worthy tires that are decent, but not an All Terrain by any means.

 

[Michael Kinnett]

Ground clearance?? TRD is 9.4" ZR2 is 8.9". This is on oem tires. I lost 1/4" when I installed rear shock skids. I have yet to hit anything with them.
.

Ground clearance is more than just a number. Example, a 79 Series Land Cruiser has an offset diff housing, so you can align obstacles in order to clear that gap without hanging up or getting damage. The Tacoma has a centrally located diff, so same thing, just a smaller gap to align with. The Colorado has the centrally located rear diff, then both shocks hanging equally as low off of each side of the axle leaving VERY limited space to do an equal task in clearing obstacles. You can look at that number and completely dismiss it, but put it on a trail and you will very quickly see where the problem lies. A relocation to the side of the axle would absolutely be ideal for the Colorado making it MUCH better offroad. There were pictures floating around somewhere of a torn off shock bracket and a destroyed rear shock on a Colorado, let me see if I can find them tomorrow when I'm home.

Another side note, lacking in departure angle and breakover in comparison to the Tacoma.

Oh and just fyi, Subaru Outback and Forrester both have 8.7" ground clearance for additional reference of how little that can potentially matter.

 

[m_lars]

If I remember correctly it did the Rubicon, with full support and a professional driver. Hell a Kia Sorrento did Hells Gate with a professional driver and PLENTY of built vehicles have failed that being driven by amateurs or weekend warriors, does that mean that a Sorrento is more capable? Not being snarky, just making a point.

Any true capability test needs to have as equal parameters as possible. Same driver, same lines, same tires, otherwise you're not going to get anything close to a real result of capability. All of the YT comparisons have been on the stock tires, and Toyota sells their Tacos with more road worthy tires that are decent, but not an All Terrain by any means.

Ok, but given your given your comments on how bad it sucks on the trail, it shouldn’t be possible. At all.

As to the tires, you can’t complain about a review having sub-standard tires if they’re comparing stock vs. stock. This goes back to my point before, everyone complains about the stock tires on a TRD. Maybe, because of more competition, this will change.

It’s you Toyota fanboys that are making the most negative comments across multiple platforms. Makes me wonder if your getting nervous about losing your top spot.

 

[Michael Kinnett]

Ok, but given your given your comments on how bad it sucks on the trail, it shouldn’t be possible. At all.

As to the tires, you can’t complain about a review having sub-standard tires if they’re comparing stock vs. stock. This goes back to my point before, everyone complains about the stock tires on a TRD. Maybe, because of more competition, this will change.

It’s you Toyota fanboys that are making the most negative comments across multiple platforms. Makes me wonder if your getting nervous about losing your top spot.

You do realize you're attacking me now for just giving an informed opinion based upon what I've seen on the trail right? How much experience do you have with either vehicle on the trail?

 

[m_lars]

You do realize you're attacking me now for just giving an informed opinion based upon what I've seen on the trail right? How much experience do you have with either vehicle on the trail?

How am I attacking you?

 

[Michael Kinnett]

How am I attacking you?

Calling me a fanboy and accusing me of making negative comments, that's attacking. You didn't answer me, what experience do you have with either vehicle? You haven't refuted anything I've said, merely called me a fanboy and dismissed my opinion and accuse me of just making negative comments like I'm trolling around the internet telling people not to buy the Colorado with biased information. And the losing the top spot thing, I don't own Toyota so I really don't care. Honestly I wish someone with make a big impact on the mid sized market so we could get a diesel and a wheel well redesign, because there's literally nowhere else the Tacoma is lacking for the money you spend on one.

 

[madcratebuilder]

These small differences in numbers is really pointless, it comes down to the driver 99% of the time.

 

[m_lars]

I own a 2013 Toyota Tacoma Limited DCLB.

I wouldn't call it line choice or driving experience, but rather the TERRIBLE ground clearance and rear shock mounts that are clearly designed by someone who doesn't have a clue about off road driving. You can put 37's on a Chevy Tahoe but that doesn't make it a Land Cruiser or as capable as one with 33's.

And the losing the top spot thing, I don't own Toyota so I really don't care.

Ummm, which one is it? You own a 2013 Toyota Tacoma Limited DCLB, or you don’t own a Toyota?

 

[DanW]

I love both of them, but would go ZR2 for a couple of reasons. First, it has a much more comfortable interior, where you spend most of your time. I'm 6'5" tall and the ZR2 has more head room and you sit more up off the floor. The windshield also comes back more so you can have an easier time looking up into the sky through it. The lockers are a big second. The shocks are a close 3rd. There is nothing like them. The bed of the truck is deeper. This can be a disadvantage, though, for reaching into it from the side, if that is important to you. Finally, the Chevy hands down has more power and it is transmitted through more gear ratios. Finally, again if it is important to you (I would not go this route) is the availability of the diesel. For long range, it can't be beat, and that's a big deal to some overlanders.

All that said, I don't think you can go wrong with either of these great trucks, unless you are really tall. Then, the Toyota just isn't as comfortable.

Oh, I left out one thing....The back seat has a little more room in the Chevy.

I looked both of these over very closely. If Jeep had screwed up the new JL Wrangler, I was going to go for one of these, so I researched them and crawled all over them before I found Jeep had done what I wanted.

Be sure and post pics! My humble opinion is that these are really the two top overlanding pickups out there, at least until Jeep comes out with the Scrambler and Ram comes out with their new midsize, and we get to see if they measure up.

 

[DanW]

I own a 2013 Toyota Tacoma Limited DCLB. I would prefer a diesel, I would've preferred lockers, but so far I've done fine without. I've been on trials with 2 diesel ZR2's so far, and they both got hung up on obstacles I didn't that required them to use a locker or two while I don't even have one available. I wouldn't call it line choice or driving experience, but rather the TERRIBLE ground clearance and rear shock mounts that are clearly designed by someone who doesn't have a clue about off road driving. You can put 37's on a Chevy Tahoe but that doesn't make it a Land Cruiser or as capable as one with 33's.

If Toyota put a diesel in their Taco, Chevy would only sell to brand loyal's. If you're looking for actual capability right out of the box and reliability, I can't give it to the ZR2 at all. All of the off-road tests you can find on youtube are terribly biased in the comparisons because the TRD they're testing are on road radials vs all terrains on the ZR2 and the TRD does just as well. Oh and btw, ZR2 is a nice looking truck, the styling is very nice overall.

Ok, where to start? I'll just go with the statement about diesels. Not true. Chevy sells, by far, more 3.6 ZR2's than diesels. Sales data shows MANY conquest sales for the Colorado.

EVERY truck has a weakness or compromise. Put some shock mount armor on the ZR2 and get a good spotter, which you should have, anyway. I've seen ZR2's do extremely well on some very tough trails. In fact, I've seen more of them on the trail than TRD Pros.

 

[TreadHead Garage]

Id take the tacoma after reading about this common issue on the colorado, i personally dont need side airbags deploying mid trail

https://jalopnik.com/chevrolet-colorado-side-curtain-airbags-keep-deploying-1828951213

 

[m_lars]

Id take the tacoma after reading about this common issue on the colorado, i personally dont need side airbags deploying mid trail

https://jalopnik.com/chevrolet-colorado-side-curtain-airbags-keep-deploying-1828951213

I’m not sure airbags are a safe subject to bring up in regards to Toyota ;-)

 

[Delkat]

For those that want to do a little more crawling, BDS just announced this long awaited lift package today for the ZR2 that keeps the DSSV shocks in place.

 

[LostWoods]

I’m not sure airbags are a safe subject to bring up in regards to Toyota ;-)

Honestly, that was a huge majority of the industry and it wasn't any OEM's fault. Almost all manufacturers were hit and the Japanese OEMs were especially hit hardest.

 

[m_lars]

Honestly, that was a huge majority of the industry and it wasn't any OEM's fault. Almost all manufacturers were hit and the Japanese OEMs were especially hit hardest.

That’s why there’s a winky face. It’s hard to argue that Toyota’s name was used the most.

 

[Terex]

I made my decision last year. The Bison is a great vote of support for Overlanding by Chevy, but the upgrades offered are really overpriced. My ZR2 diesel is outfitted similar to the SEMA-ARB mule (that wasn't drivable off-road). Here's a walk-around video and then piccies of a recent trip follow. First is off-road near Natural Bridges National Monument where I found the world's smallest natural bridge. Second is at a spectacular campground along the Dolores River, SE of Telluride.

 

[StuntmanMike]

I've had a ZR2 for about 3 months and am loving it. It seems to be a lot more bang for the buck compared to the Tacomas I looked at, although there were no Pros anywhere to be found and the Bay Area dealerships mark them up considerably >$50K. I paid under $40K for the ZR2 and it has everything you would expect in a modern vehicle and is super quiet on freeway. The DSSV shocks are awesome on-road and off and with the front and rear lockers, the truck climbs like a goat.
They haven't announced pricing for the Bison but there's really nothing there except better skid plates and the rear bumper looks interesting. It has ugly wheels and the same size tires.
The challenge compared to the Tacoma is finding aftermarket parts. They are starting to show up but are limited. It's hard to go from the stock 31" tires to 33s without rubbing but it can be done with a little clearancing work at the rear bottom of the front fenders.

I really see no reason to buy a PRO over a regular TRD OR. The fact that these are getting marked up above an already high MSRP is ludicrous to me.