4runner SR5 vs Off road trail ?

[Bama_Kiwi]

For those that are actually interested in how crawl control works...



And a pretty decent article that explains it more than just “cruise control’...

What is Crawl Control in Toyota Trucks? | Toyota Knoxville

If you plan on off-roading, Crawl Control is an extremely useful tool. Read more about this useful feature found the Toyota trucks and SUVs.

www.toyotaknoxville.com

I dunno, man. Cars are just horses for lazy people. Moses ain't had no crawl control and he overlanded through the desert for 40 years.

 

[1Louder]

Made the switch recently. KDSS is nice for towing on the road. Stock suspension will be swapped very soon and I will have to see how things change. Like ever other gadget can you live without it? Sure, but since I was already spending too much money I figured why not give it a try. KDSS for sure helps in the turns on the highway.

 

[LostWoods]

I'm a fan of build, don't buy so SR5. I'd have to crack the diffs for gears anyway so why not just add lockers then instead of the logic-locked Toyota version. KDSS is a no for me but I like simple.

 

[1Louder]

I'm a fan of build, don't buy so SR5. I'd have to crack the diffs for gears anyway so why not just add lockers then instead of the logic-locked Toyota version. KDSS is a no for me but I like simple.

Yep that is certainly an option. That’s why I didn’t buy the “Pro” model. Prefer to do my own suspension. Good point on ability to add lockers. I guess one would have to price the cost differences.

I do have heated seats now!

 

[LostWoods]

Yep that is certainly an option. That’s why I didn’t buy the “Pro” model. Prefer to do my own suspension. Good point on ability to add lockers. I guess one would have to price the cost differences.

I do have heated seats now!

Yeah the Pro is for showing off, exactly what someone wants/needs, or a might as well upgrade for someone who is buying a fully loaded ORP and is within spitting distance anyway. It's awesome as it is but if you want to lift and do gears, you're basically ripping out 90% of what makes the truck a Pro.

Honestly even new, unless you really want to dig in and mod, the SR5 isn't cheaper enough to justify passing on the TRDOR for someone who wants the locker. The residual value makes up the difference and one locker is definitely better than none. Very different than the Tacoma since all 4Runners have ATRAC which honestly got me out of most sticky situations.

 

[Autism Family Travels]

I would build an SR5 as well.

 

[Stormcrow]

Ok, just to make sure we're talking about the same thing - are you asking about a used TRD Trail (they changed that trim level name to the TRD Offroad in 2015 after they stopped selling the FJ Cruisers) or a new 2021 Trail edition? If you're talking about the new 2021 Trail, all that package is is an appearance package for the SR5 so the only thing you'd get above the SR5 is the "limited" production run of the Trail, a roof rack, and a cooler for the back.

 

[LostWoods]

Wait... they brought back the Trail badge to mean something entirely different than it used to?

 

[EffinNewGuy]

Either way, OP, you can't go wrong with either. A SR5 with ATRAC will get you out of most situations, a TRD Off Road with read locking differential and crawl control will get you out of a few more. It all depends on what you intended uses are. An SR5 is incredibly capable out of the box, especially after a tire change. A TRD Off Road, a little more. Full disclosure, I bought a TRD Off Road over an SR5 for a manual transfer case lever and aesthetics.

Also, it's your $, buy what you want. During the brief time I spent in auto sales, too often I would see customers have their purchase influenced by a friend/coworker/family member, etc. I would always ask them if those individuals were planning to make the payments, if not, then they should have no say in what vehicle you buy. You're the only one that needs to be happy with the car.

Regarding new vs lightly used, it's sometimes easier to get a better deal on new (especially of TRD trims levels). I bought mine new because I got it for $1,500 over the cost of a 3 year old, 36K mile, from NJ, that was showing signs of rust. Also, go on the last 2 days of the month. Dealerships are willing to take bigger losses on the sale, if it means they'll receive larger volume bonuses from Toyota.

ATRAC Demonstration

ATRAC used here

Stock SR5 in Chile

 

[Stormcrow]

Wait... they brought back the Trail badge to mean something entirely different than it used to?

Correct - the new 2021 Trail is not a resurrection of the Trail Edition that was sold up to 2014. That version has never gone out of production, Toyota simply rebranded it as the TRD Offroad in 2015. This new Trail version for 2021 is only a base-level SR5 in a limited production run heritage color (Cement or Army Green), a Yakima roof basket, and a color-matched cooler (which you can order separately through a dealer) and is available in both 2wd and 4wd. That's why, if you compare 4Runner models on the Toyota 4Runner website, this new Trail edition's price point is on $1,975 above the base SR5, $1,235 below the SR5 Premium, and $1,990 below the TRD Offroad. The Yakima basket lists for $350 and I think the cooler is ~$400 if you order it separately. That means you're basically paying ~$1,225 extra for an SR5 in an "exclusive" heritage color.

Now, assuming we're talking about whether to get an SR5 or TRD Offroad, you need to ask yourself several questions:

1. What size tires do you want to run?
   1. You'll only need to re-gear if you plan on running 35" tires (or larger) and you'll also need to do a body mount chop, different control arms, and a high clearance mod on the front end (or put on a full bumper with high clearance).
   2. For 33" tires, you only need ~3" lift and the OEM control arms will work (they'll be maxed out for alignment, but will still work).
2. How much work do you want to have to do (either yourself or pay someone to do)?
   1. Keep in mind that aftermarket mods only add a fraction of their price to the value of the rig. If / when you go to sell or trade this rig in, a TRD Offroad with OEM rear locker will still be worth more than an SR5 with an aftermarket locker.
   2. If you're planning on doing a full live front axle conversion and everything you'd need to run 35's, then an SR5 is probably better for a base. Though I'm still tempted to counter all of the "just add a locker" comments with you might as well go all out by getting a 2wd SR5 and then convert it to the 4wd system of your choice.
3. What do you specifically want to do with it?
   1. Keep in mind that when Toyota stopped selling the FJ Cruisers, they kind of gave the 4Runner a split personality by trying to market it to two different market segments.
   2. The SR5 (and variants up to the Limited) are intended more for the people that simply want a reliable mid-sized SUV and only plan on the occasional camping trip - 4wd is an option but lockers aren't because the folks up in the north might want 4wd for snowy/icy conditions but don't need a locker to get out of their drive way. The TRD trims, however, are marketed for the same offroad market segment as the FJ Cruiser was.
   3. The 4wd SR5 has a knob you use to select 2wd/4Hi/4Low. The TRD trims have an actual shift lever.
   4. The TRDs (Offroad, Offroad Premium, and Pro) all come with A-Trac, Crawl Control, and Terrain select. I've heard you can add that module in later one, but I haven't priced it out. The 4wd SR5s only come with A-Trac.
   5. If you're going to switch out the rear bumper for a steel or aluminum one, keep in mind that if you get a 4Runner with the blind spot monitoring, that feature won't reliably work with the new bumper (the sensors get covered by sides of the new bumper and can't really read all that well through steel).
   6. Trail4R did a nice write up on the differences between all of the trims. Buyers Guide

 

[Stormcrow]

Yes the trail has a rear locker.

The original Trails did, the new 2021 Trails don't because a locker isn't an option for the SR5.