This is probably some of the best advice you can get on this topic. Real world experience replaces all speculation.

I love my SR5P and while it would be nice to have the other gadgets, my SR5P has taken me everywhere I’ve wanted to go and if I ever got myself into a bad situation, Atrac got me out with zero drama. Plus a lack of crawl control and all those things forces you to learn the fundamentals of wheeling in different conditions. This was infinitely useful when we rented a Jeep in Kauai and drove on the sand. If I never learned I would have been stuck like everyone else.

I was off the grid one day in the snow with my Runner.I heard cracking under me and before I realized it, I was falling through ice into a decent sized pond I didn’t know was there. I had to muscle through massive chunks of ice and mud. I couldn’t get out and thought I was done...until I engaged Atrac. With a little effort, I crawled right out and was forever sold on the capabilities of this truck in this form.

If I was buying another Runner today, I honestly can’t say I’d sport the extra money. If money wasn’t an issue, sure, but knowing what the truck is capable of now, I’d save the money and use it towards the thing that matters most...good tires. A lift, too, but tires are the single best mod you can do to really let the Runner stretch it’s legs.




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Actually....my opinion is that it’s a no brainer.....always get the TRD off road over the SR5. My reasoning? They cost the exact same thing, so go for the off road.

How do I figure that???? The real
cost of a vehicle is not what you pay when you purchase but what you pay when you purchase minus the trade value you receive when you trade it in.

In 2016, I bought an SR5 premium and paid $35,300. In late 2017, I traded up to a 2018 TRD off road premium, non KDSS, and paid $37,300...exactly $2000 more. When I traded in, I got KBB trade value of $29,000 on my SR5. If I had kept it, based on condition and the mileage I’d have today, trade value would be $25,000, according to KBB. Had I bought a Trail premium in 2016, I’m certain I could have gotten it for $2000 more as I did in late 2017. KBB trade in on a 2016 Trail premium, assuming same condition and mileage......$27,000....$2000 more.

So, the $2000 extra you pay for the TRD off road will be recouped when you trade due to the awesome residual values on these things. It’s nice to have the extra off road goodies if you should ever need them. Crawl control already saved me on some deep soft sand on the beach.


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What’s this “trading-in” thing you speak of???


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I say SR5 Premium 4WD. Plenty enough for most off road situations and will save you a bit of coin. I think people sometimes underestimate the capability of these things.

^This exactly. There’s no doubt the extra electronic goodies have their place and value, but the SR5 with Atrac is unbelievably capable and has never left me wishing I had more. I’d save the money in up front cost and invest it in a lift and tires. Then go wheeling with someone who paid more than you and watch you guys go in the same places and have equal fun.


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SR5, unless you plan some serious wheeling where a locker is needed on a regular basis. ATRAC as described above will work wonders. Good luck with whatever you choose. I love my ‘19

Thought I’d give a 1 year update on our SR5 Premium after living with it for the fall/winter/spring here in the snow belts near Buffalo, NY. As for snow, be it wet and sloppy or dry and fluffy, the T4R makes easy work of it even with the marginal stock tires. We got hit with one particularly nasty storm and ended up with thigh high drifts across some of the nearby side roads. I intentionally got it stuck a couple times in 4H and then switched to 4L and engaged ATRAC. The results are pretty impressive - it crawled right out both times. There was quite a bit of chattering and noise but it’s 100% idiot proof as far as I can tell so long as you know how to engage the systems. The second time I would have sworn I was high centered but it still slowly climbed out of the ruts. No big surprises here, but the T4R a great truck for deep snow. I can’t wait until the factory rubber wears out and I can put a proper set of tires on this thing. That said, the wife hardly drives it and I just had the 12 month service completed with 5,600 miles on the odometer. Lol. It’ll be around a long time at this rate.

I am comparing T4Rs to purchase in 2020 and this thread has been very handy.

My primary concern is ON-ROAD driving, handling, and road noise in a city environment. This vehicle will 99.99% of the time be driven in the city.

I have zero need for the off-road features of the TRD Offroad. My attraction to TRD Offroad is for the KDSS option, which some say is more smooth and nimble for city driving. My concern is the reliability of KDSS--I plan to keep the vehicle for 10+ years and would like to avoid costly repairs as much as possible.

SR5 Premium would more than suit my off-road needs (which are none) but I am concerned the city ride will be too rough. I live in KCMO where the roads are technically paved but sometimes rough as hell due to lack of maintenance!

I am also OK with a Limited--I like the leather seats and 15-speaker sound system and other creature comforts--but I am not sure about 20" wheels or the overall heavy appearance of the vehicle. I have also read here that the 20" wheels can counter-intuitively lead to more road noise and a stiffer ride? (I assumed Limiteds were the most cush, plush, and smooth for normal driving conditions until browsing this forum)

Obviously I am interested in a T4R so I am prepared for a bit of a rough, trucky ride (which is part of the fun) but I do want to get the "smoothest" T4R possible for city use. Thoughts?

(Yes, I plan to test-drive all of these models but I have extreme aversion to dealing with car dealerships and so I am trying to minimize the amount of tire-kicking necessary)

Thanks!

You got to test drive every one of those to pick right one for you. But the way you sound, Lexus GX 460 , try that one, maybe?


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Ha. I guess my post makes me sound a little soft, but just was looking for specific advice re T4R for city driving...

I totally understand. I am just like you. Love my T4R and I drive 99.9% in NYC , and I could buy any Luxury SUV , I choose TRDOP, did some modes, really happy what I’ve got. About ride quality, I think Limited will be the smoothies one. But like I said you better try it to drive. Good luck with your new T4R.




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