I went and test drove two 4Runners last night; a TRD Off-Road and an SR5 Premium. I was surprised to notice, at least for me, the TRD Off-Road felt a lot more solid and even the doors seemed to close with more of a thunk than the SR5 Premium one. It even felt better on the interstate which was a surprise.

I really like the TRD Off-Road model but am just trying to justify the cost difference.

Of the trims, I like the SR5 Premium the best.

What are you going to use it for...daily commuting, mild stock off-roading, long-distance highway vacations, a platform to turn it into a rock crawler?

Going up in trims (and price tag) can make sense if you have specific needs to fit your lifestyle.

Same, having owned an off road/sport model 4th gen, the suspension was way too stiff for daily driving but great off road, but as a daily driver it was brutal to drive. I weighed the Off Road vs my SR5P and was happier with the features that my SR5 Premium had

Did the TRD OffRoad have KDSS? Could be a big reason why you noticed a big difference driving on the highway. The suspension is the same otherwise.

Personally, the $800 MSRP difference is very well justified for what you get with the offroad. Offroad goodies and locker, hood scoop, nicer wheels, and better resale value. Only benefit to the SR5P over the standard OffRoad is the Softex seats, but I'd rather have TRD options than Softex if I had to choose.

I think that the KDSS suspension is a game changer on the highway as well as off-road. If you want the Softex seats just get an off-road premium with KDSS like I did

Agreed. I did the same. The OffRoad Premium is the best bang for your buck by far, in my opinion. KDSS was a bonus.

This will be primarily driven on the road. We moved from a southern state to a mid-Atlantic/Northern state and I see that AWD/4WD is very prominent here.

I like the idea of making an overlanding vehicle and possibly do more camping. I drive a RAV4 Hybrid XSE now and even though it's an AWD vehicle it has its annoyances. I just like the idea of a simple tough SUV that will last a long time.

Not sure if the ORP I test drove has those shocks.

These are the options it shows:

Exhaust Tip - Chrome[installed_msrp]
$90
Door Edge Guards[installed_msrp]
$79
Roof Rack Cross Bars[installed_msrp]
$185
All-Weather Floor Liners & Cargo Tray Package[installed_msrp]
$309
Keep it Wild Savings [keep_it_wild_21]
-$750
Moonroof
$630
Cargo Cover[installed_msrp]
$179
Premium Package
$850

all suspension components on all 5th gen 4runners are the same except for:

- the limited, which gets XREAS
- the off road trims which get KDSS which is like heavy duty hydraulic swaybar
- the TRD PRO which get bilstein or fox shocks depending on the year

if you drove stock vehicles, the coils and shocks would be the exact same. the only difference is the swaybar/KDSS

Yep, both were stock.

The ORP just felt more solid both with just the way it drove and even with just opening and closing the doors. I like that it has an actual shifter for 4WD though I'm sure if I went with an SR5 Premium the turn dial would be just as good for what I'd be doing most of the time.

Id much prefer the shift knob. I don't like the dial in my 2012 limited. I find it's a bit finnicky and I always have to look down to use it. with a shift knob you can do that basically without having to look down at what you're doing - much easier to go by feel. turning the dial always feels a bit odd, I can never get my hand in the right position lol, especially with gloves on

ORP and SR5P are both great. I'd go ORP if deciding between the two for KDSS and rear locker based on my needs and wants. however when I bought my 4runner I chose the limited for the full time 4WD and torsen centre diff. much less hassle winter driving.

I believe that both the OR and ORP are available with or without KDSS so be careful what you are buying Personally I would not buy a 4Runner without KDSS as I had it on my 2015 Trail Premium that I sold to my daughter in Denver and also on my new 2023 ORP - I love the way the 4Runner handles both off-road and on the highway with KDSS

If it were me I wouldn't get the Premium+ package which is the $850 MTM (Multi-Terrain Monitor) after reading reviews on 4Runner forums online - instead I would put that $ toward the KDSS heavy duty hydraulic sway bars

I'd agree with the commenters above. KDSS is very different in how it drives on and off road. It's not for everyone. Some love it some hate it and a lot of in between. I think at a minimum everyone who's seriously looking at a 4R and not sure should test drive one with KDSS back to back with one without to make a decision. See if it's right for you. For me - it's a must-have if it's going to be a daily driver.

I would also suggest the OP at least consider a GX460 as well. Same vehicle with a v8 and a different body. All GX460's have KDSS. Often you can find them for less money than comparable used 4Runners.

Kdss primarily reduces body roll for road driving and cornering. Grandpa sh1t. If you want to spend 2 grand that's fine. Or you could upgrade your suspension for far less money. My 2010 non kdss handled fine on road and even better with suspension upgrade even with a 3" lift. Also adding wheel spacers 2" in my case made a significant improvement with extra 4" of width. The girl handles like a sports car. Off road with kdss is just a waste of money. I can disconnect my sway bars for free and easy. Not for 2 grand. Kdss is a grandpa feature. Not to mention a extremely expensive fix if failure occurs. I prefer fully mechanical systems with far less failure points. This is for my driving style and conditions though. Grandpa's and Granny's will want the kdss.