TRD Off Road vs Premium
- Thread starter pull4adv
- Start date
This! Everything else is meaningless or not important at best but KDSS is the must! :rockon:
Everyone will have their own opinion. You need to try them both and find what you like. I tried both and I, personally, would never drive a premium. Five minutes into the test drive and I knew I hated those softex seats. I was immediately uncomfortable and sweaty. But, I'm a person who cannot stand any kind of leather furniture. Car seats, couches, office chairs etc. I HATE leather, or fake leather. Plus, they would probably burn my ass in the summer. Cloth is harder to clean, but it's super comfortable to me. Everyone is different. The dealer tried to talk me into a great deal on the premium, but I told him there's no way I will EVER sit in those seats again.
Also, the moon roof drops the ceiling down a couple inches. That was a HUGE NO for me. My head was almost touching the ceiling. If you're short, that won't be an issue. Plus, my previous car of 14 years had a moon roof and I maybe used it twice. Again, some people love them. That's up to you. I also wanted a full length roof rack, which I have now, and that makes the moon roof pointless for me.
Heated seats? I live in Phoenix, those are pointless here. I do travel up north quite a bit where it is really cold, but the car has a heater. It takes less than a minute to warm up.
The rest of those options are just lame soccer mom stuff and more crap that will break later. Keyless entry? How hard is it to reach into my pocket and push a button?
Also, the moon roof drops the ceiling down a couple inches. That was a HUGE NO for me. My head was almost touching the ceiling. If you're short, that won't be an issue. Plus, my previous car of 14 years had a moon roof and I maybe used it twice. Again, some people love them. That's up to you. I also wanted a full length roof rack, which I have now, and that makes the moon roof pointless for me.
Heated seats? I live in Phoenix, those are pointless here. I do travel up north quite a bit where it is really cold, but the car has a heater. It takes less than a minute to warm up.
The rest of those options are just lame soccer mom stuff and more crap that will break later. Keyless entry? How hard is it to reach into my pocket and push a button?
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RichinRidgewood
New member
IMHO a SR5 Premium with a sunroof with a light colored interior.
I use my sunroof, keyless entry and I like the turn signal mirrors since I believe they are a safety feature.
KDDS ... not worth the $ and not necessary
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JeuTheIdit
New member
I wonder why Toyota got rid of the premium cloth seat option. I love them in my 2013 TE. Pretty much a waterproof cloth, easy to clean, does not get that cold to the touch like leather, and have held up really well.
Unless the premium cloth seats back then are the standard cloth nowadays?
Unless the premium cloth seats back then are the standard cloth nowadays?
Snowtrooper
New member
Good point. Maybe it stems from the performance car days, but any non-essential weight I can shave from the top of the car is a plus...as I contemplate a 100lb rack up there. Lol
LandCruiser
New member
I have one of the OG TEs with KDSS from before the front end makeover (the prototype for the TRD OR).
It has the original interior that has zero upgrades except for neoprene seats (impossible for a big fat man and his big fat dog too ruin) and a more fancy gauge cluster.
I have much nicer cars and honestly don’t miss any luxury features when I drive the bare ass TE.
Except the sunroof. I didn’t want one, but for some reason really it, both in Colorado and Cali. I’m 6 foot 3 and raise the driver’s seat a bit to get a better angle for my knees, and I still don’t bang the roof even when jostling it around on trails.
You have to be real tall for it too make a difference. I did bang my head in my 2001 3rd Gen with sunroof.
It has the original interior that has zero upgrades except for neoprene seats (impossible for a big fat man and his big fat dog too ruin) and a more fancy gauge cluster.
I have much nicer cars and honestly don’t miss any luxury features when I drive the bare ass TE.
Except the sunroof. I didn’t want one, but for some reason really it, both in Colorado and Cali. I’m 6 foot 3 and raise the driver’s seat a bit to get a better angle for my knees, and I still don’t bang the roof even when jostling it around on trails.
You have to be real tall for it too make a difference. I did bang my head in my 2001 3rd Gen with sunroof.
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Muff Muff
New member
TRD OR non-premium owner here. To me, the "upgrades" aren't really worth the $3k price difference. The sunroof will eventually leak, and the motor will give out. Mirror mounted turn signals are a gimmick, and Katzkin leather can be added for around $1k. About the only thing that would be worth it (not for $3k, though) is the keyless entry. My old Mustang had it, and it's the one feature I really miss from that car that the 4Runner doesn't have.
Gonecamping
New member
Save the money and buy tires and a lift ... I personally thought the softex felt like my grandmas couch covered in plastic
Snowtrooper
New member
Been on enough car forums through the decades to see the same cycle of threads of people justifying what they bought or didn’t buy. Most of the time they’re just trying to convince themselves.
Do the best you can with what you can comfortably acquire at the time and you won’t lose sleep over the nonessential features.
I find that the best advice typical starts with:
“I regret...”.
The only thing I regret is waiting so long as the price of these trucks kept creeping up, and I could have spent that time exploring the country with my loved ones.
Do the best you can with what you can comfortably acquire at the time and you won’t lose sleep over the nonessential features.
I find that the best advice typical starts with:
“I regret...”.
The only thing I regret is waiting so long as the price of these trucks kept creeping up, and I could have spent that time exploring the country with my loved ones.
Is this a Toyota thing? I've never had a factory sunroof leak or motor fail in 30 years and maybe 12 cars of driving. Some owned for many years, and a few that were 15+ years old.
This is my first Toyota, though.
Charles Bronson
Member
GET OFF MY LAWN!!!
Softex (Toyota's fancy word for vinyl) or real leather have never "burned my ass" in the humid Kansas 90-100 degree summers. Of course though, we have 35% UV blocking tint on the windows of all our cars and keep a sunshade up when parked outside in the summer. Makes a huge difference in managing interior heat, preserving the dashboard, and allowing the car to cool fast. Leather/Softex is the way to go when it comes to avoiding staining from spills and such. Nothing is more disgusting when sitting on a fabric seat with some weird stain. LOL. I'll always have leather/vinyl except in my track cars where I prefer fabric to keep my butt in place in high g turns.
I'm 6' 2", regular torso length, and have no issues the moonroof clearance. It's definitely tighter when I'm seated on the passenger side because that seat doesn't lower, but it's still fine. A majority of the cars my wife and I have owned over the past 30 years have had moonroofs. Never had one leak or fail. It's a pretty tried and true design.
Heated seats are lovely in the winter and even on 50 degree nights with the windows down.
Keyless entry and push button start is the only way to go, IMO. So convenient. No need to fumble with keys.
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pull4adv
New member
You hit the nail on this one! This is exactly where im at right now. I kept waiting around this time last year and wish pulled the trigger then. Cant make the same mistake twice so I will pull the trigger this time. Thanks
pull4adv
New member
Yeah not really a fan of leather(real or fake) seats, but I just want the sunroof.. But you have a very valid point with the money I would save.
I bought my '97 3rd gen new. The moonroof never leaked, and the motor worked as good as new when I sold it last year, after 22 years of using the moonroof regularly. I had the factory Oak leather in my 3rd gen, and managed to keep it looking good, but it took a lot of attention with conditioners, etc., to keep it that way. I prefer the durability and ease of maintenance of the Softex.
Tuco S.
New member
VW's are notorious for leaky sunroofs. The issue typically starts with the drain getting plugged up with dust/sand/debris, and then water has nowhere to go when it rains. The plastic/rubber seal eventually starts to lose elasticity and dry rot, and then it will leak like a sieve.
I hope to never again own another car with a sunroof, but that's me.
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You're also comparing VW quality to Toyota quality...
