So who here has actually driven both A TRDP and a TEP KDSS? How do they compare as a daily driver?
I've driven both, but not owned both. I've actually driven about 15 different ones. For me - when they came out in 2010 I went and drove an sr5 and a limited. I had intended to buy a limited as my older 4runner was a limited and I had assumed that would be my first choice. I didn't really like the handling of either. Over the years I would occasionally do a test drive and always thought they felt like driving a Chevy Tahoe. It was just too soft and disconnected feeling for me.
The first time I drove a KDSS 4runner I was like whoa - this is different. It feels more like what I want.
A TRD Pro is more like an sr5 to me. The dampening is better, but the body roll and soft springs are still pretty similar.
I do however think that the right springs and shocks on an sr5 could also do a very good job of providing the handling that I like without KDSS. It's not the only way to get there by any means. It's just he only OEM suspension that I thought handled on the highway the way I like. As fate would have it, within the first year I had Fox front coilovers and GX460 rear air suspension so none of the original springs or shocks even stayed on for a year. I've since removed the GX460 suspension and gone back to OEM rear coils with a small spacer and Fox rear shocks and I'm happy with it. The only downside now is that the rears are only fox 2.0 IFP shocks. They are noticeably more jarring in small bumps compared to the front Fox 2.5 factory series.
I think there's a good argument for spending KDSS savings on Fox 2.5's all around. I have not driven a 4runner with a premium aftermarket suspension like Fox or King or ?? without KDSS. That's the data point I don't have. It might be great. I suspect as between the choice of only Fox suspension or KDSS I'd choose the Fox suspension. I just don't know. The difference between OEM Trail Edition shocks and Fox doing high speed travel over rough roads really is remarkable. And I do quite a bit of that around where I live. My 4runner would blow the doors of my FJ40 in high speed rough terrain even though the FJ40 has easily 2-3 times the suspension travel. It just works extremely well with the travel available in the OEM suspension, and rides nicely on the highway. The TRD Pro is somewhere inbetween. I personally don't think it's worth the money for the appearance package parts. And I don't think the Bilstein suspension is as good as Fox or King. Bilstein does make some fantastic shocks. The ones on the TRD Pro aren't anywhere near the top of Bilstein's range of options.
I suspect the new Fox internal bypass shocks on the Tacoma are going to be really fantastic if they're tuned well. If those were on the TRD Pro 4runner I'd be more excited about them.
My opinion is that the TRD Pro likely cut the KDSS option to keep the sticker price below the limited. It's not magic. But it is really useful to have a heavy stabilizer bar that can effectively soften up offroad. There are other ways to get there. KDSS just solves the problem in a somewhat complex way that offers a lot of benefits for daily driving. It's sort of the dream of every suspension designer who's ever dreamed up a forced articulation suspension for offroad use.
I think you really need to go test drive a few. What works for me may be something totally different from what you like. Some people might hate how stiff KDSS makes the 4runner. It's really not better or worse. It's just different. The only real conclusion I can draw is that TRD Pro models are too much of a price bump for what amounts to a lesser suspension and an appearance package. The Trail Premium with KDSS is the most offroad capable 4runner out of the box and has the best street manners. The Limited is the most comfortable. And the sr5 is the best value. The TRD Pro doesn't really fit as the best of anything for me other than appearance.
