Scotty I'm in the market for a new Toyota tacoma. I'm choosing between the trd off road or the trd pro, is the pro upgrade really worth it? I am looking for a truck to last me the rest of my life, but am choosing between the two packages. Are bilstein vs fox shocks really worth it? what about when it comes to replacing the shocks? Any advice?
If anybody else has advice, I would appreciate that.
This is a very hot topic both in real life and online forum!
I had similar scenario to yours when I was buying a 2021 Toyota 4runner.
I have the exactly same thought— I will keep it forever.
Finally I went with TRD off road instead of TRD pro.
The reasons are:
1: TRD off-road is same as TRD pro on mechanical aspect(2 speed transfer case, rear locking differential...)
2: TRD off-road has the same electronic off-road control modules as TRD pro(a-trac, multi terrain select, crawl control)
3: TRD pro is really expensive but you pay premium more on the cosmetic upgrades(yes, they are nothing for serious wheeling). You can use that $$$ to upgrade your TRD off-road to a TRD ProPro.
4: Do you go off-road often? Hard core? A lot of damages? If you do, you will eventually upgrade tons of things on your truck even you have TRD Pro.(think about that, I saw a guy got brand new pro, replaced fox 2.5 to OME BP51 in week 1, fox 2.5 sold on internet very very cheaply). Stock UCAs and coil springs/ leaf springs are durable garbage.
5: Waiting time. TRD pro is rare. In my case I had to wait about 4 months for the pro.
6: No need to worry about those entrylevel Bilstein and fox shocks. They work fine, but eventually you will upgrade them to progressive piston, multi stage internal bypass shocks.
7: Don’t get fooled by TRD pro’s front skid plate and wheels. They are cool, but just cosmetic things.
8: Tires on both trims all need to be changed.
You know, that actually makes a lot of sense. Initially, I wanted the TRD pro because well, it looks nicer! But choosing the TRD off road sounds financially smarter between the two, and it does make sense that I'll eventually replace a lot of things on my truck. Thanks a lot for the advice Mink!
Bilstein is the best when it comes to shocks. You pay a premium, but you get a premium product. Fox is decent but mostly known for being budget-friendly.
For a long term purchase, I would go with the Pro.
Thanks for the reply Mr Mod_Man, I cannot figure out how to reply to your comment so I will post it here. I'll take that into consideration! 🙂
You actually found out exactly how to reply. 🙂 Happy to be of help. Remember, at the end of the day it is your money so definitely buy what you like best. I just wanted to weigh in on the shock situation to maybe help give some clarity. Best of luck to you!
I would go for the TRD Pro simply because it's the only one available with a manual transmission, which are nearly bullet proof.
True, the general consensus seems to be that manual transmissions are more reliable/ longer lasting. Now my question is: Automatic or manual when it comes (extreme) off roading? I can imagine autos being easier off road because you don't have to mess with the clutch so much. Plus I don't believe the manuals come with crawl control. Do you think the trade off is worth it? Thanks!
That’s depends on what type of environment you encounter the most. For example I drive my truck more in mountains and forests. I hardly have chance to use crawl control, and auto transmission helps me to climb rocky hills. But if you drive more in desert and you car sinks in sand very often, crawl control can be a life saver when other recovery tools failed.
Thanks DayWalker! That was a nice comparison video.