Trim choice for newbie

I am upgrading from a well-kitted-out Jeep Rubicon because the Jeep was one mechanical problem after another at 70,000 miles.

My preference is to do most of the kitting in the aftermarket, rather than pay up for overpriced OEM supplies. Still, I need to pick the right trim.

I'll be doing a lot of LA freeway driving in addition to fairly technical desert off-roading, though I'm not a hardcore rock crawler. Obviously the Jeep sucked for commuting.

Questions:

1) The hybrid powertrain adds nothing to mileage, but does add torque. I'm not a rock crawler, but I don't want to get stuck in sand. Is the extra torque of the hybrid worth the price and extra complexity?

2) Do I want part time or full time 4 WD? I'm used to 4H and 4L in my Rubicon. And obviously 2H for pavement.

3) It's mostly between Off Road Premium and Limited but I'll need to understand the answer to Question 2 before deciding. Any other considerations between the two trims?

 

welcome

 

Off road premium

 

Hybrid would add fuel economy in city driving but that’s probably it but I doubt you’ll want to shell out extra for a hybrid on top of what you’ll be paying since I’m sure you’ll get by fine anyway.

Might be worth if you expect to idle a lot, you’ll get to do the “Hotel Prius” experience but make sure the back is workable between the non-flat seats and battery.

2) You would want full-time 4WD all-else-equal since there aren’t really any downsides but it means spending a lot more to get to a trim that has it so probably not. If you’re satisfied with 2H on-pavement, no need for it especially since it’s SoCal. But if you want a Limited and its features anyway, sure

3) I’d see if an SR5 plus mods tick the boxes, it’s a huge step up in cost from the SR5 to the next level up.

Edit: I personally prefer full-time 4WD to a locker and the additional off-road features since I miss the extra grip on wet pavement (assuming it still has the center locker for off-road excursions, which I am)

 

Does full time 4WD comes with a rear locker on the 6th gen?
On the 5th gen it didnt, so getting the part time 4wd was advantageous if a factory rear locker was wanted. If FT4WD was important to someone then limited with aftermarket rear locker was the only option.

The best of all world is what the LC has (FT 4WD with rear locker).

 

The Off-Road Premium would be my pick for what you are asking
The nicer bigger dash, the nicer interior with less poverty buttons is WAY better for on-road commutes if you spend time in the drivers seat on the road.
The off-road crawl control, off-road modes, rear locker, are by far WAY better than any of the other trims for any serious offroad stuff. Watch videos on the crawl control, you can intentionally sink the tires, and crawl control will dig you out in seconds. Its pretty nifty to watch and with it and the downhill descent control you can let your foot off the gas and let the vehicle crawl itself up, over, and down obstacles.
The off-road also comes with different shocks and i believe these shocks have more droop travel than the other "highway" versions
There are options of push button sway bar disconnect, some like this and some dont, you can pick what you think works best for you.

The Limited models are fully decked out in creature comforts, the nicer seats ect ect, the full time 4wd, but for what you are doing in Socal driving back and forth to work, the TRD Off-Road would be my pick with its select 2wd + 4wd + 4wd LOW and crawl control and locker features.

 

Good point, I suspect it’s still mutually exclusive!

 

Welcome from Wisconsin! My choice would be ORP, not just because we own one, but the additional features of the ORP over the Limited are useful. You may not need crawl control or a rear locker, but one day when you least expect it... as far as cruising around on the pavement you won't really need fulltime 4wd, actually comes down to your personal preference.

 

Welcome

 

Welcome

 

Welcome

 

I would probably get a Land Cruiser. For not much more money you get the full-time four-wheel drive and a rear locker, and the hybrid system is standard if you were considering that.

Check out the YouTube channel "Trail Recon", he's based out of SoCal and does a lot of off-roading in the desert, he's building up a new Land Cruiser.

For the 4Runner, I would go with an SR5 and just add an aftermarket rear locker if you find you need it. The crawl control and multi-terrain select are just gimmicks, if you already know how to drive off-road, you don't need them.

 

if i remember correctly the hybrid you lose 1 mpg vs the non HV model. the hybrid for all toyota BoF vehicles is for power not mpg. even the brochures never mention better mpg for the hybrids

again this only applies to toyota BoF vehicles