Gallagher
Active Member
I had a 2016 gen 3 TRD OR for around 4 years before I bought my 2019 JLUR.
As far as I am concerned, there is no comparison. The TRD was next to useless offroad. It had a 3"/2" and 285/70/17 Duratracs. Dealer sales was awesome when I picked it up, dealer service was the worst I've ever experienced. The truck squeeked and rattled, the 3.5L was really buzzy and the auto trans could never figure out what gear it wanted to be in. As soon as I started it up I'd put it in sport/manual mode and tow/haul as that was the only way I could tolerate driving it. I had the transmission control module re-flashed with an updated tune that made it marginally better.
The ABS/Traction/stability control system should have been illegal it was so bad. If it was slippery and the truck moved a little bit off of straight, nothing worked. No throttle, everything locking up and unlocking....basically just along for the ride in the snow.
At highway speeds if I had the cruise set and went up a moderately steep hill, it would be buzzing away at 4,000 rpm, once you crested the hill to flat or downhill, the trans wouldn't upshift. I had to manually shift it and then reset the cruise.
The Taco lists a fairly respectable towing capacity (I had the towing package), I believe it was around 6,500lb, but don't quote me. I pulled a 1970 Datsun 240Z race car on an open trailer, total weight of less that 4000lb and it was absolutely tragic. Redlining up hills on the highway in the slow lane getting passed by busses, RV's and camperized VW Vanagons.
In the time I had it, it needed the stereo/nav head unit replaced three times, it was in the shop numerous times to fix the rattling box (google that one, design flaw that was not addressed over 14 years of production), it was in numerous times for very loud (embarrassingly loud) squeeking rear leaf springs (google that as well as it's a well known problem). I ended up strapping the box to the frame with ratchet tie-downs so it would stop rattling, and had to soak the leaf springs in motorcycle o-ring chain lube regularly to stop the noises. The thing sounded like a 30 year old crummy...
The interior did not wear well at all, there is very little adjustability in the seats, the lumbar support if cranked on backs itself off in a very short amount of time.
As far as fuel economy goes, I was averaging around 15.5 L/100km (sorry, I'm from the metric north!) in the Tacoma, and in the JLUR I am averaging around 14.3 L/100km. I believe that's almost 2 mpg better in the Wrangler with a 2" lift and 35" BFG's.
The final straw for me was during a road trip, the Taco had a major electrical "episode" where the 4wd transfer system died, cruise control stopped working, ABS system stopped working, and every warning light on the dash went on.
I put a canopy on the truck, and if it was rainy or muddy, the box would fill with mud and water through the two useless little storage compartments in the box. Not sealed at all.
.....other than all of that I loved it! hahaha
As far as I am concerned, there is no comparison. The TRD was next to useless offroad. It had a 3"/2" and 285/70/17 Duratracs. Dealer sales was awesome when I picked it up, dealer service was the worst I've ever experienced. The truck squeeked and rattled, the 3.5L was really buzzy and the auto trans could never figure out what gear it wanted to be in. As soon as I started it up I'd put it in sport/manual mode and tow/haul as that was the only way I could tolerate driving it. I had the transmission control module re-flashed with an updated tune that made it marginally better.
The ABS/Traction/stability control system should have been illegal it was so bad. If it was slippery and the truck moved a little bit off of straight, nothing worked. No throttle, everything locking up and unlocking....basically just along for the ride in the snow.
At highway speeds if I had the cruise set and went up a moderately steep hill, it would be buzzing away at 4,000 rpm, once you crested the hill to flat or downhill, the trans wouldn't upshift. I had to manually shift it and then reset the cruise.
The Taco lists a fairly respectable towing capacity (I had the towing package), I believe it was around 6,500lb, but don't quote me. I pulled a 1970 Datsun 240Z race car on an open trailer, total weight of less that 4000lb and it was absolutely tragic. Redlining up hills on the highway in the slow lane getting passed by busses, RV's and camperized VW Vanagons.
In the time I had it, it needed the stereo/nav head unit replaced three times, it was in the shop numerous times to fix the rattling box (google that one, design flaw that was not addressed over 14 years of production), it was in numerous times for very loud (embarrassingly loud) squeeking rear leaf springs (google that as well as it's a well known problem). I ended up strapping the box to the frame with ratchet tie-downs so it would stop rattling, and had to soak the leaf springs in motorcycle o-ring chain lube regularly to stop the noises. The thing sounded like a 30 year old crummy...
The interior did not wear well at all, there is very little adjustability in the seats, the lumbar support if cranked on backs itself off in a very short amount of time.
As far as fuel economy goes, I was averaging around 15.5 L/100km (sorry, I'm from the metric north!) in the Tacoma, and in the JLUR I am averaging around 14.3 L/100km. I believe that's almost 2 mpg better in the Wrangler with a 2" lift and 35" BFG's.
The final straw for me was during a road trip, the Taco had a major electrical "episode" where the 4wd transfer system died, cruise control stopped working, ABS system stopped working, and every warning light on the dash went on.
I put a canopy on the truck, and if it was rainy or muddy, the box would fill with mud and water through the two useless little storage compartments in the box. Not sealed at all.
.....other than all of that I loved it! hahaha
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