Colorado diesel narrowly beats Tacoma in head to head comparison

calicamper

Expedition Leader
Definitely not! I should have been more specific because I realize that some people's definition of serious rock-crawling terrain would be way worse than mine. I'm thinking about terrain that may require stacking rocks to avoid high centering, with approach and departure angles being the other important limitation. Ground clearance is sometimes not as important if you place your wheels carefully with a spotter. A good example of this would be Steel pass in Death Valley south of Eureka Dunes.

My point is that there is a market for these vehicles that makes sense to some of us that don't want to spend time and money on aftermarket solutions when a "mild" off-road solution exists off the shelf.

There is always the boots on feet and hiking too. LOL
The stock vehicle that can handle a rough spot on a dirt road is about all anyone needs unless your hobby is rock crawling ie the challenge of getting over and through bolder fields is the point not the actual destination.
 

rruff

Explorer
Definitely not! I should have been more specific because I realize that some people's definition of serious rock-crawling terrain would be way worse than mine.

Ya, after your response I knew it was just semantics.

I actually considered a 2wd truck again for my uses (getting miles away from RVs and casual campers), but after thinking about the abuse my '84 took on rocks and how lucky I was to only get stranded once in 13 years (and that was a fuel pump), I decided 4WD w/Lo, bigger tires, and a suspension upgrade would be worth it.
 

DaveInDenver

Middle Income Semi-Redneck
I'd definitely not use a stock ZR2 or TRD Pro for serious offroading of any kind. Would need more ground clearance and bigger tires for starters. More suspension travel as well.

The Raptor is in a different category. It's considerably more "built" than these two mid size trucks. But even it isn't all that serious compared to what you can do aftermarket.
I don't know how the ZR2's fancy suspension will go long term but the TRD Pro with FOX suspension is not all that different than you'd build aftermarket. I run 2.5" FOX on my Tacoma and the main difference AFAICT is the OEM stuff isn't threaded to adjust the ride height. I have no idea if it's rebuildable, though. I have sliders and a bumper and working on all of it (I just got my '08 about 2 years ago, these things take time). But very few new trucks had or have stuff like that, that's always been an aftermarket mod.

Sure, I doubt there's real dollar value in the TRD Pro when you consider that an SR5 with a complete FOX suspension and Air Lockers will still come in under the total, but then again when you do that you're also throwing away some warranty protection and, truth is, in this world being able to roll all of it up in one car payment is the reality of making it work. I honestly don't blame anyone who gets one and actually uses it (different argument).

The thing that frustrates me is the race to put every tech feature and farkle on trucks seems to undermining their utility. Can't get a regular cab Tacoma anymore, sticks are rare and base trucks are tougher to find for non-fleet buyers. That and the ridiculously limiting GVWR that a Tacoma has. I don't ask for a metric 1 ton truck, but what happened to being able to carry 1/2 ton of stuff *including* with 2 people and a full fuel tank?
 

Regcabguy

Oil eater.
Tundra's have a very high "beltline". I felt cramped in one. I don't get the high beltline small window look.
In contrast the F-150 was cavernous. Decent seats and good fit and finish.
 

rruff

Explorer
I don't know how the ZR2's fancy suspension will go long term but the TRD Pro with FOX suspension is not all that different than you'd build aftermarket. I run 2.5" FOX on my Tacoma and the main difference AFAICT is the OEM stuff isn't threaded to adjust the ride height.

Probably similar to the Bilsteins on the Tundra which are not rebuildable. By all accounts they are nice shocks and should be for >$2k. The ZR2s might be better actually, because they are fancy new tech.

My response was a little extreme, but these "offroad" models still have modest ground clearance and armor and that is what I see as the biggest limitation. Makes me cringe to think of a new >$40k truck bashing on rocks.
 

rruff

Explorer
That's just the reality of the current market. If you want to sell vehicles, they need to have tech that's inline with this century.

The typical buyer of new trucks makes >$100k/yr, about 2x as much as the median for the total population. I don't know what it was in the past, but I suspect that new buyers weren't so far above the median. The people buying new decide what we all get.
 

perterra

Adventurer
Probably similar to the Bilsteins on the Tundra which are not rebuildable. By all accounts they are nice shocks and should be for >$2k. The ZR2s might be better actually, because they are fancy new tech.

My response was a little extreme, but these "offroad" models still have modest ground clearance and armor and that is what I see as the biggest limitation. Makes me cringe to think of a new >$40k truck bashing on rocks.

I'd guess rock crawling is a very small segment of the market. I would have to drive 800 miles just to find rocks to crawl on. Here most who actually use the truck in 4WD do so on the deer lease or ranch.
 

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