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Tundra TRD Pro vs. AT4 vs. Raptor


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I lost a supercharged 2002 Trans-Am WS.6 (with 15k miles) and a 2017 Sierra Denali in a recent house fire. I have always been a GM guy with a fast car and a truck (usually lifted). After the fire, I decided to buy my wife a white 2018 4Runner TRD Pro and planned to drive her old Sonata for a while, so that I could do a little research on the Raptor and 2019 AT4. I had all intentions of buying a replacement truck, but I fell in love with her Pro and hated her old Sonata, so I went out a got myself a Cavalry Blue 4Runner TRD Pro.
 

As much I hate to sell my 4Runner, I think we need a truck in the household. We just do too many projects that require, or at least make having a pickup truck bed ideal. I'm also 6'8", 350 lbs, so I do miss the room in a full size truck. After driving a Toyota, I've decided to consider a Tundra TRD Pro to the list.

 

I drive about 15k/yr, so reliability and fuel economy are important. Although, I would definitely add larger tires to the Tundra or AT4, so looks are important too. I enjoy having a vehicle that stands out from the rest, that's probably why I liked the 4Runner Pro so much... you just don't see many in my area.

 

I have it narrowed down to a 6.2L AT4, Tundra TRD Pro, or Raptor... with the Raptor being in last place due to the additional cost and lower reliability.

 

What made you decide to get your AT4 over competitors?


 

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I looked seriously at the tundra trd pro, but it was missing some very basic things. I remember it didn't have heated seats, push button start, or remote start. I also was worried a major redesign was coming, and I didn't want to be stuck with an "obsolete" truck only a year or 2 later. If I recall correctly, the tundra has basically remained uncharged for 12+ years.

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Pretty sure most everyone here will say the AT4. But what I would say is get out there and test drive all of them. The other thing as well to consider is the TRD Pro does not have a true locking rear diff which can wear out over time more than a traditional locker. AT4 comes with an auto rear locker and the Raptor has an electronic locking rear diff. Being on this forum and also by my user  name you already know which route I went, I also considered the those options along with the Ram Rebel, Power Wagon, Trailboss and even a ZR2.

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You mentioned fuel economy, it's definitely the last. It's definitely in the top when it comes to reliability though.

 

There's a trade-off in all models. After two Ford F-150 trucks, I went with the Chevy, but will more likely go back to Ford depending on the 2020 redesign and incentives.

 

Toyota has never offered a large incentive and I like having Android Auto.. I think Toyota recently came to its senses though.. but if I cannot put in Android Auto, it's an automatic deal breaker.

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Just my opinion here, but unless you're planning on doing any serious off roading, the Raptor is out. Way too much money for that capability to be used for day to day truck stuff. I went with the AT4 because it's a good mix of day to day driver and weekend toy. I've never driven a Tundra so I have no opinion on them but they are good looking. I have friends with them and they are dependable. 

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3 hours ago, SILVER SLED said:

I would ask the same question on a Ford Raptor forum and a Tundra forum.  I'm sure you will get biased answers on all the forums.

This man right here is correct . Do you own research on all the boards. 

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2 Co workers got new Tundras and I really like them. My only complaint is that for a couple of loaded up trucks, neither has remote start, and I know they have both been upset about not being able to lift/level easily because of the front camera causing issues. 

 

I test drove the Raptor and a Ram 1500 before I bought my AT4.  I really loved the Ram interior.  The screen is odd, and would prefer something between the Ram and the GM trucks, but the stereo was amazing.  I wasn't a fan of the front end and so I moved on. 

 

The Raptor, is no doubt the King when it comes to off roading a stock truck.  While I need some off road capability, the Raptor is way more than I'm gonna use.  I also didn't like the eco boost, I know a lot of guys love it, but Im not a fan.  Combine that with less towing ability and it just wasn't a good fit for me. 

 

Most guys that buy a raptor, go fast down a dirt road and think they are pushing the truck to the limits.  The serious guys, are upgrading everything anyway.  So one thought that crossed my mind, was for the price difference, I could build a better truck, for less.. 

 

Go drive em all, see what's best for you. 

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I've always been a GM or Toyota guy for trucks. If you want a truck to just run and go forever the Tundra wins hands down. 

 

Its styling was long in the tooth, drove more clumsily, lack of tech, aged powertrain (poor fuel economy), lack of incentives and impending redesign all worked against me wanting a Tundra.

 

I will say I wanted a Trail Boss CCSB as soon as it debuted, so there's that. A Tundra even in Pro form never grabbed me the same way.

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I was in your same boat about 3 months ago.  I had a 2014 GMC All Terrain and loved it.  Had some issues at 94k miles and decided to trade it in on a 2018 Toyota TRD Sport.  I loved the Tundra as well, but after a year of driving it, I missed a lot of the nicer things that came with the GMC. More storage in the cab, more electrical plugs for phones and gadgets, remote start, and my gas mileage on the Tundra was horrible.  Even though the Toyota body style was older, I loved the aggressive look.  I got hit and it totaled my Tundra.  I went to price a Tundra TRD PRO and a AT4 and the GMC was cheaper with more features.  I am definitely happier with my GMC purchase, but we will see what happens in 3 years!  I don't hold on to trucks long. Have fun shopping!!  They are both head turners!  Here is a pic of my old rig.

Tundra.jpg

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I feel like the new Silverado/Sierra took a lot of design language from the Tundra, those photos above really show it.

 

Bottom line in my mind echoes most of the posts here.  If you want long term reliability, get a Tundra.  If you want a truck with more and better technology, MUCH better safety ratings, drives WAY better, and gets a whole lot better gas mileage get the AT4.  If you want a Raptor... well that's a whole different thing, in my mind they are not really comparable.

 

From my perspective 15k miles a year is not much at all, I drive over twice that.  Looking at what you have been doing, I would be really surprised if you ever put enough miles on an AT4 to start having reliability issues before you sell it.  Just get a warranty if that's a concern.

 

Speaking of gas mileage, I don't understand why Toyota is seen as a gas efficient brand.  My wife's Highlander gets worse mileage than my 2019 Silverado 5.3.

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1 hour ago, scdaren said:

Speaking of gas mileage, I don't understand why Toyota is seen as a gas efficient brand.  My wife's Highlander gets worse mileage than my 2019 Silverado 5.3.

Agreed.

 

I had a 2015 4Runner SR5P 4X4 that averaged 15mpg unless I took it on long road trips. I traded that for my TB.

 

My wife has a 2017 RX350 F-Sport AWD and it gets worse fuel economy than my 5.3L.

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