Tundra TRD Pro vs. Sierra AT4 vs. Raptor

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 Tundra Pro over competitors?

 

Number one was reliability. Had a Tacoma that I had for 11 years with 185,000 miles that never once went in the shop for anything other than oil and brakes. Did some research on other forums and many of the posts on them were asking about problems that they were having instead of modifications. I decided I wanted to test drive all the trucks out there to see if anything stuck out, Ford and Ram dealers didn't even want to bother talking to me. Couldn't get the Ram salesman to even come out the door, Ford salesman was bothered because I asked if he could get the keys so I could look inside. Chevy and Toyota salesman both were very helpful and encouraged test driving them. There wasn't enough about the Chevy to make me turn away from the Toyota. I've had good luck with Toyota so it's hard to turn away from them.

 

Lease or long-term own? If latter, Pro. Want it to stand out? Nitto RG 285/70R18, get voodoo or white and put red or black letter inserts in the tailgate and bed stamps. I’d only look at Raptor or Denali 1500 if I was on short term lease. A recent shootout put the GMC over the Pro in ride and interior, but they didn’t add reliability in the scoring. I’d swap a leather wheel and new HU in the Pro, it’s a pretty basic SR5 dash and overall least techy out of all of them.

The 2020 2500 AT4 is a pretty sick truck however I’m partial to tow vehicles and Toyota doesn’t make a 3/4.

 

Coming from a newer GM, they don't make them like they used to. That is why I switched to Toyota. Also the transmission kick in my Chevy was so annoying. I agree with @JoshuaA if you went with the 2020 2500 that is a completely different conversation.

 

I've had a lot of Toyotas and was recently researching trucks as a replacement for my 04' Tundra. I have to admit I was smitten with the Trailboss/AT4 as well. The Raptor was pretty damn cool but way out of my price range. A few things I did/didn't like. Although minor - in the end it made up my choice.

1) Trailboss (did not drive the AT4)= *Nicer interior , but still dated. Rear AC vents were terrible and kids were really hot on tests drive.
* New model and I still felt vibration while driving and really wallowy when turning (big boat feel) on LT 4wd. Trailboss felt exactly like my Tundra .I did like 2" factory lift and Duratracs.
*Drove the 5.3, underwhelming but I know the 6.4 is a good motor. However 3 chevy's at work (2 diesels, one 6.4- all had electrical issues)
*Test drive gas mileage was 12.6 combined. Not much difference than the Tundra.
*Check Engine light came on. Read about a lot of Safety Sense monitoring failures since. Tundra has the same issues. Just too many electronics in the brand new rigs.
* Trailboss debuted in my area for 57K. Price is already down to 41K on the lot. Not sure how that plays in to resale and value overtime. Of course it was pricey to begin with, but the corporate incentives get crazy which makes me think they are always overpriced .

2) Raptor (Ecoboost version) *Drove great, soft suspension. Out of my league with CA markup (literally 30K cheaper in Idaho, but that's another story)
* Rear AC Vents would not angle to corners of outboard seating positions, completely dumb.
* I personally know 4 guys with Ecoboost motors. One is a Raptor and was just bought back under lemon law, one is in the process for buyback due to electrical issues, the other two are fine. They tout MPG but i've been in them all and haven't ever seen they're average above 19.
* So damn fun to drive.

3)Ram 1500 * Lots of packages , really nice interiors.
* Probably best value for money package combo. They are stupid cheap right now.
*Actually loved the fact that rear cab had heated seats if you wanted. drove nice.
*I couldn't wrap my head around buying a Dodge. A few people , again at work, have them. They all like them and are still driving. Although they have had them in for recalls quite often.

4) * I strongly considered a 4 runner since I had one previously. I considered a haul trailer for Home depot/dump runs. But, after test driving it, I just felt cramped coming from the Tundra. The features and price
were great on the 4runner though and it almost swayed me.

5) Tundra * Seemed dated but had everything I wanted except Apple Car Play and under seat storage.
* I had such a good experience with my other Toyota's it was hard for me to jump ship to the unknown.
* Sold my 04. Resale Value is second to none. Literally drove it for 10 years and put 150kmiles on it. Resale was 5k less than purchase price. I've had pretty much the same experience with all of
Toyota's.
*Found a good deal on a 17' Platinum. I like the interior as much, if not better than, the other trucks and with 1500 in suspension you're not far off of a PRO setup.
*Yup gas Mileage sucks. It kills me to see it on my Cluster. I wish I could remove it. I calculated out my driving (for my foot and cost). I can't remember exactly what it came to but ballpark was if I
spent the money on a Chevy or Ford with better MPG it would take
me over 7-ish years to break even compared to the cost of the Tundra.
Hope it helps.


Hope it h

 

I won't consider a GM truck till they get rid of the 1980's Family Truckster column shifter, since floor shifter isn't an option, GM is completely out despite the fact that I really like the new chevy Silverados, EXCEPT the shifter. Plus resale value for GM is pretty bad.

Dodge, I just can't bring myself to buy a dodge. I just know so many people who have owned FCA vehicles, and cant think of one who had a long term good experience. with vehicles, its personal, and I just think owning a dodge is like an exercise in frustration, plus they are ugly, so there's that.

The raptor is really nice and would have been a second choice if it wasn't for cost, they are really expensive, especially in CA (some dealerships are charging upwards of 90k for new ones). Even used, but I would have gone for a Raptor, good resale value, high wow factor.

Nissan Titan is ugly as sin.

Which left the Tundra. I tend to keep cars for a very long time. The Pathfinder I replaced the Tundra with was 15 years old with 250k miles, and still ran like a champ and didn't burn a drop of oil, and could climb the steeped sand trail in the middle of the desert without even getting above warm, so reliability is important for me, but also good looks. my Pro is definitely a looker, I get craned necks from everyone. a guy in a brand new Chevy Trail Boss couldnt stop staring at my truck yesterday at a stop light. I can also expect resale value to stay up when they come out with the next Tundras in 2021 or whatever and due to all the gimmicky crap, the reliability ratings take a hit.

But Tundra fuel economy is pretty bad, theres no way to argue that. it is by far the worst, so that is a big negative if you drive a lot. I have a company car that I use when I have to travel, so fuel economy, for me, is not in the equation.

 

I am going to bump this back up as a few months have passed, and I am in the same boat sorta.

I test drove the 6.2L AT4, nice truck but I hate the visual of the interior something awful. Reminds me of a bubbly 90's era Ford Taurus with all the bubbles and ovals... Really <3 the tailgate. Plus the kicker speaker option in it... Instant tailgate party!

I looked at the Trailboss, did not drive it. Didn't need too. The interior was even cheaper. Not a fan.

The Ram... I love this truck. They did a good job with features and design. However, this is Dodge, Crysler, Fiat, FCA, whatever, they all stink to high hell, and every one who actually know trucks, knows this.

The Titan... hahaha

Tundra... Basic as it gets, but considering Ford and GM seem plagued with electrical issues lately. The Ram just has issues of all sorts, I think they are on recall 10 or 11 this year already... Thinking basic is best. I want a truck to last, call me old fashioned. GM seems to have the view now that everyone will be out of them in under 5. I just wish the TRD Pro had the Canadian seat warmers, that's the only tech I want. lol

 

The prices dealerships are asking for the AT4 are ridiculous. Kind of like the tundra pro at MSRP and over. I looked at everything the last couple weeks as well. The lift crewmax F250’s with the spider package (or black widow) are running $90k. Prices are going higher and higher.

 

You aren't kidding. The ones in Portland told me they don't negotiate on the AT4. I laughed and when walking out, said something like "call me when you actually want to get serious and sell me a truck." 48 hours later. Ring ring... Okay sir, we can match the price you found online.

Too late, after my experience with all of the local GMC dealerships, with preservation of their prices being Paramount, I decided to stop even entertaining that notion.

 

The new Chevy HD will top the 100k sticker for 2020 for high trims...

The Tremor will be huge for Ford. Literally. Forget about dealing on that thing for the first year....

TRD Pro is quite a value right now. Market prices are pushing it down on cars.

 

Get the pro tundra, supercharge it through sparks toyota or something, swap the tires for something more aggressive, and swap the bumper for something more aggressive. Walah you have a truck even better/reliable than an uncultured 6 cylinder raptor.

 

I can say from my past experience...nothing holds its value like a Tundra.

But I'd still opt for the AT4 with the 6.2L. It's a sweet truck....despite the column shifter

 

The 6.2 absolutely rips!

 

Nothing beats a truck with bench seats tho.

 

I test drove an AT4 6.2 before I upgraded my Tundra and was underwhelmed. You could tell that it had power, but the 10 speed shifted too much for my liking.

 

After test driving all three and aggressive negations, I got a deal on a Raptor that I couldn't refuse. So far, it's an awesome vehicle.

 

What did you pick up the Raptor for?

 

I got it for $66k.... $8k off the $74k MSRP. Got $42k for my 2018 4R Pro with 17k miles.

 

@mstgkillr Welcome to the wonderful world of Toyota Tundras! (Or at least it’s my hope I can help convince you to buy the Tundra)

Like you, I researched and test drove a buttload of half-tons before settling on my ‘19 Tundra CrewMax SR5 4x4. I did lift it, put Bilstein 5100’s on it and replaced the stock wheels with TRD 18” with Nitto TerraGrapplers. COULD NOT BE HAPPIER with this truck! It’s my daily driver and I do tow a 28’ travel trailer with it during the summer/fall outdoor season here in Utah. My opinion and observations ...

- F150 - common as dirt, dull-blocky interior design and that new 10 speed tranny is unproven. Drives and rides nice but just didn’t excite me.
- Chevy/GMC - Ugh, just ugh on that new exterior design language! What were they thinking? AND the interior sucks as it has the same 10 speed transmisson as the F150.
- Ram 1500 - Now this truly is a damn nice truck! Interior is the best in the biz bar none. Rides like a luxo-barge and the stock Hemi is a solid, solid motor. Almost bought this one but didn’t because ... Mopar transmissions are notoriously short lived and local dealers were not motivated to bargain at the time I was looking.
- Titan - Really wanted to like this truck as I kind of dig the design and liked that it’s not a common truck around here. Two things put me off ... rides and drives like a truck, towing capacity is on low end with 5.6L V8. Low speed handling is stiff as hell and kind of vague. Like the F150- just didn’t find it exciting when I drove it.

Why the Tundra? Firstly, there’s a saying “you can go out there in just about anything but to get back, you need a Toyota”. Reliability was a key thing for me. Next came capability which includes what I can tow and haul with it and then looks and fuel economy. I like that the Tundra isn’t the most common truck on the road ... here in Utah you can’t swing a dead cat without hitting an F150/250/Raptor. Further, customizing and upgrading the Tundra is almost limitless. Somewhat immodestly speaking, I get compliments all the time about my Calvary Blue Tundra. Now, admittedly the Tundra isn’t the most fuel efficient BUT the differences are somewhat minor in real world comparisons. I average 14.9 mpg reliably per tank in mixed driving around town. Towing, I am between 8 and 10mpg. For comparison, my neighbor has a 2nd gen Raptor and tows a 26” TT ... he not so jokingly said the EcoBoost has two modes ... Eco or BOOST. When he tows his mileage is dead on mine cuz those turbos are shoving fuel and air down those 3.5 liters. Also, his mixed driving is only 1-2 mpg better per tank than mine.

Lastly, the Tundra platform can take SO much more. I plan to S/C mine with the Magnussen Supercharger kit and all the research I’ve done confirms the stock transmission, drivetrain etc. can easily handle the extra HP and torque with no further mods. Can’t say that about many of their competitors.

 

Not listed in thread heading is the Ford Tremor, coming out this year and mentioned in another thread. It may give others like me (a former Ford owner who saw no reason to go to an F250) a reason to stay with a Ford. I like my Tundra but had I known of the Tremor when choosing, I would have considered waiting for a Tremor. Its specs look to justify much more consideration than any Raptor, or Chevy.

 

I was reading your build and noticed you have a ‘19 Tundra too. I am going to S/C mine with the Magnussen kit in the next couple months ... have a few questions if you’re willing? Who’s tuner did you use for the S/C? The BD that comes in the kit or someone else’s? How’s your real world fuel economy? Do you tow it, if so what are you towing and what kind of fuel economy are you getting towing? Anything else you can add regarding the S/C would be MUCH appreciated!!

 

I'll PM you.