2021 TRD Pro or Platinum

Hi Everyone,

Been shopping for trucks for 3 months now and my local Toyota dealer has a white 21 Platinum coming in and a white 21 TRD Pro, they are giving me first shot at a reservation. They're both loaded with the platinum msrp at $57k and the TRD at $59k. I'm getting it at MSRP + tax. I've only driven a platinum and it was really nice and I liked the seat comfort and the ride. I love the windchill color but don't like the kinda meh exterior. I really like the TRD Pro exterior with the blacked out headlights, emblems and grille. I also I like the ride height and wheel setup.

My only reservation is the TRD pro seats and ride quality. They look like the limited seats and from what I've researched the limited seats aren't that great. I liked the platinum seats, they were comfortable and I would get a TRD pro if they had those seats since I've sat on them. I also haven't driven the TRD Pro with the offroad setup so I can't compare the ride quality . Deposit is non refundable and if I don't like it I'm SOL , although I do see used TRD Pros selling for more than I'm buying for.

 

Kind of biased here, but, I would go with the Platinum, could always do a leveling kit and wheels/tires in the future. I really like my seats and the two person memory feature, can’t get that on the Pro...

 

Components are easy to swap. Depends on what future mods will be.

Trd Pro also should come with the fake hood scoop and the stamped bed. The Platinum I know doesn't have the stamped bed, but I think it also doesn't have the fake hood scoop?

Both should have zero chrome on the exterior.

Seats, suspension, blacked out emblems, leather, headlights. All can be interchanged. Not sure what nannies and extras come with the platinum (puddle lights? Etc...)

 

I’d go with the Pro for resale alone.
If you don’t care about that then the Platinum beats the pro on everything else. It gets all the creature comforts. The pro is good for off-road bits but you can turn any truck into a pro for less than they charge you in dealer pricing.

 

I agree. Was gonna buy a lightly used platinum for 40k last Nov but was vetoed on the White color. So I got a red sport SR5. Personally I think the TRD Pro is overhyped and overpriced, but I can't argue their resale or the fact they sell like hot cakes.

 

I chose the Pro. I don’t need some of the extra gadgets the Platinum offers. I like that the Pro is more limited in production and will hold its value better…and yes. The bed stamp.

 

I just learned about the memory seat. We are a one car family and I’m anal about my driving position and so it’s kind of a must. The more I research some members rides on here the more I’m leaning towards platinum because I’ve seen some nicely don’t platinums with the TRD trim pieces.

it’s just the thought of having a unicorn in my grasp lol. It’s also a harder sell on my wife to explain to her it has less features and costs more... But she met me when I had an Integra Type R, GTR, and other enthusiast mobiles so she knows I’m thinking with the enthusiast mind on the TRD pro.

 

I am a creature comforts person so I have the Platinum but it is becoming a Pro+ with adding the suspension and many of the TRD parts. I like the memory seats, heated/cooled seats, nicer leather, folding mirrors, puddle lights, dual temp, etc. Just wish it had a heated steering wheel.

 

Go with the Pro. I have a Platinum.

 

If it’s all about numbers and you don’t plan on modding it go with the Pro. Just my opinion I buy the Pro especially trading in a lot.

 

I'd snap up that Platinum in a heartbeat. I'd keep it and steadily make "improvements" over a few years.

 

Platinum and mod as you need to for off-road. To me it's easier to get suspension and wheels done by a shop once than to have memory seats, heated and cooled seats, puddle lights, etc... installed. All those things can't really be "upgraded" so might as well get it from the factory. Suspension on the other hand, the pro has good suspension but there's plenty better as well as better wheel/tire choices.

As for resale, all toyota trucks have good resale but a couple thousand difference in resale 10 years down the road doesn't matter to me. Plus you initially spent a couple thousand more to begin with on pro over platinum so it's a wash. My $.02.

 

I’m obsessed with the hood scoop. I believe less chrome in pro too.

 

Windchill white makes this an easy choice. Such a gorgeous color.

Then you can customize it however you like. It’s what I’ve been doing to my Platinum. MUCH cheaper and easier to get a Platinum to Pro specs, than to get a Pro to Platinum spec.

 

Platinum all day. Making a fully loaded truck into a Pro is much easier than trying to get a Pro to Platinum luxury level. There's nothing on the Pro that's unobtainable as a separate part other than the unique colors if you want to build a rep Pro; or you can get better parts in the aftermarket anyway. I dislike that it is based on the base SR5 platform and just adds goodies to exceed Platinum price levels.

For reference, I factory ordered a 2019 4Runner Pro and while it was nice, it didn't have anything special compared to the Off Road version (mainly the rear locker and crawl control). I sold it after a year but missed it and ultimately decided I wanted another one; but when I ordered again I chose the Off Road. After having it now for 6 months I'm happy with the purchase price savings and didn't feel like I missed out on anything option wise.

When I ordered my '21 Platinum I went through the same thought process and again couldn't justify the Pro just for the unique color and parts list.

Food for thought FWIW.

 

There’s no wrong choice. It’s either the trd badging, hood scoop and suspension, or ventilated seats and normal rake so you don’t have the Carolina Squat as soon as you put 200 lbs in the bed.

 

Exactly my thoughts and very well articulated.

 

Pro.

Seat - Platinum is “better” - but not much. Recover and adding foam is simple in a few years.

Suspension - you will probably mod either, but the Platinum will be something you feel the need to address sooner.

Ever see anyone take a Platinum grille/wheels and put them on a Pro ? Count the threads of SR5/1794/Platinum owners making there trucks look like a Pro.

Same basic truck - same crap radio - go with the Pro and customize as you own.

 

Ride complaint on the Pro - liking a platinum more…that’s a new one to me. Most is the opposite way.

I will say if you like the platinum ride better / buy it. You will not want to add the Pro suspension/wheels and that’s a big upgrade cost.

 

TBH, all the suspension options from the factory other than the Pro, are crap. That includes the platinums that are either on the all black underdampened shocks or the OR billys that still suck despite a bit more robust spring and shock.

If you want the Pro parts, get the Pro. For those that argue the Pro can be built for less or is not a big deal to add the Pro parts later they are either doing all the work, including paint, themselves. As well as having a hand in the Toyota parts dept. to get their hands on the parts.

A quick rundown on parts and cost quickly closes any gap or doubt on whether it would just be easier to buy it built.

Rough estimates:
Grille with sensor: 850
Pro headlights: 600
Scoop (without paint and install): 560
Skid: 420
Shift knob: 85
Suspension (not installed): ~2800
Front painted caps: 520
Rear painted caps (for those with chrome):900
Mirror caps: 85
Leather seats (reupholstered): 1500 w/labor
Leather wheel: 550
Rigid fogs: 725
Exhaust: 1000
Bed with "trd pro" (not that anyone would spend this, I only know from my pro being totaled): 4000

Basically, without paint and labor to get pretty much all that makes a Pro on a base SR5 youre looking at right over 10500.

For the OPs sake to add the remaining pro parts would still cost about 5600 without labor and paint.

 

Always ho platinum, you get a little bit better features for the same or less than a trd pro (most dealer mark them up). Trd pro u are mainly paying for the suspension which you can always add later or go with a better one i.e. king shocks with adjustable remote reservoirs. The hood scoop can also be added later if you really want it. If you are going to put bigger tires on you will most likely have to change the wheels do to the offset( just deppends on the tire you put on , you might get rubbing on the contol arms) so the oem pro wheels while nice are just a waste if you plan on going larger than stock tires (35"+) And insurance is higher on the trd pro models because they are labled as off road models. My advice is get the platinum and build it into a pro. Thats what i did anyways

 

The wheels on the pro alone are worth 2k more than the platinum wheels. Buy the pro, ZERO comparison

 

I even forgot about those.

 

The Pro is based on the Limited, not the SR5 (I believe this started in ‘20). Based on what the op has said so far, seems like he’d be better off buying the Platinum and upgrading it.

 

I don't know where you live, but a HUGE selling point for me in this scenario would be that Wind Chill has a clear coat while Super White is a single stage paint. In FL, Super White will look like chalk after a couple summers if she's going to live outside. Pro is more aggressive looking, but Platinum is sleek and classy plus Wind Chill is an awesome color. Tough choice, but also there is no wrong one here. Your gut seems to say Platinum, so I say go that route. The sparkle of Wind Chill makes up for the lack of bed stamp, IMO lol.

 

I didn't even think about this. That sucks about the paint. I live in TX but it won't sit outside. I figured making this thread would make the choice easy, but it's only gotten harder lol. And to add, I got a PM from a dealer on another forum who has an allocated TRD not too far from me and I can stil pick the color and options. So I would forego some options and be around $57k for the TRD .

Is Super white the only single stage? Or is Lunar rock single stage as well? If I go Platinum it'll be the windchill, but if I go Pro I don't want single stage and I don't want black.

 

Platinum for sure! I have the plat and love it. All the creature comforts that’s included and as you said, the seats are nice. I also lifted it, switched out the suspension and put on TRD Pro wheels. So it’s basically both Trims now without the bed stamp

 

Super White is the only single stage paint, I believe. Single stage isn't "bad" but it's just different. If yours will be garaged, I wouldn't worry about it. Super White is a great color. LR has a clear. Wind Chill is also a badass color with a clear. My original intent was a Platinum in Wind Chill, but it ended up being easier for me to find a Pro, if you can believe that. Again, there are no wrong choices here. Flip a coin and you'll be happy.

 

no it’s good you mentioned. I’m not a fan of single stage, just didn’t have great luck in the past cough my PY ITR lol.

I like both colors. I like the Lunar Rock and being colorblind looks great lol, but my wife says she needs to see it in person.


I’ve seen threads of windchill platinums that are cleaned up and look more like pros but I’m really at the point where I just want to buy and not really build. And the suspension and other components I like more than some of the creature comforts although they are nice to have. I’m truly torn at this.

 

Msrp is a hard pill to swallow, I've only paid it for a type-R and for that reason I'd choose the pro since msrp is the norm.