SR5 vs LTD

Hey all, afternoon!

I set out a couple of months ago to buy a pretty specific Tundra. Army Green, SR5, Crew Max, 4x4, TRD Sport. I wanted the TRDS specifically for the wheels and color matched front end pieces. None could be found and I ended up “settling” on a local allocation for a Limited, TRD Off Road figuring that I’d replace all the chrome bits and live with the wheels. I didn’t want leather because I have kids but after some reading, the internet suggested I was wrong, thus why I “settled” on the Limited. Truck won’t be built for another couple of weeks but an SR5 configured mostly like I wanted it just popped up locally. For those that have experience with both trucks, which is the better truck with kids?

 

I have small kids and am a firm believer in leather. If something gets spilled, it's so much easier to wipe up rather than risk stains and fluids soaking in to the fabric and cushions.

 

I have young kids and don't really allow much in terms of drinks within our vehicles. They do have tendencies to put their feet on the seats getting in and out and all. I opted for leather when I got my truck 4 years ago and recently bought another and went leather again. I had fabric seats in my older 2011 tundra and they would stain with simply just water from condensation off a cup/water bottle. Leather is a lil easier to keep clean in those terms. Even my wife's van, we opted to get a package that had leather for this same reason. SOOOO much easier to wipe up dirt and spills vs fabric that'll absorb it. Unless you get seats with perforations in them...then it'll get inside those tiny holes and I've heard that sucks to clean out

 

If you have kids you'll appreciate the leather. While the Limited is not the same grade of leather as the 1794, like @JDR76 mentioned, its way easier than cloth to keep clean if you have a spill. Outside of kid specific criteria, the Limited has a few more bells and whistles over the SR5, but the heart of the truck is the same. The Sports are nice for the color match aspect, but nothing that can't be remedied over time in the Limited.
On the other hand, if the SR5 checks all your boxes besides leather, you can always add some Katskins or similar to get the leather seats and be where you want to be.

 

^^^this! My 2017 I got was an SR5 package and I asked them to add leather to it. They added the Katskins for around $900 i believe.

 

Yeah, I'm with the other posters on the leather. To the point that I had to read your sentence twice because I thought I read it wrong. The "leather" is really easy to clean.

 

I don’t really like leather unless it’s heated and cooled. Our kids don’t get anything but water or dry snacks in our vehicles, and we don’t worry about messes. So I went with cloth seats. Unlike leather, they’re never too hot or too cold.

I put some Carhartt covers on them to protect against the kids and dog climbing all over them.

Maybe at some point in the future if I find a decent deal on some Katzkins, I’ll jump on it. But I’d have to do the heated/cooled thing, too.

 

How’s the leather held up in your truck?

 

I’d also considered a 1794 but I figured that would be pretty hard to match or replace if it got damaged.

 

See, my kid is only 4 and all my other Toyotas have been cloth so I just assumed it’d be more durable. The couple of vehicles I’ve had with leather didn’t look too great after a few years.

 

This was my exact thought process too. Except remove “Carhartt” and insert “Wet Okole”.

 

I’m 5 years and 60k miles in and a big guy - mine has held up well. No rips, stains, creases or tears. I have the gray Limited “leather”.

With 3 kids and a dog, we only do leather.

 

Well, there is that...

My daughter vomited in our Highlander last week. I literally had to pick it out of the seat perforations with a toothpick... Parenting, FTW!

 

I have big dogs so I went the non leather route.

 

Mine has held up well as a 2017 owner. Really like having the cooled seats in AZ too. The heated option is nice when going up North or if you have back pain (kinda like a heating pad). All my vehicles have leather—if you can afford it, it’s definitely worth it in my opinion. Very easy to maintain, and haven’t had issues with wear.

 

Coming from the factory, a TRD Sport will be a much better ride on the highway vs a TRD off road. As for leather, if you go with the SR5 you can enjoy the factory fresh interior for a few years and in another 5-6 years you can upgrade to leather and enjoy a new interior all over again. Let the kids trash the cheaper cloth. That said we always had cloth seats and the rule was no food or drink in the cars. But then our longest drive was maybe 40 minutes. Come vacation time we would rent a mini van and it was pretty much anything goes!

 

I used to have leather. I now have cloth seats. The leather and cloth hold up well. My 2 boys are great testers. Mud, drinks, vomit, food. Both materials have held up to their testing. They slide around easily on the leather seats compared to the cloth seats. Seat covers are my go to solution, regardless if I start with leather or cloth.

 

I feel like I’ll probably put seat covers on regardless so I’m not 100% convinced it’s worth it.

 

No problems at all in any or our vehicles. I used mothers at first since I read on katskins it was good for it. Then switched to lexol conditioners and cleaners. No rips, fading, Etc.

 

I have two kids and pets. I have had cloth and leather. Leather is easier clean up for sure. I had after market leather with seat heaters added onto my RW. Toyota Limited Leather is ok, but not great. For a "couple bucks" you can add after market leather onto the SR5 and have the truck you want with better leather seating option and no chrome deletes necessary.

 

I hate leather. Always too hot, my ass doesn't breath, it's slippery, expensive, carseats may deform leather. I have a 2 and 3 year old and I have cloth. Have not regretted it for a second. Buy a 30 dollar seat cover meant for a dog in the rear seat and I also have husky liners. The only exposed cloth is headrests. You can always add leather skins later. Plus I like the low tech and column shifter of the SR5.

 

The limited has a column shifter???? Ewwww

 

Completely agreed. Also, extremely jealous of your column shifter.

No. Only the SR and the SR5 (w/out the upgrade package) have the column shifter.

 

I wouldn’t buy anything other than leather with kids. But if you like the SR5 you can just do like katzkin or something.

 

Yea I have a kid but the dog claws tear leather up. So I end up with a seat cover anyway so why pay more for leather.
Maybe I’ll do aftermarket leather after the kid is out of a seat but to be honest if it’s not a cooled leather seat I don’t want it here in Dallas

 

I get that. My TRD wont have cooled but I learned with ceramic tint all around you don’t need cooled, or sunglasses lol

 

I’ll have to try that but mine came tinted from the dealership and I doubt it’s ceramic. Don’t think you can do windshield here in Texas.

Does clear ceramic work well?

 

You can do the film on the windshield if it is clear. Not sure about any tinted variety. I had the clear installed on my old Honda. IIRC it blocked about 50%. It really only helped when you were driving..just reduced the intensity of the sun shining in. Frankly here is South Texas, if your vehicle is parked all day on a asphalt parking lot in the sun, doesn't matter what your windows are tinted with...your vehicle will be hot hot hot inside a come mid-afternoon. Just the heat radiating though the roof panels, door panels, and floor boards....even ceramic on your windows wont be stopping that!

 

It is true to an extent that as more time passes exposed the ROI diminishes. But I live in SATX and my black on black CRV never needs to cool down long.

Granted I have 15% all around and 70% on the windshield and sun roof, it’s been great. Ceramic is two part, heat rejection and cool retention. XPEL XR+ is just an insane film. I don’t have cooled seats, but if you’re getting a Tundra, their cooled seats really aren’t that great anyways.