I am keeping the 5th gen, which will be my main vehicle, and the 6g is my wife's daily driver. We both work from home though, ha. So we both mostly have been driving the 6th gen because its more comfortable and efficient.
Here are the main differences to me.
PROS of 6th gen over 5th:
- Transmission/drivetrain is way better for a daily driver. No more sketchy merging on high ways. There is more than enough power low in the rev range. It feels peppy. I catch myself speeding. A lot. It's actually fun to drive around town unlike my 5th gen.
- MPG: we're getting like 20mpg avg on most mixed trips. You can get in the teens if you drive like you stole it. Don't ask me how I know. My lifted 5th gen gets 14mpg.
- Comfort: The interior on this ORP is just on a whole other level than my '15 trail edition. Ventilated/heated seats. Heated wheel. Memory seats for when we swap drivers daily. I'm 5'11" and have more than enough headroom and leg room. I don't even drive in the farthest back position like I did in my 5g.
- Tech: Carplay and big infotainment. Moonroof. All of the safety features. Digital rear view mirror for when my dogs crate is blocking the back window view. Parking sensors and 360 camera view are a game changer. The sound system is badass. Wireless charging.
CONS of 6th vs 5th gen:
- Interior plastics feel cheaper. Just lighter. Not a huge deal, but they could've done a little better. Also no soft touch materials in the doors on a $60k truck is insane. Only on TRD Pro/ Trailhunter/platinum? Cmon man. I can see myself having to replace some plastic trim pieces after they get scratched at some point. Hoping 3rd parties make some upgrades here.
- Sidenote: We cross-shopped the 1958 LC, and would have probably bought one if that $60k truck had power seats.... Absolutely insane.
- Size: It is a little smaller inside. The back seats have a few fewer inches of leg room somehow. I don't often have backseat passengers, but it's still a bummer.
- Rear seats/cargo setup: I just loved how my 5th gen folded completely flat. It was perfect for dogs, hauling shit from home depot, packing shit in like tetris for camping trips. This setup is super awkward and I don't understand why they didn't keep the same form factor. Much less dog friendly if you let yours free roam in the back (not safe anyway). I am not one to sleep in my truck when camping, but if you are, you better be short.
Overall the 6th gen just feels more refined. It's has features that you'd find in a range rover. It's super comfortable in the city. Feels modern and just has so many features. It's just the most well-rounded vehicle in the segment IMO. It has the comfort of the luxury SUVs, but you can lock the rear diff and scoot up some actual trails in MOAB (with some tires). I cannot wait for Colorado road trips in this thing.
My 5th gen now feels like a true truck. A tank. Big, stiff, tough, but less comfortable for daily use. It's going to be the workhorse now for home depot runs etc. and I will probably take it to the off-road park to let it do what it does best. It's happier on dirt.
I'll update later if I think of any other points of comparison.
