Ford Ranger vs. Toyota Tacoma

I had a 2001 Mazda B3000 4x4 same thing as the Ranger. It was a comfortable truck. I thought it had nice seats and drove pretty good. I really didnt like the gas mileage , it was bad. Before I got the Mazda I had a 1997 Tacoma 4x4. Wish I didnt get ride of that one. I got rid of the Mazda cause I was having the OD light come on and flash and cause they tranny to miss shifts. Brought it in once fixed then did it again in 3 months. The fuel pump went out and the dumbass' put the gas tank back in and pinched the air vent part where you fill the gas. Went to fill it and gas came shooting out. I traded it in with 15,000 miles for my 2002 Tacoma SR5 4x4. I almost got a 2011 Ford Ranger but liked the Nissan Frontier better and went that route.

 

Sounds like they have no idea what they're talking about. If they want american made tell them that both the taco and tundy (and more models like the camry, rav4, etc) are made in america and sound hick like as possible.

 

i traded in my 2005 ranger fx4 for my taco .. taco is hands down better in every dept

 

Tacomas are made in California and Mexico while the ranger is Mexico. If the ranger is soo good why are they ending production of it in December? My friend's new 02 ranger was falling apart in 04. My 86 ranger was tough, but it required you to be just as tough to drive it. As for the durability of the Tacoma I think this commercial says it all. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lngBp3sTsho

Edit. Yes I know it is a hilux, but it is the aussie equivalent.

 

My friends '03 Ranger died at 100k (engine and tranny). I didnt have the heart to tell him my '01 was just getting broken in at 110k.

 

My Taco has more American hands touch it and more American parts than a ranger. It was built in San Antonio, only a few hours from me.

 

hahaha. all those problems were with the ford not the Tacoma right?

 

Also used to have a 2008 Ford Ranger. If they think the Ranger is "American made" they better get their facts straights. I guarantee the Tacoma is more American than most Rangers. The Tacomas are made in San Antonio, Texas and in California. My particular model ranger's powerplant; the 2.3 I4 was made my Mazda's overseas division. While I will say the Ranger never broke down on me or left me stranded, they really are two different classes of trucks. A friend of mine who works at a Ford Dealership says they can't give Rangers away simple because they are in need of a complete redesign to keep up with similar models and consumers know this.

 

I hear Casey Anthony drives a Ranger

 

I will be the Devil's advocate and although I fully understand that our trucks are assembled here and so forth, most people argue the fact because Toyota isn't an American company as oppossed to Ford, Chevy, etc....that were established here in this great country. With that said, people cease to realize that although American made products are of higher quality, except vehicles, that what really drives the American economy is jobs planted here in the states, Furthermore the proper question to ask is, not where you truck is from, but where it was assembled.

 

Oh lord, where to start? First and most obvious to me is the fact that they are going to quit (or already have) making the Ranger. Why? Cant compete with Toyota and Nissan. Cost about the same to buy and has maybe half the resale value of the either.

A big reason the domestics were halting production of the small trucks from what I've understood was safety. The Ranger doesn't have the safety ratings that the Taco does.

If they are Ford people then they will be quick to point out the F-150 has the most sales of full size trucks, Well...................Tacoma has the most for compacts.


Better value
More reliable
Better looking
Better driving
Better handling
Better mpg's
More hp........not sure on this one as I'm not that familiar w/Rangers specs
Double cab, Ranger doesn't have one.
Cheaper cost of ownership
Has a hood scoop (TRD Sport)
Should I go on?

The ONLY thing I can think of that is a plus for the Ranger and I don't even know for sure it has it is the Sync system that Ford has. IMHO.

 

If you need a bunch of strangers to help you argue with your girlfriends parents, you have bigger problems than where your truck is made brother.

 

Who care about them? Forget them! If they rule on this one, they will then dictate how the wedding goes. Then once you're married, your mother-in-law (MIL) will talk with your wife and begin to plant strange ideas into your wife's head. Then the MIL will turn your kids against you and before you know it.......you are an emaciated, castrated shell of the man you once were. Deprived of your once glorious manly decision making skills.....left just uttering the words.....yes dear.

Well.....that's what I hear at least.

 

Yeah but only meant it for comparison, another win for the Taco depending on who's opinion.

 

I owned both up til about 8 months ago. I had a Ranger XLT 4x4, 4dr 4.0 Supercab with the FX4 Offroad Package(full skidplates shocks, etc.). Outstanding truck. With the 4.0, 5spd automatic transmission and stock 4.56 gears it would out pull my Tacomas. But with 230,000 highway miles it felt wornout. It leaked at the rear mainseal like a river, so it was sold.
Our company trucks are 4x4 Tacomas. All years and gens. They are beat hard from time of driving off the dealers lot. Pulling loaded trailers through woods and on interstates. We retired/replaced them at 150,000-165,000mi. Though beat hard they all ran great. I personally bought two. Been driving one as primary truck since the Ford left the garage. Now have 224,000 mi, just crossed the country with, runs like a top. Been a Ford race guy(mustangs) since the 70's.
Wouldn't own anything but a first gen Tacoma. Currently in search of my next one.

 

Ouch... Too soon?

 

i really dont. just thought i would have some fun with it

 

A good friend of mine has a 2000 ranger. It feels like a piece of garbage in every way. Every time I flip on a turn signal or something I feel like I'm going to break the damn thing. Shifting feels like I'm driving a...i don't know... like a 50 year old truck or something. The stick is loose, the throw is way longer... When i get back in the taco it feels like a tight-handling, badass little sports car by comparison. Everything responds better in the tacoma. When i let out the clutch, my taco takes off without touching the gas pedal. try that in a ranger. doesn't work. i could go on and on. fords in general are garbage. if toyota made a 1 ton diesel truck there would be no more use for fords, dodges, or chevy's for that matter.

 

i had a 97 ranger single cab 2wd lifted 4"s with the 2.3l. I really liked it, it had ok power and the i-beams we're amazing at speeds offroad. I'll take the i-beam susp, both 4x4 and/or 4x2 over the tacos a-arm set up ANY day. There's no possible way any stock yota a-arm set up could take the beatings i've put on 2wd ibeams and 4wd twin traction beams.
The mazda manual tranny sucked in the ranger. I couldn't hit 5 gear on the freeway with 32's for the life of me.
I also had a bronco II (ranger platform) 4wd lifted 6"s and took it to the rubicon twice on the stock twin traction beam set up on 35's with no breakages before i put in an early bronco straight axle set up in the front.
Again, i've yet to see any stock yota a-arm set up on 35's get through the rubicon without breakage...(In person at least, maybe its been done?)

In 04 i purchased an 04 ranger EDGE 4.0l 5 speed mani 2wd , i was going to go all out w/ a cage and camburg LT blah blah but I hated it so i got rid of it in a year. Tranny was brand new but still felt like a pos and the motor wasn't that impressive for a 4.0l.

My 98 taco on 31's stock gears feels faster than ALL three ranger platforms i had, has the best feeling tranny out of all 3 but crappy interior and crappy front susp. I really wish i had the ibeam front end and ranger interior with all the toyota running gear thats currently in my rig. I did have to re-build the cyl head but thats becuase the PO sucks at maintaining a car and ran it with a cracked ex. header for two years. And while the I really like the handling of r/p steering I would prefer just to have a box for lack of maintenance. Newer rangers had r/p but the taco still feels crisper when turning.

 

while I agree with the upper part of your ph, this statement is just idiotic. Hypotheticals hold no validity to this discussion and it makes you sound ignorant. All 3 you listed have put out some indestructible pieces of machinery and have already proven themselves in the automotive world...

Cummins w/ the manual six speed
duramax w/ the Alison
7.3l w/ the e4od

All 3 of those drive trains can go half a mill if you know what your doing.