MotorTrend comparo: Colorado, Ridgeline, Ranger, Tacoma

Oh! My mistake, didn't know about that.

 

No biggie. Just my own guess.

 

This is basically the same thing that all the rankings have been as long as I can remember, whether it be motor trend or Consumer Reports. They are bascially right on many (not all) of the criteria. So why will Tacoma still outsell them all this year? BECAUSE PEOPLE WHO DRIVE MID SIZED TRUCKS DON'T USE THE SAME CRITIERIA TO DECIDE.

 

I hope Ford takes Toyota to the cleaners. I love competition and the lack of competition in the small truck market shows. GM, on paper, has a very competative truck except they make it cheap and crappy. Post "Initial Quality" quality isn't winning any awards. As much as I like the Tacoma, Toyota has plenty room for improvement.

 

Some competition would be nice, but as was said in the article, the new Ranger was phoned in. The next one and the Bronco could be game changers. Either way, we've been burned by US and Euro carmakers. We're Japanese only, here on out.

Sure, the 3rd Gen isn't perfect, but I got it there pretty easily.

Also, unless something catastrophic happens, I'll be holding on to this Taco for a very long time.

 

I have owned a 79 Toyota 4x4 pickup, 2001 and now 2018 Tacoma and to me there has been a progression of improvement in many areas of the truck. Unfortunately some areas are still Fred Flinstone. Chevy & others now offer those new features but the resale value of these trucks are lower than our Tacos.

 

The Tacoma is what? A decade + old design? Not surprising that some people find it a bit....old. Especially compared to some of the newer stuff out there. I bought a second gen brand new in 2008 and dumped it after less than two years.

Eleven years later I bought my 2019. Was pretty shocked how little they have evolved. It was cheap (for a new 4x4 truck, $25,500) has great resale and I hope it is reliable but honestly, it ain't anything special by a long shot. I think the Tacoma's inexpensive price is its main selling point.

I find the cab's door frame opening much too low (I'm 5'10") and the bottom of the driver's cushion too high. Not much height in that opening. I have to duck down like I'm getting into a sports car. My 2019 step in height also seems about 2 inches higher, have no idea why. Makes getting in this thing a bit of a chore.

 

New cars have too many electronics and other compexities that can make it expensive to go past 100k miles. Good luck

I'm pretty sure the Tacoma sells for as much, if not more than the competition. Colorado starts at $20k.

 

Doooood . . .

I still see 80s Big3 shitboxes on the road around here. If the malaise era can make it, this Taco will. If not, I'm gonna get friendly with Pick-n-Pull.

 

Nope. Closer to $30k for a WT Long bed Colorado 4x4. I know. I shopped them ;-)


Tacoma's are inexpensive, that is one of the major reasons they are so popular. Not a knock against Toyota, but just a fact.

 

Actually this was one of my minor nitpicks with my 18. The OR front shocks are to soft. The OR doesn’t have a vacuum brake booster, it takes some time to get used to. Pro fox shocks fixed the nose dive for me.

I’ve said it before and will say it again. No vehicle I have owned, two or four wheeled has ever been perfect.

 

For years and years Chrysler minivans were rated the best,lol.The biggest pieces of junk to ever roll off the assembly line.

 

Guess I should have bought a Colorado since it was the unanimous winner. Ha, no.
I was surprised there was no mention of the MT available in the Tacoma. Most of those Motor Trend guys are three-pedal junkies.

 

The real issue I see is the sad state of moto journalism these days

 

I’ll just put my list of personal vehicles here...

 

They should compare them in 15 years

 

Yup, I always kept all of mine for about that long except for two of them...

 

It would be interesting to take a 15-20 year old truck in all models with same mileage and compare them. That’s when you really find out how well they perform over longevity.

On another note, this is a great video

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xnWKz7Cthkk#

 

I followed a Ridgeline for a couple of miles today. The clearance is about 5". When I looked at it in the parking lot, I just couldn't find a manual transmission, transfer case, or a locking rear. Strange for a "truck" that's so beloved by a magazine that putatively understands cars and trucks. Given that I must conclude that they have no fucking idea what they are talking about, not that it is a rare trait in America these days, but still...

 

Every successive 4Runner I owned was better as is every successive Tacoma.

I'm just grateful to have a brand new truck after owning the 2007 TRD PreRunner (still have) for
thirteen years.

Tacomas are great trucks, not perfect. I look at guys driving Colorados around here like "you blew it and
bought that ugly thing?"