MotorTrend comparo: Colorado, Ridgeline, Ranger, Tacoma

"Ranking" new cars by gadgets, features, creature comforts, and minor handling/driveability nuances (OH NO, GRABBY BRAKES???) is for brain dead consumer idiots who couldn't critically think their way out of an unlocked barn. One of those four manufacturers has a reputation for making simple, well engineered trucks that have a 40+ year reputation for 300,000 mile+ trust-your-life-to-it dependability. Two others have a reputation for scratching and clawing to out-gadget and out-market each other with garbage finished products intended to look good and impress people who don't know any better on a dealer's lot and be traded in for pennies on the dollar 30,000 miles later. The 4th isn't even a truck so I'm not sure why they're talking about it.

 

After working EMS for 10+ years.. Common sense is now considered a SUPER POWER.. I wouldn't trade my 93 extra cab for a NEW ridgeline

 

The Ridgeline "4WD" doesn't even have low range. It's an oversized sedan with a bed.

 

There are some good points in the article. The Tacoma ain't perfect.

My takeaway....I'm glad I didn't wait around for the Ranger. Two years ago, when I was truck shopping, I heard rumors of the Ranger. I almost waited, but glad I didn't.

 

It's almost as if reviewers and writers are paid off, eh? Marketing at its finest!

 

Same here. At the time, I thought it was a foregone conclusion the Ranger would have an MT . . .

 

Why would they make a 1/4 ton truck with a manual when no manufacturer making the manual available in the 1/2 ton market.

 

Because there was a loyal MT following for them? I've said it before and end up repeating it, it is a mistake to disregard 10% of the buyers (yes, a higher percentage here), esp when it is an easy thing for them to offer since the MT is mated up in other markets.

Whatever is the problem with full size buyers not wanting MTs is beyond me other than I might have considered an F150 if it had one to offer.

 

Sooooo Honda sells around 2,500 Ridgelines a month, the Colorados average around 12,000 units and
Ford's Ranger is just getting started, Tacoma is the sales leader every month meaning 22,000 peps every month
buy the 4th best midsize truck?.....

 

Yes, and there isn't anything wrong with that.

Also this is new: https://driving.ca/ford/ranger/auto-news/news/ford-ranger-recalled-a-month-after-it-went-on-sale

 

Sat in a new Ranger at the Portland Sportsman show today and wasn’t impressed. I felt cramped compared to my Taco, and the engine bay is so full of 4banger and plumbing you couldn’t fart and have room to get away!

 

It's probably more accurate to say the Ridgeline is a unibody SUV with a bed. Or SUT, Sport Utility Truck.
Based on the Pilot.
And the "4WD" is AWD.
Called by some a "lifestyle truck". Huh?

Want to see a sedan with a bed?
Ford is developing a compact unibody "truck" based (probably) on the Focus.
We may see it in 2022.

https://driving.ca/ford/ranger/auto...t-will-build-a-more-affordable-compact-pickup

I should think there's room for a compact truck in the market. Dunno why no manufacturer makes one any more.
If you can call what Ford has planned a "truck".
I had a beater Mazda B series pickup in the early '80s. That was small alright, and was a genuine truck.
I used it from time to time when I didn't need my full size F-150 (manual trans) work truck.

 

You nailed it brother !!!!

 

Tacoma's sale numbers tell the real story... If a baby diesel wrapped in a very off road oriented package (Colorado ZR2) cant knock the Taco off the sales throne, I don't think the Ranger or any North Americanized global platform will be able to. This is a narrative that Motortrend and pretty much every automotive journalist seems to ignore. I bet we are going to see Ford and GM drop their mid sizes before they get around to a ground up redesign.

I wonder if we will ever see a new frontier...

 

That is one BORING article. These guys must get paid by the word.

 

Tacoma success explained (not all Tacoma owners, just a generalization, so don't take this personally): Tacomas are the best off road vehicles. Most Tacoma owners will never take their Tacos off road, or at least not to the extent that its off road prowess makes a difference as compared to others. However, they enjoy the FEELING of knowing that if they wanted to, they could. They have a real truck. This makes them feel like a man. Other excuses, such as resale value and reliability, are an excuse not to admit this. Motortrend, consumer reports, and others, just don't get this. Now....let the flames and denials begin...

 

Yeah flames are coming. Very dumb statements. I wanna feel like a man lol good luck

 

How Car and Driver, Motor Trend, etc are “paid off”, which they are, is through advertising. It’s a clever way the money is essentially laundered. How it works is “you give our vehicles favourable reviews and we’ll buy much more advertising, and give you exclusive access to new models to review, increasing your views and sales”. “If you pan our vehicles......no advertising for you”.

Back in the day we called Car and Driver “Car and Liar”.

 

I was behind a Subaru Baja the other day, I haven't seen one in a long time. I was thinking as ugly as that thing is, it still looks better than a Ridgeline.

 

Tacoma does not deserve to come in last in this test. I think MT has a problem with winners so they picked the loser to feel good about themselves and justify the tax money that was stolen from their pockets to keep GM afloat.

As far as the Honda, maybe if Honda had styled the Ridgeline more like a truck and offered a manual transmission, it would get more appeal. I would of hands down have bought it if that were the case. If you do a deep dive into the engineering differences between it and the Pilot, the Ridgeline is more robust and capable of off-road and hauling duties than most will ever use it for. It is not just a Pilot with a bed as some perceive it to be.