I think it's pretty cool when other Tacomas park near each other

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I almost ended up with a red 2009 Ranger instead of a 2010 Tacoma back in the day. McCafferty Ford (now Fred Beans Ford) in Langhorne, PA had a loaded 2009 Ranger XLT regular cab on the lot; I believe it was a special order that somebody decided they didn’t want. It was a brand new regular cab short bed 2WD 2.3L/auto that had literally every option you could get. It not only had the usual stuff like A/C, but it had tilt, cruise, power windows, power locks, and a CD player with an AUX input! All I cared about was A/C and a stereo with an iPod hookup.

I forget what the sticker was (like $17K or $19K; again, this was a brand new truck), but for whatever reason the Ford dealer wasn’t particularly willing to negotiate. This was likely because, as I stated above, it was a special order rather than just another in-stock unit and the dealer didn’t want to lose any money. My dad was ready to make a deal that day and trade his 1996 Nissan Pathfinder, but we ended up walking. Within two weeks, I ended up with the silver 2010 RC 5-lug that I still have; 210K miles and it just refuses to die!

A Ranger is a very good truck, but while that particular one was more loaded up with creature comforts than my Taco, the last generation Ranger was behind the Tacoma in just about every way possible. The final two years of the original Ranger got traction control and 4-wheel disc brakes, but the 2009 didn’t have traction control and had disc brakes only on the front just like the Tacoma. The cab was also bigger and the base engine had more power.

My grandparents’ late friend, who died from complications of kidney failure almost 20 years ago, bought a brand new 1988 Ford Ranger 2.3L/5-speed. He lived in Maine and commuted to work in Massachusetts, so the truck had well over 350K miles by the start of the new millennium. Despite spending its whole life in New England, the truck was largely rust-free due to being garaged most of the time and obsessively cleaned during the winter.

Despite being an XLT, the truck did not have A/C. It was blue and gray with a blue cloth interior if I remember correctly, and it did have a factory cassette player. He once used this Ranger to pull my dad’s boat in about 2002-2003, and it did so effortlessly.

The Ranger had over 400K miles by 2004-2005 and was still going strong, ultimately outliving the original owner and being left to his son when he died.

I like to think that I could most certainly have gotten 210K+ miles out a 2009 Ranger with just a transmission replacement (I roasted the original tranny in my Tacoma in June 2024 with 203K on the clock and got a replacement out of a totaled do or truck with only 22K miles!), but Rangers rust just like Tacomas and do not have the benefit of Ford replacing entire frames under recall. I did like the red better than the silver, and I would have loved to have power windows and locks, but I believe my 2010 Tacoma was the better choice…

 

My dad’s 96’ Ranger w/4.0 is still going…..
The odometer stopped working years ago at 260k
I’d say it has close to or more than 300k on it now.

It has had a clutch and transmission replaced.
The transmission was my dad’s fault. He tried to pull something he shouldn’t have and busted a gear in the transmission. One of those things that you don’t expect to happen, but it happened. I’d figure something else would have broke, not the transmission.

 

Mine was a 1999 extended cab with Sport package.
Ordered it from the factory. 4 cylinder, manual trans, no power windows or door locks. I did regret not getting the jump seat doors - tough getting stuff in/out of the space behind the cab. Had it until 2018 and had 283K miles, still roadworthy when I replaced it. The engine, clutch, and trans were all original. Rust was eating the body but I didn't have the subframe rust issues other had. Towards the end repairs were nickle and diming me and it was due for another timing belt which I didn't think was a wise investment.
Compared to the Tacoma it was smaller inside, much less powerful, and really bare bones equipped. It did have better AC and I liked the full metal bed with stake pockets better. The lack of center console made the cab seem less cramped.

 

At the gym Saturday morning, mine is the Second Gen

 

3 fer at the gym. I'm the spruce mica.

 

There were three other 2nd Gens at church today besides mind, including two more RCs! The hood of the MGM 2014 RC can be seen in the bottom of this pic, my girlfriend (red jacket) can be seen walking towards my truck in the distance, and the roof of the silver 2012 RC can be seen a few cars to the left of my truck…

 

A 3rd Gen and two 4th Gens at the Giant grocery store in New Britain, PA…

 

And when we came back out, there was a Tundra TRD PRO!

 

@PennSilverTaco

Thought of your zombie response vehicle when I was talking with this guy at the gas pumps....recognize the movie?

 

I was just thinking about Resident Evil! The last of the movies that I saw was in the theater back in 2012, where they escape from simulated apocalypse in a Prius!

 

He said one of his co-workers saw the logo on the door and asked if he had started a side gig.

 

My freshly washed & waxed 2011 next to my coworkers 2019. My shop managers 2021 in the distance too.

 

I'm the same with merging vehicles on the highway/freeway...Tacos get extra room...

 

At a coffee shop in Bham.

 

3rd Gen just in off lease. 4 cyl auto. I want it.

 

From the local news but I don't think this counts (not my truck)

 

A couple of teenagers hopped out of these two trucks