why not a Dodge Ram?

Agree with comment above about your use.
So the 08 Ram 2500 in the video was carrying 110 gal of diesel, holy crap.
That is one heavy truck and would be a beast on narrow trails or in sand.
I looked at the jeep gladiator and it was a tin can cheapo construction so maybe a Rubicon for driveline but still built like a tin can.
The ZR2 has rear frame rails very undersized so no heavy hauling and towing and seen pics with it folded up.
Ranger drove great but worst back seat I ever sat in and too new to rate.

Now I drove Ram 1500s for 2 years as weekly work rentals putting on avg 400 miles a week with most 4x4s and loved them too. Great ride and towing plus great burnouts! I looked at them to buy so the Rebel only has part time 4x4 while the Big Horn you get auto 4x4 so street driveable if you need snow/ice and put on and forget.
I still have my 09 Tacoma as I can't seem to pull the trigger on the larger Ram and price tag! But 10K off now and 84 months NO interest so …….

Ford F150 with the 5.0 L v-8 gets up and moves also has had a rental and beat it hard - but I have never been a Ford fan guess due to my 427 Camaro in high school ha ha.

Good luck on your choice - as long as you like it that's all that matters really.

 

Dodge? Ford? Chevy? Tacoma forum........buy a Toyota LOL

 

First thing to remember, Chrysler makes the most craptastic vehicles in America. I've owned one, and that was enough to teach me to never, and I mean never buy another Chrysler of any type. I've thought about buying a Jeep multiple times, but I then come to my senses that it's also a Chrysler, and build quality was not a consideration.

So if you want one, go for it! Just don't come back crying when pieces start falling off.

 

I have one Ram in my fleet.
I got it really cheap and it's used for work.
It's kind of poorly laid out. The seat buckles bind up between the seat and pillar a lot. The ignition tumbler assembly had to be replaced at 18k. It came apart in chunks. Everything in it feels like it was an afterthought. It rides great and has plenty of power.
However, I don't have one of the higher trim levels. Mine is pretty basic. Huge interior space. Very noticable over my F150's

But.....I know a ton of people moving to these trucks. Die hard Ford and GM guys. The Ram interiors are nothing less than luxurious in the mid to high trims. Impressive where they have taken these trucks as far as comfort and convenience.
I went towards Toyota for the one I'm picking up once the dealership reopens maybe next week.
I'm done with Ford (price and that horrible frustratung SYNC system) and not quite sure I'd trust Ram for the long haul.

So Tacoma it is. Plus, this will be a biz/personal truck and I got what I wanted.

 

Depends on what you're using it for. For overlanding, either one will be perfectly functional. For tight-quarters crawling, Tacoma will have the clear advantage. The Ram would be the clear winner for payload, towing, cabin space, etc. but the tradeoff is a turning radius of approximately one half of Texas.

For me, since I needed a work truck (with a plow, ability to tow 10k regularly, & handle a large payload), a Ram 2500 was the way to go. But if I was looking for just a daily driver for occasional light towing/dump run/camping duties I'd rather have the Tacoma.

Edit- Ram gets a lot of flak for their build quality, but honestly I've had zero problems with mine so far. It's 5 this year, and I've got nearly 60k on it, and absolutely everything works 100%, 100% of the time. Other than oil changes and the largish fuel bill I haven't put any $ into it. It's quiet and comfortable (for a 2500) and nothing rattles or squeaks.
On the other side of things, my unmodified, gently-used Tacoma needed a head gasket at 70k, new leaf springs twice, and the interior rattled like a set of maracas on a dirt road. Which isn't to say that the Ram is a better truck, but every one's experiences will be different

 

I came back to Toyota after seven F-150's. My Tacoma just rolled 100,000 virtually trouble free miles. Interestingly, I have absolutely no worries about driving across the country in it with that many miles on it. I traded all of my Fords in with less than 65,000 miles because they were becoming, um, problematic. None of this should be a surprise if you look at the various longer term (not initial quality) surveys. Toyota consistently does very well and Fiat Chrysler vehicles, well, they're horrible. I agree that the new Ram trucks re-set the bar for sex appeal, but I rather doubt they're any better in quality that their ancestors. Just look at the family tree.

 

http://www.trucktrend.com/features/1602-the-million-mile-2007-toyota-tundra

On to the next thread

 

I like my 2016 ram, ecodiesel, nice comfortable daily driver, averaging 26 mpg, but this is a tacoma forum, so there is that

 

The upcoming 2021 Ram Rebel TRX might cause you to put your foot in your mouth.

 

Taller vehicles are harder to gain access to from the out side, but someone could lay across the roof to gain access.

 

It depends on your use, if you primarily drive on the road and haul things then the Ram is no doubt a better buy. More tech, more comfort, more power, for the same or less money.

You're going to get a lot of fanboy opinions in here saying the Rams are unreliable, and they have had their troubles. My father owned an 02 with the 4.7 for 130k and the transmission was acting funky before trading it. His 2012 5.7 has somewhere around 220k miles on oil changes and one transmission solenoid in the 6 speed. My Tacoma, while reliable, has needed more repairs than that.

The Hemi paired with the ZF 8 speed is leagues ahead of the 3.5 and 6 speed Toyota puts in the 3rd gen. So while I love the Tacoma and want to justify the 3rd gen, it would be hard for me to not choose the Ram. Maybe the 4th gen will be a better truck.

 

Come back Friday.... A lot more helpful answers

 

OP, not really sure what answers you are seeking with your post. You are comparing a full size vs a mid size, both with different obvious pro/cons. If it makes any difference in your decision, I did have a guy in a dodge ram complimented on my Tacoma at the gas pump last week. I say go ahead with getting a dodge ram and be that guy.

 

Being that your down south, Im guessing the bodies and Sheetmetal have held up well on those Rams?

 

Very, but then again so has the frame on my 96 Tacoma. It is in surprisingly good shape.

 

Nah. Its still a full sized.

Its tough to beat a samurai for climbing, and its even tougher to beat an old 3-speed VW for running in sand. Who needs recovery gear? If you bury it to the axle, you just get out and lift the little car right out of the ruts. Pocket sized FTW.

 

Did anybody mention superior resale value in favor of the tacoma?

 

I had a ram before my current taco. If i have to get rid of the slug I'll be going back to a 2nd gen or first gen dodge again but diesel. Had my ram for 8 yrs before it was stolen and burned to the ground. Got 13 mpg but man that thing would not die and lasted my whole highschool-college years and more.

Love my taco, everything happens for a reason

 

Have you see relatively new Rams with rusted out quarter and rocker panels? No thanks.

 

This is why you need to dodge them.