2019 Ranger Guinea Pig

I was conflicted as I had three Tacomas over the past 13 years, Ordered a 2016 and it had its share of "they all do that" issues. Dumped it.

I had a couple of Rangers back in the day as well. I decided after a visit to my Toyota dealer to buy the Ford. The "new" Tacoma is playing catch up technically and is still behind the ball with their tired driveline and fuel economy.

The SYNC 3 System blows away Entune. Ford has power tailgate lock Tacoma recently came with just a lock..... . The Tech in the Ranger exceeds the tech in the Tacoma. Rangers drive train is much better, (5.7 0-60MPH) Ford's 360 view is excellent. Fuel cost definitely lower on the Ranger, I got 27MPG on a recent trip. The 2020 Tacoma is playing catch up on many levels.

Ranger resale should be as good as it was in the Ranger heyday. I hope sales of the Tacoma are impacted. Many former Tacoma lovers on the Ranger Forum. Ford will take market share from Toyota, Toyota will have to step up with a more economical drive train and modern tech. Tacoma has a strong competitor. Which is good for everyone

 

I live at 5,400' and everywhere I go is just up from there. Forced induction alone is all the reason I need to ditch my quicksand G3. If anyone down low thinks the 3rd gen is limp, try driving it uphill at 80mph and at 7,000 feet. Unless the Ranger upholsters its seats with cactus quills, it's just about a done deal.

 

I now own both a Tacoma and a 2019 Ranger. Both trucks are good but not perfect. It really felt like Ford put out something closer to a 2015 truck rather than a 2019 truck. That said the Taco is showing some age too. In my personal opinion this is how they fall:

Tacoma Better:

• Off-roading
• Aftermarket Support
• Exterior styling
• Interior styling
• Rear seat configuration
• Factory customization
• Sunroof
• 360 camera (next year)
• Cab/bed configurations
• Manual option and engine options

Ranger Better:

• Faster Engine
• Transmission shifts
• Towing
• Tunable to 5.5 second 0-60, stock
• Headroom
• Visibility
• Quiet inside
• Payload
• Trail Control > Crawl Control
• Seats (taco might fix next year)
  
• Infotainment (taco might fix next year)

In my opinion it just depends on where you want to make your trade-offs. I think the Ranger is generally more comfortable as a daily driver or road trip vehicle. That might change next year. If you enjoy offroading I think the factory Tacoma still has it beat. If you want to tow/haul regularly you should probably have a fullsize truck or even the Chevy Colorado Diesel. I think the Gladiator will be a fun truck and will take some of the offroad sales from Tacoma but it will be very expensive and won't be comfortable/safe/roadtrip worthy. The Honda has obvious deficiencies if you want to do truck things but if you only daily drive and don't care about "image" it's the most comfortable of them all. The Frontier is desperate for a redesign but it probably is still an OK fleet vehicle. The Colorado/Canyon is really due for a Mid Cycle Refresh and is getting one to hopefully address some things like technology, driver aids, seating comfort and styling. The ZR1 and ZR2 are the only thing worth looking at over there right now in my opinion. They should really put the 2.7L Turbo with the 10 speed in the mix.

 

Interesting thread. I bought my 1st generation '02 new and it's been my daily on and off since that time. Love the V6 but wish it had more than 190hp stock (really Toyota, you couldn't squeeze another 10 horses out of it? There are supersport literbikes that put out more lol!). While I like the features of the 3rd generation the reported drivetrain issues leave me cold. The 2019 Ranger caught my eye and I'm definitely giving it a close look.

 

Going by the zero Rangers I've seen on the road so far, I'm sure Ford will be happy to have your sale. lol

 

They should be releasing the first quarter sales figures in the next day or two, kinda curious to see how many sold.

 

They cannot meet demand right now. They expect to complete 400 trucks a day. Guys ordered last November still waiting. I was lucky and found my build a couple of hundred miles away. I would never order a truck and sit through six months of depreciation before getting it. The problem is Ford released a ton of loaded Lariats at first. Many of the off road enthusiasts buy the XLT in 4WD to save $10K+

Personally, I don't wheel and Toyota has always been my goto for off-roading but I don't live in Nevada anymore. So basically I bought a street truck with the most modern tech, all the bells and whistles,comfort, and drivetrain. I use the bed for home and garden. No trails no more Offroading. In that regard,d the Ford is the best choice for me. I looked at Ridgeline but I like the feel of rear wheel drive truck. However, I am not beholden to ANY brand until they prove themselves

My 2016 Taco was troublesome..I did not have it a full year. I cut my losses. The best Tacos are second gen IMO But I am a techy and love Android Auto and even the native NAV has it all over Toyota's Version, 2nd Gen is too ancient.

Resale means nothing if one is satisfied. Ranger has always had good resale. Look at what they are getting for 2011s with 100K

 

I have not, repeat have not, seen a single new Ranger of any trim level on the road in my AO EVER. Sitting at the dealer's lot, yes. On the road for test drive or purchase, never. I will say they are sharp looking trucks but I am happy with my OR. I made the best choice for me.

 

I still have not seen one in person, I did read about the factory having to work OT early on but it was to make up for the days the factory was closed for bad weather

 

That rear seat is the only thing I miss. Ford screwed the pooch on that. The Tacoma's rear has a great area for Carrying stuff. To have close to the same thing with the Ford I bought a BedRug mat and placed it on the rear seat which has a dog cover on it. A tad less space but I can use the floor as well. Mostly shopping trips. The number entry option Ford has used for years allows one to leave their keys in the truck for camping and boating,

I think the Tacoma Still has a better profile. But I am a function over form guy. I don't get all giddy about a truck's Look. If I did, I would still have a Tacoma. But the other modern features and the STRONG drivetrain are far more important to me than looks. The truck flies..So people won't be looking at it and hurting too long.LOL.

I am also into tech big time. My favorite Taco is the 2nd Gen but it is too old in the tooth for me. I love the new vehicle tech. Being primarily and around town driver with a few monthly highway trips, The Ranger ticks 90% of my boxes.

No it wasn't cheap. A Sport 2WD TRD would have saved me some money. But even the Limited is years behind ....But I had to go with the seat of the pants "feel" and the car like interior, I'm spoiled.......

I had a couple of Rangers in early 2000. They were solid trucks. That said I will never buy a GM product, Ford took no money from the Gov. They should be rewarded for that

I seriously believe Ranger will be Tacoma's largest competitor when dealers get stock, Plus Ford, if the F150s are any example will be offering some really Heavy Duty incentives on higher trims. Making the Ranger less expensive than a Tacoma

I realize Tacoma has a huge and protective fan base. I enjoyed being a part of that for years but I can't keep giving Toyota my money for same old....or barely catching up to the rest of the market. Drum brakes in 2019.... seriously?

 

A friend of mine just picked up his 2019 Ranger (through Costco!) after trading in a late-model low-mileage F-150. Curious on seeing it for myself and picking his brain about what he thinks.

 

Ford sold 9000 Rangers in the first quarter despite not having stock at most dealerships. Some dealers have inventory but they are likely volume dealers who still won't sell the Ranger at deep discounts,

I predict the sales will perform a hockey stick graph when ALL dealers have plenty of stock and we see $4000 incentives on the higher trims. It's way too early to say its not selling and trucks are sitting,

 

Hey Sparky...You are simply wrong. Do some REAL research
Here are your local dealerships
I lived in San Diego 18 years I know who they are

IN STOCK RANGERS
Kearny Mesa has SIX the rest are dealer orders.
Mossy has SIX the rest are dealer orders.
Perrys National City has THREE the rest are dealer orders.
Penske Chula Vista has EIGHT the rest are dealer orders.
Gosch Has FIFTEEN the rest are dealer orders.
El Cajon Ford has FIFTEEN the rest are dealer orders.

A few California dealers are adding an ADM to the Monroney

The entire San Diego County has 53 IN STOCK. Many of them XLs.

You are only looking at order numbers not actual stock. If a dealer lists 46 Trucks they are including those on order,

Live and learn grasshopper. Don't let your blind love for everything Tacoma skew your narrative, You look foolish

 

All the Ranger guys on this forum keep moving the goal posts, what's the next excuse after Q2?

 

lol Hey if you're right, cool. This really isn't that big of a deal.

Even the numbers you posted, though, are a lot.

 

56 Rangers available in San Diego County.....56 too much? Really? Then EIGHTY NINE Tacomas IN STOCK at only Norm Reed's Toyota is not a lot?
, That is not counting the Tacoma stock at Kearny Mesa, Mossy, Larry Miller, Toyota of El Cajon, and Frank Toyota... I'm gonna guess 250 Tacomas in stock on lots. Ford can't deliver enough dealer stock. Like most dealers, they advertise quantities including ORDERED vehicles not in stock.

Ranger cannot deliver 400 Trucks to San Diego yet.

There are far and away more Tacomas available in San Diego County than 56 Rangers. With how people want the exact build on the Ranger ,56 Trucks that have been picked over is not enough stock for the varied tastes of people spending $35-$45k on a truck

........Tacoma makes good solid trucks Old in the teeth in comparison. People like that I get it. They like to belong to something. That's great. But the truck is becoming indefensible as it "feels" and is very old in the tooth technically from the drivetrain to the dearth of useful options available on the competition,I am only speaking about street trucks. I have not been off road since my avatar's Taco. So I am comparing street trucks. For Off Road builds it seems Tacoma is not all that considering the amount of serious off road owners that replace the stock suspension and wheels

 

Holy damn, that is a lot of Tacos. Only like 28 at my local dealership here.

 

Checked out the new ranger today. I was on the fence between a new 4Runner, Tacoma and this. Being in Hawaii there’s not much wiggle room in price with Toyota even though I have friends that work at the dealership. Come to find out I can land a new ranger for only $500 above invoice. So the ranger is definitely looking appealing

 

Drove a new Lariat Ranger today for the hell of it. The powertrain absolutely blows away the Tacoma v6/auto, and the interior is surprisingly very nice. Drove it at 75mph against the wind on the highway and it never had to downshift a single gear to maintain speed. My Tacoma would have shifted 759,000 times in the same stretch of road from 6/5/4/5/6/5/4/5/6/etc. Ugh. Now what....

 

I did the same for the same reasons. I will take another look at Tacoma after the next redesign, I am not beholden to any brand. I just felt after the test drive in a Lariat, the Tacoma was old in the tooth which I understand plays into reliability, The less on the truck, the less to go bad. My 2008 was better than my 2016.

But I love tech and the Ford shined for me inside and out and especially the acceleration.... at this point in time. My 2016 Tacoma was a huge disappointment, then I test drove the Ranger....apples and Oranges in HP Torque and yes the transmission is excellent. I get 27 MPG on the highway and 22 around town. The 4 banger is barely working in the Ranger as it can be tuned to 375HP and Ford uses it in their race car. The same engine is in the Lincoln MKC rated and tuned for 300HP. Same engine! Power tailgate locks are a nice to have. No more Pop n locks. Its the collection little things that made a huge difference between the two trucks,

I don't hate the Tacoma. I had four of them. But I just couldn't keep my 2016 after the Ranger test drive, Hopefully, Toyota's next rendition will be state of the art in drivetrain and interior tech, The SYNC 3 system blows away Entune, I don't have confidence in Toyotas "new" Entune system only adding Android and Car Play becasue they have to to keep up.

All I can say is go on a test drive and compare both trucks on the same basis. Rather then a knee jerk opinion defending the Tacoma and dissing the Ford, There are a few former Taco owners on the Ranger forum for the same reasons.

The amount of posts in the OV TUNE Thread is telling as far as Tacoma's stock power. I would not consider that on the Ranger although some are looking for the 300+ HP Ranger. and vendors are quick to sell it to them