Don’t trade your Tacoma for a Ranger like I did!

FWIW - I ordered a '23 Ranger last August. Had to pass on a number of options and features I'd have liked because of the chip shortage. Eventually passed on the Ranger altogether (after a 5-month wait) and a week ago bought a '23 Tacoma OR. I like the looks of the Ranger and the power train, have had past experience with Ford - mostly good but have no illusions. I've had uniformly outstanding experience with Honda and Toyota. Worked a lot with Toyota and perhaps more familiar than most re their product development, design and engineering thinking. Build quality, features, reliability, customer service track record are significantly better.

The only thing the Ranger has over the Tacoma is the powertrain. It's performance is an order of magnitude better. It is a lot more fun to drive and the bottom end grunt is off the charts. None of the rest of the truck measures up to the Tacoma - features, interior, quality - and IMO, Ford design/engineering philosophy is questionable. The Ranger would have served my needs - assuming I got a "good" one, but the final compromise was one too many - that being the rear seats do not fold flat - on top of other major concerns over rust and engine reliability. Turbos are fun until you need to replace them, IME around 150K miles. OTOH the Tacoma is a pure delight. Great features, interior, tech, build quality, everything. Tried-and-true, non-boosted powertrain that should easily go 250K miles or more. It's just a much nicer, better truck that I expect will last - and longevity is high on my needs list. I knew the Ford was a roll of the dice.

Added to concerns I had over rust were concerns over long-term reliability, and a spartan/cheap-looking interior. I passed on the Ranger and haven't looked back. Re the powertrain comparison, the reality is the Tacoma is much more than adequate and its towing capacity, though significantly lower, is far beyond what I'll ever need. For perspective, it's also more than 1,000 lbs greater than an old F150 I had, and that old beast was a great truck. So after comparison, research and personal experience with both brands and companies, that's my take FWIW.

 

yeah everytime im rolling down i-5 here in washington state these rangers slow down as they cruise by then speed off like there having buyers remorse and wish they bought a tacoma lol glad you came back .

 

An unreliable Ford? Nooooooo, really?

 

Don't want to own any of those lol.

 

My 2000 F250 was bulletproof. 100k miles not one problem aside from crazy bad gas mileage, but thats what V-10s do. Most critics havent actually owned a ford truck.

Also a beast to park, thus my love for the Toyota, easy to park and very nimble.

 

Wow thanks for sharing.

When I was searching for a truck (well, honestly I had been planning/researching for like at least a year before buying), the Ranger Tremor was near the top of my list - only because I owned a few older style Rangers (back in the early 2000's). I remember my one had a 4.0L v6 and the M50d-r1 manual transmission. I had 3" of lift on it and 33x12.50x15's....thing was an absolute beast. But I guess they don't really make em like they used to...or at least if you want them like that, the Tacoma is as close as you can get anymore.

The only reason I ended up getting rid of that Ranger was because the oil pressure light kept coming on and it scared me that the engine was going to go bad. I think that was around 130k.

I spent nearly a decade in fullsize trucks (one F150 5.4L and a couple newer ones with the 2.7L V6 twin turbo). Never had a single issue with any of those F150's either. I think one time on my 2019, I turned it on and the electrical system (and dash) just went haywire. But I turned it off and back on - never happened again. I can say the 5.4L was more fun to drive - but I think that was because the electrical system would actually let you do a burnout.

Anyway, back to the point...anything bigger than a Tacoma now just feels to me like it has too much "open space" in it. And yes, the Tacoma feels a lot more nimble in the parking lots, etc.

 

I did the same thing with the new Nissan Frontier. Had it for about 10 months and went back to the Tacoma.

 

Never understood the allure of trading in vehicles only to throw away money on fees, loss of value, etc especially more than once.

Like throwing money away? I've got some ocean front property in Arizona you might be interested in.

 

Those rangers look like ass.

 

Glad you came back around friend.

I bought my tacoma from a Ford dealership. They are constantly emailing me to buy my truck back and get me into a new Ranger. can't help but laugh as I delete those emails.

 

Yes.

But to be fair, it depends on the state. If you receive a tax credit for the trade in, it makes the purchase more reasonable.

 

I had a 2021 Ranger before I found this 2018 TRD Pro on the lot with 20k on the clock.

Originally always wanted a Tacoma but picked up a Ranger instead. Honestly after driving the piss out of the Ranger over a year, I had zero issues with the truck.
I still actually kind of miss it sometimes, especially when I'm driving on the interstate in the Tacoma and it becomes a gear hunting turd of a truck.

I'm happy with the Tacoma, but I have zero brand loyalty and did enjoy my time with the Ranger.

 

I thought long and hard about a Ranger. The turbo engine has tons of power and tunes can make the truck faster than some sports cars I have owned. But I drive 40-50k a year and keep my trucks for 200k miles. I have a reasonable expectation of never doing a major repair on my Tacoma over 200k miles. But with a Ranger I would have to at least budget for somethin major to let go before 200k miles.

My last Tacoma hit 200k with just an AC compressor and a sensor. My 21 has 90k on it and has only needed fluid changes and tires.

 

Never crossed my mind for even 1 second.....

Welcome back Op, you've been forgiven.

 

Oh boy. I considered a 2-door 2.3 Bronco with the 7MT and Sasquatch package. Glad I didn't go with it.

 

Ford V10 that's bulletproof?

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/shots-fired-bulletproof-tacoma.796597/

Only certified bulletproof vehicle in Tacomaworld history.

 

Those year V10's the spark plugs would literally blow out of the engine and through the hood

 

Nah, you are wrong bud:

https://dieseliq.com/ford-triton-v10-engine-problems
https://lasmotorhomes.co.uk/case-studies/ford-v10-triton-engine-problems/
https://www.vehiclehistory.com/articles/ford-v10-problems
https://www.driveandreview.com/ford-v10-life-expectancy/#Spark_plug_issues

I don't think you were around them son.