Opinion: 2020 Ranger XLT FX4 vs 2017 Tacoma TRD OR

Yes, I know, another one of these threads. However this is my take. I'm on vacation and for the first portion of the vacation I have been given a 2020 Ford Ranger XLT as a rental vehicle. I thought it would be a great opportunity to compare to my 2017 Tacoma TRD OR. It's XLT FX4 vs TRD OR so it isn't exactly apples to apples but it is close. If you don't want to read the rest I'll just say I prefer my Tacoma in almost every way. My Tacoma has 55k miles and the Ranger has 45k miles, of which I've put on roughly 500+ miles. It's well broken in at 45k.

First off each has features the other doesn't but that's to be expected. No heated seats in my Ranger and no auto start/stop or lane keep assist in my Tacoma. The start/stop was ok but definitely not smooth. The Ranger also has auto dimming high beams but they are a little sensitive at times, being activated by some street lights and even reflectons off of signs. Both trucks have rear lockers as well.

My Ranger also had a bit of a handicap since the rental company activated the MyKey system in the Ranger so the key they gave me limits the top speed of the truck to 80 MPH. So I couldn't exactly test the 2.3L Ecoboost above that. I get a warning when I reach 75 and haven't found out what happens at 80.

As for interior quality, my Tacoma has a leather wrapped steering wheel, cloth seats, and a leather gear shift. It has some additional soft touch materials on the door and center console. The rest is pretty much hard plastic.

The Ranger has no leather that I can find apart from the boot to the e-brake. The center console armrest is softer as is the arm rest on the door. The steering wheel is also a soft touch material. (By "soft touch" I mean there's some give, no matter how slight so it isn't ridiculous by any means). The rest is very much hard plastic, probably more so than the Tacoma.

As for drivability: this is where I like the Ranger over my Tacoma....sort of. The Ranger has nice low end power thanks to that 2.3L Ecoboost and has no shortage of power if you use the pedal properly. However (as with most modern cars), going flat out from 0 to test 0-60 will cause about a 1.5 second delay before anything seems to happen as the computer works out figuring out what inputs to make. It also performed well at elevation but I also haven't taken my Tacoma to elevation so I can only base it on other naturally aspirated engines I've used. But that's about where it stops for me.

With the Tacoma, said 1.5 second delay is pretty much non-existent with the tradeoff being that it has to get to 3500 RPM to really shine. Due to that 80 MPH speed limit I couldn't really open up the Ranger at speed to compare those. The Ranger was also very jerkey in situations where you're feathering the throttle or light on the gas while already moving, especially at lower speeds. Also, anyone whining about 3rd gen "gear hunting" hasn't tried the Ranger. This thing hunts far more than my Tacoma although that is to be expected from a 10 speed vs a 6 speed transmission. The Ranger shifts are marginally smoother but that's more related to the gear ratios being closer than in the Tacoma. Although my Tacoma shifts aren't really that hard except under heavy loads, such as going 80, especially with bikes and a RTT for weight and drag with a full bed, and then reaching an incline on the highway.

The hood is smaller in the Ranger giving the impression of a more nimble truck but it made up for that in worse visibility out the rear.

Both trucks ride similarly. However I'd say that the Ranger feels less stiff but also a little bouncier.

The Ranger doesn't have built in GPS but does come with Android Auto. That works great until you're, say, in Badwater Basin and need directions to your next location.

Both trucks seem to do similar in MPG with a slight edge to the Ranger. It had recorded about 24.5 MPG from Vegas to Mammoth Lakes while also going through Death Valley.

As for riding impressions, well, my wife is admittedly biased but she much prefers the Tacoma.

I have another long drive with it yet, but those are my initial impressions.

 

Far as longevity, I'd still got with the Tacoma. Manager at the local Autozone had an earlier 3rd gen Tacoma and traded it for a Ranger. Not even a year later and I seen a brand new Tacoma trail edition in the parking lot. Sure enough it was him. Said the engine was great, but the interior was absolute garbage. Couldn't handle all the rattling of the dash anymore.