Given the choice, I'd want it installed at factory. However, if dealer was the only option, I'd not complain. Who needs 260 horses in a little truck? Some people do, for whatever their reasons are. To teach ricers a lesson. To teach [non-permissible content removed] in fullsize trucks a lesson. The list goes on. You said it yourself before "It's not that the power requirements got bigger, we all just got spoiled". So.....who needs 207 horses in a little truck? Obviously, since Nissan does enough with 170hp, why don't we all just get weaker engines? Yes, TRD-charged Tacoma will use premium fuel. You still don't get it: I wasn't trying to say that Tacoma with a charger would not use premium, nor that the engine would drive just as long as the nat. asp. one. What I was saying is this: Nissan has made a pathetic trade-off. For measly 40hp (you'd think supercharged meant more) they effectively screwed customers on gas milage and engine life. Original? Who said anything about original? Lots of funky accessories in your ex-Ranger were not original, but we didn't hear you bitching about it. Half of the packages are installed at the distro port....not exactly factory, but just some guy who worries about nothing more than to get off on time and go home and watch baseball. As far as tires go: who gives a rats' [non-permissible content removed] what FX4 has. They can't even release it into a parking lot, heh. There you have a Ford that, when it is finally released according to specs, will be marketed at offroaders. Wanna know why TRD does not come with better tires? Because only 1% of people who buy TRDs will use them and find them unacceptable. THere's a lot of TRDs that never leave the pavement, for those people the stock BFGs are fine. The 1% that offroads will replace those tires in a heartbeat. Regardless, however, TRD still goes on to beat the competitors, and you keep on using "Oh yeah, if Ranger had better tires, then we'd see!" line. Stock vs. stock, bundy. You know, offroad rigs are not bought. I guess you haven't had time to learn that in your long offroading career of jumping the truck. And if you think that only real offroading is "taking the stock to the limit", go to any Ranger offroad board and see for yourself. You'll find the stock does not go very far, no matter how much skill you have. Some things are simply not possible. There'll be a national event at Tellico, TN, in 3 weeks. Come down see what real offroading is like.
scorp. but everything my truck came with was original. final assembly point was where it was built in the first place. minneapolis this "port" location is kind of fishy imo. why would there be a port if these toyota's are "built" in the USA? another thing, i saw a clip of video on fox news a couple weeks ago concerning terrorists stowing away on freight containers. and then, along comes a bunch of toyota trucks out of some of these freight containers. now why would they have to ship these on boats if they're built right here in the USA?
sorry, but imo, taking a truck off-road with a bunch of mods is really dumb. anyone can do that. taking a stock truck, and maybe, maybe putting on different tires on it and then seeing where it can go is the true test. that's the one im interested in. i truly do not see any other small truck out there that can truly compete with the FX4. it has it all- power, torque, real tires, a cool interior, and a reputation of ford toughness than only others can dream of. the FX4 is the "bomb" right now in small trucks. these are truly rare and will go practically anywhere. they come equipped with the stuff off-roaders need, unlike your one hook equipped toyota. and what if you get stuck and need towing from the rear? well, the FX4's towhook back there wins again.
and don't go throwing that "parking lot incident" back at me. you know nothing about that. shoot, a friend of mine twisted his dad's bronco's driveshaft off when he took it out on saturday night when we were 16. all it takes is a pop of the clutch and a lot of gas. but toyota owners really don't have anything to worry about, since their engines are relatively wimpy in the torque department. anyways, i believe that the numbers of effected trucks was extremely low, if even more than a couple.
"a reputation of ford toughness than only others can dream of"....Ha Ha Ha!!!! I think that's your problem...the Ranger has NEVER had a reputation for "toughness". On the other hand, Toyota does and obviously you have trouble accepting that.
kind of like you putting a limited slip diff. into your stock locking rear axle, eh? tell me, did you ever get that to fit? lmao how did both your feet tast when you finally realized that that just can't happen, pluto boy? another thing, a locker isn't the answer to everything. seems that's all you can brag about on your tinyota. i'd hate to think that the only thing i had on my truck to brag about was some stupid locker. do you realize one can install a locker on any ranger in a half hour and around $200?
all- keep on saying that and someday you may believe it. everyone knows ford trucks are the benchmark that all others strive for. (why else would they outsell every other vehicle in the USA for like 27 years or so?) if you don't know this, then you really are in denial that your a-arms are really just camry's with a little reinforcement. look at 'em, it's true. even the frontier has it over you guys' trucks.
"Everyone knows Ford trucks arethe benchmark that all others strive for"
That applies to full sized trucks but ranger is as much Mazda as ford.Mazda has a reputation as the Rambler of Japan.
You're right about Tacomas A-arms.The current Toyotas aren't as strong as the solid axle model they replaced.Nobody makes a true off-road vehicle(street legal)anymore.There's an old saying in the off-road crowd."Real jeeps are built,not bought"My Taco wasn't stock when I sold it.It had Ford 9" Detroit locked rear and L/S front.It still couldn't keep up with my '47 willys,but it could hual ALOT more and the 18 gal gas tank was almost always enough.
Ha! Funny stuff......"everyone knows ford trucks are the benchmark that all others strive for" Ha Ha!! Ten years ago every consumer publication I can think of rated the Ranger way below Toyota in quality. It has improved considerably in quality ratings since but is still rated below the Tacoma in quality by every magazine I've ever seen. What kind of delusion are you under to think that Toyota would strive to be lower in quality like Ford? As usual you're confused with the big words (must be the college education you have or something). Toyota is well known to be the quality benchmark for the entire small truck industry. That's not to say that the Ranger is a poor truck as it certainly is a well above average truck.
I've never winched one of those out of a tight spot.Never seen one off road either.
Jeep?TJs don't have enough wheel travel or RTI to excell and stock gear ratios are too high for serious rock crawling,but there good enough for dirt roads.
interesting comments coming from-THE KING OF MAGAZINE QUOTES. PLUTO
lmao, the ranger is 100% Ford, Ford just builds the Mazda version, much to Mazda's delight. as far as Mazda being the "rambler of japan", you're insulting your own people. most mazda vehicles are totally manufactured and built over there and then shipped here. unlike most of you guys' claims that toyota are all made here. whatever
pluto- you never commented on how you EVER FIGURED OUT HOW TO GET A LSD TO FIT IN YOUR (ALSO) LOCKED REAR DIFFERENTIAL, AND THEM BOTH WORKING IN TANDEM. PLEASE SPILL THE BEANS, THIS COULD BE A WHOLE OTHER PRODUCT YOU GOT.
hilarious how you boys, both, just in your last posts had to have some magazine mention or some blind statement on how "this publication says this". yeah, i guess people have just been too stupid to read all these publications, since the ranger outsells tacoma by a wide margin each year. hmmm
bundy, recently you produced this little phrase that struck me as odd given how you always tried to come off as a "Oh, I don't care where it's made"....remember what it is? Something to the effect of "I am surprised that US Army would use trucks made by country that started WW2". So there you tried to make it like you didn't care where the truck was made (and why should you, Ranger comes from all over), and then you spit this one out. This, and people like you, are one of the explanations why Toy trucks never sold as much. There's still plenty of rednecks, hicks and bumpkins (as if they have the money that would never buy a "them foreign ones".
issues regarging distro port: Maybe I'm wrong. Toyota does not move trucks directly from factory to dealer, but instead through a distro port. Seems reasonable and effective. But wait....Ford is the master of "quality" and is never wrong, according to you. Toyota must be doing it wrong.
I'm not following what you've said about terrirists and Toy trucks.
parking lot: Yeah, but did you have several more friends that did it to their Broncos all at the same time, 1 week out of a dealership, with "Offroad" stickers on the sides? Don't downplay this, it won't work. Just because the number was low when they were pulled, doesn't mean it would have stayed low. Those few trucks have shown a trend that fresh FX4s need replacement rear axles in a week.
tbunder said "yeah, i guess people have just been too stupid to read all these publications, since the ranger outsells tacoma by a wide margin each year". I wouldn't begin to generally call all Ranger owners stupid like he just did but in a few instances it does have a nice ring to it.:)
Pluty says "Apparently, tbunder's arguments always hinge upon what he reads in brochures or is told by salesmen. Kind of like his locker-equipped Ranger, huh?"
You forget about the 'special edition' Tacoma with a Limited Slip rear end? You said "Read and reread this until it sinks in: "The Tacoma offers the LSD for those not interested in the locker." Repeat as necessary!" and "The Tacoma is available with an LSD just like the Ranger, which negates any advantage the Ranger has over the Tacoma in that department."
All this is based on a rinky dink web page type-o/misprint. Now who believes any sales/brochure literature they come across? This might put the validity of any information you post in question.
Wow, I guess this is as close as Pluty can admit that the Ranger has an advantage over the Tacoma.
Yeah, we all make mistakes. Just some more than others and more boneheaded than others. Toyota offering LSD was pretty bad, media is known to blow things out of proportion and sometimes not know what they are talking about. And of course, sometimes we follow it.
At least if I make a mistake, it's the result of erroneous published information. I don't make things up as I go along like others here. Speaking of Mr. Infallibility, stang, you didn't know the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, causing eastern time to be ahead of western time. No wonder you need a GPS on your little hiking excursions.
Scorpio-->I think everyone is entitled to making mistakes. That is human nature, but those who keep on reminding others of previous mistakes over and over again need a taste of their own medicine occasionally. Everyone is entitled to making mistakes, it is those who keep making the same mistake (or reminding others of that single mistake over and over and over again) that need the help.
I know everybody does not always like the result, but I do realize that everyone has the freedom of free speech. Even if they make silly, uninformed, or incorrect statements like our dear friend Pluto above.
Well, some make more than others, and when they do it, they don't acknowledge the mistake even after evidence is forced down their throats, ex: tbunder, with his 600 lbs heavier Ranger. And while everyone is entitled to making mistakes, there's a certain point when it becomes a trend and destroys that persons' credibility.
Pathway, What I would do is this: #1. Find a pickup you can fit in comfortably; Look at each one; Mazda,Ford,Chevy,Toyota,Nissan,etc; #2; Once you find 2 or 3 pickups you can fit comfortable in, then check out Consumer Reports and Edmunds guides #3; I wanted to buy domestic, but I get confused as to what domestic means. The United Auto Workers have a site that posts those vehicles that they build; One of them is the Toyota Tacoma, built in Fremont, CA (Go Chico State!)
All the trucks have propoents and opponents; I would find the one I can FIT in for the long haul, then narrow it down by price/etc;
I'm not trying to offend anybody by not chossing/choosing a part. brant/model; I do not drive imports basically because I can't fit in them comfortably;
I would rather be known for making an occasional mistake in good faith than resorting to your childish behavior when you're at the losing end of an argument. Does our little shock absorber debate ring a bell?
Not that we haven't beat this dead horse enough already, but here's something else in regards to this Ranger's sales debate. The VW Beetle is one of the world's best selling vehicles. By your rationale, doesn't this fact make the Beetle better than any other compact car out there?
Other than a waste of our time, what of the shock absorber "debate"? You say it's too low for off-roading excellence, and most others just do not care(or rip through rocks that would eat your differentials first before hitting the shock absorber, unless you wheel in reverse). Big deal, consider that a win if you want.
"I would rather be known for making an occasional mistake in good faith than resorting to your childish behavior when you're at the losing end of an argument."
So do you apply this paradigm whenever someone else (tbunder for example) makes a mistake? Does his mistake in good faith not count because his views or opinions are different?
i acknowledged my weight claim as being erroneous. and i also think i explained this with me thinking of the nissan crew cab figure when i made that statement. my spot weld to the frame is still supported in my head (go look at a ranger bed and its contact points at the frame rail). the locker/lsd thing was questionable, as some consider an lsd a locker...ie. gm.
when comparing the two trucks, one thing is clear....they are both good. BUT- the ranger has the tacoma beat in every category. we all know what these are. and the sales numbers just back up what stang and i have mentioned time after time. this debate is getting a little politically oriented. if the sales figures were in tacoma's favor, you'd support them. just like the clinton/replublican congress thingy.... and each taking credit for all the positive things that happened to our country and economy at that time, but each blaming one another for certain negative things, when they know good and well that if it were negative on their side they wouldn't think it was so bad.
Problem with you is that you make statements that in your head make sense, and to everyone else seem like BS. Spot-weld? What is spot-welded? First you said the bed was, then after few days and tens of replies you changed it to "bed mounts to the frame". Same with jumping the truck. You never acknowledged the mistake about weight, you simply said about a week later "Oh, I know where I got 600 lbs number", that being after you insulted the truck by calling it a tincan (if it's a tincan, and weights the same as Ranger....what is Ranger then?) If you took a little more responsibility in what you post, people would have taken you seriously. Unfortunately, with the array of those past mistakes, it's going to be pretty hard.
tbunder, you have every right to think that the Ranger has the Tacoma beat in every category. The best trucks are those that best suit the individual buying it. However, you are among the minority when making a case that in general the Ranger is a better truck than the Taco. While doing research for my purchase, every report, graphic and site rated the Tacoma better than Ranger. Some of these reports, like Consumer Reports reliability graphic showing reliability for the vehicles for the past 10 years, cannot be refuted. As for the sales figures, I have a few reasons that Fords outsale Toyotas. 1) Price, base price may be same, but everything is an option on the Tacomas. 2) Customer Service, Toyota builds a good product and knows that they will sell. I had to go to 5 different dealers before I found one that would treat me like a customer and not a source of income. 3) Image, people naturally assume that a Toyota will be far more expensive than a Ford, and it is to a degree. They built a reputation of quality, and people know that you usually get what you pay for.
The Tacoma and the Ranger are leaders for different reasons. It is true when I was looking for a truck I expected the have to fight much harder with the Toyota dealer than I would with Ford. These two small trucks are the leaders in this segment for different reasons. I was not disappointed by the Toyota dealer. It was old time scratch and fight all the way. What is surprising is they also make Lexus and there is very little old time game playing at their dealers. However options cost more and seem more limited with the Toyota. Ford on the other hand has been selling trucks for a long time and they know options about as well as anyone. Cab options, bed options, engine options, wheel options, transmission options and they can deal. Any truck they make in any color and any configuration can most often be found at one dealer. Both trucks make a very good choice. So what did I choose? A Mazda. Same as a ranger but with a better insurance rate. Plus I can get service and parts from Ford.
My 95 toyota has recently turned its 380,000th mile. Let me tell you, these werent easy miles either. 360,000 of these miles were aquired by a very heavy service emergency delivery company.
Pretty impressive considering the company used to use Ford Rangers and Mazda 2300s, which were usually due for major drivetrain overhauls around 150,000 miles. It is still on its first engine, and its transmission was rebuilt at 345,000.
Was it the pickup or Tacoma? I bet it was the 4 cylinder because Toyota's 4 bangers seem to last forever.
I used to work for an autoparts delivery (Autozone) driving Rangers. They were all 3.0l extended cabs XL's and not one of them had under 200,000 miles. Not one has needed any major work on the transmission or engine. Only minor A/C work, occasional radiator or water pump, and of course brakes. In the dallas area there are about a dozen stores, each with 3-4 Rangers a piece. I guess it's mostly about the cost/benefit analysis of long running vehicles in stop and go traffic, and the average maintenance costs.
its the 4 cylinder pickup. I dont doubt that you see Rangers above 200,000. I believe nearly all vehicles are reliable, including the rangers, if you maintain and treat them right.
However, these toyotas are simply standout cases. The buisiness is my Dads, so I have been around the buisiness for some time now. These trucks get abused to no end. I said above that they are used for emergency deliveries. We have gotten calls for items that need to be picked up and delivered from Sacramento to San Francisco in less than an hour and a half. Our on-time rate is nearly 95%. This means running possible ugly backroads, ranging from gravel and potholes to extreme curved roads(which they handle well). This also means large payloads and towing up to 4000lbs. This also means running in the 120+ degree heat, or the mildly freezing winter climate of the san juaquin valley. Basically anything that can be done legally or discretely(and mildly) illegal, will be done to get the package there on time.
One of the employees owns a 3.0 Ranger with 219,000 miles on it the last I checked. He said it has been really reliable, but at the same time it doesnt recieve the extreme abuse that the company trucks get. He isnt suprised that the Ford and Mazdas dont last over 150,000. He is, however, completely amazed at how the toyotas drive forever like a quartz divers watch.
question for you. Is you 4cly a stick or auto? 4x4 or 4x2? I'm looking into Tacoma Extend Cab 4x4 automatic. Was told to stay away from the 4 cylinders and go with a 6 cylinder if possible. What's your thoughts?
wishnhigh1- are you saying that no ranger can do what your evidently "special" toyota's can? please. any small 4x4 truck can go off-road and take abuse and last forever if taken care of. toyota's aren't as special as you think. maybe special for rusting out awful fast and having parts that are very expensive to replace.
Just about every 4 cylinder mated to an automatic will be sluggish compared to other cars. With a manual, you will have a chance of zipping through traffic when needed.
Me? I want the truck that offers a v6, with 5 speed manual, in a regular cab! Now only if I could get the 4.0l instead of the 3.0l.
I just checked the edmunds listing, and they show a 2002 4.0l XL reg cab with auto. Funny how www.forddirect.com doesn't list it. I will have to check up on that. I know not one of the 5 local dealerships stock it. I would really love it to be an edge model with a 5 speed manual, instead of an automatic or the XL model. I could get the 4x4 reg cab for around 16-17 grand , however.
Comments
Who needs 260 horses in a little truck? Some people do, for whatever their reasons are. To teach ricers a lesson. To teach [non-permissible content removed] in fullsize trucks a lesson. The list goes on. You said it yourself before "It's not that the power requirements got bigger, we all just got spoiled". So.....who needs 207 horses in a little truck? Obviously, since Nissan does enough with 170hp, why don't we all just get weaker engines?
Yes, TRD-charged Tacoma will use premium fuel. You still don't get it: I wasn't trying to say that Tacoma with a charger would not use premium, nor that the engine would drive just as long as the nat. asp. one. What I was saying is this:
Nissan has made a pathetic trade-off. For measly 40hp (you'd think supercharged meant more) they effectively screwed customers on gas milage and engine life.
Original? Who said anything about original? Lots of funky accessories in your ex-Ranger were not original, but we didn't hear you bitching about it. Half of the packages are installed at the distro port....not exactly factory, but just some guy who worries about nothing more than to get off on time and go home and watch baseball.
As far as tires go: who gives a rats' [non-permissible content removed] what FX4 has. They can't even release it into a parking lot, heh. There you have a Ford that, when it is finally released according to specs, will be marketed at offroaders. Wanna know why TRD does not come with better tires? Because only 1% of people who buy TRDs will use them and find them unacceptable. THere's a lot of TRDs that never leave the pavement, for those people the stock BFGs are fine. The 1% that offroads will replace those tires in a heartbeat. Regardless, however, TRD still goes on to beat the competitors, and you keep on using "Oh yeah, if Ranger had better tires, then we'd see!" line. Stock vs. stock, bundy. You know, offroad rigs are not bought. I guess you haven't had time to learn that in your long offroading career of jumping the truck. And if you think that only real offroading is "taking the stock to the limit", go to any Ranger offroad board and see for yourself. You'll find the stock does not go very far, no matter how much skill you have. Some things are simply not possible.
There'll be a national event at Tellico, TN, in 3 weeks. Come down see what real offroading is like.
this "port" location is kind of fishy imo. why would there be a port if these toyota's are "built" in the USA?
another thing, i saw a clip of video on fox news a couple weeks ago concerning terrorists stowing away on freight containers. and then, along comes a bunch of toyota trucks out of some of these freight containers. now why would they have to ship these on boats if they're built right here in the USA?
sorry, but imo, taking a truck off-road with a bunch of mods is really dumb. anyone can do that. taking a stock truck, and maybe, maybe putting on different tires on it and then seeing where it can go is the true test. that's the one im interested in. i truly do not see any other small truck out there that can truly compete with the FX4. it has it all- power, torque, real tires, a cool interior, and a reputation of ford toughness than only others can dream of. the FX4 is the "bomb" right now in small trucks. these are truly rare and will go practically anywhere. they come equipped with the stuff off-roaders need, unlike your one hook equipped toyota. and what if you get stuck and need towing from the rear? well, the FX4's towhook back there wins again.
and don't go throwing that "parking lot incident" back at me. you know nothing about that. shoot, a friend of mine twisted his dad's bronco's driveshaft off when he took it out on saturday night when we were 16. all it takes is a pop of the clutch and a lot of gas. but toyota owners really don't have anything to worry about, since their engines are relatively wimpy in the torque department. anyways, i believe that the numbers of effected trucks was extremely low, if even more than a couple.
I think that's your problem...the Ranger has NEVER had a reputation for "toughness". On the other hand, Toyota does and obviously you have trouble accepting that.
As for that parking-lot incident, well, wouldn't the FX4's "2 inch bigger pumpkin/diff" be able to handle the FX4's awesome torque?
Ooops, kind of stuck your foot in your mouth again, eh?
Whoever you're quoting must have hit the wrong key or missed the decimal.
kip
kip
how did both your feet tast when you finally realized that that just can't happen, pluto boy? another thing, a locker isn't the answer to everything. seems that's all you can brag about on your tinyota. i'd hate to think that the only thing i had on my truck to brag about was some stupid locker. do you realize one can install a locker on any ranger in a half hour and around $200?
all- keep on saying that and someday you may believe it. everyone knows ford trucks are the benchmark that all others strive for. (why else would they outsell every other vehicle in the USA for like 27 years or so?) if you don't know this, then you really are in denial that your a-arms are really just camry's with a little reinforcement. look at 'em, it's true. even the frontier has it over you guys' trucks.
That applies to full sized trucks but ranger is as much Mazda as ford.Mazda has a reputation as the Rambler of Japan.
You're right about Tacomas A-arms.The current Toyotas aren't as strong as the solid axle model they replaced.Nobody makes a true off-road vehicle(street legal)anymore.There's an old saying in the off-road crowd."Real jeeps are built,not bought"My Taco wasn't stock when I sold it.It had Ford 9" Detroit locked rear and L/S front.It still couldn't keep up with my '47 willys,but it could hual ALOT more and the 18 gal gas tank was almost always enough.
kip
Apparently, tbunder's arguments always hinge upon what he reads in brochures or is told by salesmen. Kind of like his locker-equipped Ranger, huh?
Still a Ford truck with a Ford owned company supplying the tranny.
Alot of people will argue about the off road comment also, ZR2 owners and Jeep owners.
Jeep?TJs don't have enough wheel travel or RTI to excell and stock gear ratios are too high for serious rock crawling,but there good enough for dirt roads.
kip
lmao, the ranger is 100% Ford, Ford just builds the Mazda version, much to Mazda's delight. as far as Mazda being the "rambler of japan", you're insulting your own people. most mazda vehicles are totally manufactured and built over there and then shipped here. unlike most of you guys' claims that toyota are all made here. whatever
pluto- you never commented on how you EVER FIGURED OUT HOW TO GET A LSD TO FIT IN YOUR (ALSO) LOCKED REAR DIFFERENTIAL, AND THEM BOTH WORKING IN TANDEM. PLEASE SPILL THE BEANS, THIS COULD BE A WHOLE OTHER PRODUCT YOU GOT.
hilarious how you boys, both, just in your last posts had to have some magazine mention or some blind statement on how "this publication says this". yeah, i guess people have just been too stupid to read all these publications, since the ranger outsells tacoma by a wide margin each year. hmmm
issues regarging distro port: Maybe I'm wrong. Toyota does not move trucks directly from factory to dealer, but instead through a distro port. Seems reasonable and effective. But wait....Ford is the master of "quality" and is never wrong, according to you. Toyota must be doing it wrong.
I'm not following what you've said about terrirists and Toy trucks.
parking lot: Yeah, but did you have several more friends that did it to their Broncos all at the same time, 1 week out of a dealership, with "Offroad" stickers on the sides? Don't downplay this, it won't work. Just because the number was low when they were pulled, doesn't mean it would have stayed low. Those few trucks have shown a trend that fresh FX4s need replacement rear axles in a week.
I wouldn't begin to generally call all Ranger owners stupid like he just did but in a few instances it does have a nice ring to it.:)
You forget about the 'special edition' Tacoma with a Limited Slip rear end? You said
"Read and reread this until it sinks in: "The Tacoma offers the LSD for those not interested in the locker." Repeat as necessary!"
and
"The Tacoma is available with an LSD just like the Ranger, which negates any advantage the Ranger has over the Tacoma in that department."
All this is based on a rinky dink web page type-o/misprint. Now who believes any sales/brochure literature they come across? This might put the validity of any information you post in question.
Wow, I guess this is as close as Pluty can admit that the Ranger has an advantage over the Tacoma.
I know everybody does not always like the result, but I do realize that everyone has the freedom of free speech. Even if they make silly, uninformed, or incorrect statements like our dear friend Pluto above.
And while everyone is entitled to making mistakes, there's a certain point when it becomes a trend and destroys that persons' credibility.
What I would do is this:
#1. Find a pickup you can fit in comfortably;
Look at each one; Mazda,Ford,Chevy,Toyota,Nissan,etc;
#2; Once you find 2 or 3 pickups you can fit comfortable in, then check out Consumer Reports and Edmunds guides
#3; I wanted to buy domestic, but I get confused as to what domestic means. The United Auto Workers have a site that posts those vehicles that they build; One of them is the Toyota Tacoma, built in Fremont, CA (Go Chico State!)
All the trucks have propoents and opponents; I would find the one I can FIT in for the long haul, then narrow it down by price/etc;
I'm not trying to offend anybody by not chossing/choosing a part. brant/model; I do not drive imports basically because I can't fit in them comfortably;
Not that we haven't beat this dead horse enough already, but here's something else in regards to this Ranger's sales debate. The VW Beetle is one of the world's best selling vehicles. By your rationale, doesn't this fact make the Beetle better than any other compact car out there?
"I would rather be known for making an occasional mistake in good faith than resorting to your childish behavior when you're at the losing end of an argument."
So do you apply this paradigm whenever someone else (tbunder for example) makes a mistake? Does his mistake in good faith not count because his views or opinions are different?
Bigger men just forgive and/or forget.
when comparing the two trucks, one thing is clear....they are both good. BUT- the ranger has the tacoma beat in every category. we all know what these are. and the sales numbers just back up what stang and i have mentioned time after time. this debate is getting a little politically oriented. if the sales figures were in tacoma's favor, you'd support them. just like the clinton/replublican congress thingy.... and each taking credit for all the positive things that happened to our country and economy at that time, but each blaming one another for certain negative things, when they know good and well that if it were negative on their side they wouldn't think it was so bad.
If you took a little more responsibility in what you post, people would have taken you seriously. Unfortunately, with the array of those past mistakes, it's going to be pretty hard.
Stick to the trucks please.
Thanks for your cooperation and participation.
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As for the sales figures, I have a few reasons that Fords outsale Toyotas. 1) Price, base price may be same, but everything is an option on the Tacomas. 2) Customer Service, Toyota builds a good product and knows that they will sell. I had to go to 5 different dealers before I found one that would treat me like a customer and not a source of income. 3) Image, people naturally assume that a Toyota will be far more expensive than a Ford, and it is to a degree. They built a reputation of quality, and people know that you usually get what you pay for.
Pretty impressive considering the company used to use Ford Rangers and Mazda 2300s, which were usually due for major drivetrain overhauls around 150,000 miles. It is still on its first engine, and its transmission was rebuilt at 345,000.
I used to work for an autoparts delivery (Autozone) driving Rangers. They were all 3.0l extended cabs XL's and not one of them had under 200,000 miles. Not one has needed any major work on the transmission or engine. Only minor A/C work, occasional radiator or water pump, and of course brakes. In the dallas area there are about a dozen stores, each with 3-4 Rangers a piece. I guess it's mostly about the cost/benefit analysis of long running vehicles in stop and go traffic, and the average maintenance costs.
However, these toyotas are simply standout cases. The buisiness is my Dads, so I have been around the buisiness for some time now. These trucks get abused to no end. I said above that they are used for emergency deliveries. We have gotten calls for items that need to be picked up and delivered from Sacramento to San Francisco in less than an hour and a half. Our on-time rate is nearly 95%. This means running possible ugly backroads, ranging from gravel and potholes to extreme curved roads(which they handle well). This also means large payloads and towing up to 4000lbs. This also means running in the 120+ degree heat, or the mildly freezing winter climate of the san juaquin valley. Basically anything that can be done legally or discretely(and mildly) illegal, will be done to get the package there on time.
One of the employees owns a 3.0 Ranger with 219,000 miles on it the last I checked. He said it has been really reliable, but at the same time it doesnt recieve the extreme abuse that the company trucks get. He isnt suprised that the Ford and Mazdas dont last over 150,000. He is, however, completely amazed at how the toyotas drive forever like a quartz divers watch.
Leo
wishnhigh1- are you saying that no ranger can do what your evidently "special" toyota's can? please. any small 4x4 truck can go off-road and take abuse and last forever if taken care of. toyota's aren't as special as you think. maybe special for rusting out awful fast and having parts that are very expensive to replace.
Me? I want the truck that offers a v6, with 5 speed manual, in a regular cab!