Toyota Tacoma vs Ford Ranger - II

spoog

I agree. Full Size pickups are overkill unless you work with 4x8 filling loads and you do some serious towing.

The shoulder room in the Tacoma and Rangeris about what you get in the cockpit of a midrange sports car.

It seems to make you feel more connnected to your vehicle, and not like your driving a sofa down the road.

ziggy10

Thanks,
Yes I got the convenience package, chrome SR5 package, sunroof, cruise, aluminum wheels, power package, bucket seats, and floor mats. All for 17,427. I also had 'em install a bedliner, but it costs more when you gotta pay for add ons like that (labor charges and all). So I paid about 17,700 plus tax. total was 19,400, and I put down 1,400. Inside it feels like I'm riding in my mom's Beemer. Like a nice ride. Everything's well done and easy to access. And it feels like a high quality interior to me. Nice Truck!!!
Sorry about the torque thing. I don't know anything about torque, and thought you meant my rpm's at 75 MPH were 3,600. I was trying to correct that, but obviously didn't understand what you were saying.

oldpickup

With regard to the discussion on Toyotas in Africa, Australia etc.

I am a great believer in market dynamics. I therefore believe that if Ford did have a superior product, some enterprising individual (at Ford or elsewhere) would have been able to sell many Ford Rangers overseas. They haven't.

To the contrary, Toyota has sold many vehicles overseas - in markets where there is an equal barrier to entry with Ford. Neither Toyota or Ford have any significant manufacturing capacity in any African countries - yet Toyota virtually owns the market there.

In Japan or America, I would agree there are vested interests. Not in the rest of the world (including Europe for that matter too - never seen a Ford Ranger there either).

parkman50

Have you ever seen the GM Hummer in your many safaris? If it had the pricing of a Toyota, it would be seen more, but I have seen plenty in spite of the obviously higher price.

In regards to the remark about equal barriers, I agree. Many countries including Africa would "seem" to have equal barriers to the market. It doesn't mean the all companies participate in that market the same way, but in theory they could. And I won't even go into "business ethics" with you. But I've worked for both Japanese and American companies (and they play differently.) There are multitudes of books you can reference to further learn about what I'm stating. Go check.

Next time you go abroad, go price the models in those countries. For some reason they are not the same. I don't want to make accusations like dumping, but it does go well with market targeting (which every single company in the world does.)

But if you want to continue to believe that ONLY TOYOTA is capable of being used in Africa because it is the ONLY vehicle that can handle some small rocks and unpaved roads, be my guest.

Counterpoint: In the US, farm trucks see at least that much abuse (but throw in major towing, chemicals, etc.) Go poll farmers and see what they say. I've never seen a Toyota (alive) on the many, many, many US farms I've been to. I wonder why?

Sorry folks, I didn't really want to get caught up in "this is better than that," but the Toyota guys are killing me with their lame, naive argument about Africa.

As for Tacoma vs. Ranger, buy the one you like best. They are both rated everywhere as the cream of the little trucks.

Happy truck'n

cpousnr

No, in Europe you see the Ford Courier.

From: http://www.homestead.com/therangerstation/RangerHistory.html

History Of The Ford Ranger
1982 To Present
By James Oaks at The Ranger Station

The beginnings
The Ranger name started as a trim package on the full size F-Series trucks. Ford had been importing the Courier since about 1972 as a compact pick up. The Courier was produced by Mazda and at the time Ford owned a 25% stake in Mazda. In 1982 Ford began producing the Ranger as a replacement to the Courier. It was sold as a 1983 model and XLS replaced the Ranger name on the F-Series.

The Courier is still produced today as an over seas version of the Ranger.

cpousnr

While not scientific, by far the P/U of choice in Custer County Colo., the ones you see hauling the hay, pulling the trailers, working is the Ford F250. followed by the F150, Dodge 2500 then Chevy/GMC's not many Toyotas down there. Its just what you always see when you go there. My uncle in Rush, PA runs a dairy farm and always buys Ford trucks, since the 40's.

spoog

soemone writes:


"Counterpoint: In the US, farm trucks see at least
that much abuse (but throw in major towing,
chemicals, etc.) Go poll farmers and see what they
say. I've never seen a Toyota (alive) on the
many, many, many US farms I've been to. I wonderwhy?"



Ummm farm trucks are in constant need of repair.
There is a huge difference in owning a farm truck in ho-dunk Indiana 3 miles from a ford service shop or mechanic than a ford f150 350 miles into the african bush with no repair shop or mechanic anywhere.


That comparison is rather weak. The f150 is a damn fine work truck, but it needs to be within orbit of a mechanic.

sredman1

by your logic then all farmers should own toyota since, according to you, they never break.

scape2

The tarrifs on Ford/GM/Dodge are pretty steep in Japan. It can add another 15%-20% to the price of an American vehicle. Hmmm... sounds pretty fair? While on a business visit to Nagoya I did however see a few Mustangs, Suburbans and even a Taurus or two.
Back to Toyota/Ranger. I am hearing more about the new single over head cam V6 that has 210hp/ 245ft/lbs of torque soon to arrive in the Ranger!
Can't pin down a date. I have heard from other car sites that sometime mid 2000 they will start to pop up. Anyone else heard anything?
Its the same way here in the Northwest. Visit a Farm, Logging outfit, or construction site and its domintated by Fords/Chevy/Dodge full size trucks. They are the work horses, not the compact trucks like Tacoma/Ranger/Frontier/S10.
There is nothing like a V8!

spoog

"There is nothing like a V8!"


Unless, of course, you have a supercharged v6.
ahhhhhh.............

jerry61

Does anyone know the horsepower for the Ranger's V6 4.0L engine? Thanks

sredman1

160 hp @4200rpm and 225 ft/lb torque @2750 rpm

wsnoble

Let's remember Toyota does not make a F250 equivalent.....yet. So Toyota is not really a choice in the Farmers argument. Also farms have die hard patriotism and are not usually rich, therefore cheapest price will always win.

Just my opionion...

-wsn

hindsite

There is a breakin period....it is in the owner's manual. I changed my oil at 2,000 . . . figured that it only cost $15.00 so what did I have to lose. I think it said basically to keep it under 55 or 50 mph varying your speed and not to drive it at one constant speed for any length of time.

Vince,
You have been saying for quite some time the Ranger is suppose to get a new engine. I haven't heard anything like that? Where did you hear or read about it?
Yeah I have been to a few construction sites in and see all makes there. No this is not residental construction I am referring to but high rise steel frame or reinforce concrete buildings. Nobody at the construction site cares if you have domestic or foreign. That is the reality of it.

parkman50

wsnoble, Yes I agree farmers tend to loyal (and it is for good reason.) My family in south Texas has tried about every truck on the market at some time or another (including mini's.) I even remember some old diesel powered Mazdas at one time. They lasted almost a year. And my cousins found that the F-150 is most bang for the buck. It has the fewest problems and can do the most. So yes farmers are NOT rich and they need performance for their dollar. They are not site seeing in Africa, they are working their trucks hard in worse stuff than Africa could imagine.

Cheaper? since when is a full sized 4x4 x-cab F150 cheaper than a tacoma? I'll take 2 of those.

But if you mean cheaper in terms of repair cost, yes you are right. Farmers go the cheaper route.

PS. Don't even get them started on the junky T-100. They already made that mistake, once.

cpousnr

butt if I disagreed with him on the Ford and he is 74 years old.
Finish my thought. Farmers need something cheap and that they can repair and Ford does seem to fit the bill with the 150/250. You just see a bunch of them in the Wet Mtn valley.
A Ranger and Tacoma are a fun sport truck, not a heavy duty work truck. You see a lot of Dakota's in the Wet Mtn valley, a few Ranger/S10 and a spatering of Tacomas, mostly on the west side where the (I will pay for this) Californians moved into.

spoog

sredman writes:


"160 hp @4200rpm and 225 ft/lb torque @2750 rpm"


Wow. The toyota tacoma 4 cylinder has 155 horsepower.


Parkman writes:


"Theylasted almost a year. And my cousins found that
the F-150 is most bang for the buck. It has the
fewest problems and can do the most. So yes"




Well, looks like I have to post the NHSTA link again. The f150 has the fewest problems? LOL!!!!


I think its time you educate yourself Parkman.
Its time you rise above the goons of myth and distortion.

Click on this link. It is a governemet site that lists all safety recalls, and all technical repair bulletin recalls for every vehicle ever made.

Ill tell you what. If you can find that the f150 from 89-99 has fewer problems than the toyota comapct pickups from 89-99 Ill give you a million dollars.


Its time.

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/

parkman50

barlitz and cpsounr hit the nail on the head. Toyotas can't hold up to that kind of abuse, but since they are sold to mostly yuppy suburbanites (who hit the trail once a blue moon) in small numbers, they hold up better statiscally. Of course don't mention to spoog that if he bought the V6 Tacoma (fizzzz) watch out for that head gasket.

Go pull a 2 ton cotton trailer down wash board dirt roads daily for 2-3 years and let me know how your little tacoma is holding up.

Sorry, I keep getting off on tangents here. My POINT is that toyotas are used in Africa for reasons other than reliability. Reliability may have some consideration, but it was not and is not the main reason it (or others) are used there.

By the way, every discovery channel show I've ever watched, the hosts were not more than a hop, skip, and jump from a dirt road. I could drive a toyota camry in there without a problem.

scape2

Once again spoog, doesn't know what the he.. he is talking about. The 2.7 from Toyota puts out 150HP, same as the 3.0 that Ford has. And the 2.7's torque? We won't go there.
This supercharger thing Toyota has is a big sales gimmick. Why would anyone want to pay 22-24K for a Tacoma, add another 2-3K for a supercharger, not including installation charges. This brings the price up to 24K - 27K for a compact race truck?. Hell, lets throw the R/T or Lightning into this picture. A 4x4 is not a race truck in my book.
The Ranger offers more of what consumers want at a fair price. This is why the Ranger/Mazda are the BEST selling compact truck for 12 years running and doesn't look like that is going to change anytime soon.
The new V6 for the Ranger was mention in I believe a Motor Trend about 8 months ago. Granted I haven't been able to pin down a specific production date. But it will come, its only economics. The Ranger needs this engine in order to compete in the HP war that the average consumer likes to hear. But for a person who really uses a truck as a truck Torque is what matters.

sredman1

once again you open your mouth with the wrong facts. vince8 is right. heres the info from TOYOTA'S own site.

"150-hp, 2.7-Liter, DOHC, 16-Valve, 4-Cylinder Engine
Deep within the 4x4's double overhead cam, electronically fuel-injected engine, two counter-rotating balance shafts help minimize vibrations. At idle, you can hardly feel a thing, and it produces 150 hp @ 4,800 rpm and 177 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,000 rpm."

now i know that is a BIASED site but i think the info is correct. you will gain credibility here when your info is correct.

sredman1

since you brought up the base 4x4 engines.. lets compare:
RANGER:3.0L V6 150 hp@4750rpm 190lbs/ft @ 3650
TOYOTA:2.7L I4 150 hp@4800rpm 177ft/ ft @ 4000

the ranger even get a lil better gas milage...
once again the ranger is the better value.

sredman1

take it easy on the californians... LOL i grew up there... but the father figure is a CHEVY, GM man LOL

cpousnr

my moneys spent.
I know, sorry just came over me. . .

I spent a bit of time there myself. . .San Diego. . .Moffet Field/Bay area.

Californians do not last too long in the Wet Mtn valley. I think it was the 4' snow storm in Feb this year that helped. Roads closed. . .can't get out for Calistoga water and Starbucks. . .

Oh crud, there I go again.

cpousnr

Well if you look, the rpm for given hp is higher for the 2.7 plus your talking a double overhead cam 4 valve per cyl engine vs I think a non overhead cam 2 valve per cyl engine who's compression ratio is 9.17 to 1.

What compression ratio is the 2.7?

Notice the torque is 7% LOWER, higher rpm to achieve the lower value, for equal hp engine.

Said it once gonna say it again, hp is nice but TORQUE gets you up the mountain. TORQUE is the force that adds the power to work to the rearend.

cpousnr

that has no lead in its pencil.

It's a cute little 2.7, just no muscle. Hook a chain to the bumper of the Tacoma 2.7 and the Ranger 3.0 and see what happens.
The Ranger would pull that wheel spinning Tacoma where ever it wanted to.

All hp, no torqe.

spoog

I really must have hit a nerve with the toyota 4 banger comment.

I just find it funny that a toy 4 cyl engine has the same horsepower as a ranger 6.

scape2

Once again spoog misses the point, TORQUE.

sredman1

Grew up in SD... great town... never going back tho.. colorado is my home now.. and dont get me started on starbucks LOL

spoog

why should I accept your torque point when you so blatantly ignore the nhsta site and the 4 wheeler review?

I agree that torque makes a diff, but so does
hp.

Do you know see how it is to try to make a point to someone who is too close minded to listen?
it sucks, doesnt it?I agree its mostly torque that matters in a 4x4.

I hope you two learned something from this lesson.

scape2

I have looked pretty in depth at the NHSTA site and anyone who does the same will see most of the recalls are bogus, along with recalls only for a certain batch of Rangers.
Lesson? At least I educated myself about the Tacoma before making comments.

spoog

"I have looked pretty in depth at the NHSTA site
and anyone who does the same will see most of the
recalls are bogus, along with recalls only for a
certain batch of Rangers.
Lesson? At least I educated myself about the
Tacoma before making comments."


Bogus? what are you on? Those recalls and repair bulletins are offficial. They are fact.


Sorry I cant argue about objective view points like
how the tacoma looks parked next to a ranger. lol.


Lets just all argue about pointless, objective things like , " my daddy says fords are better",

or, " I dont see any tacomas on the trails in Boon Dock washington, so they arent offroad trucks".


If this group was left to you vince8, it would turn into an ignorant myth and heresay fest like
the other moron-filled truck groups on edmunds.

cpousnr

Let me first ask this. Is the 3.4 L V6 in the 4Runner the same 3.4 L engine that is in the Tacoma?

I did get your point and hp is importaint too. Toyota does make some very peppy engines most of which are double overhead cam engines. That is where they get their power (hp). When you compare to a lower compression non-overhead cam engine, there will be a difference, lower hp but generally higher torque. To support my point, the Dodge 3.9L V6 in the Dakota has 175hp @4800rpm and 225 ft-lb torque at 3200rpm. Like I said, lower hp but higher torque.

Torque is what allows you to be pulled up that hill, not the hp. Hp, the fire in the belly (not the lead in the pencil) will have a tendancy to spin those tires as the engine is reaching its higer rpm torque rating.

I said that Toyota makes peppy engines but consider these two things:

Ford offers a 4.0 L V6, Single Overhead Cam engine that develops 210hp at 5250rpm and 240 ft-lb of torque at 3250rpm. So a 15% bigger displacement motor gets 10% better hp and 9% better torque than the Toyota 3.4. I think it will be offered in the Ranger but my personal opinion it is not the better engine for the 4X4.

Also the 3.5 Chrysler V6, a double overhead cam engine, developes 253 hp at 6400rpm and 255 ftlb torque at 3950rpm. Notice that all these values are found at a much higher rpm than even the Toyota 3.4L.
But. . .
For a 2.5% larger engine that Chrysler engine develops 20% more hp and 14% more torque. So while the 3.4 in the Tacoma is nice it would seem that they are behind the curve in hp per liter.

I do hear you spoog but I just turned 18.5K on the truck and have only had one of the issues you list, the intermittent wiper switch. And I hit some pretty heavy 4X roads this past weekend in San Isabel NF, one I had to back out cause a tree was down on the road, or should I say the gouge in the side of the hill I was on. and none of the problems listed on the site you reference would have stopped me, cause I do not have them on my truck.

Just my 2 cents.

tsunami_wake

Right now I'm just about going nuts deciding whether to get a Tacoma or Ranger. For me, engine reliability has always been the most important characteristic for a vehicle. Looking at previous testing, such as those done by consumer reports, the tacoma seems to win in reliability hands down. I also like the V6 with greater stock HP at 190-HP (vs the ranger's 160-HP) as well. However, the side-impact crash test was given THE WORST rating by the NHTSA (this may have changed for the 2000 model?) and the price is just too damn high overall. The ranger, however, has just about every non-engine related feature I've been looking for (four-doors, the best overall crash test results in its class, fair price, good handling...). However, in reading past posts as well as articles in consumer magazines, it seems that there is a problem in terms of engine reliability (especially for 4X4's). Most of the problems deal with the 4.0L V6. Because of the problems, I've been looking more towards the 2WD 3.0L V6, but I have heard close to nothing in terms of its reliability. If someone could let alleviate my fears of the 3.0L V6 being unreliable (not just through personal stories), it would go a long way towards helping me decide. Otherwise, I'm back to banging my head against a wall. Thanks.

cpousnr

I remembered now where I saw the OD on/off button for the Ranger Automatic tranny:
http://www.edmunds.com/edweb/longterm/98Ford.Ranger.lt.html

To follow up on the torque issue for a lower hp engine, the Jeep inline 6 has 181hp@4600rpm and 222 ft-lb of torque @ 2800 rpm.
Again, lower hp, higher torque and max torque at a lower rpm.

(tsunami_wake)
Well make your best deal on the truck of your coice. However, Consumer Reports has rated the Ford ranger its "Best Buy" for quite a few years and for the most part the reliability ratings are very close between the two. Also, torqe is what you want if you are interested in a 4X. For the 2X, acceleration may be of issue. If you go to some of the Ford sites such as Ranger Station, you will see that many of the 4.0 Rangers are getting in excess of 100-150 K between rebuilds. My 4.0 is running great.

ziggy10

I did just buy a V6 2WD 5 speed Tacoma Xtra Cab. It is an excellent truck. The ride is smooth and comfortable (I have bucket seats), the engine has PLENTY of power, and The price can be very competitive to the Ford if you look in the right places. I got mine fully loaded for only 50 bucks above invoice. When I picked it up, the Saleswoman showed me the "dealer's" asking price and it was a full 2 grand higher!!!!! Try getting one over the internet like I did. If you're in the L.A. area, I can recommend mine. I was in and out of the dealership in 90 minutes, because the price was already established through e-mails. It was no hassles for me, and I didn't even have to argue the price, because it was so good. If you can find a deal like that, then I would definitely take the Tacoma. My truck has 200 miles on it now, and the gas tank is at about 3/8 full. I figure I can go another hundred before a refill (I think its a 15 gallon tank). The ride is very good, and the truck looks real smart (good 3 in 1 sound system too). Everything works, and I've noticed no problems yet. The ride does feel like a truck, but not a lot like a truck. It is very convenient to be able to haul stuff around though. The only problem YOU may have is the extra cab. It is small back there, but I didn't really need it for seating people. I wanted it for storing stuff inside (or when it rains). Just go out and drive them both. But if I were you, I'd drive the Tacoma first, so you can guage the difference in engine power compared to the Ford. Good Luck

scape2

The Ford Ranger Supercab is larger inside than the Tacoma Supercab.
Tsunami, it really depends on what you are going to use the truck for? I am going to be bias and say Ranger. From what it sounds like you will be using the truck as more of a commuter/light hauler/family hauler/vehicle. The Four door option in the 2wd, with a 3.0 5spd XLT package sounds like it would fit you fine. These are being sold in my area for about 14K nicely optioned with A/C, CD, buckets, backslider, ABS, Pwr brakes/steering. Have you test driven a Ranger yet? A couple words of advice. If you plan on towing, get the tow pkg and a limited slip rearend. Second, stay away from the 2.5! The 3.0 is only about $400 more and is far superior in hp/torque.
But it all comes down to Test drive, test drive, test drive.
Good luck!

tsunami_wake

(Ziggy10)
Can you give me the contact you used to purchase your Tacoma (I am current in LA)? All the internet quotes I have gotten so far (for a prerunner - I need the higher clearance) have ranged around $20,000+ (about $3000-5000+ more for a comprable ranger).

(Vince8)
The main reason I am looking for a truck is due to it's higher ground clearance. I know the 2000 2WD rangers have an option that raises its ground clearance to that similar on the 4X4 (the Tacoma's prerunner's 11 inch clearance might just be a little too high for my taste). I will most likely be working out in the field (i.e., undeveloped lands, major construction zones, etc...) at times and I don't want to kill my undercarriage if I have to use my own vehicle. The hauling capacity is also helpful as well transporting equipment and transporting samples. The 4-doors options is just something I thought was pretty convenient. The quotes I've gotten so far in Los Angeles (via internet) appear to be about $2000-3000 more than 14K, however they are VERY loaded.

cpousnr

If clearance is an issue, physically measure the clearance on both vehicles yourself before you believe the Prerunner has 11 inches clearance. Measure under the differential. You need 31X15 inch tires or 265X16 inch tires to get a differential clearance of about 9.5-10 inches. But you need the 31's or 265X16's, just like the Tacoma.
Prerunner comes stock with 225X15 inch tires which have a static diameter of 28.5 inches, about 27 inches on a vehicle. Divide by 2 you get 13.5 inches straight down the rear differential. Take half of the 8 inch differential size and subtract from the 13.5 inches and you get 9.5 inches and you have to allow for the metal material of the differential.
Soooo, your max clearance on a Prerunner with 225X15 tires should be around 8-9 inches under the differential.
Go measure it, you'll be surprised. I have measured them and a Tacoma TRD 4X4 with 31X15 inch tires measures out at about 9.75 inches under the differential

ziggy10

Here is the dealer I went through
http://carsontoyota.com

It's in Carson, down by Long Beach, CA. . The woman I dealt with was an "internet fleet manager">
Her name is Dianne Whitmire, and she's very nice.

The way I did it was to ask her to put up a truck with all your options that you want on their "online auction" banner (just click it and you can follow the site to see what's currently available--- she might already have some trucks on there.)

When I looked, she had NO trucks up for auction, but she e-mailed me back asking what I wanted, so I told her. A few minutes later she e-mailed me again to tell me that she had 2 trucks up for auction for me. Nobody else bid on them, so I got the one I wanted. The whole thing worked out great. You can add up your options (plus delivery charge) and they'll come up VERY close to invoice. And that's what you'll pay plus 10% for tax title and license!!!! That's the total --- no "hidden" garbage fees
It's the best way to go. No hassle, no arguing, and a good price.

I think her email address is:
diannewhitmire@earthlink.com (or .net)
I can check it out for you. When I picked up my truck, they had about 14 2000 pre-runners/4x4's in the lot, so they might already have something close to what you want.

If you do it, please tell her that "Ziggy" sent you. She said she'd give me a hundred bucks if I "recruited" anyone for her....

And Good Luck

tsunami_wake

(cpousnr)
Clearance is an issue to me (partially due to my possible working environments), but not too much. From what I have seen, the clearance on the prerunner is a quite a bit higher than I need. I don't plan to be off-roading much (very little in fact), however I do need clearance higher than you standard car. You should see what a few rocks and scrubs even in flat grasslands and rough trails can do to the undercarriage of a honda civic (OUCH!).

(Ziggy10)
I contacted Dianne Whitmire a few days ago (via the shop@toyota site) for a nonV6 prerunner that had a relatively heavy option package. The quote she gave me was just under $20,000 (OUUUUUCH!!). That is quite a bit more than I want to, or even can spend. I might be able to swing a non-prerunner, but I'm worried about the ground clearance (looks like that of a normal car) and I think it's close to the ugliest thing on the road today. But my family has had an old, ugly as sin crap brown toyota pickup since the early eighties. Sure it has gotten to the point where the bed has rust pitting about 5 inches in diameter, but the sucker just keeps going.

(vince8)
The ranger seems more in my price range, however I still have issues about reliability. Reliability reviews appear fairly good for the new rangers (i.e., very late 90's), but extremely mixed before than. I have a tendancy to work all my "toys" to death, trying to keep using them for as long as possible. Seeing that most of the good reliability predictions have been for late model rangers, I still have some doubts due to some mixed stories about the ranger's problems. I want to know whether a truck I buy now will be alive and kicking 10 years from now, or will I have to "put it down" 3-6 years before then. I still can't make up my mind.

cpousnr

Consider that the Tacoma 2X does come with skidplates, on the Ranger you have to uy them for about 160 bucks and install, easy to install yourself.
An inch or two is not real significant in the long run.
Tsunami got an exceptional deal on price, however, he is speaking, I think, with less than 1K miles under his belt. My Ranger just turned over 18K and is running fine.
Make an informed choice. You cannot go wrong either way. Just do not be fooled by clearance issues as it is developed by the height of the tires and the stuff hanging down underneath.

tsunami_wake

$19,800 a pretty good deal on a non-V6 prerunner?
Uh.....this contest is pretty much over then. I can't afford a $20,000+ vehicle right now, plus the toyota dealers have been telling me it can take up to 4 months to get one with ABS. I know for most people ABS is not important, and I would have concurred up to a few years ago. The ABS breaks on the van I was driving literally SAVED MY [non-permissible content removed]! I've gotten ranger quotes with even more options (alot I don't even need) for around $17,000 plus, with ABS already available. I can buy an extended warranty and still be thousands under $20000 for the ranger. So unless someone can convince me otherwise that I can get a Tacoma prerrunner for about the same price as a ranger (i.e., $17,000 or less), this contest is pretty much over. It's just too bad that like many things in life, money was the all important deciding factor. Oh well, thanks everyone, and see you around!

cpousnr

My 99 Ranger SuperCab, 4.0L V6, 5 sp manual, XLT 4X4, ABS(and yes you are right the ABS is REAL nice), A/C, AM/FM/CD, Skid plates, cruise was $17,800 before tax/license/fees(my tax rate is only 3.975%) but included 2.9% financing on the whole amount. So for under 19K total I recieved a nicely equipped, top of the line Ranger 4X4.

You should be able to get an equally equipped 4X2 Ranger XLT for about 15-16K, or less, before tax/etc.

I hope not premature but welcome to the Ranger family.

ziggy10

I think the clearance is around 6 inches on the non prerunners. Not too bad. The truck also looks more attractive with a shell on the back too. I hear that also helps gas mileage and traction with the extra weight. But I also think the Tacoma looks a little more attractive than the Ranger (even though they are pretty close in looks).
Did you send Dianne an e-mail asking for her to put a truck up on auction for you??? That's the way to go, because she'll probably start it out at barely over invoice!!!! She should be able to get you a better deal than 20k. Add up all your options that you want and then compare prices compared to how much the dealers want. I think that'll help you decide what's better. I also think the Tacomas last longer on average than Fords do, and that's why I picked it over the Ranger/Dakota options.
Good luck on whatever you get, though.

spoog

Now I know why so many farmers, loggers , ect use toyota compact pickups over Ford Rangers.

According to Edmunds, the Ranger is only a 1/2 ton truck, while the Tacoma is a 3/4 ton truck.


Ranger payload capacity :

Maximum Payload: 1260 lbs.


Tacoma payload capacity:

Maximum payload : 1670 lbs.


Thats quite a difference.

hindsite

Buy the Ranger since most of those construction site only have American vehicles according to some of the Ford people here. If you buy a Tacoma you will never hear the end of head gaskets in the 3.4 V6 engines in the Tacoma. What kind of samples will you be carrying in your truck?

Cpousnr,
My 90 year old dad still drives that old Ford. It has broken down, but then most things in life can be fixed. So goes it for all makes. Ford does make some nice tractors for farming. Btw was you involved in Operation Desert Shield?

tsunami_wake

Just when I thought I had made up my mind, another Toyota dealer sends me a significantly better quote, and it looks like I can even haggle that down further! @!!#!@##$&* Ooookay, now that I'm pretty much back to square one, so let me start off with a question that has been nagging me for a while. For those Ford Ranger experts, what is the difference (other than the available option packages and price) between the XL and XLT lines? Maybe I haven't been reading too carefully, but I can't seem to see a difference. Any help?

(Ziggy10)
I have been in contact with Dianne from Carson Toyota and have talked to her about the auction process, but because I haven't committed to a Tacoma, I am reluctant to bid or make any kind of commitment.

(hindsite)
I've known about the head gasket problem on the tacoma for a while, but supposedly the problem has been "fixed" on the 2000 model. Whether or not this is true time will tell. In regards to samples I maybe carrying, basically geologic/soil core samplings, ground water samples, possibly biologic samples as well.

scape2

I feel it comes down to you needing to sit down with the truck data in your hands. Compare interior room, options, all around truck specs and looks side by side.
I can only speak from my experince with Ford Rangers. I traded in my last Ranger that had 94K miles and not one problem. With only general maintenance the truck was very reliable and solid.
If you visit other Ranger rooms on the net you will see stories of good reliability.
Did you know Mazda also makes a truck like the Prerunner/Desert Runner? This may be another option to look at.
For your I feel a 3.0 V6 in a 5spd with a limited slip 3.73 rearend in the 2wd XLT will fill your needs. If you are getting the 2.7 from Toyota the 3.0 is by far the better engine. Its torque is better along with its torque curve. The 2.7 has to work awfully hard to reach its torque curve.
Good luck!

cpousnr

well one guy on Ranger Station 4.0 V6 page was talking about 165K on his 91, just a few fluid leaks, no indication of a rebuild:

http://www.fordranger.com/4l/1665.html

I guess the tacomas will go that far. . .
but my 81 basic Toyota went 35-45K. . .

spoog

lol. no one is buying your biased Ford Ranger homepage sources.

Please show some moxy and post neutral websites as your sources.