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Comments
"Hey finally figured out a way to post since
Edmunds system is so un-user friendly with Win 3.11systems. . ."
Well isnt this a surprise. Cspounser is still using Windows 3.11.
Are all your purchase decisions second class?
You have a second rate Ranger with a lowly 1000 pound payload, and no real gearing.
Let me guess....you bash windows 98 and 2000 for being "too pricey" ? lol.
I think that says it all Cspounser.
Do yourself a favor and update to windows 2k, and trade in your Ranger on a Tacoma. You know you want to. Wha with all the visits to the Tacoma dealer measuring the clearance. I know you liked what you saw....how the Tacoma is all tidied up and put away underneath for the trails..........
Were you expecting them to pull something out of midair? Im sorry, but the Tacoma offers those things dealer stock, the Ranger doesn't. and until Ford gets off their duffs and builds a offroad competent vehicle with PROPER offroad features(ala Toyota) it will always be this way.
Even your beloved Carpoint review claims the tacoma is " a cut above the rest offroad". Something you have been denying all along. Heres another quote:
4wheeelr:
" The Rangers uses the same suspension as the f150, and while it offers a good highway ride, the trail quality is sacrificed".
See you in the hills? Not where I go...........
And, Toyota's are going up again! almost 1%!!. I think Toyota is going to shoot themselves in the foot.
Gee, I remember a time when "Domestics" were spendy and not a very good value. This is when the Japanese took advantage and once made cars/trucks that were less expensive yet a very good value. Toyota and value just don't go hand in hand any longer.
This is cpousnr.
Was it not you that asked if anyone used GPS for 4 wheeling? Well, guess what the wife got me for xmas. Just a Magellen 315 but it will work fine. Alread used it around the neighborhood to get use to it.
Going to So. Colo to try it out tomorrow. I programed in the rough lat long of the property and found it is 106 miles on a bearing of 183 deg from the house.
Should be an asset to the Ranger and a good tool for hunt... I mean nature watching.
No just thrifty on even my computer choice but it is around 5 years old but does not do too bad for a 75 Mhz pentium. It gets me here does it not? Seems the motherboard will not take a BIOS upgrade, hence cannot install Win 98. I think I got my, at the time, $1300 worth.
However, with the money I saved on my Ranger, which by the way will go where your truck goes, and more, I am ordering a 450 or 500 Mhz Pentium III with maybe a 10 or so Gig drive that can pretty much handle anything I want. Gateway or Dell ok by you? Consumer Reports rates both real well. . .
(1) Yes. The 2.5 is pathetic. The 3.0 is only good when mated with the manual. The 4.0 is reliable and has ample power despite being "low-tech." This is why I got the 4.0, but I would also have been happy with a 3.0/manual.
(2) Yes. It's a pickup. I expect a "truck-like" ride. If I wanted a cushy ride, I would have gotten a luxury auto.
(3) Yes. But, anyone that doesn't automatically check the 4wheel ABS is an idiot. Safety should always come first.
(4) Yes. It's a pickup. I don't expect it to handle like a Ferarri. If I wanted the creme de la creme of handling, I would have bought an M3. the Ranger handles 'bout like every other compact truck I've driven.
(5) No. The only vehicles I've ever had any problem with turning radius were LB full-sized pickups or monsterous SUVs. It is actually easy to parallel park and maneuver in city driving.
(6) No. It's 4wd, not AWD. I think Hearaud's got the two a little mixed up here.
(7) Yes. If I wanted mpg, I would have bought a TDI VW. But, there goes any towing/hauling/off-roading ability. There's always some trade-offs here. I'm not unhappy with the 15/20 that my 4.0L Ranger gets either.
(8) No. I would much rather have the SOHC 4.0L V6 available than the 4.9L V8. If I wanted a V8 truck, I'd get a full-size.
(9) Yes, definately. What do you expect for an $8,000 truck? Spend the extra $1,500 or so for the XLT to get A/C, carpeting, sport-cloth seats, etc... Those XL's really seem to be more for fleet sales.
What do you toyota guys think of the list of cons for the toyota? And can you answer truthfully (not blindly like spoog would)?
Here are the cons for the tacoma:
1. SAFETY Tacomas received low marks from NHTSA in collision tests.
2. PRICE Tacomas are often more expensive than equivalent competitors.
3. TORQUE The DOHC V6 is a bit lacking here.
4. BRAKES Emergency stopping distances are long and the Tacoma's path can be erratic without ABS.
5. CHOICES More limited than is the case with Ford and Chevrolet. Where are the extra doors?
6. REAR SEATS Being an acrobat or a contortionist is very helpful in getting to the Xtracab's rear seats; there's not a lot of room once you get there.
7. ROADHOLDING The high center of gravity of 4x4s make curves dicey; the Xtracab's length and wide turning radius make tight maneuvers nearly impossible.
Toyota is raising prices by almost 1%! across the board. Only time will tell if this will hurt them or help them. Ford Rangers are less expensive across the board option for option.
See you in the hills.
BTW sorry about the incident with your Ranger.
Ford people like the Ranger. Chevy people like the S10, and Toyota people like the Tacoma.
I am none of the above. I buy what I think is the best quality truck. And I knew I would pay a little more for a Toyota. So that's not a problem. IF cheap is what you want, buy a YUGO.
On the other hand, I did put the SVT Contour through the paces a little bit during the test drive. Its handling was a big factor in my purch decision. Price was too. I could have 2 SVT Contours and money left to burn on mods or 1 M3 (try convincing my wife that I need a $45K anything).
As for the ranger, it goes in Jan 10 to have my wife's amateur body work repaired. I just hate it when that happens...
Each time you replace the battery do you need to reprogram the year?
Of course not. Thus, no date related componants.
BTW, just spent in excess of $1500 for needed work on one of the 87 Celicas. Inner tie rods(frozen, toe was 3degrees out, thats a lot), drive belt(broken), Throttle positioner(could not adjust timing), radiator hoses and flush(just overdue) and it still needs valve cover and oilpan gaskets and, where have I heard this before, a HEAD GASKET($700 to replace, it is leaking radiator fluid). My ONLY point is even a HIGHLY reliable vehicle, such as the Toyota will sometimes need repair. Things break but in my opinion, Toyotas are expensive to fix when they do break.
hindite:
The GPS was very accurate. Found the property is at 8535ft and was .7 miles off the map estimated lat. long I entered from here. Have to admit it beats compass and topo map. But a compass is on most of the screens. If you use one, remember the extra batteries. I had it on for half the trip and used about half the battery power. I think anyone that GOES OFF-ROAD (you DO do that between racing at lights do you not spoog?) in a wilderness area could use one of them. Take a mark where the truck is and just go exploring. How long until they will be an option on SUV's where you can remove it from the dash? Hmmm, I will invent one and make my million. . .
Yes hindsite send me some info on data if you would. Which GPS are you using?
As I have said before, both trucks are very nice. As to the ride, mine could use better shocks, they will come soon. I would expect that the TRD with its off-road suspension and shocks would be a bit stiffer. But ride is subjective to a degree. For MGP, I am getting around 17-18 in town and 20 or so on a trip. But remember I have the 31 inch tires aired down to 27-30 lb which is not good for rolling resistance. I prefer it that way to preserve the tread on some rather expensive tires. I got 22-23hwy and 19-20 town with the 235's and I consider that mpg GREAT for a truck.
I have the Garmin 12 and I get about 10 hours on four akaline AA batteries. The good thing about it as you have said you can mark a point and explore or just mark a point that has potential.
GPS Web Site for those interested.
1. Here is a site that can give you latidude/longitude & map from an address.
http://www.geocode.com/scripts/eagle/eagle.pl?cmd=td_i
2. Here is a site with searchable waypoint data base.
http://www.waypoint.org
3. This site is a map & satellite image tool. From this site you can indirectly attain a waypoints from a map or simply input the latidude/longitude coordinates of a waypoint to get a map of that position. Don't click this site if you have anything under 300 mhz processor & less than 64 Ram.
http://mapserver.esri.com/si/html/main.htm
By the way, my '98 ranger came loaded to the gills. The only option boxes not checked were extended cab, 4.10 limited slip differential, and trailer hitch (purchased aftermarket for half the price later). It cost 18.5K and came with 4.0L, 5-speed automatic, 4x4, power everything, dual-media, off-road pkg, etc... Now, the avg of its retail/trade-in values is about 17K. Not too bad after almost 2yrs and 16K miles.
Thanks for the info.
BTW the Celica has 170K on it so it is time something was in need of replacement. Just a bit expensive when it all goes at once.
Have a happy New Year and what about that Ford that is going to be announced this month that will get, I think, 70mpg?
I paid CASH for my Truck, CASH no financing lease boy.
Saw my first Toyota Prerunner today. As you know I have already compared ground clearances with my friends Tacoma TRD (The one that blew the headgasket and he didn't want me to know). I have to admit it did make me stop and look. It sits higher than a stock Tacoma. The body sits higher, not the axles/suspension, why? Are these not available in a V6? 5spd?
Its funny how Tacoma owners continue to try to justify their extra 2-3K they spend on the most expensive, worst crash test rating compact truck on the market today. No way are you going to convince an educated buyer a Tacoma is less or just as much as a Ranger option for option.
The Ranger is still in the top 10 cars/trucks sold in the U.S. The Tacoma doesn't even make the top 20! And the excuses of financing and fleet sales is old and doesn't fly. Fact is Ford has beaten Toyota in mass production. Its able to build more trucks, thus causing prices to stay low and give TRUE VALUE to the Ranger.
See you in the hills!
I have seen your post about your FRIEND with the TRD Tacoma and would you kindly ask him to post on Edmunds. If he doesn't have access to a computer I am sure you can let him use yours since you are friends.
BTW Can you skip that name calling for the new year.
As we all know, buying a car in the first place is a BAD INVESTMENT.
Why you continue to be on your soap box about purchasing (esp. paying cash) I will never understand (seeing how your choice turned out financially for you).
BTW, don't feel bad about your $40k Ranger. My sister's father-in-law exercised a bunch of options several years ago to buy a new Jaguar. By his own calculations, if he had left that $ invested, it would be worth about $800k now. So he has an $800k Jag.
I finally got the web site up and running. There are two photos of my Taco near the bottom of the page with the Ford, Buick, and Pontiac.
http://hometown.aol.com/hindsite/HindSite.html
P.S. I don't want to see you in the hills because i'll probably have to bail you out of a hole with my Toyota. Vince8, if all of us wrote responses like the one I just wrote this site would be no FUN!!!
Another thing, which truck is "better" (and about 90% of the subject matter discussed on this board) is a matter of opinion. And, if you think that $3,000 is no big deal, why don't you mail everyone here a check for 3 grand?
is old and doesn't fly"
Just because you don't belive something doesn't make it not true. The only person it doesn't "Fly" with, is you!
-wsn
aka, your a joke. Toyota envy? How about pity. Pity for those like yourself that paid too much for a perceived quality/reliability image/advantage.
And I hope I do see you in the hills. I just hope you don't run into any trees or rocks with your Tacoma, after all it does have the WORST crash rating of all compact trucks. Hey, Tacoma tough! LOL.
First off: Toyota
I wanted to test drive the 4x4 v-6 extended cab tacoma, but they only had the reg cab 4X4. Needless to say, I was very disappointed by the way I was handled on the salesfloor. I was given the treatment as if i was a 16 year old. They repeated to me that I could not get a tacoma v-6 4x4 for under 25, implying i could not afford one. I was quickly unimpressed with my salesperson. To continue, We took out the reg cab for a test drive. I immediatley took notice of the high elevation of the truck. Hey, great ground clearance, but lets wait to see how this does on the highway. The dashboard was arranged nicely and easy to read. Nothing was in the way of each other, but the cabin felt rather cramped when it came to the width of the cabin. The seats were rather thin and low to the floor, but felt suitable for support. The ride was high and often a little, um, well, scary, it felt unstable going onto exit ramps on the highway. Of course, i am now use to driving a 99 honda civic si, and those are rather low to the ground, so maybe that had something to do with it. The engine was great under 40mph, but lacked at highway speeds, it seemed i had to constantly keep on the gas to keep 60mph. But on a lighter note, what a great manual transmission. I don't know who designed the transmission on the tacoma, but he/she should get salary increase. The tacomas 5speed felt as good as my si's five speed in terms of shift action and refinement. Overall, the tacoma felt like a truck and it pretended to be nothing else. Thats what i liked about it. I know if i purchased this truck, i could take it off road, treat it like hell and still get 200,000 miles out of it. They just need to bump up the torque on the 2.7, increase the width and i would have enjoyed it more. Oh yeah, and get rid of the salesperson, he has no idea how much i make in a year, a great deal more then him.
Second: Ford
First off, I was greeted with a friendly smile, and they WANTED me to take the ranger for a spin around the block. So, i choose the highest end model they had on the lot. 4.0L 4x4 manual extended cab. The ranger's cabin was larger in the inside and the seats gave more support then the toyotas did, but what a crumy layout. The stick blocked the temperature gauges, and the almost the stereo. But, the dashboard seemed to resemble a cars interior in terms of quality and looks, not bad ford, not bad at all. But unforantley, where the toyota shined(for me anyway), the ford lacked. That happened to be the worst transmission i believe i have ever driven in my life, it belonged in a u-haul truck. The thing did more clunking then a yugo going 70mph. Very dissappointing considering the possiblites of the engine. The engine had great torque at low rpms but that to would clunk when i was travelling down the highway at 60mph and then would let off the gas. Not very promising for future reliabilty. ON the bright side, i felt more in control and planted to the ground in the ranger then i did in the toyota. It could be because the toyota was a reg cab and the ranger was extended. Suprisingly, both the tacoma and the ranger were easy to manevuer through traffic and parking lots. The salespeople at ford were friendly and willing to do anything to get my business, and truthfully, thats how it should be. Toyota on the otherhand, not so sure, but that could change from dealer to dealer.
finally, if i had to choose a truck, i believe i would probably get the tacoma. It felt more refined while still only being a truck. Don't get me wrong, the ford had great handling a spirited drivetrain, but the clunking scared me away. Possibly a lemon. Throw the toyota transmission in the ranger and then you might really have something.
So what happened to your just "defending" the Ranger and not "Bashing" the Taco, stance? Post # 670 was pretty rough.
-wsn
ponm, that is the only way to really compare the two trucks. If you choose to go with the Tacoma dont take that crap form the Toyota dealership. Find another one and tell them about your experience at the dealership you went to. The same thing happened to me. I was told here in Charlotte that if I was looking at a v6 x-cab 4x4 that it would be over 24k and this guy who was younger then me proceded to try and give me a lesson in finance. Well, I never went back and called a dealership in the small town where I went to school. They were perfectly professional and I got the truck described above + TRD for 21.6K.
Have you asked your friend with the Taco to post on Edmunds?
Just ordered 2000 Tacoma V6 4x4 xcab. bucket
seats, 5sp, conv pkg, pwr pkg, sr5 pkg, factory
alloy wheels (not the Enchei's) w/ p265/75
michelins, cruise, tilt, am/fm cd, chrome trim for
wheel wells. No liner. Will have it sprayed.
Easiest vehicle I ever bought. Took about 15 mins.
to do the deal. (but I had done my research).
Price was $19,880. If Edmunds and Kelley's pricing
is correct that's $144 over cost.
I am happy with the deal. I have had a Ford and
just sold a Chevrolet, so I have experience with
all. Chevrolet was a good truck. I liked better
than the Ford. From my experience the Ford V^ is
kinda weak. Although I realize the Chevy had the
4.3 liter. The Toyota engine seems much stronger
and smoother.
I don't think I could have gotten a similarly
equipped Ranger much cheaper. I drove a new one and just didn't care for it. Plus, from owning a Ford and Chevy previously I know they don't hold their value as well as the Toyota.
And I have noticed, I'm alone out here, all the Ranger fans are gone. No matter, I'll be here until the end, when ever that is?
I talked with my friend with the Tacoma and he is willing to give his .2 worth. Probably will come by Thursday night he said. I have to tell you he is level headed and not as gung ho Toyota, anti Ranger as all of you guys are. Even after his headgasket incident he still like Toyota, go figure?
By the way, I saw an Enterprise rental sticker on a Tacoma? Please explain when someone here said Toyota doesn't rent cars/trucks???
As far as price comparison, there is no way you are going to convince an educated buyer that a Tacoma is actually less or just as expensive as a comparably equipped RAnger. Its plastered everwhere that the TAcoma is pricey for a compact truck.
Ponm, I guess it all comes down to taste. I felt the Toyota interior was far cheaper looking/feeling than the Rangers. Seats were thinnner, maybe thats why they are falling apart. Someone has posted this at Edmunds that their Tacoma seats were falling apart. You compared a 5spd to an automatic? May want to compare again 5spd to 5spd, 2.7 to 3.0 this may be more of a comparison. Anyway, good luck on your hunt and with whatever you decide.
off-road abilities, brand image of the company overall, reputation, resale value, the history of all the Ford trucks and their products before even start judging on which truck is really a better one. It is obvious the Ford is lower cost at new but what about it's cost to keep it running and in the long term, how much it'll be worth. Please pull out a local newspaper and look at the eighties Ranger for yourself. Nobody wants them because they don't know what they are good for..atleast I don't. And then look at a Toyota.
I think they have earn their reputation as a reliable vehicle overall that's why they have the best resale value overall.
I don't know what source some of you got it from regarding to crash test and safety. I found out with picture photograph at he "Nation Highway Safety.." website saying it is the most safe compact track out there. The worst are the nissan
and the dakota or durango.
I love you all truck fans so no hard feeling for any one.
Felipe