Toyota TACOMA vs Ford RANGER - V

cthompson21

I believe that Mazda has a better warranty simply due to marketing. They are also slightly less expensive. Also, options are more limited. They mostly come in preset packages. I guess they've got to offer more to have someone give up the Ford brand name.

I would have gone with a Mazda when I bought my truck. But, you can't get the 4.0L V6 in a reg cab, only ext-cab. With my next purchase, I'll probably get a ext-cab, so there's a very likely chance that it will be a Mazda.

I like the looks of the Mazda a little bit better than the Ranger. The slightly chromed grill and the flared fenders give it a really nice-looking agressive stance. I actually think it looks more like the Tacoma than a Ranger. Go figure...

spoog

1. Are you telling me that if someone states that a Tacoma is a better offroader than a Ford escort, that it is subjective??? Are you telling me that can't be proven? Speaking of banging your head against a wall............

Your whole theory is destryod. Thats the end of that discussion.

2. The only place you will find in Wisconsin for 30 grand that is 5 acres on waterfront is a sewage canal or swamplands with no solid ground to build on. Typical sandy shoreline property in the North Woods of Wisconsin including 250 feet of lake frontage and about 1/2 an acre is going for around 90,00 to 400,000 depending on the lake and area. You CAN find deals that beat this, but for pure buildable and liveable lots, this is what you'll pay. If your looking for stream frontage or a non-waterfront hunting camp, you could easily find something for the price you mentioned.

My family has a cabin on a BEAUTIFUL lake in VILAS County. It is absolutely gorgeous. Were talking on the lake. The lake is 2,000 acres, all natural, and the property has GIANT red pines that bald eagles like to perch up in to scout over the lake. Eagles, Ospreys, black bear( Wisconsin has a higher bear population than Colorado) wolves, fisher, pine marten, goshawk, ect. They own about 350 feet of shoreline, and most of the acreage "pies" back into the forest. It totals abouts 2 acres. With the cabin, the property is worth 240-250. Without it your looking at 120 for the lot. My grandfather initially paid 19,ooo for it in 1974.

The lake is clear and filled with Muskie, pike, walleye, smallmouth and largemouth bass, and every panfish. It is excellent fishing.

Theres is one thing to be said of the northwoods. WATER WATER everyhwere. There are SO MANY lakes up there, it is amazing. I love Colorado for it's sunny weather and mountains, but when it comes to beautiful lakes and freshwater fishing ( and diversity of species) the northwoods of michigan, wisconsin and minnesota cant be beat.

Theres nothing like spending the evening watching the sun set and a stunning 2,000 acre lake as you grill dinner and put back a nice bottle of beer, with the bobbers out for some last minute crappies and bass. Damn is it peaceful.

My best friend who owns the cabin and land just east of Pagosa often says to me he wished he would have gotten a place on a lake.

In case any of you are familiar, this area is in Central VILAS COUNTY.

Cthomp- also try the UP. Another family member has 40 acres on a trout stream. Up there they have these incredible steelhead runs( 10 pound rainbows) that come up from lake superior to spawn in the streams. Most of the streams ar ein canyons with barrier falls that are the steelheads barrier. YOu can see them trying to jump the falls, only they are too high.

And I will tell you this. I saw the most beautiful thing I ever witnessed up in the upper Peninsula of Michigan several years bak :

The Aurora Borealis , or the northern lights. Words cannot describe that amazing, amazing spectacle. It lasted for 5 hours and was on top of us, instead of off on the horizon.

There is nothing like being out on the forested hill at night, with the sound of the waterfalls in the distance, and the shimmering, awe-inspiring spectacle that is the aurora borealis.

cthompson21

Where did this Ford Escort come from???

I never said that I thought either vehicle (either Ranger or Tacoma) was a better off-roader. I only said it was subjective. It is someone's opinion. And, I haven't had the chance to put either truck through any serious trail conditions. There isn't anywhere here in IL to head off-road. I don't own a Tacoma, and I doubt any Toyota dealer is going to let me wring a truck out on the trails during a test drive if I could even find a location.

Relying on a magazine's review is like believing that I like chicken more than fish just because they say THEY like it better.



I couldn't attest to the quality of the land that I was talking about. Just checking out a real estate booklet while up there snowmobiling. I saw a couple that looked tempting. 5 wooded acres, 250ft of lakefront, 30-something thousand. And, 3 wooded acres, 2 bedroom cabin, 150ft on the river, for 40-something thousand. In an area where $8/hr at the Harley-Davidson plant is considered a high paying job (no offense intended to anyone), I doubt land is selling for anywhere close to a million per acre. I did see some huge log cabins on the lake that would probably get up there, though. The North Woods are georgeous, and everywhere you look is a lake, river, stream, pond, you name it.

scape2

Yes, I bought my truck new with cash in 1998. The stock market had been very good to me so I thought I would treat myself to a new toy, a beautiful 1998 Ranger 4x4 XLT supercab stepside in light blue. I use this truck in the Cascades of Oregon and Washington quite often. Spoog's claim that Rangers can't 4x4 makes me laugh everytime I read it. If I could only show him the places I have been in my Ranger, I am sure it would keep him quiet. I still don't believe he owns this Tacoma, he has not given pictures when asked, has slipped up on several occassions when dealing with 4x4 topics and Tacoma specifics. None the less, spoog and a few others are your typical Tacoma owners who paid for a percieved quality/reliability advantage!
Enjoy the stickers TRD owners!
See you in the Cascades

hindsite

When have you posted a pic of your truck here directly? LOL Well that perceived quality is real. Anyway have fun on those dirt trails.

mviglianco1

per·ceive
v. tr. per·ceived, per·ceiv·ing, per·ceives.

1. To become aware of directly through any of the
senses, especially sight or hearing.

2 To achieve understanding of; apprehend.

If that is what perceived means than yes, it is perceived quality/reliability

cthompson21

Your def is of a verb, not an adjective as Vince uses it.

perceived adj

1: detected by instinct or inference rather than by recognized perceptual cues

2: detected by means of the senses

My guess is that his meaning pertains to the first of the two definitions.

mviglianco1

If that is true then the word is meaningless. Your first definition says it is something not attained from the main senses and the second definition says it is by senses. That is like saying:

synthetic: adj

1. man made
2. organic

Oh well, I am confused.

mviglianco1

Instincts prove very useful in making decisions and in survival. I made my choice to purchase the Tacoma based upon my gut feeling about the quality of the two trucks. This is a feeling and belief that cannot be quantified or explained. This debate will never be put to a rest but it is sure fun trying.

cthompson21

Not my definitions, just Webster's dictionary. They had 2 meanings for perceived.

Maybe that gut feeling was just that cheeseburger you had earlier for lunch acting up. JK :oD

I went with prior Ford experience and the big price/value factor. I had just gotten out of college and money was tight. Ya know? My wife I had a really reliable Toyota during college, but we just couldn't justify spending more on a car with less features and power.

I'll probably have to sell my truck when I head back to grad school in a couple of years, so my wife and I can consolidate to one vehicle to save $$$. After I graduate, who knows what I'll buy. It will be at least an ext-cab, possibly a quad cab. It will never be a Sport-Trac. I really don't like them. Damn Ford for no quad-cab ranger!!! Maybe a quad-cab Dakota, ext-cab F150, quad-cab Taco (if it ever comes out), or something else.

mviglianco1

I too drove an older Toyota during college. Being single and being lucky enough to get a great job out of college I was way excited about being able to afford a nice new vehicle for the first time I juumped at what I had been wanting for a long time. Dont get me wrong, I absolutely love my truck, but sometimes I wonder what it would have been like to fix up my old Yota and invest my monthly payment. If I decide to go back to school or move to the mtn where I will have to take a pay cut I can always get good money for my Tacoma.
A guy down the street from me has the Sport Trac. Interesting to look at but more of a gimmick then the TRD package IMO. What could you haul in that tiny bed that you couldn't fit in the back of the regular explorer except maybe a small tree?

P.S. What is your definition of less power? 30 less hp and only 5 more ft/lbs of torque? (just kidding)

cthompson21

Sorry about the confusion. I was talking about a car. My wife and I had an '89 Corolla in college. We traded it in for a V6 Grand Am shortly after graduation, as Camry's were more expensive with less options and less power. Got rid of the Grand Am last summer for an SVT Contour. I never really liked it (the Pontiac, too narrow for me), and she decided that she was the primary driver of my then new Ranger. Now, she claims the 'Tour to herself, and I've got my truck back. I enjoy driving both of them. It makes the commute to and from work enjoyable (except when I'm stuck in I55 construction for 2+ hours).

I think the Sport-Trac is just that, a gimmick. The p/u quad-cabs at least have a useable bed with a bed extender. The styling is very unagressive (almost kinda feminine in my opinion). Well, maybe it'll grow on me as I see them on the road, and I won't be "put off" by their styling. It's just the next leg of the rat race for those who can't afford Expeditions (which are abominations).

xena1a

Spoog -

I just wanted to acknowledge your entry #206. Your words were much appreciated and certainly respected. I don't often post in this forum, but I have been an avid reader of it since Tacoma vs Ranger 1. I want to see this topic continue and thrive. Consequently, I consider your statement in #206 an important one. Thank you...

hindsite

One singular word to describe Ford is recalls.

Vinny,
When are you going to post a pic of your truck directly? Never. Enjoy those dirt trails.

cpousnr

Sounds like everyone has access to some interesting places.

Cannot say the trout are as large here in Colorado at least in So Colorado. But there are fine catch and realease mountain lakes in the Sangre's. while the elk and deer herds are not the largest in that area, there is one area called Wolf Springs, 30 miles south that is suppose to be loaded with elk. You need 8 preference points, that is 8 years of applying, to get in there.

LAnd depends on where it is and what it has. For some reason, land on the west side of the Wet Valley is more than the east. Guess it is because of being in the deep forest. In the area I am in, the range is maybe 7K to 25K depending on trees/rocks/views/size/you name it for say 5-11 acres. Same land close in to Denver is maybe 50-60K. Put it on a lake, maybe double. There is a lake in the Wet MTN valley but the land in my opinion is less desirable as it is windy, dusty little trees and expensive.

wsnoble

He's not going to post his truck becaus he's to busy getting proof of his friends alleged Tacoma's headgasket problem, right Vince?

CP: Since i do not have a webpage would you be willing to accept other person's pictures, to post. at this time i only have the stupid picture they take at the dealer, but it's me in the photo, so that proves something. If not i would be more than willing to scan the top of my bill of sale to prove ownership.

Question for all?

Where are you and what are the current gas prices. I use Super and it is about $1.58 a gallon right now...

-wsn

PS Most dealers do stink, but i can say mine's not bad. They are offering free coolers to current owners who bought there rides there. Just go in with your ride and the coleman's yours. You can never have enough places to put your beers.

Yahoo summer's coming...

hindsite

Most likely not in my lifetime. LOL

The price of gas has really went up quite a bit over in the Westchester, NY in the past month or so. I saw $1.89 a gallon for hi test and $1.69 a gallon for regular. One bright point is hopefully there will be less traffic

loki99

in 95 I was going to buy a tacoma, I liked the looks mainly, a "friend" talked me into buying a ranger and it did cost me less up front, the 95 was a textbook lemon! 37,000 miles and need new engine, ac went out and had electrical problems plus I had to fight ford because it was 1,000 miles out of warranty! ANyway I was dumb enough to trade it in on a 98 ranger, I figured it was just a fluke and I wouldn't have anymore trouble, 18,000 miles and it started making a bad sound, and needed a new engine! and had a rear end leak, I finally got fed up and traded it in on a new desert runner nissan, I do like the tacoma better in looks, but I was able to get much more of a truck with the nissan, and from what I have seen the reliability is about the same. I know that if I had bought the tacoma, I would most likely still be driving it. let's see, 1 tacoma equals 2 rangers and a nissan, hmm you do the math.

scape2

OK, I will post more pics of my truck in the coming weeks. I have a scanner, I just now need to figure out where to put them on AOL. Hind, my trials are bigger than your bumps you call Mountains! LOL. I live in some of the roughest country in the U.S. I can think of no other Mt Range other than the Rockies that best the Cascade range.
I will go up into the Cascades also and show you some signs on the way up. I will prove I own this truck and use it as a truck. Unlike some other folks in this room.
Prices for gas here in the NW are high, regular unleaded is at about $1.60. Rumors are the gas prices may reach 2.00 a gallon!! Ouch! But still a bargain when comparing Europe or certain Asian countries.
On the financial side of things. If the Japanese are so good why can't they pull their country out of 6 years of recession? Their economy contracted 1.4%!!
See you in the Cascades!

cthompson21

Did you ever change the oil in the "original" engines? Just wondering...

I saw some "unaware" person on the Ranger board post "I've got 15K miles on my truck now, and I'm thinking about changing my oil."

BTW, which engines did you have in your trucks?

cthompson21

Gas in the Chicago area is around $1.60 for low grade and around $1.90 for high grade. And, traffic is getting much worse. I think it will be time for me to move outta here soon. It's getting damn near aggravating just to deal with all the people moving into the area. Over 400 subdivisions planned for my little town to start construction this spring. Yuck!

loki99

Yes I took very good care of both trucks, I took them to the dealer every 3,000 miles, for oil change/tire rotation or whatever they thought I needed, I never towed anything and never had a load over 4 or 500 pounds. they both were V6 manual transmissions, the one that was replaced at 37,000 miles the dealer even said they only decided to fix it because I had always brought it to the dealer and nowhere else.

cthompson21

Which V6 did you have, the 3.0 or 4.0? What was the noise that warranted replacing the engine? How did the other one go?

You shoulda waited until 2001 to get the Nissan. They're putting a supercharger on the 3.3 to get 210hp and 240ft/lbs of torque. Their quad-cab model seems pretty nice.

loki99

I had the 3l and the 4l. I went with the bigger engine because I tought it would reduce the chances of more problems if there was a design defect in the 3l. The 3l was making a valve noise like it didn't have oil, but the pressure and level read OK, the 4l had the deiseling sound like the others here. I could not wait for the super charger, besides it would have been more money, the 170hp is powerful enough for me. THe 4door trucks were nice, but I don't need the extra seating space enough to give up the bed. Besides
the salesman told me I could not get as good a deal on the 4door as the desert runner.

scottssss

any one who want pics posted just email em to me at mtn_scott@yahoo.com and ill be happy to post em and i will provide a link here when i do

cthompson21

Did anything ever actually go wrong with the engines? Every 4.0L I've heard does sound a bit noisy, but I have never heard anywhere (on message boards or with friends/family who own 4.0 Rangers) of any sort of problem developing due to this "excessive noise".

The 3L sounds as if you had an oil passage to the valves blocked, and they weren't getting the proper lubrication. Did the dealer ever tell you what was wrong with it?

Currently, I own a '98 4L, my father-in-law owns a '98 4L, my father owns a '00 4L, and they all sound exactly the same - a bit "noisy". I can't say that I'm concerned. I didn't buy the truck expecting luxury car levels of refinement.

An import does sound like the better truck for you. Nissan and Toyota have smoother-running, quieter engines thanks to lower displacement, OHC engines. GM may soon be setting the benchmark with their new I6 engines, especially if they use OHC technology. The SOHC 4.0L in the Ranger should be an interesting development along with Nissan's SC 3.3L V6. I guess only time will tell.

hindsite

Sounds great to me that you are finally going to show the proof. There are several magazines that you can scan the Ranger from. Enjoy those dirt roads:)

loki99

yes, they did go bad, ford wouldn't have replaced them if they did not need it, the 95 actually siezed up on me and they tried to tell me I was running it with no oil in it, but they couldn't explain why I never lost oil pressure, and I just had the oil changed at the dealer 4 weeks before and there was not any leaks from the engine, they went ahead and replaced it, but told me they could not figure out exactly what happened, I think they knew but did not want to document the real problem. the 4l was not the usual noise, like I said, it was always a little noisy like you mentioned and it got to the point where I had to turn up the radio to not hear it, and people were always turning their head when I was driving by. This is not my imagination and ford would not do the work if there was nothing wrong.

cthompson21

It sounds like the 3L wasn't flowing oil somewhere in the engine. You said it had oil pressure, so the oil pump was working. I'd bet there were clogged oil passages somewhere. Most likely culprit would be a bad oil filter, like a Fram (glue and cardboard easily broken, everyone please don't use them). And, you just had the oil/filter changed a few weeks before. And, the dealer wouldn't tell you what was wrong. I'd bet they knew exactly what happened to the engine, but they were trying to screw you out of a warranty fix to save themselves some money. I think we may have solved the mystery, Scooby.

It sounds like your 4L had the wrist-pin problem. This affected some engines in the '98 and '99 model years. The only problem I've heard of is excessive noise/dieseling. Some people describe it as some marbles rolling around in a tin can. But, I've never heard of any problems developing due to this noise. The only cure for the noise is an engine swap with a new 4L with a slightly revised design. A good service department will perform the swap when it is brought to their attention. A bad service department will dick with you telling you to change to a heavier weight oil or something like that. They'll also "blow the carbon" out of your engine. They pretty much just do [non-permissible content removed] work until the truck is out of the warranty period. Finding a good service department is important with every make.

scape2

Hind, I know you know where I live. Let me remind you I live in the Northwest. MT Hood, MT ST. Helens ring a bell? Cascade range? What Moutain range do you have that is just 40 miles from your front door?
I know Ford had a bad batch of 4.0 engines. Some had headgasket problems and I believe there was a recall/TSB of some sort. The 4.0 is not known for its quiet manners or smooth running. Heck, its a truck for godsake not a car! I don't expect a truck to be as quiet as a car or behave like a car.
In fact, I have read the 3.0 has better reliability than the 4.0. Having owned a 4.0 previously and ran it up to 96,000 miles with no problems, I have to admit this doesn't give me warm fuzzies. None the less my present 4.0 now as about 25K with no problems.
Also read once again, that its a good thing to engage your 4x4 system at least once a month for a few minutes to keep the mechanicals working.

hindsite

Am I to believe that you live where you claim to live? There is no location given in your profile. What a joke! You can scan those mountains from the mag National Geographics or Traveler would be a good choice for you. Better yet save an image or images from a web site. You might like to try this web site for the cascade mountain range.

http://www.physics.orst.edu/~jalyea/cascades/cascades.html

Enjoy those dirt trails:)

A thing about NY state is that it is a fairly large state and I suppose the all knowing knows where I live. Looking into my crystal ball I see the state of NY. Yes he lives in NY:) Yes NY does have mountains:) I never posted where I live exactly. If you know where I live then tell me.

Wow the 4.0 has head gasket problems. Actually quite a few of the Ford engines has had that problem. I will say that the 4.0 head gasket is a fluke.

cpousnr

If you have a Ranger, there are ways to post pics one at a time over here:http://www.fordranger.com/offroad.html

or I can post them on my AOL web site for a while and provide a URL to view them.
Vinces is here:
http://members.aol.com/Cpousnr/vince8.jpg

Gas in Denver south is 141.9 for regular, and then .10 up for each higher grade.

scape2

CP you still have it!! Thats my bad boy! up off the Barlow trail off of HWY 26.
I am going to fill this place with pics in the weeks to come to prove to Hind I live in Oregon and visit the Cascades quite often. I am going up next weekend to Timbeline lodge and am going to take the loop around MT Hood into Hood River.
How do I make my own page? I have a sanner now. Do I make JPEGS or Bitmaps?

cpousnr

JPEG's

Bitmaps (.BMP) are huge and not any greater detail.

What scanner did you get?

By the way your, me or anyown do not have to prove anything. It is better to say: "Let me show you some beautiful area and my truck happens to be in the picture."

Depending on your editor you may want to blank out license plates. I am going to do that on all my old pics, just for security. Adobe Photo Delux 3.0 came with my scanner and am considering getting another hard drive which throws in version 4.0. There are also editors you can search for and download off the web, do not recall the URL's right now, and Kodak processing gives you a "basic" editor.

wsn:
I can also post some pics if you like. If so, email me the attachment.

hindsite

What is a sanner? LOL Oh . . . did you mean scanner You expect me to give credence to your words on where you live. Your profile tells me so much about where you live. Geez . . . must be that common sense you have over me. The man of common sense that will say that a 4x4 Tacoma is the same as a 4x2. Hmmm . . . I must be missing something about the two different models. Is the 4x4 heavier than the 4x2 Tacoma? Is the 4x4 Tacoma higher than the 4x2. LOL

If you live so close to the mountains then go now. Why wait to the next weekend? Because you live in the friggin flatlands. Enjoy those dirt trails:)

scottssss

here

hindsite

I am willing to post any pic from Tacoma owners only. Your privacy will be guarantee that your e-mail address and location will remain private. You can e-mail me at Hindsite@AOL.com. I hope I do not get death threats from the Ranger owners here.

cpousnr

8^)

cpousnr

we be friendly folks. Just poor common people trying to save a buck. . .

cpousnr

8^)

spoog

I wonder if Cspounser ever thinks what it would be like to have a truck with a decent suspension in those mountains..........



Vince---

Enjoy your dirt trails!

cpousnr

it would be like a dream come true. . .

hindsite

Friendly? I have yet to see one here other than you and one other. The one other was a burnt Ranger owner. LOL


Vinny,
How many days does it take you to drive to those mountains? Guess you live in the flatlands where the dirt is hard like asphalt. Hmmm . . . Enjoy your dirt roads

cpousnr

scotsss, xen1a are friendly. . .

cpousnr

they are from or have interests in Colorado.

Hmmm a trend here?

scape2

Hind, I know your just trying to push buttons, I have kids, I know all about it. In the coming weeks you will see pictures, be patient my child.

cpousnr

http://www.smartyparts.com/Cars/rangsup.htm

Interesting stats on a 97 supercharged Ranger.
199BHP at the rear wheels, 259ft/lp peek torque

hindsite

Put Cthompson on the list and Smc. Also, include Barlitz.

rickc5

Some of you may remember my posts a few weeks ago where I described my experiences and dislike of my 1999 Tacoma SR5 (fully loaded, except sunroof).

I traded it for a 1997 Lexus on Tuesday. While this pleased me greatly, you Tacoma owners may not be pleased with what I found out while negotiating the deal:

Here in the Denver area, Tacomas JUST LIKE MINE can be bought at auctions for $16K-16.5K! This is for a Tacoma with a window sticker of almost $26K less than a year ago. Talk about depreciation!

I was able to finally work a deal for a somewhat better trade-in value, but it took a threat of leaving to conclude the deal.

reddogs

Learn to negotiate better or if your really deaperate lease it........:0(