War of the Compacts:Frontier, Ranger, Tacoma, S10, Dakota, B-Series, & Hombre - II

meredith

This topic is a continuation of Topic 2170....

War of the Compacts: Frontier, Ranger, Tacoma,
S10, Dakota, B-Series, & Hombre. Please continue
these discussions here. Thanks!

Front Porch Philosopher
SUV, Pickups, & Aftermarket and Accessories Host

xena1a

This has turned into a lively topic. The first iteration filled up quickly. Thanks for getting it started...

vman

What would the other trucks say? "Well, the Frontier has a great personality!"

I can't imagine "a thousand ships" going to war for this face!

mahimahi

Oh yeah, "wait until the 2001 Catfish comes out from beneath the log" this is nothing compared to the Tacoma! Boys get your bush hooks ready! The fish are biting. The Nissan looks like an evil Pokemon and the Tacoma looks like a Catfish...I'm sooooo glad I got a 2000 Frontier, as you Tacoma owners are probably happy with the 2000 model also.

eharri3

I'm glad you're happy with your truck, I haven't even ruled out an extended cab Tacoma as my next truck when I need more space than my reg cab Ranger offers, though it isn't likely because I like the full back seats in the full sized trucks and I'll stay with Ford because of good experiences. However, import lovers who cite consumer reports often forget certain things. As an example I'll take the Tundra vs. F150. I believe sales DO play a role. IF Toyota sells 100,000 Tundras while Ford sells 800,000 F150's, which truck do you think you will hear more problems about?

AS for spoog, well, I'll just say I find it kinda sad that he can't just be happy for other truck owners who enjoy their vehicles, and feels the need to bounce around this site targetting anyone who says they love their American truck and brow beating them into admitting that they drive garbage and should have gotten a Toyota.

But I don't come to this site to pick fights with people like him, I come here to get advice and useful info and just to chat with real truck lovers who appreciate all of these vehicles for their capabilities and style.

eharri3

I saw the 2001 Frontier Crew cab at a gas station the other day. An OK looking truck but I think it's trying too hard to look too futuristic and it ends up resembling something out of a techno thriller.

cthompson21

Yeah, it's much better than I would have thought. Aside from a few boughts of bickering and flaming, everything has been pretty good.

One thing is for sure. I'm really wanting to get out and test drive a 4.7L Dakota. But, the whole "get rid of your debt and gain your freedom" thing has taken ahold of me lately. It looks like my Ranger will be around for quite a while.

steve234

You can say this for the new Nissan look, they are trying to be different. I will have to take a while to decide on the new look. It is not one of those things you instantly accept. I hope that some of the prospective buyers don't bail because of the new look. It amazed me how many Dakota buyers got all upset because they changed the interior, but then I liked the change.

xena1a

I know what you mean about that 4.7L. I was going to wait until 2001 for a Ranger or B-Series with the 4.0L SOHC. But on a whim, I test drove the Dakota. It was all over after I did. There is just something real special about a V8 with a 5-speed. I want to stress that I never had a lick of trouble with my B3000. I just had a real bad case of "power envy" that I just couldn't shake...

spoog

"wait until the 2001 Catfish comes out
from beneath the log"



hahhahahahahahah

bigal31

What do you drive??And don't lie I have ways of finding things like this out..LOL

Do you even own a truck?
Just wondering..
Allen-

bigal31

But you only live once..You can always make more money.Trust me you'll be happier, and each time you get into the Quad with the 4.7L you "will" forget about the payments.I sure do.
Just my.02$
Allen-

cthompson21

Well, every time I get that thirst for power I just take my SVTour out for a spin. After 20mins of ripping it up the curvy, deserted country roads I've quenched that thirst. Then, the torque from the old-school OHV 4L (on which I've performed a few mods) feels pretty good. Then, I think about how easily it pulls my sleds up to the North Woods.

Oh, I'm rambling now. Gotta go.

BTW, I'm not liking those payments on my SVTour. Don't ever go into a deal upside down. It hurts a lot. But, it was worth it for that car.

spoog

98 Toyota Tacoma 4x4, TRD charger.

thesandman

A stock truck with the largest set of tires the MANUFACTURE installs is a good combination for fair to good sand travel.My first solo driving experience at the ripe old age of 12 was in the sand in a 36 HP Volkswagan dune buggy in the deserts of Southern California.That was in the mid 60's.The only way that 36 horses stood a chance in the sand was with aircraft tires to achieve flotation.We now use paddle tires and horsepower to do things we could never have imagined 35 years ago.Some day it will be my 4 year old daughter(Kendra) who will be the(to barrow a term)"charger" behind the wheel,and like myself it will be a day in the sand.

gooba

We tried aircraft tires back then and they did not work for us.The 18 ply tires had no give to them.We ran,and I wish they still made them, Hi-way Flotation tires.They looked like the aircraft tires but were only 2 plies.Worked great in the sand but if you got into the rocks you had problems.

jennifer333

Thank you to MahiMahi, Steve234, and Scotti81 for responding to my inquiry of what to buy. I'm thinking that I like the Mazda B-Series. What do you guys think? Also, what are the differences between these and the Rangers?

bigal31

My next door neighbors brother has a purple one.A '98', he comes down from Watertown (up state NY) once or twice a month.Two months ago I helped him change out his worn out shocks and put rancho 5000's on it.(not fun) We didn't do much (anything) with the busted out driver side leaf spring..
When I asked him how he broke it he said "Driving up my drive way".
Granted its a little bumpy but I thought them there Toyota's were tuff.

How's yours holding up?

Allen-

xena1a

I just traded in a '99 B3000 4WD 5-speed. Like any truck, it had it's good and bad points. Let me sum up my personal likes and dislikes about the B3000:

PROS -
1. Price. I paid 18.6K for mine. 4WD, Cruise, Tilt, Bedliner, AC, CD, 5-speed, ex-cab with additional doors. Not bad...
2. Looks. I still think the B-Series trucks are some of the nicest looking in the compact class (especially the 4WD's).
3. MPG. The truck did get respectable MPG. 20.x all-purpose driving and a solid 22 on the hiway.
4. Nice interior. Some will not agree, but I think the B-Series/Rangers have about the best interiors in this class. The ex-cab with 4 doors was nice. Very convenient.
5. Capable off-road. Some will howl at this, but these trucks are decent off-roaders. It did all I needed it to do in moderate 4WD terrain. I did not baby this truck while I had it.

CONS -
1. Off-road, or as a commuter, or around town, the V6 3.0L was decent enough. However, for road trips, it was underpowered. I felt I had to drive with a real heavy foot to keep up with traffic. I was not comfortable with this.
2. Noise factor. There was just something about the interior resonance of that truck that drove my ears crazy! Most don't seem to be bothered by this but I was.
3. Initial built quality seemed pretty decent. But after owning the truck for 13 months, I was a little disturbed at how the vehicle had "loosened" up. The read leaf springs got squeaky. A squeak also developed in the front suspension that I never could identify. The driver's side window rattled, as did the driver's seat. Nothing major, but it did kind of surprise me.

SUMMARY -
There was a lot I liked about the Mazda. But in the end, it's lack of power and noisy interior made me look elsewhere. I'm now driving a Dakota.

SUGGESTION -
Don't let me dissuade you from the B-Series. They are a good value. And they have a sightly better warranty than the Ranger (they are made on the same assembly line in Edison, NJ). The 2001 models do offer some improvements. Better interior noise reduction, rear-suspension upgrade, 4-wheel ABS, and a more powerful V6 engine (4.0L SOHC). I think they are worth a look. Let me know if there are other questions I can help you with concerning the B-Series...

scottssss

is there any way to distinguishg a taco with a charger and a taco w/o?? that is without lifting the hood or driving one.

gooba

Yes.The one with the supercharger is owned by the guy who keeps his foot in it and does not know how to handle the power.It is distinguished by being bent.It is now referred to as either a folded taco or a rolled taco. :-D
I am sorry,but I could not resist.

cthompson21

Wouldn't that be a flauta??? TRD Toyota Flauta???

mahimahi

That's a good one!!!!! Can I get some tortias and con ceso dip please?

spoog

Supercharger-

No. Not unless you put some cheesy sticker on your rig, which I refuse to do.


I have the TRD offroad package (locking rear diff, tuned suspension, shocks, ect), and i had my TRD offroad sticker removed by a local body shop.


My truck just flat out FLIES.

It's fast enough to really push you back in your seat. Quite unsettling, really.

gooba

From your frame of reference,I am sure your truck FLIES.

thesandman

In El Salvador they call them pupusa's.Its like a thick tortilla with(like a Dakota)some meat in it and some are like Japanese trucks with cheese in it.I have to admit though I like the ones with the cheese!Funny thing BIGAL31 talked about the leaf springs on the Toyota.On my 83 Toyota both front springs broke,I replaced them both with ones from the junk yard while the truck was still here in the states.Last winter while I was in El Salvador one of the back leafs broke.The junk yards in El Salvador are full of well junk.I found a shop in the capital that made springs and I had the Toyota back on the road for about $45 dollars included labor.I love that country.
The aircraft tires we used weren't 18 ply.I was to young to really know what they were used on.All I knew is they came from the dune buggy shops in the San Diego area.For about $15 each you could get them cross groved.Then in the early seventies paddle tires came along and the rest is history.BF goodrich also supplied a tire that we used for the sand which was a little tougher and could deal with rock hoppin that we encountered.

gooba

They were the Hi-Way Flotation tires.Air craft tires had the extra plies.For rocks and desert running we ran Norsemans or Tru Tracs.You are right about the paddle tires.You had to learn how to drive with them and usually you wanted to increase your hp.The bigger the rooster tail the better.

cygnusx1

The speed of a Tacoma is "unsettling"?? Not to knock the truck or anything, mine's no speed demon either. But referring to the Tacoma's speed as unsettling is like saying the speed of my 28K is unsettling.

scape2

Jennifer, test drive them all, Toyota, Ford, Mazda, Nissan, Chevy. What are you looking for? 4x4, 4x2? Are you really going to use the 4x4? If you go 4x2 the Ranger/Mazda is the way to go. Get the 3.0 with a 5spd in a 4x2 with tow pkg, and limited slip rearend. Go with 3.73 gears. The cost difference between the 2.5 and 3.0 is only about 300bucks! The performance difference is like night and day. MPG difference is only about 2-3 miles.. Ranger/Mazda hasn't remained number one for no reason at all.. However, if you want the top of the line Mazda/Ranger, wait, the best is coming in the next 2-3 months. A SOHC 4.0 with 205HP/ 240ft/lbs of torque!

scottssss

Tacomas with a supercharger DO have special badging. Saw one today. Its looks just like the chrome tacoma badge on the side of a regular taco, it just has a lil oval thing attatched that says "SUPERCHARGED". looked at it very closely . IT was Factory installed.. not an aftermarket purchase. Sorry i just saw it today . :)p

thesandman

I just want people to know I'm not anti Japanese trucks.I've bought them when it was the right choice for me at that point in my life(single).I have others to think about now and I base my decisions keeping them in the equation.We should be thankful we have the choices we have,but please lets keep having fun!

doofus13

I am looking into a compact pickup does anyone have anything to say about the ISUZU Hombre or the Toyota Tacoma? I'm considering both.

mmcbride1

I don't think any of the SC's are factory installed. I think they are all either aftermarket (only 1 year warranty) or dealer installed (same warranty as the b-to-b 3/36 warranty on the rest of the truck).

allknowing

No, if the SC is dealer installed you get a full 5 year warranty.

scotti81

Well you came to the right place. You are going to get an earful about the Toyota. Just don't forget there are other trucks out there. Just buy what you like, don't go solely on what you hear in here.

cygnusx1

mmcbride1, The toyo SC is factory installed, and the new Nissan Frontier SC is factory installed. They are not made by the manufacturer, but are installed by the manfucturer. The Nissan SC is an Eaton.

pinetted

I don't see the supercharger as an option.

spoog

My charger was dealer installed, and I got a long warranty to go with it(somewhere around 4-5 years).

spoog

Here is a COMPLETE list of the TSB's, Defect Investigations, and Safety Recalls for the Toyota pickup, Chevy s-10, Ford Ranger, and Dodge Dakota from the years 1989-2000. Enjoy.


Defect Investigations 1989-2000

Ford Ranger - 20

Dodge Dakota- 14

Chevy S10 - 51

Toyota Tacoma - 2




Safety Recalls 1989-2000

Ford Ranger- 32

Dodge Dakota - 28

Chevyy S10 - 47

Toyota Tacoma - 6



Technical Service Bulletins 1989-2000


Ford Ranger -2,279(yes, 2,279)

Dodge Dakota- 940

Chevy S10 -448

Toyota Tacoma - 150

-------



Not all trucks are built the same, as you can plainly see.

Here is the hard link:

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

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

mahimahi

How come WE(Nissan) always get left out? I know our trucks have TSB's too They aren't perfect either...come on include us too, we're part of the arguement too

allknowing

Go to Toyota's website and look at the Toyota Racing Development options. The Supercharger is there.

cthompson21

The Toyota S/C, which is available for 4 or 5 Toyo autos, is not a factory option. It is dealer installed and the warranty is honored by Toyota for the original terms (when dealer installed). You can also buy it yourself through TRD, but you'll void your warranty.

It is similar to buying an AMG prepped Mercedes or a Saleen tuned Mustang. The manufacturer (Toyota, Ford, Merc, etc...) honors the original factory warranty, but the modifications are built and/or installed by another entity.

I wonder how much that thing costs installed. Parts alone are north of 3 grand. Plus, there really are some additional basic mods which should be made for performance and longevity with supercharging a normally N/A engine.

spoog

You can go to the NHSTA site)its the link on that post) and add them up if you wish. I just got tired of doing it.

Plus I know the Nissan is right behind the Tacoma in good ratings.

spoog

http://msnbc.com/news/453720.asp


MORE DEATHS
The announcement comes one day after the government said 26 more U.S. traffic deaths - for a total of 88 - are under investigation in connection with recalled Firestone tires.
Meantime, Venezuelan authorities have recommended criminal prosecution of Ford Motor Co. and Bridgestone/Firestone for deaths there. Firestone tires are standard equipment on Explorers and other Ford vehicles.
Congress prepared for hearings featuring testimony from the heads of both companies, while Firestone was trying to avoid a strike by 8,000 workers.
Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater said Friday the Clinton administration will confer with Congress to determine whether manufacturers should be required to notify the U.S. government when they recall products abroad, as Ford did with Firestone tires a year ago.
“As relates to the international recall, we were a bit concerned to learn that we found out about that much later,” Slater said on NBC’s “Today.” “It would have been good to have that information earlier. It could have prompted us to take action a bit earlier.”
Advertisement

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NHTSA has received more than 1,400 complaints about the Firestone tires, including reports of 88 deaths and more than 250 injuries that reportedly were the result of blowouts, tread separation and other tire defects.
NHTSA is examining all 47 million Wilderness AT, ATX and ATX II tires.
Congress is holding a hearing on the matter next week, and Ford chief executive Jac Nasser announced Thursday that he would testify, reversing his earlier decision not to attend. Bridgestone/Firestone chief executive Masatoshi Ono also will appear at the Wednesday hearing before two House Commerce subcommittees.

barlitz

You continously post that same info but you do not post how many Taco's were sold compared to any of those other 3 trucks,its somewhere like 15 to 1.If you pick up 15 apples off the ground and then pick up 1 you are definately gonna find more bruises in the 15 than in the 1.

spoog

No, not if the apples are all made in the same factories with the same quality control standards.

Repetitive problems are the ones posted here.

Repetitive problems are not "coincidence" , they are a problem with the basic manufacturing of the vehicle.

mahimahi

For what it's worth this is the TSB count for the 2000 model year so far:

S-10..........4

TACOMA........4

B-SERIES......7

FRONTIER......10

DAKOTA........43

RANGER........78

Most of the items listed in these TSB's aren't serious mechanical problems...execpt the S-10!! "mismachined crankshafts"...that's serious internal problems. How's that commercial go...Built like a rock, huh?

steve234

Rocks and S10s have one thng in common. In a pinch, they make good boat anchors. Sorry couldn't resist.

Mahi, don't encourage him. He doesn't seem to realize that if we can use a computer, that we can find and read information too.

allknowing

I'm a Toyota fan too spoog but reposting the same long posts aren't getting you anywhere. That is unless your ultimate goal is only to irritate as many people as possible like vince8.

scape2

Allknowing? spoog is your God! what are you doing? you pray to him at least three times a day..
TSB's don't mean a thing. Please see and learn what TSB's are meant to be used for and for whom..
A superchared 4x4 makes absolutly no sense whatsever. Trucks need TORQUE and a good HP/Torque curve. Those Toyota owners with an S/C Tacoma I notice you don't mention the OPEN AXLE, nice rear wheel grip with one tire huh? Toyota doesn't make a limited slip like Nissan, at least the Nissan will have BOTH tires spinning at the rear. And I notice they don't mention the 5mph limit set by Toyota on the locker, along with it needing to be engaged in 4low only.. Along with how limited you are in a lockers use. As I keep saying, most Toyota owners won't take a Tacoma into places a locker will get its full use,( Thats if they know how, and when to use a locker) Lockers aren't used for towing, limited slips are much more funtional with your everyday average truck user....

spoog

Toyota has refused to offer a limited slip in the Tacoma because they haven't found a setup that lasts well beyond 100,000 miles.

Unlike most companies that slap on any hot option and don't worry about it's longevity, Toyota wants to make a durable, long lasting product.

Limited slip is good for ROADS. It is terrible for offroading.