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War of the Compacts: Frontier, Ranger, Tacoma, S10, Dakota, B-Series, & Hombre
cthompson21
Member Posts: 1,102
in General
Alright, I've gone ahead and created a new topic
for all of us compact owners to wage a war over
who's truck is best.
My vote goes to the Mazda B-Series for best all
around compact truck. I think it's the best
looking of the bunch. The '01 B-Series will have
tons of power with the Cammer 4L. It's priced like
a steal. And, it's got a pretty good warranty.
Any commments?
(I'm sure this one will get the pot stirred)
for all of us compact owners to wage a war over
who's truck is best.
My vote goes to the Mazda B-Series for best all
around compact truck. I think it's the best
looking of the bunch. The '01 B-Series will have
tons of power with the Cammer 4L. It's priced like
a steal. And, it's got a pretty good warranty.
Any commments?
(I'm sure this one will get the pot stirred)
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This discussion has been closed.
Comments
Personally, I think the Dakota is the best looking body style, and no, it's not just because I own one.
For the record, the best truck I've had to date was an '89 Mazda (when Mazda still made them). Are the new ones still re-badged Fords?
For my own curiousity, do you really think there is a "best" truck? If so, what is the point of trying to discern it? I think the "best" car is a Ferrari 550 Maranello, but I won't be owning one those any day soon!
I think "best" is largely objective, and can only be concluded after many years/miles of good service, not a two week test drive by an automotive magazine. I also believe that any of the vehicles listed could potentially make the grade based on such criteria.
Ultimately, I think the "best" truck is the one that fits your individual needs, tastes, and finances.
You do realize that the Sporttrac guys may feel left out and guys will cry foul over the Dakota.
This board should get real interesting.I am looking forward to it.let the fun begin.
I guess people think a ford blue oval is better than a silver mazda badge and are willing to pay a premium.
The Mazdas are cheaper than the Rangers too (by a few hundred comparatively equipped) and have a better warranty (3yr/50K vs. 3yr/36K).
Ever hear of a Mazda Navajo? They were an Explorer clone from a few years back. Same kind of story.
Another thing I've observed is that many car buyers don't even know the Ranger and Mazda are twins with a bit of different sheet metal. It seems that in today's world that people want a name more than a vehicle (just look at BMW).
Oh, there's the dealership thing too. B-Series is the only Mazda truck available. And, there's only a fraction of Mazda dealers compared to Ford dealers. Plus, there's still some old-school "buy american" guys out there too.
While there is definately not a "best truck" for everyone. IMHO, the Mazda just fits the bill for the highest % of truck buyers. But, as we all know, personal tastes, preferences, biases, prior experiences (bad or good), etc... make more of an impact than the person's needs.
gooba, i forgot about the S-T. I guess I look at it as an Explorer with wet storage. Besides, Ford is building a Super-Cab Ranger for '02(?).
The V8 is a helluva lot to bring to the table in this group (if you consider it compact). Quality issues and an astronomical price when goodies are added really steered me away from it back when I bought my current truck.
What I want to know is, since this topic has the word 'war' in the title, would you the author of the topic mind if I use this topic to 'battle or debate' someone that I feel has challenged me on something on another topic to keep it from getting ugly there bring them here? Like the 'war' I am in with Vince8? Instead of glogging or inturrupting the current subject on that topic, switch our battle to this topic? I don't know if you followed his remarks to me on the Tacoma vs. Ranger topic? But I took our discussion to the Ranger vs Frontier topic as per his request. This might keep the other topics civil. When one comes to this topic they might expect a warto be going on!
However if I into a 'heated' debate with someone here it doesn't mean that I will carry that composure onto another topic we might be on. For example, I get into a crazy battle with you on the Mazda blah, blah, blah....When we are on the Ranger v. Frontier site we can be civil and not carry the 'battle' to that topic. What do you think?
RANGER= on the range, flat open areas. The dictionary defines it as "one of a body of armed guards who patrola region.
HOMBRE= man or fellow???? (How does this translate to pickup truck? And whats with the Japanese company obession with Spanish names anyway?)
FRONTIER= heheheh...this one's the best! from the dictionary "the limit of knowledge or the advanced achievement in a particular field" Is Nissan Saying this is the 'best' they can do? Or is this the extent of their knowledge!
TACOMA= Northwestern city...relation to truck, how??????
SONOMA= Moutain range just north of S.F., Calif. A bad name with good meaning, sounds like a wine or a three-door hatchback.
I personally like the numbers better: B4000, S-10/15, SR5, FJ-40, CJ's and so on.
The best compact truck? From reading this crap for months(year?) I will say with bias that even though you may have more of a chance of getting a bad Ranger then a Toy or Nissan after you factor in rebates/interest incentives, purchase price and freedom of choice the Ranger is the best value. The thousand or 3 difference between a Ranger and Tacoma can be used, if you wish, to tailor the Ranger to almost anything you want. On a personal note I will never keep a vehicle the couple hundred thousand miles that Toy owners brag about. So as said above it is a personal choice.
Evan
BTW, in the next year or two, every manufacturer will have a true 4dr pickup. I think the Taco and S10/Hombre get theirs in '01 and the Ranger/Mazda twins get theirs in '02. While I like ext-cabs, I think the quad-cabs, etc... are too much of a sacrifice when it comes to bed space and looks (the Nissan CC is the only one that I think even looks good with 4 doors).
Auto manufacturers really seem to like using names from the west and the mountains to conjure up some image of ruggedness and off-road ability. It seems kind of lame to me. I prefer the way German cars are named: line, engine displacement, and trim. You get a whole bunch of info in just the name (the B-Series truck kind of do this too).
I think it's less of a stretch than lumping all Honda Accords together. They've got wagons, sedans, coupes, the Del Sol,and the SI. Well, some might not be sold now, but to me they had at least 5 different cars being sold under the Accord name. What's the logic in that (besides being able to tout best selling car in the US)?
Sorry for being so long... anyway, i think i should stop for now.... haha.. l8r
As for Ford's numbers, we've been over this in other topics, but they(Ford) includes all of their sales- rental car companies, gov't agencies and fleet sales just to name a few. Sales figures aren't accurate from any company, because what we see has been through the marketing departmant. So I don't pay much attention to sales figures mentioned in magazines.
Tacoma and Ranger would be a toss up in the compact truck choice.
Well I was just curious because I didn't see a big price difference this year but, then again I didn't seriously shop the Ranger.
I will say this though, the Toyota by far out 'styles' the Ranger any model year...hands down...in fact to me Toyota has the best looking compact truck than anyone.
But my original post wasn't so much about what problems that the Ranger has had but rather why someone would choose one? I'm asking that question I guess because I just don't see anything appealing about the Ranger at all. I can see why someone could choose a Toyota or S-10 or even a Nissan because I've owned those but the Ranger is at the bottom of the list in fact it doesn't even make my list. I'm not trying to say anything is wrong at all with shoosing one I want to know what you guys see in them, This is not leading to a critical arguement, just curiosity.
In a way, I feel a bit guilty. But it is time to confess. Good for the soul, you know. Until recently, I owned a '99 Mazda B3000 4WD ex-cab 4 door 5-speed. Nice looking truck, decent interior, capable off-road. However, during the 13 months that I had it, the truck had 2 major fatal flaws. During road trips in particular, it became apparent that it was both underpowered and noisy. I was holding out hope that the 2001 Ranger/Mazda with its 4.0L SOHC and promise of a quieter interior would solve what I considered to be big problems with the current versions. Then, just out of curiosity, I test drove a Dakota. Momma Mia!!! There is something extremely seductive about a V8 with a 5-speed. Smooth, powerful, roomy, quiet, and comfortable, the Dakota was in my blood. It beckoned to me. I had to have it. I started looking around and was able to find a 2000 Dakota Reg Cab 4X4 4.7L 5-speed for Invoice. A decent trade in allowance on the Mazda sealed the deal. I've had it for just a week now, but I can say that it has the best combination of exterior aesthetics, power train, and ride quality of any truck I've ever owned. I would like to stress that I never had a lick of trouble with the Mazda. In fact, I drove that poor little 3.0L hard from day one without a whimper from it. It just wasn't quite the right fit for me. There, I said it. And I feel better...
I too have 'come up the ranks' of pickups. My first was a 1981 Volkswagen Rabbit-Pickup. It was a GREAT little rig, the front-wheel-drive would take it ANYWHERE in a snowstorm and it was easy to load my snowmobile due to the very low tailgate height. I loved it... it leaked water around the windshield and rusted badly.
My second truck was a 1991 Nissan D21 (AKA Hardbody) it ALWAYS started even on the coldest mornings but rusted WAY to fast. It now serves on the family farm and still runs like a champ. The bed has rust-holes in it.
I now have a 2000 Dakota. I wanted a V8 but not a big truck. I also noted that older Dakotas seem to resist rust better than any other truck on the road. The Dakota was my only option and I have not regretted it.
trucks, like they used to do with the Suburban. That way if they (finally) overtake Ford in combined sales#, they could claim the #1. "nameplate"
too close together to allow for my big wide feet, and the power delivered by the engine was marginal
to say the least. My wife saw a advertisement for the Dakota, and reminded me of the admiration I had experienced with my '95. I began doing research through Edmunds, and learned much from the Dakota topics and the generous and kind Dakota owners and posters. I subsequently ordered an Amber Fire Quad Cab only to have it come in equipped incorrectly due to "sales department" error and had to re-order. The wait(s) was indeed worth it, and I am very happy with my Dakota. A club type cab would not do for me, and I didn't want to be like the guy on the TV commercial who exclaims; "Gee,I could have had a V8!" I also looked at the Ford Ranger and the Chevrolet S-10 as well as the Sport-Trac. I had a 1998 Ford Expedition (company vehicle) and was not interested in an SUV, particularly since it would involve an automatic transmission. So, this posting is more about "me" than a truck, but that is what one must expect when extracting opinions. Sorry for the lenghty post, but "You asked for it!"
Bookitty
PS, I try to drive American manufactured products if possible.
The dakota looks like a world beater in ther comparison
Scott Q
I selected my vehicle because of the looks, the 4.7 engine and the four doors. I was using a F150SC as my primary vehicle and after 170K miles wanted to get a new truck, even tho the 91 is still running strong. Partly vanity and part the desire for more creature comforts. My wife and I have wanted a 4 door pickup from before the current craze and finally got one. We do a lot of hauling and feel that a v8 is essential. Our chjoices were the Dakota or the new Supercrew. We think the Supercrew is the best looking of the new F150 bodies, but did not like the height, the price and wanted something a little more parking space friendly. At a decent price we felt the Quad served our needs. Long term reliability is a factor we will decide in ten years.
Looks play a big factor in all of our decisions, whether we admit it or not. I cannot stand the need-a-stepladder-to-get-in look that so many have. I also do not like the square Humvee look that some are trying to emulate.
On the campershell issue, many of us need the separated storage space that a bed requires, but do not haul oversized cargo. I put a camper shell on to protect my gear from the elements and to keep thief down. I need more space than a SUV affords and do not want to worry about dirt or stinky loads. A SUV is no place for a dog that met a skunk, but it will clean out of a pickup bed.
I am glad to see some familiar names here and am interested to see how this goes.
(1) choices - customize a truck to fit your needs
(2) price - great prices and incentives
(3) ergonomics - best cab of any compact (somewhat subjective, but I think we can all agree that the imports have very "spartan" cabs)
(4) engines - 3 choices from passable commuter to average performer to great hauler/tower
(5) history - been around a long time proving itself to be a staple of the compact truck class
(6) looks - goodlooking truck (barring '93-'97)
(7) reliability - one of ford's best, and is reliable despite the bashing the "anti-ford's" just love to do on these boards
(8) drivability - decent offroad performer without compromising onroad ability
(9) mods - you can get all sorts of stuff from just about anywhere to make this truck into just about anything you want from a drag/sport truck to a mountain goat rock climber
(10) maintenance - it is just downright cheap to maintain. it's easy for the backyard mechanic to work on, and parts are pleantiful and inexpensive
In retrospect, how would you convince someone to choose a Frontier over a Ranger? It costs slightly more comparatively equipped (don't forget to take all of those Ford incentives into account). Its looks are downright plain (although the CC is actually pretty nice). Parts are more expensive. Its dealers are far and few between. Its strongest engine is on par in performance with the Ford mid-level 3L. Its options come prepackaged making it much less "customizeable". And, the Frontier aftermarket is tiny compared to the Ranger. I know that some of these are subjective, but I these are what come to mine when I'd be making the choice (and probably a lot of others too).
Mah, does this mean your going to sell your ugly duckly Frontier for a Toyota?
I am a Ford fan and am on my second Ranger. First Ranger went to 96K with absolutely no problems whatsoever. I now own a 1998 Ranger XLT SC 4x4 stepside 4.0 5spd. It has the offroad pkg, 3.73 limited slip, tow pkg, P265x75R16 all terrains, nerfbars, Line-x, K&N air charger, chipped, loaded with all the goodies.. It now has almost 30,000 trouble free miles on it. And, I use my 4x4 as a 4x4 in the Cascade Ranger of Oregon. It has never left me stranded. The Ranger is the best selling compact truck for 13 years straight for a reason.. giving the consumer what they want, the options they want, at a fair price..
I wouldn't count Ford out of the sport truck race quite yet. The new Cammer 4L in '01 (coming this fall) has 207hp and 238ft/lbs in a lighter package. By all accounts I've read that it's a very quick truck.
Also, Ford is building an SVT Ranger with either a S/C V6 (probably the 4L), the 3.9L V8 (out of the Lincoln LS), or the 4.6L V8 (out of the Mustang GT). Any of these engines will match the hp output of the 5.9L and be close in torque (all in a truck hundreds of pounds lighter).
Supposedly, the SVT Ranger will also be AWD making for some great off-the-line traction. Rumors peg it as an '02 model year introduction.
But, we'll see... SVE has had some really incredible vehicles that never made it to production.
Don't forget about GM either with their entire new engine lineup. I've heard the top of the line engine for the S10 will be a 4.5L with 250hp.
Nissan is keeping up with a S/C on the 3.3L with 210hp and 240ft/lbs. I haven't heard any other details on it yet.
Toyota seems to be falling behind with the Camry-derived 3.4L V6 that remains unchanged for the foreseeable future.
And if you want to start talking recalls, reliability, and offroad performance, we all know who the winner is there......
The Toyota Tacoma.
Question this statement, and I will flood this site with more data and facts than you can shake a stick at.
Toyota does put out a good vehicle,but they do have some problems as well as the others.In this forum the off road performance is probably better then the others.
BTW - Has anyone heard any additional info on those bozos who were on vacation in Colorado and managed to get their vehicles stuck on an off-limits 70% slope? I heard that they were going to try to winch the vehicles either up or down the mountain. No one seems to be willing to give them a hand with their precarious situation...
below the Dodge 5.9L."
A Supercharged 4x4 Toyota Tacoma will soundly whip a 5.9 Dodge dakota 4x4.
Im telling you man, its not even funny how FAST the Tacomas are with that Charger.
The Toyota has:
Maximum hp gain at 5200 RPM is + 75 hp.
Maximum torque gain at 5200 RPM is + 77 lb.ft.
Peak hp increase is 64 hp (187 hp – 251 lb.ft.)
Peak torque increase is 50 lb.ft. (225 lb.ft. – 275 lb.ft.)
Supercharged V6 produces as much torque at 1800 RPM (225 lb.ft.) as the normally-aspirated V6 does at its peak.
spoog: Anybody can add a turbo/supercharger to a truck. You could get a blower as a dealer installed Mustangs in the sixties. Power is not everything, the key is how it is used and how practical. The 5.9 is a stout engine, but is not a quick engine. However, it will beat the Toy in most hot rod categories.
I'd put my money on either of the Dodge V8s against a S/C Toyota.
The flareside sport 2wd Rangers look decent, but you need to work with them (roll pan, billet grill, lid, rims/tires, etc...) to make them look really nice.
After driving a Toyota around for about 4yrs I got sick of the plain-jane functional styling. A vehicle can be both stylish and functional. The imports just haven't quite gotten to making them fit together well yet.
Steve,
The comments I made about the sales figures weren't meant to be snide. I was just saying that nobody knows what these numbers include. I'm not saying that they don't out sell the other brands, what I am saying is without the information of what these numbers include we REALLY don't know by how much. Since there are restrictions to gov't agencies about buying imports it's not a fair measurement to include gov't sales. Since they all sell their products retail those would be the correct sales figures in which to use as a baseline. But you're right...we shouldn't be worrying about who sells how much here.
look out everyone, spoog is ranting on about the tacoma engine band-aid. -oops, I mean supercharger. the Japanese auto builders still don't realize that the best way to get true torque is with displacement. the more cubes the better!