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Ranger Supercab XLT 4x4:
MSRP = $21,820
Nine colors
Five options (only five?)
Tacoma Xtracab 4x4:
MSRP = $19,465
Seven colors
Forty-One options (yikes!)
However, (and I didn't bother doing this) one would have to carefully compare standard features and options, because it sure looks (like you stated) that the Ranger offers a substantial number of standard features, while one would have to add MANY options to the Tacoma to get to the same place. Hence the difference in MSRPs. Very interesting, indeed!
A truck that holds up well offroad is a truck that holds up well in other, less punishing areas.
On my Ranger changing oil is a breeze. They have a oil catch funnel and a tube that leads right to the ground right under the oil filter.. no spills here.
-don't worry spoog, I don't really expect an answer from you, so I'll just assume that you don't know.
Spoog, the Tacoma TRD is a finely tuned truck designed well for hard core off-roading, (only because of the shocks and full locker).
Other than that, the Ranger has everything else. So it would appear the Ranger is a finely tuned machine for the type of capabilities that 90% of folks want in a mini-truck.
The only reason I bring up the IFS thing is because spoog keeps preaching the off-road philosophy of his beloved tacoma, and ripping the ranger for having a "highway suspension." my point is, toyota certainly didn't switch from a solid axle design to IFS for off-roading reasons. They did it for a nicer highway ride.
I'm sure as a salesman that you know there's quite a difference between the two.
I paid 18.5K for a fully loaded Ranger (less ext-cab and 4.10 LSD). Plus, I got 3.9% financing for 60 months. I could have shopped around and gotten it for a few hundred lower, but I really liked the salesman and dealership. I wanted to reward them with my business and was willing to part with a few hundred more dollars for the excellent service (definately not a common thing for Ford dealerships). It seems that people who have posted on this board paid around 21K for comparable Tacomas and with no special financing.
Somebody correct me if I'm wrong.
I don't think you can say the same thing about me. I look at the Ranger objectionately, or at least I try to. Sure, I prefer the Tacoma, but by no means does this mean I hate Ford or dislike the Ranger, or even think it's a bad or poor quality truck. I test drove a Ranger and it's a nice truck, I must admit. Perhaps I spent more for my truck, but I felt it was worth it. Maybe your opinion is different and that's cool; I can respect that. If you want to knock me for my opinion then you are free to do so. But you won't make many intelligent friends, in either camp, in doing so.
Look, we all buy trucks for our own reasons and they're not all the same. Allknowing bought his for different reasons than I bought mine. So did rick and everyone else here. Rick explained why he didn't like the Toyota; the seats. I find the seats to be comfortable. We differ on the issue and leave it at that. Isn't it safe to say that people have different tastes? Some people prefer vanilla, others prefer chocolate; but if I like vanilla, does that mean I believe chocolate s*cks? No. People are different Vince and the best way to earn respect is to respect others. The sooner you show respect to others, the sooner they'll respect you. It's really only that simple.
There should be a couple more with the 4L, as I believe it's now available with the 5-speed manual tranny. I don't think the internet sites have been updated for this info, tho.
It does look like there's no way to get the 4cyl with a manual tranny and the power equipment group.
Is it just me or did the ranger equipment levels & trim levels get really bonkers for the '01 model year?
What happened to the 'ole pick XL or XLT and option it up exactly the way you wanted?
It seems like they're taking the Mazda B-Series route and primarily offering quick-order packages.
But, you're right. It looks like now you may have to pay for something you don't want to get something you do.
Maybe a cost-saving measure Ford implemented to keep the prices steady while increasing the standard options, like 4-wheel ABS on every truck?
I just did a price comparison of a 6-cyl. Tacoma Xcab with TRD, SR5 (chrome package), split-star alloy wheels, bucket seats, 4-spd. automatic tranny, wheel locks and sliding rear window and it priced out at $22958 (Edmunds TMV). The Ranger off-road Xcab (with a 4.0L 6-cyl. 5spd automatic) priced out at $22099 (Edmunds TMV). That's about an $850 difference.
Granted the Ranger has a 4.0L vs. the Tacoma's 3.4L but that's about it folks.
I really don't see that as a huge difference in price when you consider that you'll be spending $22,000.
BTW, don't forget about the $1,000 rebate on the Ranger. I think you overlooked it.
Also, those prices don't include allocated advertising fees, which you won't get out of paying. So, add about another $500 to the price of each truck.
As far as Edmunds TMV Pricing, the car salesmen on this site say it's total BS. I can't really say whether it's close or not for the Tacoma. I do know that I could pick up the phone right now and get that Ranger for about $21,855 with no haggling whatsoever. Here's my calculation with approximate figures:
Invoice w/o advertising 21,800
Destination charges 585
Allocated advertising 500
Rebate (1,000)
Total Ranger $21,855
I don't think the Tacoma you mentioned is possible. Go to www.carpoint.com and use the autopricer to try and get the options you wanted. I don't think the TRD package can be had with an automatic.
THEN, I switched jobs and found I had a 33 mile commute (each way) right through the middle of Denver. With typical winter conditions here, plus all the other trucks and SUVs on the road, I felt I needed an automatic, high-riding 4x4 for the commute.
The new Taco was far cheaper than a two-year old 4Runner at the time ($22K), and I thought it would make a good commuter. I didn't even look at a Ranger (maybe my mistake). Anyway, after my nine month tour-of-duty in the Taco, we moved to Aurora, only seven miles from work on surface streets. I couldn't sell the Taco fast enough.
I just started another new job and again have a 25 mile commute, but not through the middle of town. My Lexus is perfect for this particular commute, and I can always use my wife's Expedition if we get copious snow.
BTW- In my experience driving in snow (15 Colorado winters), the Expedition, with Michelin LTX M/S tires, is the best snow vehicle I have ever driven, and that's compared to seven Toyota 4x4s (five trucks & two 4Runners) and an Isuzu Trooper. I'm sure the extra weight has quite a bit to do with it.
I haven't been to the dealership to test drive a new 4L with the 5-speed. I know if I do that I'll want one and my wife will want to kill me.
I'm planning on putting on some larger tires (31") this fall (or maybe summer if I get the itch). A bit bigger tires really change the whole look of the truck.
Chevy S-10 Crew Cab
Chevrolet’s S-10 Crew Cab is a late entrant into the four-door wars. The S-10 is seen in crew-cab form in other countries, and we’ve wondered why this configuration never made it to the U.S. With four-door pickups all the rage lately, it was no surprise that Chevy finally cranked up domestic S-10 Crew Cab production.
Powering the S-10 is the same Vortec 4.3L V-6 engine that has been around since 1988, with improvements made to it along the way. It’s the biggest V-6 in its class and factory numbers put the output of the 4.3L at 190 horsepower at 4,400 rpm and 250 lb-ft. of torque at 2,800 rpm. While this looks good on paper, our judges were less than enthusiastic about its actual performance. Power was described as being just adequate by most; one judge went as far as to describe the engine as “having as much power as a souped-up golf cart.”
The S-10 came equipped with the 4L60-E four-speed automatic transmission. While we have found this transmission to perform well in other vehicles, its performance in the S-10 Crew Cab was just mediocre. It seemed to suck a lot of the power out of the Vortec V-6, and more than one tester noticed that it had a tendency to shift a bit late.
On the highway, the S-10 provided for a nice, smooth ride. Its soft suspension smoothed out all the bumps and made the S-10 a good highway cruiser. But that same soft suspension made for mushy handling when the road got twisty. Pushing the S-10 hard into the corners would produce a fair amount of body roll, making the driver lose confidence and back out of the gas.
The interior of the S-10 was also a mixed bag. While the front seats were deemed to be comfortable, the rear seats were not that comfortable and offered little leg room for fullsized adults. Overall, the inside of the S-10 had a claustrophobic and cramped feel to it. Outside visibility from the driver’s seat was the worst of the bunch; the S-10’s small side-mirrors and large B-pillars made for careful lane changing in traffic.
Once on the dirt, the S-10 showed a split personality. Blasting up washes and on high-speed dirt roads, the S-10’s soft suspension soaked up the bumps well. But when really pushed, the suspension would bottom out and send the S-10 into the air. The soft suspension also did a good job of supplying traction and absorbing terrain irregularities on the sand dunes, but the engine’s lack of power meant that it had to work very hard to get the S-10 through the soft sand of the dunes.
The S-10 was a decent crawler, however. We were especially glad that Chevy saw fit to offer a decent tire on the S-10. While not as large as we might have liked, the P235/75/R15 Goodyear Wrangler RT/S’s that came on the truck did provide good traction. A larger tire would have been nice but the P235s rubbed at full flex, so fitting a larger tire seems a doubtful exercise.
Overall, the S-10’s performance was mediocre at best in the majority of our testing categories. More horsepower, a limited-slip, and a bit more chassis height probably would have produced a higher overall score.
Driver Comments:
My first impression when I climbed into the S-10 was, “This feels like my mother’s car.” I guess the plush, velour-type upholstery threw me. Although the basic appearance of the S-10 remains its same boring self, the vehicle actually handled quite well both on and off the road. The ride is comfortable, and the S-10 is capable when it needs to be. The 4600 SFI V6 seemed to provide plenty of power, except in the sand, where it struggled, and I like that it came equipped with a decent set of all-terrain tires.
– Michael Rudd
When I first stepped into the S-10’s cab I felt like I was in a Camaro, with its wrap-around dash and all. It’s a bit claustrophobic in there, but once we hit the trail I realized that this is a pretty darn capable truck. Although the S-10 completed all the tasks satisfactorily, I had no sense of excitement over this truck - probably due to the fact that it didn’t do any one thing exceptionally well.
– Greg Smith
The current-generation S-10 has been around for a while and could use a redesign. It has the biggest V-6 in its class but the engine seemed sluggish when combined with the automatic transmission. It’s a 4x4, but you can’t tell from the look of it. It was marginal at best.
– Craig Perronne
Less than meets the eye? That pretty much sums up the S-10. For my wheeling tastes, at least, it needs more motor, a significantly upgraded and redesigned interior, and a rethink of its exterior sheetmetal. As for the four-door cab, well – from my perspective, that’s only for two adults and two children. The back seat isn’t sufficiently commodious to accommodate anyone but children and small adults. I guess I don’t get the point.
– Jon Thompson
Honestly, the S-10 is the sort of four-by a chick would drive to the mall. Still, it’s a dependable rig that gives you a lot of bang for your buck. If you can get past an interior that practically begs for an upgrade, you’ll get nice tires, decent power, and responsive steering.
– Andrew Lentz
WE LIKED
The fact that this truck showed up wearing Goodyear Wrangler RT/S tires. Chevy could have spec’d tires that were much more street-oriented. But these are ’wheeling tires, and that’s as it should be.
WE DISLIKED
The psychedelic mouse-fur used as interior fabric. Made us feel like we were in a ’70s Buick.
BUY IT IF...
Chevys are your thing.
AVOID IT IF...
Getting passed by everyone is not your idea of fun.
Plain and simple, I am a Ranger fan, have true to life experience offroading, and have made some very valid points against the Tacoma that Tacoma owners hate to hear. I have never once said the TAcoma can't do this or that, or is a bad, unreliable truck.. Yet, its ok for the Toyota crowd to say these things about the RAnger??? No-way, I'm won't sit Idle and let it happen.
The Ford Ranger is the best compact truck for the average truck user. It offers more packages, more variations than the Tacoma. It offers options that over 95 percent of truck users will get full benifit from.
In my opinion the TRD package is a waist of money. Anyone who knows offroading will know the limits of the locker, the limits of when it will be used. Along with knowing how much 4 Bilstien shocks and springs costs!!
Should be ok for Sunday.
Have been finishing my brakes on the Range. Must comment that the parts were a bit more expensive than I expected. However, in general, they were easy to change. \
My problem was I got a bad set of pads from NAPA. They were just grinding apart.
Costs:
Rotors from NAPA: $150
Calipers form Ford: $180
Pads from Ford: $80
Brass washers for Caliper for Ford: $6
Well, at least I got all new brake parts in the front. Seems that I did not need the calipers this time, was a brake pad problem.
Additionally, you do make some valid points, but they are diluted by your tendency to accept the fact that not everyone should think like you. Not everyone thinks like you do dude. People are individuals and as such they have differing opinions. Some people like chocolate, others like vanilla but that doesn't mean that one dislikes the other. There are other Ford advocates on here who do respect my opinions and my decision to purchase a Tacoma. You have not. And that is okay too. You have the right to not respect other people and their opinions. But again, everyone else here will see that attitude and most won't respect you. The only things you've said on here that I dislike are your comments that disrespect other people's opinions. Any facts that you've given are fine, and I honestly don't mind hearing the truth about the Tacoma even if it is bad. Sometimes the truth hurts. I'm a big boy and I've learned that lesson many times. I have never purported the Tacoma as being of higher quality or of better class. I have admitted my feelings about the Ranger and continue to admit that it's a worthy vehicle. Why can't you admit that Toyota has built a worthy vehicle as well? The Tacoma and Ranger are priced pretty close in my estimation. I 'll even agree with you that the TRD is a waste, (for me, an average pickup truck user) and that's why I didn't get it.
So vince, I challenge you to search yourself and enlighten us as to why you find it so difficult to accept the fact that people are different.
Crew cabs have been selling pretty well in the full-size pickup market, and I'm just curious to see if that trend will carry over to the compacts.
Avoid the traps folks...it's JUST a message board!
It's supposed to be informative and FUN!
Thanks for your cooperation and participation!
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Host
Pickups & News and Views Message Boards
I am so NOT surprised that the only part to go bad was made by one of the Big 3
Back on the road, feel the big difference. The engine is really dragging, specially at high RPM.
Does any one has the same experience?
Also recently saw a report on TV about terrible stories of some gas company/station adding water into gas. The report offered some advice on how to detect and protect yourself as a consumer, but don't remember the details. Can any one help?
Thanks
JC
As for gas stations adding water to the gas, that sounds like an urban legend to me. If you happen to get water into the combustion chamber... Boom!!!
265/75R16 Tires OK?
What is next taller tire? What did the old WWII JEEPS have? 750R16?
How come lift kits for these are so expensive? I thought they would come in around $500 or so, but it looks like they are over $1000!!!!! What gives?
]]I really don't care for the crew cabs in the compact truck segment too much. The quality of the trucks may be every bit as good as the X-cab or SUV that it is based on, but I think they look strange. I carry around my surfboard in the bed of my pickup. The crew cab wouldn't make sense for me since the board wouldn't fit\\
The Tacoma crew cab has a 5 foot bed, and an optional bed extender for 150$. This was the truck that "opened a can of whoopa@#"(-fourwheeler) on the rest of the competition.
I like the new crew cab, and may be trading in my current Tacoma for one.
If you like them though spoog, go for it brah!
I can't say that I like the Explorer Sport Trac. I'd never opt for one. Tops on my list would be the Dakota Quad Cab with the 4.7L V8 and a 5-speed. If I got a Dakota, I'd never opt for one of the piece 'o crap auto trannies they put in those things. Next would probably be the S/C Frontier CC. Third place would be a toss up between the Tacoma double-cab and S10 crew cab. I can't say that either of these trucks do much for me. They both look kinda strange. But, I guess the new look will grow on me. The Dakota just pulls it off so well. That V8 is really tempting for someone who tows frequently.
Well, I guess I'll just stick with my reg-cab Ranger for a while.
Also search for BF goodrich tires, you can check tire sizes there.
I think without a lift your max tire size is the 265 60 16. That is the same height as the 31X10.5X15 but a tad narrower in tread.
Now you know why I got the 15 inch tires on mine, they are sooooo much cheaper than 16 inch tires.
And a 31X10.5X15 and the 26570X16 tires are both 31 inch tires.
I find around chat rooms that many Toyota owners are completly unaware of some of these FACTS about their trucks. I believe the Ranger is the best compact truck on the market today. Now with its SOHC 4.0 it now has better positioned the Ranger to hold this title. The consumer rules, the Ranger is the number 7th best seller out of the top ten vehicles for 14 years straight. Where is the Tacoma??
You can go to Discount/Americas tire and if your present tires are in good shape they will give you a trade in value. This will take some of the pinch out of buying new tires. P265x75R16 is the largest tire you can go on the Ranger without a lift kit. Beleive me, it makes the Rangers looks and stance much more aggressive looking.
In todays paper an Edge Ranger 4x4 4.0 automatic $18,899! Air, p/s, p/b, rear slider, offroad pkg, AM/FM CD, power windows, door locks, fog lamps, tilt, 4doors, and not just 1, 7 to choose from. Please tell me where I can get a Tacoma 3.4 loaded like this for 18,899?