Ask the Car People.SM


Ford Ranger vs Toyota Tacoma - READ ONLY

401 messages,  Last post on Jan 07, 2003 at 6:34 AM

You are in the Pickups - Archived Discussions Forum.

This discussion is ARCHIVED. To reactivate the discussion, post a request in the Javascript runtime error--TypeError: obj has no properties-- see logJsError259.html for a stack trace discussion.

What is this discussion about? Ford Ranger, Toyota Tacoma, Jeep Liberty, Truck

Messages Page 38 of 41

#362 of 401 Don't worry, midnight_caballo by plutonious

Dec 30, 2002 (12:49 pm)

I'm on work time, not my own time. And I'm hardly surprised you don't/can't address the issues I've brought up.

#363 of 401 again. by midnight_stang

Dec 30, 2002 (1:19 pm)

You didn't answer my question. What does this have to do with trucks? If you want a response, are you sure you want the answer? You have brought up these so called mistakes of mine over and over again, yet I have replied and said my peace in the past. We all know the root of your claims are false. Nobody has validated your claims, because it's off-topic and false.
 
And tell me again, how does saddaddy's pictures of tacoma's and F-150's get deleted too, if I just deleted anything you thought was incriminating against myself. My links were from non-copywrighted pages, your TEXT was very clearly not. Isn't it silly to accuse me falsely what you are truly guilty of?
 
Signed again, Your master of Conspiracy, the shadowy figure in the grassy knoll,
Midnight_Stang.

#364 of 401 Come on guys give it a rest by saddaddy

Dec 30, 2002 (1:36 pm)

The tundra doesn't even want to compete with the trucks you put it up against.
 
And tbunder, not trying to start ANYTHING here, but, what is wrong with someone (I don't know who, I didn't read everything) comparing the 3.4L to the "little 3.0L." You sit there and compare the 3.4L to the 4.0L all day and I will to. If I did my math correct, the 3.4 is much closer in size to th e 3.0 than the 4.0. Whats the deal? Seems fair to me.

#365 of 401 Sounds like a good idea to me by jmnemonic

Dec 30, 2002 (3:14 pm)

Is Plutonious always this argumentative? I wasn't around to witness any previous mistakes, yet I wouldn't like to argue about meaningless issues.
To add to the engine comparison, the 3.4l can also be compared to the ford's 4 cylinder extended cab. Still I would also have to compare Toyota's little 4 cylinder would not hold up to the larger v6 found in the Ranger.

#366 of 401 wow by klillard

Dec 30, 2002 (3:27 pm)

Hello, I came to this forum to read up about what everybody thought about these two trucks. I am also interested in a Nissan frontier or s10 possibly. What do you guys recommend based on your experiences? I am looking for a economical vehicle that is safe, reliable, and doesn't break my piggy bank.

#367 of 401 klillard by plutonious

Dec 30, 2002 (3:47 pm)

Of course, I am going to recommend the Tacoma. In four cylinder form, it is not only economical and affordable, but as "bullet-proof" as you can get. Toyota's four cylinders are what earned them their reputation for reliability and durability.
 
You will probably save a little if you buy a Ranger, especially with their never-ending sales incentives (that alone should raise your eyebrow). But remember, if you buy an extended warranty plan (the Tacoma already has a lengthy warranty) and you sell the truck (which you will someday), the difference in purchase price is going to be trivial. I encourage you to read the classifieds in your area and compare the prices of used Rangers and Tacomas.
 
You will find people who swear by their Rangers, and you will find an equal number who curse theirs. Just peruse these forums and you'll see. That's because Ford quality is hit or miss. Individual owners, reliability surveys, used-car price guides, etc. unanimously point to the Tacoma as being the better vehicle. All the anectodal tales by the Ranger guys will not change this fact.
 
Bottom line - Toyota is noted for quality, Ford advertises it (Quality is job #1...).

#368 of 401 Statistical analysis by midnight_stang

Dec 31, 2002 (6:47 am)

Any analyst will remember that a larger proportionate number of vehicles in the market will lead to more reports of complaints. The Ranger has been a sales leader for over 18 years. People are also more likely to voice a complaint than a praise. That is seen in the recent dialog here. You should read through any forums dedicated to any vehicle you plan on purchasing, but every account found should also be taken with a grain of salt.
 
I have owned two rangers, a 93 and now a 03 which have both been more than satisfactory. My 93 reached over 142,000 miles, and showed no sign of stopping anytime soon. My 2003 is an even more refined version that is a simple pleasure to drive. The Tacoma is known for Toyota Reliability. The Ford Ranger is known for more options available, and a better value of a truck. You simply can't purchase an equal Tacoma for a the same price of a Ranger, and this is especially true with the current rebates and financing specials.
 
My advice is to define your budget, take a look at the models currently offered in the market, and see what fits your definition of needs and wants in a truck.

#369 of 401 Not quite... by plutonious

Dec 31, 2002 (7:45 am)

"Any analyst will remember that a larger proportionate number of vehicles in the market will lead to more reports of complaints."
 
Yes, and the reliability surveys (in the Tacoma's favor, or course) take that into account, so that's a cheap-shot. Some people around here seem to think mass-produced vehicles will lead to more complaints and problems. Over 22 million Corollas have been produced and is the most recognized car in the world, yet it has a sterling reputation for reliability. So does the Camry, one of America's most popular cars. So much for that theory.
 
midnight_caballo is right, you must define your budget before your purchase. But you must also take a hard look at your vehicle ownership habits. A lot of the Ford guys buy vehicles and trade them in every couple of years. I guess the theory is some people simply feel a car payment is part of their budget, so they might as well have a new vehicle all the time. I think that's a waste of money, personally. If that's what you do, you'll probably come out ahead with the Ranger. In comparison, Toyota buyers generally keep their vehicles longer. If you own long-term and will sell the truck someday on your own, odds are the Toyota will be a better choice.
 
As the saying goes, "Buy cheap, buy twice."

#370 of 401 klillard by sc0rpi0

Jan 01, 2003 (11:30 pm)

"Reliable, powerful, cheap"
Choose two. This seems to be the best way to pick your truck.
Ranger is cheap and powerful, Tacoma is reliable and powerful, Nissan is cheap and reliable, S10 is cheap.
Here's my opinions on this:
 
Ranger: If you want a cheap truck, you might as well buy this one. Yeah, it's been a bestseller for 18 years, and yes, it may have the strongest naturally aspirated V6 in its class (not by much, though), but seeing all the recent troubles and pages of discounts/cashback options Ford gives out, one should simply wonder if it's a safe bet.
It may seem like a good investment to begin with, but few years down the road, you may have trouble selling your truck. Look around the used car lots and see how many Rangers you see. I see a lot out here.
 
Tacoma: I drive this, so it may sound biased. It's got a nice engine that's 8 years old now (3.4L) and still packing a punch (.6L less and 20/15 less than 4.0L by Ford). The only downside to Toyota is that it's expensive, but doesn't have to be. I picked up my Tacoma well-equiped for 21.4K plus TTL (that's for Xtracab, 2 door). If you don't want a 4WD, you can get one definitely for less than 20K. Plus, 2003 is the last year for this generation of Tacoma, and you may be able to pick one up in 6-8 months even cheaper.
 
Nissan: 3.3L V6 has been around for ages, and is reliable. Unfortunately, it's pretty powerless if you compare it to others. Combined with heavier weight of Frontier, it's even worse. Don't fall for the "210hp supercharged V6".....it's just something Nissan engineers slapped together to temporarily keep up with the competition. Charged 3.3L Nissans are slower than naturally-aspirated Tacoma V6s.
 
S10: I've owned a 1993 S10, and I'm never buying a Chevy again. Enough said.

#371 of 401 scorp.....pluto by tbunder1

Jan 02, 2003 (12:32 am)

scorpio- you are misstating info about rangers. id like you to let us all know what trouble the ranger line is having concerning quality. only thing i can think of was a rear differential problem that affected something like 800 trucks.
and concerning all the used rangers vs tacomas, how many mustangs vs corvettes do you see for sale? when you build more of any one vehicle, there will be more of them for sale. how many Honda CBR motorcycles do you see for sale in the paper vs ducati 916's? even you can figure that one out.
 
pluto- a bunch of people are pointing at you and laughing their respective asses off. you have ODD in it's worst case. yeah, go ahead and look it up. also, the focus is now the world's #1 selling car. what's that say about the corolla?
 
and ford would never build a truck like tundra, they only build trucks that are able to work while at the same time go to the grocery store. not ones that just pick up groceries like the tundra. i would hate to think that one day i would have to accept a ford truck to be just a truck with a special purpose or place in consumer's hands, and not a work truck. that's sad.
 
what about those 20" ram rims being wimpy? im still waiting on your results, or proof.

Messages Page 38 of 41

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement