A while back I posted about some things about Ford that dont make sense to me. Many of you took offense to the things I said. Perhaps I was not clear enough with my opinions.
I never meant to imply that a Ranger couldnt go well over 100,000 miles. The Ranger is not a BAD truck. I owned my '99 Ranger for 3 years and overall it wasnt that bad. It had some areas where it was poorly engineered, but it never left me stranded on the side of the road.
As far as pushrods vs. overhead camshafts consider this: NASCAR has a series called the Goody's Dash Series. It features compact cars: Toyota Celicas, Pontiac Sunfires, Ford Escorts. The Fords and Pontiacs all run unrestricted 4.0L OHV V6s. However, Toyota is forced to use a 3.5L V6. Why? Well, NASCAR's reason is because Toyota utilizes overhead cam technology and 4-valves per cylinder. NASCAR claims that the Toyotas have an "unfair technical advantage".
Someone said that Toyota builds "car engines". While I cant argue that Toyota's engines make their best power in the midrange (3,000 rpm), there is a good reason for this. Its a proven fact that a smaller engine turning more rpm has less rotating mass than a larger engine turning less rpm. Less roatating mass means less vibration, less vibration means your engine lasts longer.
Probably the best example of a great truck motor would be Ford's Triton engines. A friend of mine has a '99 F-150 Super Duty with a V10. While this truck has a lot of power and has been overloaded on many occasions with power to spare, it sucks if you drive in any kind of wet/muddy/snowy conditions. If you are driving on wet roads you have to be very careful with the gas pedal, otherwise all it will do is light up the tires. Personally, I wouldnt want a powerband that is all low-end. If you try to pull something really heavy, all you are going to do is spin the tires. As the old saying goes, "spinning your wheels isnt a sign of power, its a sign of ignorance."
Now, I didnt expect anyone to answer my other post saying, "Oh, Rangers suck." Afterall, this is a Ford message board.
However, anyone who says they would never buy a Toyota because they buy American is fooling themselves.
Most of Toyota's vehicles are made right here in the good ole USA. The Tacoma and Corolla are made in California, the Tundra is made in Indiana and the Camry and Sienna are made in Kentucy. Toyota's parts factory is located in Ontario, Canada. Seems to me like Toyota is just as American as Ford. Ford's cars are assembled in the USA, some of their parts are made in Canada and a LOT of their parts come from Europe.
By the way, you folks said if I love a Toyota so much maybe I should buy one. Well, I did. A while back I traded my Ranger for a 2000 Toyota Tacoma. Let me tell you, when I picked up that truck from the dealer the whole way home I was thinking, "I should have bought one of these 3 years ago." My Toyota gets great gas milage, is a comfy as a Lexus, is as dependable as the sunrise and corners like a sports car. Wish I could say that same about ANY Ford Ive ever driven.

Toyota
Drive the best, screw the rest

 

>Probably the best example of a great truck motor would be
>Ford's Triton engines. A friend of mine has a '99 F-150
>Super Duty with a V10. While this truck has a lot of power
>and has been overloaded on many occasions with power to
>spare, it sucks if you drive in any kind of wet/muddy/snowy
>conditions. If you are driving on wet roads you have to be
>very careful with the gas pedal, otherwise all it will do is
>light up the tires. Personally, I wouldnt want a powerband
>that is all low-end. If you try to pull something really
>heavy, all you are going to do is spin the tires. As the
>old saying goes, "spinning your wheels isnt a sign of power,
>its a sign of ignorance."
>
> Toyota
> Drive the best, screw the rest


dude, i hate to correct ya but yer not entirely right. while these trucks do have alot of low end, the real pulling power is on the top end. and like any truck, all you have to do is give it a little bit more gas and it will start to spin em'. we have a 2000 v10 w/ a 5 speed and a 2002 5.4 w/ a 6 speed and they perform very well on the snow and rain and mud. it just sounds to me like you needed a truck with out any power cause you dont know how to handle it.



-nathan

 

Thanks for your input. Maybe you can find a Toyota message board now.

 

My wife and I have a mixed marriage. She drives a 1996 T-100 and I drive 1998 Ranger XLT. She's got 176,000 miles on hers. I've got 151,000 miles on mine. I'll be running a lap around her this spring. Both of these trucks are still running fine. The Toyota has performed extremely well for the last six years. The only difference is that I've paid off my truck twice over before she did. Toyota has a great product, and they make sure you pay for it.

 

There are several reasons why I'll only own a Ford Ranger and NEVER a Toyota or any other rice burning truck. Buy American is a good start but it doesn't end there. Do you REALLY think that the fact that they put the Toyota together in American makes it better? The head company is still located in Japan and that is where the bulk of the profits end up.

But, as I said...there is much more to my logic. Is the Toyota a reliable truck? Sure, and you better hope it stays reliable threw the years, because you'll pay out the tailgate for parts when it does break down. On average, foreign cars are much more expensive to fix. Then again, I'm not saying that I feel Ford makes a less reliable truck. Say what you may about Ford cars but Ford KNOWS how to make a tough truck.

Then again, let's say that a Toyota engine will outlast a Ford...just for the sake of making an example. Now, I ask you...what good is a motor and an transmission if there is no truck left surrounding it? Toyotas, as well as most Japanise vehicles, rust early and often. I can't tell you how many times I've seen a Toyota go down the road with half the body rusted completely away. On the other hand, my 94 Ranger is rust free, despite the paint even being completely gone is several areas from two wrecks I've been in several years ago. True, this truck has galvanized lower sheet metal but even older Rangers will hold up much better than a Toyota.

In summary, while I feel Ford is the only way to go, at least stick with American and help our people out for a change.

 

I test drove a Tacoma 4x4 reg. cab 4 banger. It was plain jane. I got an Edge 4x4 loaded with goodies and a much smoother ride and more comfy interior for about the same $ and I know from experience that Rangers are tough trucks.

 

 

Serpent, I agree with everybody else! It sounds like you don't know how to handle power. Also I have 15 Ford trucks in my family. Nine of them have over 200K on them. You're telling me that a Ford trucks don't last??? Oh by the way, Two of those trucks that are over 200k are Ford rangers. Once you try a full size truck buddy, you won't ever go back to a sardine can. It happened to my best friend. He used to talk smack about my Power Stroke. He witnessed what it could do in a 4 x 4 obstacle course and towing. Two weeks later he traded his sardine can in for a man's truck.

 

The best truck engines have allways had lots of lowend torque, thats what helps get heavy objects moving. Try feathering the gas or the clutch a little, this is also where a
4x4 or posi rearend can help, things real trucks should have in my opinion. However even a 2wd will do fine if you can drive it. I wouldn't hit a dog in the butt with a toyota, our companies need the profits, not tokyo. The only thing the japanese ever did for me, was to kill 2 of my uncles at Pearl Harbor. I don't hate them, I love everyone, but we must take care of our own. Besides all that, ranger is still the best truck per value. I wheel with taco's all the time, they break and get stuck and need a hand like everyone else, actually more than the jeeps or rangers hee hee!!!!!!!!!!

 

Hey Serpent.....the Super Duty is an F-250 and not a F-150.
I have the V-10 and NEVER have a problem plowing snow. If you KNOW HOW to drive the V-10 is a great motor.

 

moved to the general auto forum

 

Holy 6 year old thread batman

 

I had a 2002 Tacoma PreRunner, and my brother has the same truck except his isnt the PreRunner. The only thing the OP posted that is actually true, is that they are dependable. My Tacoma got horrible gas mileage, and my brothers is a 4 cylinder and his does okay but not as good as I would expect from a 4 cylinder dragging a light truck around. Neither one of these trucks corner like a sports car. If I wanted to turn corners like a sports car, I would buy a sports car, not dog my F150 because it dosent act like a sports car.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by UTfball68

No kidding...looks like a NEWBIE found the search button... I just have to ask...what the crap was being searched for when this thread was drug up? But for the record...yota sucks and if you want a real rig buy a FORD. If you want a Hotwheels crackerjack rig that's fine.

No just Wendell just having a bit of fun stiring the pot

 

I guess some of y'all haven't heard about the rusting frames on Tacoma's.

Toyota is buying 100's of 1000's of them back.

The rust issue is so bad, the frame can break into two sections between the cab and the bed.

Waltz on over to one of the Toyota forums and read all about it.

Or you can try searching here for the whole sad story.

Several months ago, there was an entire thread on this issue with pictures of rusting Tacoma frames, and more.

I found the thread, just brought it up.