My 94 Ford Exployer, 96,000, is now starting to incur repair costs and I am seriously looking at the Ford Ranger and comparing it to the Toyota Tacoma. While I have loved my Exployer all these years, I just can't afford the new ones. My needs are simple, just me driving, frequent but not daily highway driving, rare distances over 500 mile trips, need space for landscaping material and Home Depot stuff and tow my John Deer rider out of the bottom of my property when it brakes down (400 ft. uphill.) I know I want AC and automatic transmission and 4-wheel drive capability with the northeast snow storms. My biggest concern is power to get up onto the highways from stop to get in the 65 mph flow of traffic. Everyone seems to have a different opinion. I do like the supercab for the extra space behind the driver.

Are Ranger people happy? It seems like I would have to get XLT in order to get my needs met. Do I need the 4.0 SOHC to best run the AC? Is the standard 4.10:1 axle ratio the best for this? Did anyone else compare the Ranger with the Tacoma? I keep my vehicles 7-9 years and although resale value by that point is mute, I do hear that Ford still does better. My girlfriend always goes Ford (250 and now a 150) and loves them.

 

I,m very happy with my 2003 Ranger XLT FX4 Off Road 4x4 Supercab 5R55E Automatic
The 4.0 SOHC/4.10 limited slip is a great combination.
Check out the Ranger board on this site.

 

I have a 03 Ranger Fx4 Level II Supercab. What a great workhorse! I have a manual transmission so I can't say anything about the automatics, but the 4.0L SOHC and the 4.10 rear end is a great combination. Lot's of torque for pulling and off-road duties, and a whole lot of get up and go......65 mph to get on the Fwy? NO PROBLEM...................

 

I researched for months, visited dealerships, talked to owners, etc. before I bought my truck. I had it narrowed down between the Tacoma and Ranger before my purchase. Honestly, both are great trucks. But the Ranger in my opinion is nicer. The NEW Ranger has a more dependable 4x4 system, smoother ride, more power, easier access to the area behind the seats, and more features for the same money. Not only that, but Ranger is cheaper to insure, and cheaper to service and maintain because it's domestic.

I don't think you can go wrong with either truck, but if I had to pick one...well, you see what I picked.

 

Back in 94 when I was shopping for a new truck, I went through this dilemma. A fully loaded Ranger XLT 4x4 supercab (minus auto tranny, captians chairs, opening side windows and CD player) had a sticker price of about $21,000. The comparable toyota had a sticker of $27,000, and for an EXTRA $1,200 I could have a/c so that brings it up to $28,200. The toyota was going to cost twice as much to insure per year, so $600 x 9years = $5400. Sales tax savings between the Ranger and the toyota would be about $575.

So far, by not buying the toyota I've saved roughly $13,175, assuming that the difference between invoice (which is what I paid) and sticker was the same for both. So, if I sold my Ranger today for say $4500, that gives me $17,675 to apply to another new Ranger. When you look at what invoice is on a new one, and add in any incentives/rebates, it's easy for me to justify buying a new Ranger if only I wanted it. Thank God I NEVER bought that Toyota.

As for your concern about power you will have no problems getting up to 75MPH, and that's with the a/c running. The acceleration with the 4.0 is more than adequate for normal, daily driving. I also went with the 3.73 rear end to provide better bottom end response; this was the highest gearing available. While the gearing does deliver more bottom end, it also comes with a price....gas mileage is lower. Something else I noticed at the time; the Ranger had a nice comfy interior that made generous use of cloth and the toyota was like being inside of a Rubbermade trash can with the abundance of plastic everything. Oh what a feeling, toyota.

 

Got a '94 Ranger STX with the old OHV 4.0 and a 5-speed. It has cost me some money lately (age/ mileage-related stuff), but for 110,000 miles I can't complain. There is NO RUST, which is just amazing for this part of the country. As for the Tacoma, even Consumer Reports doesn't like it, and we all know how much they love Japanese-made vehicles. They've always rated the Ranger and Sport-Trac at the top. The Tacoma has a TERRIBLE ride, and mediocre handling. If you're serious about the Tacoma, make sure the dealer let's you take one on an extended test-drive. I'd want to live with one for several hours before I made up my mind.

 

Thanks everyone!! You all made some very valuable points some of which I hadn't even thought about! I really appreciate your wisdom and input!

Happy Holidays and good truckin' to you all!

"Snowflake" from the days when CB's were the best way to communicate on the road.......

 

Everyone will always have their own ideas and experiences with their own vehicles. I own a Tacoma and an Explorer and I can tell you that my Tacoma runs better, has the same maintenance cost if not less than my Ford, and has better resale value than my Ford. If you look at a variety of consumer oriented magazines, you will find that the Tacoma is rated as one of the most reliable vehicles on the road. Tacoma has been rated as a best bet on Consumer Reports.org. Where is the Ranger in all of this? Not on the best bet list and valued a whole lot less than Tacoma. If you want to keep your truck for 7-9 years and still have some residual value AND not have to have your truck in the shop once or twice a year...then buy the Toyota. You won't regret it. Let us know what you decide...whatever the outcome. Good luck.

 

I had two pre-Tacoma Toyota mini trucks. One a 1T longbed and one 4x4. Had each for 7 years with nothing more than plugs and oil required. No complaints about Toyota quality.

 

Get the tacoma. Toyotas are very reliable. Especially the 22re engine. I have a T-100 2.7 4 banger that has 236k miles on it. ORIGINAL CLUTCH and MOTOR. It only needed regular maintenance, and a new radiator.

 

JD Power has a comparison on Kelly Blue Book:

http://www.kbb.com/kb/ki.dll/kw.kc.c...20Xtracab;36&&

Ranger rates higher in mechanical quality, features quality, body and interior quality and overall quality. Matter of fact, it out ranks all the compact trucks compared.

dayjavu, since every one of your posts has been anti-Ford, be it about their diesels, or the Ranger.... why are you here on Ford Truck Enthusiasts?

 

I would buy a new ranger in a heart beat. I've put 25000 hard miles(85000 total) on mine with no problems other then the 4 wheel drive(bring back manul hubs and t-case and I wouldn't have a problem) the interior looks brand new, a fair amount of scrathes but no rust.

1994 Buick totaled, 1994 Ranger cracked headlights and a slightly bend front bumper.

deep snow-not very confident inspirering but haven't been stuck
crappy weather-VERY confident!
acceleration-its a freaking sports car!
handling-best handling vehicle I've ever driven, period!
brakes-get ready to go thru the windshield!
ride-beautiful
load in bed-dont even feel it.
towing-well opt for smaller tires or lower gears and it would be much better
gas milage-best 25, worst 15(foot to floor in town) average 17-18

 

I own a 2002 excursion diesel, thats why.

 

Why has every one of your posts been anti-Ford on a Ford site? Did you come here to discuss your diesel, or to slam Fords?

 

I owned an 01 Ranger 3.0, 5sp. auto, XLT Supercab 4x2 for 3 years and 36,000 miles. I really enjoyed the acceleration and precise steering, suspension the most.
17 y.o. kid was driving down the highway at 65 and we crested the hill to come upon a couch and washing machine sitting in the middle of our lane. They fell off the truck that was parked on the shoulder. We had a full size van right next to us in the left lane and an 18 wheeler at a reasonable distance behind us. The kid was able to smoothly slow, avoid the furniture and drive around the furniture hauling truck safely on the right. We had the left wheels on the highway surface and the right wheels off the highway on dirt/gravel/rocks as we drove by. The kid was able to handle it smoothly and we all felt confident and in-control going off the highway and back on. I will tell you that the Ranger was a lot calmer on the outside than dad was on the inside while going through this. That was the day I bacame impressed with the handling/suspension and steering.
I think that the quietness helped, too.
My truck had a smaller engine and lower rear end ratio than you are considering but my experiences were wonderful. 36,000 miles of just changing the oil, a few tire rotations and one burned out tail light.
All that with 20.8 mph. when I checked.
p.s. I think that it was the left tail light.
Think that you'll like your Ranger!
jimmyj
2004 F150 XLT SCab 5.4 4.2
2001 Ranger XLT 3.0 4x2
1994 F150 XLT SCab 5.0 4x2
You don'y want to know the others!