Ford Ranger vs. Toyota Tacoma: Truck Comparison

Midsize pickups appeal to buyers who don’t need the space and extreme power of a full-size truck, but want a vehicle that works when they need it. It’s also easier to operate, cheaper, and could be even better off-road.

The best-selling medium-sized pickup is 2023 Toyota Tacoma, offered in a variety of models, including three aimed at off-road. An old design, but still popular despite the weak base engine.

of 2023 Ford Ranger This generation was available overseas for a few years before it came to the US so it may not look dated but it also has an older design It has more power than a Toyota in base form but offers as much as off road There is no off-road version that rivals the Tacoma TRD Pro.

Both tracks will take on new rivals such as the Chevrolet Colorado and Honda Ridgeline. Which is better for those considering Ranger or Tacoma?

Ranger vs Tacoma Pricing and Features

• Base ranger costs about $28,000

• Base Tacoma costs about $1,000 more

• Best Pick: Ranger XLT, Tacoma SR5, Tacoma TRD Pro

How much does the Ford Ranger cost?

Ford offers the Ranger in XL, XLT and Lariat models. The base Ranger starts at around $28,000 and comes standard with cloth seats, vinyl floors, power capabilities, a 3.5-inch information screen above the dash and 16-inch steel wheels.

Four-wheel drive adds about $3,500, and crew cab body styles add about $2,000.

Move to XLT for about $33,000. Add cruise control, carpet, remote keyless entry, fog lights, power locking tailgate, 8.0″ touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite radio and 17″ alloy wheels.

Top-line Lariat starts around $37,000 or $42,000 with four-wheel drive and crew cab. It has LED headlights and taillights, LED fog lights, rear parking sensors, a sliding glass rear window, ambient lighting, leather front seats and 18-inch wheels.

All Rangers come with a basic 3 year/36,000 mile warranty.

How much does the Toyota Tacoma cost?

Toyota offers a wide range of models for the Tacoma. Models are SR, SR5, TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road, Limited, Trail Sport Edition, TRD Pro.

The base Tacoma is priced at around $29,000. It has more equipment than the Ranger, but its 4-cylinder engine is weak. Standard equipment includes upholstery, power function, 7.0-inch touchscreen for infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Amazon Alexa connectivity, sliding rear window, engine and front suspension skid plates, Class IV tow hitch receiver, and 16 inch included. steel wheel. Four-wheel drive is about $3,000 more, and a crew cab and short bed combination adds about $800.

At around $31,000, the SR5 adds remote keyless entry, an 8.0-inch touchscreen, fog lights, alloy wheels, and access to several optional packages.

Buyers will spend around $48,000 on an off-road-focused TRD Pro that comes with only a crew cab, short bed, four-wheel drive, and a V-6. It features leather power adjustable seats, navigation, premium audio system, off-road camera system, wireless smartphone charging, LED headlights, sunroof, electronically controlled locking rear differential and 16″ alloy wheels. terrain tires.

Tacoma comes with the same warranty as the Ranger.

Advantage: Toyota Tacoma. However, the more model choices you have, the more money it will cost.

2023 Ford Ranger

Ranger vs Tacoma Performance

• Base Tacoma is underwhelming

• All Rangers have a powerful Turbo 4

• Tacoma offers a mighty V-6

The Tacoma’s base 2.7-liter in-line four-cylinder engine and its 159 horsepower are modest for a compact car, let alone a midsize pickup. Settling into the base engine and making overtaking takes patience and planning. I wouldn’t recommend it, especially since it gets over the same 21 mpg in combination with the V-6.

Most Tacoma buyers opt for the 278-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6. This costs about $2,300 for the option. It’s much more powerful, but its six-speed automatic transmission is tuned to upshift early, so you may have to poke the throttle deep to extract power. Smooth and the driver can decide the right gear.

All Rangers are equipped with a 2.3-liter Turbo 4 that produces 270 horsepower. His 310 lb-ft of torque is 45 lb-ft more than the Toyota V-6. Also, the smooth-shifting latest he uses a 10-speed automatic transmission, which is one reason why the Ranger can get up to 23 mpg in fuel economy.

The Ranger can also tow 7,500 pounds in all configurations, beating the Tacoma by 700 pounds compared to the V-6 and 4,000 pounds over the Inline 4. The Ranger can carry up to 1,860 pounds in bed, but the Tacoma he tops out at 1,685 pounds.

Both trucks use rear leaf springs and stiff rear axles, which makes the ride unstable and neither is fun to drive on public roads.

Advantage: Ford Ranger. However, the Toyota V-6 closes the gap.

2023 Toyota Tacoma

Ranger vs. Tacoma Offroad and 4×4 Systems

• Tacoma has many off-road oriented models

• Ranger Raptor not available in this generation

• Both part-time four-wheel drive

Ranger offers a part-time four-wheel-drive system and a pair of packages for those who enjoy off-roading. The Tremor package is our most capable package, with nearly 10 inches of ground clearance, a terrain management system, and Fox shocks that improve ride quality on the road and absorb big bumps off-road.

Tacoma also offers a simple part-time four-wheel drive system and three off-road focused models. Additional off-road equipment includes a locking rear differential, several traction control modes, and a slow crawl feature that keeps the truck moving in a controlled manner in tight or steep off-road situations. The TRD Pro features its own more substantial skid plate, higher ride height and its own Fox shock. For clearing off-road obstacles, the Tacoma TRD Pro has better approach and breakover angles than the Ranger with Tremor package, but the latter has better departure angles .

Advantage: Toyota Tacoma.

2023 Ford Ranger

Ranger vs. Tacoma Size, Space, Seating and Bed Space

What size is the Ford Ranger?

The Ranger is offered in one length with an extended cab and a 6ft bed or a crew cab and a 5ft bed. The Extended Cab seats 4 and the Crew Cab seats 5.

Compared to the Tacoma, the Ranger makes better use of cab space. All versions have 39.8 inches of front headroom and 43.1 inches of front legroom. Both are slightly more than the Tacoma.

The Ranger’s rear seat has a greater advantage. The extended cab has 35.9 inches of rear headroom, an inch more than the Tacoma, and the Crew Cab has the same 38.3 inches as the Tacoma. Rear legroom is a big win for the Ranger. His 30.4 inches in the extended cab made him 3.8 inches more than the Tacoma, and his 34.5 inches in his crew cab made him 1.9 inches more than the Tacoma.

Both models are equipped with four standard tie-downs on the bed.

How big is the Toyota Tacoma?

Both cars have plenty of front seat space. However, while the rear seat in the Tacoma’s extended cab is best left to dogs and luggage, the Ranger fits people in a pinch, and the Ranger’s crew is reasonably comfortable in his cab, too. This is all despite the fact that the Tacoma is 1.5 inches longer than the Ranger.

The Tacoma bed has that little extra space. 0.5 inch longer for short beds and 0.9 inch longer for long beds. The Tacoma also comes standard with a sliding rear window that allows access to the bed from the cabin.

Advantages: Ranger with larger cabin.

2023 Ford Ranger

Ranger vs Tacoma Styling

Neither the Ranger nor the Tacoma monopolize the driveway the way full-size pickups do, and that’s one reason to buy them. However, its styling is inspired by full-size trucks.

The Ranger has slab flanks and curved wheel flares like the F-150, but is more restrained with some curves instead of blocky elements. For example, the nose is less square and the grille is much smaller. Inside, the Ranger is an older design with his tiny 8.0-inch center screen. It is a monotone without a sense of luxury.

Toyota, on the other hand, has inherited most of the design elements that have made it popular over the decades, making it more blocky. It has a larger grille, angled wheel arches, engravings along the sides and a notable bonnet scoop. The off-road version is equipped with blocky tires and blackout his trim. Its cabin has chunky control dials and a larger standard screen, mostly made of monotone black plastic.

Pros: Draw.

2023 Toyota Tacoma

Ranger vs Tacoma Safety

• Both received 4 stars from NHTSA

• Automatic emergency braking is standard on both

• Tacoma has more standard safety features

How safe is the Ford Ranger?

Neither truck scores very well in crash tests. The Ranger is disappointing with the NHTSA giving him 4 out of 5 stars overall, but a 3 star rating for rollover resistance. IIHS crash test scores are mostly good, but the small passenger-side front he gets acceptable ratings in the overlap test and the new, tougher side crash test.

The Ranger only comes standard with automatic emergency braking, while the XLT model adds blind spot monitoring, active lane control and automatic high beams.

How safe is the Toyota Tacoma?

The Tacoma received 4 stars overall from NHTSA and 4 stars in the rollover test. It has nearly the same rating from the IIHS as the Ranger, but in the new, more demanding side crash test, it has a marginal score lower than the Ranger’s acceptable score.

Toyota equips all Tacomas with automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control and automatic high beams.

Advantage: Tacoma for more safety features.

2023 Ford Ranger

Which is better Ranger or Tacoma?

The two races are close, but it shows the Ranger winning a bit here, based on Ford’s 5.0 and Toyota’s TCC rating of 4.8. (Read more about how we rate cars.)

However, for some people Tacoma is a better choice. It’s a better off-roader and has more safety features. The Ranger, on the other hand, has more interior space, a better powertrain and more towing and towing capacity.

Winner: Ford Ranger.