Topic: Comparison Test: 2019 Ford Ranger vs 2019 Toyota Tacoma

[AutoTrader.ca]

2019 Ford Ranger XLT FX4 vs 2019 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro
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[Great_Big_Abyss]

My Toyota dealer has a Tacoma TRD Pro in Voodoo Blue on the lot.  It's beautiful!!!

Speaking of reliability and build quality, watch what happened when The Straight Pipes took a Ranger for a drive:

https://youtu.be/PPX4AwBNVms?t=338

[dirtyjeffer]

i'd be curious to see how the crash tests compare as well...i don't see a rating for the new Ranger yet, but the Tacoma is rated and scores acceptably...kind of odd considering how old that platform is...the Tundra is also an older platform and performs poorly, it really needs to be updated.

Tacoma: https://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/vehicle/v/toyota/tacoma-crew-cab-pickup/2019
Tundra: https://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/vehicle/v/toyota/tundra-crew-cab-pickup/2019

i'm not really sure why there is such a gap between these two vehicles, which are both older platforms.

[Fobroader]

My Toyota dealer has a Tacoma TRD Pro in Voodoo Blue on the lot.  It's beautiful!!!

Speaking of reliability and build quality, watch what happened when The Straight Pipes took a Ranger for a drive:

https://youtu.be/PPX4AwBNVms?t=338

That bodes well for long term reliability.....

[OliverD]

My Toyota dealer has a Tacoma TRD Pro in Voodoo Blue on the lot.  It's beautiful!!!

Speaking of reliability and build quality, watch what happened when The Straight Pipes took a Ranger for a drive:

https://youtu.be/PPX4AwBNVms?t=338

That bodes well for long term reliability.....

If your computer crashes, does that make you think it won't last as long as you originally thought?

[Great_Big_Abyss]

My Toyota dealer has a Tacoma TRD Pro in Voodoo Blue on the lot.  It's beautiful!!!

Speaking of reliability and build quality, watch what happened when The Straight Pipes took a Ranger for a drive:

https://youtu.be/PPX4AwBNVms?t=338

That bodes well for long term reliability.....

If your computer crashes, does that make you think it won't last as long as you originally thought?

Yes.  Computers aren't supposed to crash unless there is a software bug, or something wrong with hardware.  Bugs and issues have to be checked a fixed for a computer to be 24/7 stable.

[OliverD]

My Toyota dealer has a Tacoma TRD Pro in Voodoo Blue on the lot.  It's beautiful!!!

Speaking of reliability and build quality, watch what happened when The Straight Pipes took a Ranger for a drive:

https://youtu.be/PPX4AwBNVms?t=338

That bodes well for long term reliability.....

If your computer crashes, does that make you think it won't last as long as you originally thought?

Yes.  Computers aren't supposed to crash unless there is a software bug, or something wrong with hardware.  Bugs and issues have to be checked a fixed for a computer to be 24/7 stable.

Well obviously they're not supposed to crash but they do. But if it's a software issue it doesn't typically affect the longevity of the hardware. I don't really see how a glitch like what happened in that review is indicative in any way of a car's long-term reliability.

[whaddaiknow]

My Toyota dealer has a Tacoma TRD Pro in Voodoo Blue on the lot.  It's beautiful!!!

Speaking of reliability and build quality, watch what happened when The Straight Pipes took a Ranger for a drive:

https://youtu.be/PPX4AwBNVms?t=338

That bodes well for long term reliability.....

If your computer crashes, does that make you think it won't last as long as you originally thought?

Yes.  Computers aren't supposed to crash unless there is a software bug, or something wrong with hardware.  Bugs and issues have to be checked a fixed for a computer to be 24/7 stable.

Well obviously they're not supposed to crash but they do. But if it's a software issue it doesn't typically affect the longevity of the hardware. I don't really see how a glitch like what happened in that review is indicative in any way of a car's long-term reliability.

Could be a software glitch (still no Bueno) but also could be chintzy hardware (poor quality materials or assembly) from the lowest bidder. Even less Bueno.

[DriverJeff]

My Toyota dealer has a Tacoma TRD Pro in Voodoo Blue on the lot.  It's beautiful!!!

Speaking of reliability and build quality, watch what happened when The Straight Pipes took a Ranger for a drive:

https://youtu.be/PPX4AwBNVms?t=338

That bodes well for long term reliability.....

Did I forget to answer any of your questions in the review, Fob? 

[DriverJeff]

Just noticed some of the data was edited out of my chart, so for those who want / care, here are some other specs on the two trucks:

[Fobroader]

My Toyota dealer has a Tacoma TRD Pro in Voodoo Blue on the lot.  It's beautiful!!!

Speaking of reliability and build quality, watch what happened when The Straight Pipes took a Ranger for a drive:

https://youtu.be/PPX4AwBNVms?t=338

That bodes well for long term reliability.....

Did I forget to answer any of your questions in the review, Fob?

Yes it did, thank you for that!!! No one ever mentions the truck type of things when reviewing trucks, yeah theres an I pad glued to the days, yayy, can I easily tie a quad down in the box, can I pull the truck out of the ditch, or recover someone else, easily, these are the things I care about in the truck. Personally the Taco being a Toyota and having a good ol' fashioned V6 would make it the choice for me in the long run. The Ranger is still a Ford.....no matter how shiny and comfy it is.

[Great_Big_Abyss]

I took issue with the scoring on the utility side of things.  Yeah the Ranger has a higher payload and towing capacity than the Tacoma.  But if you're worried about absolute capability, you should be looking at a half ton anyway.  Meanwhile, the Tacoma had the superior bed tie-down system, not to mention the back seat is infinitely more useful.  It folds 60/40, as opposed to the Ranger's one piece bench.  There is storage under the Tacoma's rear seat, unlike in the Ranger.  The Tacoma has a dampened tailgate, the Ranger does not.  Little quality of life things like this add to the Utility of the truck. 

[DriverJeff]

I took issue with the scoring on the utility side of things.  Yeah the Ranger has a higher payload and towing capacity than the Tacoma.  But if you're worried about absolute capability, you should be looking at a half ton anyway.  Meanwhile, the Tacoma had the superior bed tie-down system, not to mention the back seat is infinitely more useful.  It folds 60/40, as opposed to the Ranger's one piece bench.  There is storage under the Tacoma's rear seat, unlike in the Ranger.  The Tacoma has a dampened tailgate, the Ranger does not.  Little quality of life things like this add to the Utility of the truck.

These are all excellent points, and certainly I did notice (and appreciate) the damped tailgate and the more utilitarian backseat functionality.  But if I had picked the Taco over the Ranger for utility despite having a smaller, shallower box, lower payload and lesser towing capability, there'd be at least as many folks with torches and pitchforks.  The best I can hope for is that by giving as much info as possible, it helps people make an informed decision for what serves their needs best. 

[Ex-airbalancer]

This says it all for me, if you cannot be comfortable while driving the truck, what is the point of owning it


"The Tacoma’s interior features higher-quality materials, but its manually adjustable leather seats were not only extremely hard, but the notorious legs-straight-forward driving position combined to make the Toyota quite uncomfortable after even very short drives.

Conversely, the plain cloth seats in the Ranger proved to be supportive and very comfortable even after logging a lot of miles."

[Fobroader]

I took issue with the scoring on the utility side of things.  Yeah the Ranger has a higher payload and towing capacity than the Tacoma.  But if you're worried about absolute capability, you should be looking at a half ton anyway.  Meanwhile, the Tacoma had the superior bed tie-down system, not to mention the back seat is infinitely more useful.  It folds 60/40, as opposed to the Ranger's one piece bench.  There is storage under the Tacoma's rear seat, unlike in the Ranger.  The Tacoma has a dampened tailgate, the Ranger does not.  Little quality of life things like this add to the Utility of the truck.

The fact that the seat isn't split folding is absolutely baffling to me.....

[Great_Big_Abyss]

This says it all for me, if you cannot be comfortable while driving the truck, what is the point of owning it


"The Tacoma’s interior features higher-quality materials, but its manually adjustable leather seats were not only extremely hard, but the notorious legs-straight-forward driving position combined to make the Toyota quite uncomfortable after even very short drives.

Conversely, the plain cloth seats in the Ranger proved to be supportive and very comfortable even after logging a lot of miles."

I guess that one gets chalked up to 'either it works for you, or it doesn't'.  Different people, different shapes, different comfort in different positions. 

Not that I've spent any significant length of time in a Tacoma (about 15 min max), but from the descriptions I've read, it sounds like the legs out position that you would find in a car.  If you can get comfortable in a car, I don't see why you wouldn't be able to get comfortable in a Tacoma.  I suppose because it's a truck you expect to be sitting upright, so to be sitting more horizontal may come as a surprise and throw some people off.

[Great_Big_Abyss]

I took issue with the scoring on the utility side of things.  Yeah the Ranger has a higher payload and towing capacity than the Tacoma.  But if you're worried about absolute capability, you should be looking at a half ton anyway.  Meanwhile, the Tacoma had the superior bed tie-down system, not to mention the back seat is infinitely more useful.  It folds 60/40, as opposed to the Ranger's one piece bench.  There is storage under the Tacoma's rear seat, unlike in the Ranger.  The Tacoma has a dampened tailgate, the Ranger does not.  Little quality of life things like this add to the Utility of the truck.

The fact that the seat isn't split folding is absolutely baffling to me.....

When I pick up groceries, I like to lift up the '60' side of the rear seat and put the groceries on the floor of the cab.  The fact that the seat is split folding (split lifting?!?) means my daughter can still sit in her booster seat in her normal spot, which is the '40' side of the seat.  It comes in handy on a weekly basis for me.

And yes, y'all can laugh that I use my Tundra as a 'grocery-getter'.

[DriverJeff]

This says it all for me, if you cannot be comfortable while driving the truck, what is the point of owning it


"The Tacoma’s interior features higher-quality materials, but its manually adjustable leather seats were not only extremely hard, but the notorious legs-straight-forward driving position combined to make the Toyota quite uncomfortable after even very short drives.

Conversely, the plain cloth seats in the Ranger proved to be supportive and very comfortable even after logging a lot of miles."

I guess that one gets chalked up to 'either it works for you, or it doesn't'.  Different people, different shapes, different comfort in different positions. 

Not that I've spent any significant length of time in a Tacoma (about 15 min max), but from the descriptions I've read, it sounds like the legs out position that you would find in a car.  If you can get comfortable in a car, I don't see why you wouldn't be able to get comfortable in a Tacoma.  I suppose because it's a truck you expect to be sitting upright, so to be sitting more horizontal may come as a surprise and throw some people off.

Not quite, though.  In most cars, you can at least tilt up the front of the lower seat cushion to give a bit of under-thigh support (and thus, taking some pressure off the lower back).  The Taco's seats are very close to the floor and minimally adjustable so you never really get proper support from it.  I'm of pretty average height, but my g/f is quite tall with very long legs and finds the Taco miserable to sit in. 

[DriverJeff]

I took issue with the scoring on the utility side of things.  Yeah the Ranger has a higher payload and towing capacity than the Tacoma.  But if you're worried about absolute capability, you should be looking at a half ton anyway.  Meanwhile, the Tacoma had the superior bed tie-down system, not to mention the back seat is infinitely more useful.  It folds 60/40, as opposed to the Ranger's one piece bench.  There is storage under the Tacoma's rear seat, unlike in the Ranger.  The Tacoma has a dampened tailgate, the Ranger does not.  Little quality of life things like this add to the Utility of the truck.

The fact that the seat isn't split folding is absolutely baffling to me.....

Nevermind that it isn't a split-folding affair, the fact that it won't even sit flat and just has a fabric back to it (suggesting it's not intended to be folded for any reason other than to retrieve something that fell down behind the seat) seems like a major oversight from Ford

[Fobroader]

This says it all for me, if you cannot be comfortable while driving the truck, what is the point of owning it


"The Tacoma’s interior features higher-quality materials, but its manually adjustable leather seats were not only extremely hard, but the notorious legs-straight-forward driving position combined to make the Toyota quite uncomfortable after even very short drives.

Conversely, the plain cloth seats in the Ranger proved to be supportive and very comfortable even after logging a lot of miles."

I guess that one gets chalked up to 'either it works for you, or it doesn't'.  Different people, different shapes, different comfort in different positions. 

Not that I've spent any significant length of time in a Tacoma (about 15 min max), but from the descriptions I've read, it sounds like the legs out position that you would find in a car.  If you can get comfortable in a car, I don't see why you wouldn't be able to get comfortable in a Tacoma.  I suppose because it's a truck you expect to be sitting upright, so to be sitting more horizontal may come as a surprise and throw some people off.

Not quite, though.  In most cars, you can at least tilt up the front of the lower seat cushion to give a bit of under-thigh support (and thus, taking some pressure off the lower back).  The Taco's seats are very close to the floor and minimally adjustable so you never really get proper support from it.  I'm of pretty average height, but my g/f is quite tall with very long legs and finds the Taco miserable to sit in.

Is there a fancy schmancy trim level of the Taco with better, powered seats??