Thoughts on purchasing a new truck

[wesdor]

I'm looking for a light duty pickup truck and have pretty much narrowed my search to a Ford Ranger or Toyota Tacoma.  Each of them would have the extended cab (not 4 doors).

Price is pretty much in the same ballpark, although I haven't gotten down to negotiating with a salesman.  I talked with our mechanic of over 20 years and he says he will only see the Toyota for oil changes for at least 200,000 miles (in other words it is the most reliable in his experience).

I don't want to start a war here, just wondering if there are any factual details that might help me make up my mind.

Thanks in advance for your wisdom.

[woodmills1]

I bought a used 86 toyota truck, put a clutch in at 120,000 miles and replaced the large contacts inside the starter.  Oh front pads, and the bed rusted and the pickup tubes to the gas tank rusted.

bought a 93 tacoma gave it oil changes

traded it for a 2008 tacoma   oil changes

now there isn't enough room here to tell you what I have repaired on my chevy

[york]

Hi,
I had a 2003 Tacoma and in good faith gave it to my girl friend-her brother had it on the lift and said to her"you might get a couple of years out of it"This "Tacoma"is all rusted on the underside....I now drive a Chevy...

[Captain]

Buy American.   

[thedeeredude]

I've been reading that Ford is dropping the ranger in 2010 in favor of an f-100.  I definitely think my next truck will be a ford, I had too many troubles with the 2 chevy trucks I had/have.

[Jasperfield]

I bought a '04 Tacoma in December. For the past 32 years I've bought and used, in my business, many Rangers, F-250s, F-350s, and a F-450. All of them 4WD.

I bought the Tacoma because the quality (and durability) of the Fords was becoming non-existent.

If I had driven a Toyota 20 years ago I would never have bought the smaller Rangers.

I don't plan on buying an American made car or truck ever again.

[sprucebunny]

Toyota's are assembled in America.

My '97 Toyota 4runner (almost the same as Tacoma) has a quarter million miles on it and few repairs. Toyota's track record has been better as far as repairs and longevity and resale value is higher.

[Jeff]

I'm goona stick with chevy for a bit longer. Hopefully another 300,000.     The digital odometer for some reason only lights up about once a month, and it lit up last night.

[Clark]

I just bought a used 2000 Tacoma 4-banger, 4x4.  I'm getting 25 mpg highway and she has plenty of grunt to get into the small mountain trails I need to be on for installing FIA plots.  So far I'm really happy with it.  One guy I work with has ~26X,XXX miles on his with the V6.  All I have ever read is that they are a very dependable truck that will require a minimum of maintenance.

They are built in a joint Toyota-GM plant in California (http://www.nummi.com/). 

Clark

[isawlogs]

My choice would be for the toyota if those where the only two choices available . 

[CLL]

Only word I think of when I think of Toyota is QUALITY!!! Their tough as nails and the motor almost bomb proof. I love my big Chevy3500, but would never buy a small ford or chevy.

[IMERC]

I had my fill of ford and it's so called service to last several life times...
never again....

go with the Tacoma....

[ScottAR]

I personally think one could be happy with either truck...

Dad's '99 ranger has been very reliable, has about 140k on the
counter.  Starting to have minor issues but I think it's mostly
due to having been in 3 traffic accidents the last being harsh. 
There's 3 at my job that are driven all day every day and
give very little trouble. 

The first 100k the only things changed besides oil and brakes
was 2 fuel filters and the thermostat. 

Toyotas in general seem to be reliable but expensive to repair compared
to domestics. 

[woodmills1]

In my area Toyota bought back all of the trucks with rust problems from the early tacoma period

If toyota puts dulies on the new tundra it will dent the ford/chevy/dodge dump sales

[moonhill]

Toyota will buy back the rusty ones, you have to check with the dealer and have newer than a certain, it is worth the check they give a good buy back price, due to the rust issue.  I don't know if this is still going on.  I have never had any complaints with Toyota vehicles, except for the rust.  When younger we ran Chevy 350's with the auto trans and transfer for more guts, the drive trains held up fine.  It is called a Toylet.  

Tim

[IMERC]

Buy American.   

isn't the Tacoma made in the US???

[IMERC]

If toyota puts dulies on the new tundra it will dent the ford/chevy/dodge dump sales

they are suppose to be releasing a one ton truck some time here in the near future....

[isawlogs]

The Furd Ranger .. is it a Furd or a disguised Mazda ??? 

[RynSmith]

My 2000 Ranger 4x4 has 175,000 miles with the original clutch.  Other than the usual (oil, brake pads) all it has needed was a new oil pan gasket (not a cheap fix, though).  I don't use dealerships for service - way too expensive.  Only problem I had with my 1992 Ranger was that it got totalled by a garbage truck 

[flip]

If toyota puts dulies on the new tundra it will dent the ford/chevy/dodge dump sales

they are suppose to be releasing a one ton truck some time here in the near future....

...and it will flop like their full size half tons.  They will get rolled if they try to get into the 3/4 or ton market.  Just my humble professional opinion   If you like sending your hard earned $$ back to Japan be my guest.

[easymoney]

there is no such thing as an american made truck any more. you might buy a toyota or nissan that is more american made than a ford. look at the sticker on that ford and see where it was assimbled before you brag that i bought american. they are all overpriv=ced with too many plastic gadgets on them.

[flip]

It's where the money stays that makes it American, blame the "global economy" for outsourced parts.

[rebocardo]

Being being a Ford mechanic  ;) I like to say both are great trucks. 

If you bought a Ranger with an automatic I would only buy the Ranger 4.0L. The 3.0L/automatic is a real dog and sucks gas and gets worse MPG then the 4.0/5 speed.

The (imho best) bullet proof drive train in the Ranger is the 4cyl/5speed (4x4 available?) and 4.0L/5speed/4x4. The first gets about 27 mpg and the latter 21 mpg. Both engines are reliable, the 2.3L more so. 2.3L has more gizmos to compensate for the lack of HP (valve to shut off the heater core at idle etc.). If you change the oil both will go for 300,000 miles.

Part for part the Toyota is more expensive then the Ranger, but, my main reason for picking the Toyota is it probably has an option for manual hubs. Is the TRD package offered with the electric rear locker on the smaller Toyota? That would be handy for a woods guy!

If you do not plan on towing and knowing gas is going to hit $4+ I would probably buy the best

4 cyl, 5 speed manual (I like manuals in work trucks), manual hubs, manual transfer case, A/C.

Unfortunately, I do not think the Ranger can be had with manual hubs or manual transfer case (even after market), so if the Toyota does I would pick that truck first.

The bed/tail gate of the Toyota is not as tough as the Ranger. Frame for frame I do not know, I do know they offer dual wheels on the little ota overseas with a 1 ton ? version so the frames can't be that bad ...

[SPIKER]

like others said lots of ifs to debate, my brothers ford ranger is used for work construction work close to 200K on it now 4 cyl, 5 speed, same clutch, it is 94 I think.   the toys are also nice, in the market place though it would be nice to have american car/trucks.   for the compact stuff though the toys/nissan are hard to beat, need to make sure belts (timing belts ect) are changed on time though...   rust has been a major problem for the Toys & most all import makes for years.  I have a pathfinder with 68K miles and you can pretty much see through the quarter panels...   :(
Mark

[thedeeredude]

I want this truck!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZODP23UI1pM&feature=PlayList&p=C7E3D878A7AF904C&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=66