So buy the uncomfortable vehicle because of resale value?
2023 Ford Ranger or Toyota Tacoma
- Thread starter NH73
- Start date
4WD
$50 site donor 2025
Other places - we had them in Namibia - 310 lbs/ft from the 2.3L Turbo gasser here … not bad
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If you're planning on "keeping it forever" then what does resale matter?
Real world MPG in the Tacoma is laughable sometimes. My '21 averages 20-22 in the warmer months, but with the recent cold snap I'm lucky to keep around 18-19.
It is a very capable machine on and off road though. With good tires it's very good in the snow.
If you do live in the salt belt you will need to protect the frame. I'm pretty sure it's still the same frame since 2005 with just some minor tweaks, even though they said they corrected the issue. Frame on my '21 looks the same as my '09 and '14's were. I had to sell my '09 due to rust (and other things, but mostly rust).
The 3.5L V6 will not have the same get-up-and-go as the Ranger's Eco-Boom engine. It's seriously lacking down low, but if you mash the skinny pedal it will go just fine.
If you want a manual you're stuck with upper trim levels; TRD Sport, TRD Offroad, or Pro. So $$$$$$
There's a lot of people complaining about the seat and how you sit in it. I for one don't notice it, but I'm short. The seating position in the 3rd gens is better than the 2nd gens, IMO, and I've had two 2nd gens.
It is a very capable machine on and off road though. With good tires it's very good in the snow.
If you do live in the salt belt you will need to protect the frame. I'm pretty sure it's still the same frame since 2005 with just some minor tweaks, even though they said they corrected the issue. Frame on my '21 looks the same as my '09 and '14's were. I had to sell my '09 due to rust (and other things, but mostly rust).
The 3.5L V6 will not have the same get-up-and-go as the Ranger's Eco-Boom engine. It's seriously lacking down low, but if you mash the skinny pedal it will go just fine.
If you want a manual you're stuck with upper trim levels; TRD Sport, TRD Offroad, or Pro. So $$$$$$
There's a lot of people complaining about the seat and how you sit in it. I for one don't notice it, but I'm short. The seating position in the 3rd gens is better than the 2nd gens, IMO, and I've had two 2nd gens.
Ok, so what is really being said is if you don't plan to keep it forever the resale of the Toyota is higher. But for those who actually do plan to keep it forever it doesn't really matter.
Great. I see you live in my state with a configuration I would be looking at. So how do you drive your Tacoma to obtain those mpgs?
It only matters if you want to be comfortable-because the Tacoma isn't. I can hear it now "Man this thing has great resale value-but my lower back hurts!"
https://gearjunkie.com/motors/truck/toyota-tacoma-issues-upgrades
Sadly, my honeymoon phase quickly waned as the reality of how this truck really drove set in. And trust me, I get it. It’s a truck, not a luxury vehicle. But dammit, I hated every second of driving this truck.
It felt both stiff and soft at the same time. The steering is vague; it felt like it was floating down the highway in the worst way. And don’t get me started on the choked-out engine!
I tossed some sandbags in the back in hopes of settling down the rubbery suspension feel. But with only 400 pounds in the back (of the 1,200-pound payload!), I hit the bump stops driving over a speedbump at under 5 mph.
That’s right — a brand new truck, with one-third of the payload in the back, slammed the bump stops on a speed bump at a brisk walking pace. How was I ever going to load it down with bikes and gear, and drive off the pavement for a few days?
JTK
$100 Site Donor 2025
Poke around over at a Nissan Frontier board and you will see a ton of ex Tacoma and Ranger owners over there that can't say enough about their 2022+ Frontiers.
State roads, most of the time going 55mph. Some stop and go if I'm shopping. My work commute consist of only 1-2 red lights depending on route. Not too rough on the throttle, bit I don't lollygag along. Not afraid to put my foot to the floor to pass someone though. I have obtained almost 24 in the summer being very generous on the throttle, but not worth it for an extra MPG or two. Interstate anything over 67-69mph and it drops. On the short interstate runs I'm running 70-80mph, but never more than 7-8 miles on the interstate at a time.
Last year around this time I was moving and rented this UHaul trailer:
Going up and over the mountain loaded and then back several times netted a tank of roughly 14mpg. Isn't bad considering I had the truck locked in 3rd up and over the mountain.
If you live in a mountainous and hilly region you may not like how the automatic transmission shifts. It tries to get into 6th real quick for those MPG's, but any little hill it's going down into 4th some times. I don't really mind it at this point.
A lot of comments on the seats. I for one don't mind them and have driven the truck all day and never found them to cause any discomfort. I prefer them over the Subaru.
The truck isn't for everybody, but I like it. Gets me to work in the good and bad weather.
Low seat, high dash/belt line. But all of this is very dependent on your body geometry.
It’s fine for some people.
My departed Camry had a high beltline that I never liked. The other two have been ok.
I have been noticing that the seat in my Camry is getting kinda low lately. I think I keep lowering it all the way, probably to spite my short daughter who not only raises it but cranks it all the way forward. I’ve also lost a lot of flexibility over the last year though.
Pretty much. Works well for me, but I'm only 5'8" on a good day.
For me it was the sitting on the floor feeling. My legs are straight out in front of me like I was on the floor instead of a nice bend like I get in any other vehicle. I absolutely love Taco’s but I couldn’t live with the seating position, so I bought a Colorado instead.
I find tacomas uncomfortable and drives horribly having driven a fairly nicely loaded higher trim 2017? 18? I think it was for a friend. Based on that alone the ranger would be my preference. It can’t possibly be worse to sit in or drive.
Drive both. I looked at both before ordering my 21 Tacoma. 6 speed manual, leather, sunroof, reliability, Ford's quality lately, and our farm trucks are all Tundras, were all reasons why, I went with a Tacoma.
