Midsize Truck Comparison: Ranger vs Tacoma, Gladiator, Colorado, Canyon, Frontier

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rduvall

rduvall

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I'd love to see what the Toyota has for HP at 5,200 RPM and Torque at 4,000 RPM. That way we'd be comparing closer to real-world applications. In trucks especially, the lower-end stuff is more important than the high RPM numbers.
I guess I could add in the RPM values each engine hits peak hp/torque. I think the Tacoma's peak torque is at 4k while the Ranger is at 3k.
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I guess I could add in the RPM values each engine hits peak hp/torque. I think the Tacoma's peak torque is at 4k while the Ranger is at 3k.
It is even higher than that - from Toyota.com
  • 278 hp @ 6000 rpm
  • 265 lb.-ft. @ 4600 rpm
When people say you really need to wind the motor up to wake it up, they weren't kidding. I think redline is near 6000 on those motors.
 
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rduvall

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It is even higher than that - from Toyota.com
  • 278 hp @ 6000 rpm
  • 265 lb.-ft. @ 4600 rpm
When people say you really need to wind the motor up to wake it up, they weren't kidding. I think redline is near 6000 on those motors.
I don't think it will be hard to track down all this info. I will look into it for the next update.
 

uthunter

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I don't think it will be hard to track down all this info. I will look into it for the next update.
Sorry, I wasn't trying to add more work. I was just commenting generally it would be interesting to know what their house/torque numbers were at a preset RPM. For instance, if the Ranger can reach 270hp at 5200, what would the Toyota be at the same RPM.

I've never liked high RPM numbers for trucks. Who cares how much torque is at 6,000 RPM when you're trying to tow a trailer or climb a steep hill because your tires are already spinning by that point.
 
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rduvall

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Sorry, I wasn't trying to add more work. I was just commenting generally it would be interesting to know what their house/torque numbers were at a preset RPM. For instance, if the Ranger can reach 270hp at 5200, what would the Toyota be at the same RPM.

I've never liked high RPM numbers for trucks. Who cares how much torque is at 6,000 RPM when you're trying to tow a trailer or climb a steep hill because your tires are already spinning by that point.
Not a problem. I just added 2 more rows of data showing Peak Horsepower RPM and Peak Torque RPM which does help to paint a better picture.
 


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Like most of us here, I am looking to buy a new truck in 2019 and the Ranger is on my list. I wanted to test drive the competition to make an informed decision, and here are my impressions. Also, like most of us, I have not had the opportunity to test drive the Ranger yet. The truck I buy will be 4wd, get a suspension kit, larger tires, winch and bumper and more. Basically, it will be setup similar to these 'overlanding' rigs as I go on a couple of week long, back country camping, hunting and off-roading trips per year.


A quick background on me: mechanical engineer by trade, middle aged, 5ā€™-8ā€ and stocky, motorhead, currently own a '97 Cherokee (lifted and modified), a '17 Wrangler (lifted and modified), and a '14 Grand Cherokee (modified). The '14 Grand Cherokee is a pile of junk and will be replaced by this year's purchase.


My test drives were 6-8 miles of street, lights, and 70mph highway. I also ran them through a bad spot in a parking lot that was torn up.


2019 Toyota Tacoma, crew cab, short bed, SR5, 4x4

I like Toyota's and have run two modified Land Cruisers and a mini truck in my past, so the Taco was my first choice. The truck was disappointing, and it saddened me. It did not dive or ride good, had significant cabin noise on the highway, the engine power was anemic at best, and the transmission seemed like it was confused often times. The interior was OK but not great, the ā€˜infotainmentā€™ system was lame, and the back seat felt small but possibly adequate. Overall, I had expected a lot more from the Taco because of its following in the off-road communities that I frequent and its steep sticker price. Maybe it would be worth an asking price of $10k less.


2018 GMC Canyon, crew cab, short bed, middle of the road trim, 4x4

I did not expect to like this truck, drove it just to prove that I would not, but I ended up liking it quite a bit. It drove and rode good, was comfortable, felt like it had adequate back seat leg room for grownups, its V6 had good and smooth power, the transmission shifted nice and was responsive, the infotainment system was modern and had a nice sound system, but the interior knobs and trim felt a bit cheap. It felt 10 years ahead of the Taco and 15 years ahead of the Frontier.


2018 Nissan Frontier Pro 4X, crew cab

This was an old school feeling and driving truck, but I really liked it. Its ride was not a good as the GMC but better than the Taco, had leather, a good sound system, a very torquey V6 and a solid shifting transmission, but the interior noise was on the high side. The back seat was too small for anyone but kids, and I have two teenage boys, so that pretty much killed it for me. This was the maxed-out Frontier, and it was still cheaper than the middle of the road Taco. The downside was the terrible fuel economy, leg room both up front and in the back was not great, and the feeling of driving a truck from the mid 1990ā€™s as compared to the GMC.


ā€¦bring on the Rangerā€¦
 

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Local Ford dealer almost always has a very low (less than 5k) mile Tacoma on the used car lot. Seems like a lot of people buy them and don't like em afterwards.
 

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2019 Toyota Tacoma, crew cab, short bed, SR5, 4x4

I like Toyota's and have run two modified Land Cruisers and a mini truck in my past, so the Taco was my first choice. The truck was disappointing, and it saddened me. It did not dive or ride good, had significant cabin noise on the highway, the engine power was anemic at best, and the transmission seemed like it was confused often times. The interior was OK but not great, the ā€˜infotainmentā€™ system was lame, and the back seat felt small but possibly adequate. Overall, I had expected a lot more from the Taco because of its following in the off-road communities that I frequent and its steep sticker price. Maybe it would be worth an asking price of $10k less.
I didn't even consider the Nissan (even though I owned a 2wd one back in the 90's and it was a good truck). I didn't consider the Colorado due to all the issues my brother and his son have had with their Cruze's. WAY too many sensors and other weird issues. About the only thing good I can say about either of those is they get great gas mileage (diesel Cruze). I know I'm tainting the Colorado from a different vehicle, but....

Interesting about your thoughts on the Tacoma - I REALLY wanted to like it, but the test drive just left me very flat. I was very surprised, but after doing more searching on the Tacoma forums all the items you list are very common complaints. My biggest was the engine/transmission - it was a slug.

After seeing all the positive reviews on the Ranger and owning one for the last 18 years, I decided to order one. I don't think I will be disappointed.
 

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I didn't even consider the Nissan (even though I owned a 2wd one back in the 90's and it was a good truck). I didn't consider the Colorado due to all the issues my brother and his son have had with their Cruze's. WAY too many sensors and other weird issues. About the only thing good I can say about either of those is they get great gas mileage (diesel Cruze). I know I'm tainting the Colorado from a different vehicle, but....

Interesting about your thoughts on the Tacoma - I REALLY wanted to like it, but the test drive just left me very flat. I was very surprised, but after doing more searching on the Tacoma forums all the items you list are very common complaints. My biggest was the engine/transmission - it was a slug.

After seeing all the positive reviews on the Ranger and owning one for the last 18 years, I decided to order one. I don't think I will be disappointed.
Like you, I really wanted to like the Tacoma. I have wanted one for years. I went and sat in one and very quickly my back hurt. I'm 6'3" 195 and the seating position just doesn't work. Many people find them comfortable, some tolerate it, but others just get rid of it due to the uncomfortable seats.Here in Hawaii though, Tacomas reign supreme.

Several things put me off of the Colorado/Canyon. 1. Not a big fan of their interior design 2. Seats are more comfortable than the Tacoma, but still not great *for me* 3. Foremost, however, was all the problems they have been having with the 8 speed transmission. Supposedly working better with a new torque converter design but nothing I'm interested in dealing with.

Too bad Nissan hasn't done what Ford did, i.e, bring their ROW mid-size (Navara) over to the US. It's a much better truck.

Haven't driven the US Ranger, but if it's very similar (seating, handling) to the ROW Ranger, I'll be very happy.
 

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Figured I would post this so I can just update it as more information rolls out. If there is incorrect information please let me know. I would be happy to explain anything you think is dubious. Ranger highlighted stats are guessed and are not known at this time.

**Last Update: 10-18-18

Screen Shot 2018-10-18 at 10.58.37 AM.jpg
I think you should also compare 4WD versions as the Gladiator is only offered in that configuration and make the chart more of an apples to apples comparison.
If that were the case the crew cab Ranger payload is 1500#'s

Also, you could use the JL fuel rating as a rough estimate until the official numbers are released.

Keep up the great work!
 
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rduvall

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I think you should also compare 4WD versions as the Gladiator is only offered in that configuration and make the chart more of an apples to apples comparison.
If that were the case the crew cab Ranger payload is 1500#'s

Also, you could use the JL fuel rating as a rough estimate until the official numbers are released.

Keep up the great work!
These are all 4x4 numbers. I think I have adjusted all the other trucks to build specific. I haven't done this for the Ranger as that info hasn't been officially released. I hope to grab that off the new VIN stickers. Have to find the right build though as I am comparing as evenly across the board as possible. Worst case, I should see one soon and will be able to pull the numbers off the vehicle in person.

I hadn't thought to us the JL fuel numbers as placeholders. I will add them in as well as check the Gladiator forums for best estimates. We know they won't be as good as it has a heavier duty frame and a bed which will also add more weight.
 

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FYI 2020 Tacoma is being unveiled on February 7th at the Chicago auto show. Looks like Toyota is putting full LEDā€™s upfront and reworking the front end, curious to see what is below, maybe a steel front bumper. It appears the truck has a different roofline in this photo then the current truck, so this might be a big refresh. Iā€™m expecting a more comfortable seating position, power seats, updated powertrains, updated interior materials and digital screens, the newest version of Entune with CarPlay, rear disk brakes, and new wheels.

2979487D-963D-45C9-AF6C-4F901F2BD16B.jpeg
 

JoshE

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FYI 2020 Tacoma is being unveiled on February 7th at the Chicago auto show. Looks like Toyota is putting full LEDā€™s upfront and reworking the front end, curious to see what is below, maybe a steel front bumper. It appears the truck has a different roofline in this photo then the current truck, so this might be a big refresh. Iā€™m expecting a more comfortable seating position, power seats, updated powertrains, updated interior materials and digital screens, the newest version of Entune with CarPlay, rear disk brakes, and new wheels.

2979487D-963D-45C9-AF6C-4F901F2BD16B.jpeg
223A71F7-C0C7-4E73-84A1-96CC60A3AF45.png


Power seats confirmed
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