Ford Ranger - long term reliability

[bbuoni8]

I will take a look at that, too. That is definitely a good sign. This is helpful.

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[CarbonTremor]

With the exception of some British & German brands I feel most modern drivetrains will last 1/4 million miles. My concern is more how the rest of the truck holds up. . . . I'm pretty confident our ecoboost engines will be reliable and long lasting if properly maintained & not pushed past the limit by increasing boost / modding. Seems like they use slightly altered versions of the 2.3 in everything from suv's & trucks- mustangs & focus rs. . . Sure a NA v6 has less components to worry about just by design but imo the tacoma has a substantially less enjoyable drive train to live with. Toyota has also been having some issues as of lately not to mention the frame recalls on past tacoma & tundras

 

[bbuoni8]

That is a good way to put it. The drivetrain in the Tacoma was slow to respond, and by the time you give it the gas to accelerate, it downshifts a couple of gears, and then you are at 4500 RPM before you know it.

 

[dondonbabyraptor]

Psst, hit the reply button in the bottom right corner of the user's comment so the user gets a ping of your response to their comment.

 

[bbuoni8]

Shoot! Thank you for letting me know!!

 

[ranger4x]

That is good to hear. Any special maintenance or just the normal maintenance as dictated by the manufacturer?

5k miles for oil and filter changes as trucks are used in traffic daily. Air and fuel filters as needed. Belts and trans fluid at 100k (Ford has them rated at 150k).

 

[rcairflr]

5k miles for oil and filter changes as trucks are used in traffic daily. Air and fuel filters as needed. Belts and trans fluid at 100k (Ford has them rated at 150k).

Thanks. That pretty much is what my plan was.

 

[Chris M]

5k miles for oil and filter changes as trucks are used in traffic daily. Air and fuel filters as needed. Belts and trans fluid at 100k (Ford has them rated at 150k).

That's how I do it also.

 

[RangerTime]

For sure the Ranger - a better truck IMO in so many ways.

Looking at JD Power ("The J.D. Power 100-Point Score is based on hundreds of thousands of independent and unbiased opinions of verified car owners") the Ranger beats the Tacoma for quality and reliability. Google 'JD Power and Ford Ranger' for more detail

Also, US News ranks the Ranger higher. Google 'US News and Ford Ranger'.

Glad I got rid of the Tacoma and got the Ranger. I could not imagine driving that many miles a day in the Tacoma. It has a harsh ride, seat was too low, and it felt like looking out a tunnel. The visibility in the Ranger is so much nicer. Tacoma felt sluggish all the time and Ranger has a nice get up and go to it.

Also, I like the Lane Keep Assist. Especially on longer trips and that is not an option on the Tacoma.

Other advantages of the Ranger IMO:
Payload and towing are much better
Gas mileage is better
Steel bed vs plastic
Steel bumpers
Fully boxed frame
Made in USA, buy an American company, with the most American parts of any vehicle - if that matters to you
All 4 disc breaks
Remote power tailgate lock - great for curbside pickups without getting out of the truck

Those are just some of the items that come to mind.

For the Tacoma, I do like the back seat folding flat and the storage below and behind the seats. Also, the power sliding rear winder is nice.

 

[AzScorpion]

Knowing this, would you still by the Ranger over the Tacoma again?

YES! I traded in my 2016 Tacoma for my Ranger and I have NO regrets. ?

 

[bbuoni8]

Thanks for this information -- this is great. Sounds like the Ranger is the better truck to "live with" day to day. As a commuter truck with weekend projects probably makes the most sense. I did a comparison of fuel economy using: fueleconomy.gov and figuring I do about 23,000 miles/year.. shows the Ranger costing about $450 less per year than the Tacoma w/ gas at about $3.20/gallon.

 

[bbuoni8]

For sure the Ranger - a better truck IMO in so many ways.

Looking at JD Power ("The J.D. Power 100-Point Score is based on hundreds of thousands of independent and unbiased opinions of verified car owners") the Ranger beats the Tacoma for quality and reliability. Google 'JD Power and Ford Ranger' for more detail

Also, US News ranks the Ranger higher. Google 'US News and Ford Ranger'.

Glad I got rid of the Tacoma and got the Ranger. I could not imagine driving that many miles a day in the Tacoma. It has a harsh ride, seat was too low, and it felt like looking out a tunnel. The visibility in the Ranger is so much nicer. Tacoma felt sluggish all the time and Ranger has a nice get up and go to it.

Also, I like the Lane Keep Assist. Especially on longer trips and that is not an option on the Tacoma.

Other advantages of the Ranger IMO:
Payload and towing are much better
Gas mileage is better
Steel bed vs plastic
Steel bumpers
Fully boxed frame
Made in USA, buy an American company, with the most American parts of any vehicle - if that matters to you
All 4 disc breaks
Remote power tailgate lock - great for curbside pickups without getting out of the truck

Those are just some of the items that come to mind.

For the Tacoma, I do like the back seat folding flat and the storage below and behind the seats. Also, the power sliding rear winder is nice.

What was the deciding factor for you to get rid of the Tacoma? Knowing what you do today, would you buy the Ranger again, or would you cross shop something else?

 

[AzScorpion]

Thanks for this information -- this is great. Sounds like the Ranger is the better truck to "live with" day to day. As a commuter truck with weekend projects probably makes the most sense. I did a comparison of fuel economy using: fueleconomy.gov and figuring I do about 23,000 miles/year.. shows the Ranger costing about $450 less per year than the Tacoma w/ gas at about $3.20/gallon.

Having had both the Ranger is WAY more comfortable to drive. When we would go on long trips I would rent a car because the Tacoma was a back breaker. Last year we went from AZ-UT-NV-AZ and never was I uncomfortable driving.

As far as gas mileage yes you can get very good mpg with the Ranger but you can also get very bad mileage too. The more you're into the turbo the worse it'll be so try to stay light footed and get on it once in a while any you'll get good mileage. I'm averaging 21.9 and that's a few good WOT every now and then. ?

 

[bbuoni8]

Lets put it this way, I highly doubt we will get to 200k without having to replace the turbo or some other issues with the injectors considering it is a gas direct injection. Im also not away of any ‘known’ issues with tacoma engine/transmission other than being pretty lackluster. And the reason i steered clear of chevy is their KNOWN trans issue that resulted in a class action lawsuit. Who knows how the frontier will fair its too new.

Now that you own a Ranger, would you buy it again given what you know, or would you cross shop or choose another truck?

 

[bbuoni8]

Having had both the Ranger is WAY more comfortable to drive. When we would go on long trips I would rent a car because the Tacoma was a back breaker. Last year we went from AZ-UT-NV-AZ and never was I uncomfortable driving.

As far as gas mileage yes you can get very good mpg with the Ranger but you can also get very bad mileage too. The more you're into the turbo the worse it'll be so try to stay light footed and get on it once in a while any you'll get good mileage. I'm averaging 21.9 and that's a few good WOT every now and then. ?

This confirms my experience driving the Tacoma. I wanted to like the Toyota because of their reputation, but after spending time with both, the Ranger felt easier to live with, and even though it’s not cheap, it’s still about 3k cheaper than a similar equipped Tacoma where I live.

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