Ford Ranger - long term reliability

SGT_Rock6

Active Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2020
Threads
2
Messages
25
Reaction score
28
Location
SLO Cali
Vehicle(s)
2020 Ranger XLT Sport
Occupation
Teacher
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.
Gotta agree with every bit of that!
5k oil changes for me too!
Iā€™ve gone with the factory recommended Motorcraft Semi-Syn.
(I do use Full Syn and longer change intervals for my Toyotas).
Sponsored

 

Bungleflop

Member
First Name
Christopher
Joined
Jul 24, 2020
Threads
2
Messages
18
Reaction score
49
Location
San Antonio tx
Vehicle(s)
2019 ranger 4x4 STX/2017 fiesta se
Occupation
Us army infantry
Reasonable question! I went all in for a 2020 Ranger Sport. (Im a long time Toyota guy). So farā€¦ 30,000 trouble free miles. I love driving it. Itā€™s very comfortable. I treat it easy, with the exception of occasionally working the turbo. (I want longevity.)
Wife likes driving it too, and she likes that available turbo power, when climbing a long hill going to work.
I did a LOT of research before buying it.
Seems to me that the motor has been run for a few years in Australia or New Zealand? Anybody see some of that?
Not the motor but basically the attire chassis has been around since 2012 take away the engine and transmission they run a 3.2l turbo diesel
 

RedlandRanger

Moderator
First Name
Rob
Joined
Nov 14, 2018
Threads
35
Messages
4,592
Reaction score
8,826
Location
Oregon
Vehicle(s)
2019 Ford Ranger Lariat FX4, 1973 Mercury Capri
Vehicle Showcase
1
Not the motor but basically the attire chassis has been around since 2012 take away the engine and transmission they run a 3.2l turbo diesel
The engine (the 2.3) in VERY similar form has been in several other vehicles, including the Mustang:

According to fordauthority.com: https://fordauthority.com/fmc/ford-...rd-ecoboost-family/ford-2-3l-ecoboost-engine/
Its been around a while so it and the 10 speed are pretty proven at this point I think. It is one reason I didn't feel too anxious about ordering one of the first ones.
 

Msfitoy

Well-Known Member
First Name
Sid
Joined
Mar 5, 2019
Threads
60
Messages
7,702
Reaction score
22,448
Location
North Carolina
Vehicle(s)
2019 Ranger, 2003 MINI Cooper S, 2021 Honda CT125
Occupation
Automotive, Industrial Designer
Vehicle Showcase
1
How'd I miss this thread...80K trouble free miles...except for stupid Sync :rolleyes: ?
 


Msfitoy

Well-Known Member
First Name
Sid
Joined
Mar 5, 2019
Threads
60
Messages
7,702
Reaction score
22,448
Location
North Carolina
Vehicle(s)
2019 Ranger, 2003 MINI Cooper S, 2021 Honda CT125
Occupation
Automotive, Industrial Designer
Vehicle Showcase
1
? Because you're always in your truck driving instead of being here with us.?
Guilty as charged ?

Let's get your Ranger broken in already, eh?...?
 

SGT_Rock6

Active Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2020
Threads
2
Messages
25
Reaction score
28
Location
SLO Cali
Vehicle(s)
2020 Ranger XLT Sport
Occupation
Teacher
The Tacoma was OK and just 'OK'. The Ranger (to me) was a much better truck so that's why I changed.

I would buy the Ranger again (actually did, updated to a 2021) and I am thinking I will be interested in the 6G Ranger maybe in a few years.

I test drove the new Frontier just out of curiosity and was not impressed. It felt a little smaller inside and not as comfortable, worse gas milage, no lane keep assist, poor visibility and the steering wheel was not telescoping, so I didn't really have a comfortable position that worked for me. The passenger grab handle on the A pillar looked like it was an after-thought and kinda cheap. And the ORANGE accents in the Pro 4X I drove were not to my taste. Nissan let the previous Frontier linger for 17 years - that has really turned me off to Nissan.
The nav screen in the Frontier was really nice.

Good luck in your decision.
I agree! I DID sell my ā€˜20 for ā€œā€¦an offer I couldnā€™t refuse.
Now Iā€™m back in the market, looking at Tacomaā€™s and Rangers, again.
I liked my Ranger very much, and what Iā€™m reading here is leaning me toward the ā€˜22 Ranger as the all around better truck.
 

VegasRanger

Well-Known Member
First Name
Steve
Joined
Jun 1, 2021
Threads
39
Messages
884
Reaction score
1,882
Location
Las Vegas
Vehicle(s)
2021 STX Crew Cab 4x4
Occupation
Damper Salesman
I agree! I DID sell my ā€˜20 for ā€œā€¦an offer I couldnā€™t refuse.
Now Iā€™m back in the market, looking at Tacomaā€™s and Rangers, again.
I liked my Ranger very much, and what Iā€™m reading here is leaning me toward the ā€˜22 Ranger as the all around better truck.
Donā€™t do the Taco. I had one. Crap, youā€™ll regret it.
 

halligan1201

Well-Known Member
First Name
John
Joined
Jan 23, 2021
Threads
37
Messages
1,567
Reaction score
3,557
Location
Byron, IL
Vehicle(s)
2020 Ranger
Occupation
Emergency Management
Vehicle Showcase
1
I agree! I DID sell my ā€˜20 for ā€œā€¦an offer I couldnā€™t refuse.
Now Iā€™m back in the market, looking at Tacomaā€™s and Rangers, again.
I liked my Ranger very much, and what Iā€™m reading here is leaning me toward the ā€˜22 Ranger as the all around better truck.
Have you looked at the new Frontier? In really liked the ones I saw at the auto show.
 

AzScorpion

Moderator
First Name
Dave
Joined
Jul 25, 2019
Threads
280
Messages
21,289
Reaction score
101,269
Location
Arizona
Vehicle(s)
2023 Ford Ranger Tremor
Occupation
CEO of DeeZee
I agree! I DID sell my ā€˜20 for ā€œā€¦an offer I couldnā€™t refuse.
Now Iā€™m back in the market, looking at Tacomaā€™s and Rangers, again.
I liked my Ranger very much, and what Iā€™m reading here is leaning me toward the ā€˜22 Ranger as the all around better truck.
Take the Tacoma for a good test drive and I doubt you'll want one after it. The seating position is the worst I've ever driven in and the drivetrain is horrible. It's constantly shifting and never knows what gear it wants to be in. The only thing good about mine was the resale value. It got me into my Ranger for a very low month payment. ?
 

Dr. Zaius

Well-Known Member
First Name
Dennis
Joined
Dec 20, 2019
Threads
61
Messages
4,732
Reaction score
27,781
Location
GA
Vehicle(s)
2019 Ranger XLT FX4
Take the Tacoma for a good test drive and I doubt you'll want one after it. The seating position is the worst I've ever driven in and the drivetrain in horrible. It's constantly shifting and never knows what gear it wants to be in. The only thing good about mine was the resale value. It got me into my Ranger for a very low month payment. ?
Lately, the 3rd Gen Tacoma has tarnished a bit of the Tacoma resale value luster.

You traded yours before the word got out ?

When I ran the recent KBB numbers my Ranger was worth $5k more than a similarly equipped Tacoma, and when I purchased (Dec 2019) you assuredly couldn't buy a Tacoma for $5k less than a Ranger.

Maybe the next gen Tacoma will get competitive again, but I feel the current one is riding on the coattails of Tacomas past.
 

THLONE

Well-Known Member
First Name
Thom
Joined
Feb 12, 2019
Threads
10
Messages
1,456
Reaction score
2,167
Location
Tucson,AZ
Vehicle(s)
68 Chev C-20, 2019 Ford Ranger XL 4X4
Occupation
internet wise guy
Vehicle Showcase
1
My friend drove up with a new Lexus (high priced Toyota). I said what did you like about this car. The reply was I love the tan color seats. She spent 50,000 bucks because she liked the color of the seats. There aint no accounting for peoples tastes.
Sponsored

 
 



Top