2024 Toyota Tacoma vs. 2024 Ford Ranger
For the longest time, the compact pickup truck category seemed all but forgotten. The hey-day of the Ford Ranger, Chevy S-10 and Toyota Tacoma faded away as the car-buying public focused on big, sleek full-sized trucks.
That’s no longer the case. The compact pickup truck has come back with a vengeance. Modern drivers wanting convenience and economy in a package that can still haul and tow when needed are finding these smaller trucks to fit their needs. Familiar names are leading the pack – the 2024 Toyota Tacoma and the 2024 Ford Ranger are two of the most popular models on the market, both having had redesigns for the new model year. So which one is the right fit?
Performance
Under the hood, there’s not much separating the two trucks. Both sport a turbocharged inline four-cylinder as the main powerplant. The Toyota makes a little more power out of its engine, topping out at 278 horsepower and 317 lb-ft of torque versus 270 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque in the Ranger. Both offer options – the Tacoma can be equipped with a frugal version of the four-cylinder, or a hybrid version of it to provide efficiency, while the Ford Ranger Raptor is the powerful (and expensive) performance alternative. Both also offer off-road tuned versions, although the Tacoma offers more off-road options with the TRD Pro and Trailhunter trims. For the safety-conscious, the Tacoma’s larger 13-inch brakes bring it to a stop in only 121 feet, versus 140 for the Ranger and its 12-inch brakes.
Design & Comfort
From the outside, the Tacoma offers an aggressive, angular, modern look – it’s got a hint of Transformers futurism about it. The Ranger sticks with more traditional styling, opting for conservative if not a bit timid. Both vehicles get a wide range of tire sizes and styles, as well as paint options, and booth feature models with unique branding and styling, from off-road focused to luxury.
Interestingly enough, inside, that’s switched. The Tacoma has opted for a more traditional dash, while the Ranger goes with a modern look featuring a vertical touch screen in the middle of the dash that looks awkward at best. The Tacoma offers more nooks and crannies for storage, with more bins as well as flexible second-row 60/40 split seats to accommodate a mixture of items and passengers – the Ranger is bench up or bench down.
Technology
While both the Ranger and Tacoma feature Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration via dash-mounted touch screens. In the Ranger, as mentioned, it’s a vertically oriented 10.1-inch or 12.3-inch screen. The Tacoma features an 8-inch screen but also offers a larger 14-inch screen, mounted in the traditional horizontal position. The biggest issue with the Ranger is that the bottom portion of the screen requires the driver to divert their attention further from the road ahead than horizontal versions, making it a bit of a safety concern because of the potential for distraction. Both feature USB ports for charging and media connectivity, and offer sound system upgrades, although the Tacoma’s 10-speaker JBL sound system offers much better sound quality.
Safety
Both offer suites of driver assistance features, with every Tacoma featuring the Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 safety suite standard. This system includes forward collision warning, forward automatic emergency braking, road departure mitigation, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, and Road Sign Assist. The standard package in the Ranger isn’t quite so robust, and while these systems are available at higher levels, it’s still an added cost while Toyota keeps safety standard across the line-up.
All of this is topped with Toyota’s legendary reliability and resale value, unmatched by Ford. Kelley Blue Book cites the Tacoma as one of its Top 10 for Resale Value in the truck category, and rates Toyota as the best brand overall for resale value. This makes the Tacoma not just a better truck for right now, but a better truck far into the future.
You can schedule a test drive of a Toyota Tacoma and find out for yourself at Tri County Toyota in Royersford, PA.