Tacoma vs Ranger - Which is Better for Off-Road? | Chasing Dust

When it comes to building an off-road truck, choosing the right platform for your needs is the first step. For 26 years, the Tacoma has reigned king of the mid-size truck market, as the top-selling mid-size pickup with the biggest aftermarket off-road support. But in the last several years, it’s placement on top of the podium has been contested by several other platforms, including the new Ford Ranger.

In this episode of Chasing Dust, Matt opens the conversation to why the new Ranger might be a better buy when it comes to starting your next off-road adventure truck. As a life-long Toyota truck owner himself, it wasn’t an easy switch for Matt to start a new Ranger build, but in this video, he breaks down exactly what led him to this decision.

Starting with the OE specs, Matt discusses some of the ways these platforms are similar and different from the factory, from their engine size, horsepower and torque output, real-world MPG, and their towing and hauling capacity. While the Ranger’s 2.3L EcoBoost is dwarfed in comparison to Tacoma’s 3.5L V6, some of the performance specs on the new Ranger might surprise you.

Next, Matt talk about the stock off-road performance of each platform. Both trucks come in several trim levels, some of which are engineered from the factory for off-road use. Matt discusses the different features of the top-of-the-line Tacoma TRD Pro, as well as the Ranger Tremor package available from Ford.

But no serious off-roader leaves their vehicle 100% stock. And that’s where Toyota has the advantage, with a much larger aftermarket of parts and accessories available. As a relatively new platform to the US market, Ford Ranger has far more limited aftermarket support, but as time goes on, more and more parts manufacturers are answering the needs of the emerging Ranger enthusiast group. Matt also goes over reasons why the Tacoma may be easier to modify than the Ranger, which has its own challenges when it comes to making suspension, wheel, and tire modifications.

The next topic of comparison is the consumer-reported issues for each truck. Tacoma owners have traditionally complained about the truck’s sluggishness, its lack of technology and innovation, and overall simplicity for such an expensive truck. While the Ranger hasn’t been on the roads here in the US for very long, you can read plenty of comments about its poor leaf spring design, as well as issues reported with its 10-speed automatic transmission.

Finally, Matt opens the conversation to debating which truck has the most value. Tacoma’s hefty price tag has always been a factor for those considering a mid-size pickup, but its reliability and dependability both on and off-road makes it a clear choice for some. On the other hand, the Ranger is packed with innovative features, technology, and overall newer engineering, and priced far more modestly than the Tacoma, making it very appealing to some prospective truck owners.

Is the Tacoma still the king of mid-size trucks? Matt seems to think so. But if Toyota doesn’t begin adapting to its competition, and listening to the wants and needs of their mid-size truck customers, there’s a good chance that other platforms like the new Ford Ranger could take it’s place on the throne.

0:00 | Intro
2:17 | Nitto Recon Grappler
3:35 | Tacoma vs Ranger specs
5:26 | Stock Off-Road Capability
8:03 | Modified Potential
13:38 | Comsumer-Reported Issues
21:53 | Best Bang for the Buck
24:45 | Wrap-Up

Drop a comment, share what you want to see more of from the Desert Chief and his builds and adventures!

[bladimirgenoves]

I have been a Toyota all my life, my first truck was a 22RE Toyota Truck back in 1991 and went to a Jeep and Dodge Truck, but now I owned a FX4 Ranger 2020, it's been a year and it's the most fun truck to drive. The Ranger has a lot of power and most capable truck I ever owned.

[youthgw]

just upgraded to a 2022 Tremor from my 2019 ranger, can't get enough of these trucks

[greym]

Great Vid my Dude!

Your simply opening up the stagnant offroad Horizon in midsize trucks...
Crazy that these trucks are the same size as my 1stgen tundra 4x4 sr5..
🙌🏽 Your Ranger is Dope!!
Really digging the wider stance...
Wheel n' tire package on point as well!!

[victorolmos]

Not only reliability, but when the time comes to sell the truck, the tacoma has the best residual value of any truck.

[hoss]

Until I see examples all over the place of long term reliability I’ll stick with my Tacoma. Where I live I see 30-40 year old Toyota trucks still rolling. I see Tacoma’s with 300 plus thousand miles solid running. I do like the Ranger because of seating and more power. But just not gonna get one yet..

[TexasFinest]

Where did you get and how much was the pro-runner conversion?

[Battle_Garage]

definitely thought this was a driving comparison since both trucks are present, not just a spec sheet reading

[KRSwop]

75% through the video and the trucks are still just background props.

[DUNEATV]

The Toyota feels so old...interior, transmission and seating position is awful! I like the Ford....but I bought a 21 Rubicon and it’s awesome!

[monkeypainter]

No definitive power upgrades? Supercharger?

[quickc]

I’ll take the Chevy ZR2. Front and rear lockers are a game changer.

[dannylewandowski]

The ranger is more fun to drive at lower rpm.

[blairakana]

Are you going to just talk about the trucks the whole time or are you going to show us the trucks.

[seaneastman]

Taco does have power if u shift manually, but yea take off is pretty slow, I think it'll make the truck last longer and when your stuck in the sand the last thing you wanna do is gun it.So I think its geared that way for a reason jmo

[tigertenis]

ranger fully boxed frame, tacoma c-frame.

[spectatorion]

Was this just a 30 minute self validation video? IF so.. kudos.

[mpz]

This guy has Fuel wheels🤣🤣🤣 says enough.

[stevegarcia]

Tacoma all day they look nicer but that's just me.... And rangers are cool to 😁

[mpz]

How about which one will last longer lol. Tacoma all day!!!

[seaneastman]

Yep people think getting more power with a turbo is great, however pushing that little 4 cylinder to me is just stupid, no way it'll run longer than a taco.Oh yea ford has a terrible reputation, resale value sucks aswell. One more thing you should have the smallest rims, so u can get bigger tires, unless your building a mall crawler.lol ps if your happy then thats all that matters.