Compare the2024 Toyota TacomaVS 2023 Ford Ranger

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Payload
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Tacoma have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Ford Ranger doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Tacoma Double Cab are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Ranger doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Toyota Tacoma has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Ranger doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Tacoma has standard Active Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Ranger doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The Tacoma has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Ranger doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Tacoma offers an optional Parking Support Brake that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Ranger doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

Full-time four-wheel drive is optional on the Tacoma. Full-time four-wheel drive gives added traction for safety in all conditions, not just off-road, like the only system available on the Ranger.

The Tacoma’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Ranger.

The Tacoma (except SR/SR5/PreRunner) offers an optional Panoramic View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Ranger only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the Tacoma and Ranger offer rear cross-traffic warning, but the Tacoma with Blind Spot Monitor also has Parking Support Brake (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Ranger’s Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the Tacoma and the Ranger have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras and available blind spot warning systems.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Toyota Tacoma Double Cab is safer than the Ranger SuperCrew:

	Tacoma	Ranger
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Structure	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Shoulder Deflection	.31 in	.43 in
Shoulder Force	112 lbs.	178 lbs.
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	96	344
Head Peak Forces	no contact	73 G’s
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Shoulder Deflection	.47 in	2.32 in
Shoulder Force	245 lbs.	357 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	.83 in	1.38 in
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Pelvis Force	535 lbs.	625 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	MARGINAL

The Toyota Tacoma achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The Ranger is not a “Top Safety Pick” for 2024.

Warranty

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Tacoma for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Ford doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Ranger.

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Tacoma has a standard 776-amp battery. The Ranger’s 700-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota second in reliability, above the industry average. With 92 more problems per 100 vehicles, Ford is ranked 23rd.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in overall reliability. Ford is ranked 22nd.

Engine

The Tacoma’s standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder produces 8 more horsepower (278 vs. 270) and 7 lbs.-ft. more torque (317 vs. 310) than the Ranger’s 2.3 turbo 4-cylinder. The Tacoma’s optional 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 56 more horsepower (326 vs. 270) and 155 lbs.-ft. more torque (465 vs. 310) than the Ranger’s 2.3 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Tacoma SR5 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder 8-speed Auto RWD gets better fuel mileage than the Ranger RWD (21 city/26 hwy vs. 21 city/25 hwy).

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota Tacoma uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Ranger requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Toyota Tacoma higher (5 to 7 out of 10) than the Ford Ranger (3 to 5). This means the Tacoma produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Ranger every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

The Tacoma offers a manual transmission for better acceleration, control and sportiness. The Ranger doesn’t offer a manual transmission.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Tacoma’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Ranger:

	Tacoma SR/SR5/PreRunner	Tacoma i-Force Max	Ranger
Front Rotors	12.6 inches	13.4 inches	12.2 inches
Rear Rotors	12.2 inches	13.2 inches	12.1 inches

In an emergency stopping situation, many drivers don’t press the brakes with enough force to stop the vehicle in the shortest distance. The Tacoma has standard Brake Assist to detect emergency braking situations (by how hard and how quickly the brake pedal is pressed) and then automatically apply maximum braking immediately in order to help prevent a collision. The Ranger doesn’t offer a brake assist feature.

The Tacoma stops much shorter than the Ranger:

	Tacoma	Ranger
70 to 0 MPH	171 feet	193 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	114 feet	140 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Tacoma has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Ranger.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Tacoma has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Ford Ranger has a solid rear axle, with a non-independent rear suspension.

The Tacoma Limited/Trailhunter/TRD Pro/TRD Off-Road/TRD Sport/SR5 Double Cab has front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Tacoma Limited/Trailhunter/TRD Pro/TRD Off-Road/TRD Sport/SR5 Double Cab flat and controlled during cornering. The Ranger’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The Tacoma offers an active front sway bar, which helps keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnects at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Ranger doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The front and rear suspension of the optional Tacoma uses coil springs for better ride, handling and control than the Ranger, which uses leaf springs in the rear. Coil springs compress more progressively and offer more suspension travel for a smoother ride with less bottoming out.

The Tacoma offers an available. The Ranger’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Tacoma’s wheelbase is longer than on the Ranger:

	Tacoma	Ranger
Extended Cab Standard Bed	131.9 inches	126.8 inches
Crew Cab Short Bed	131.9 inches	126.8 inches
Crew Cab Standard Bed	145.1 inches	n/a

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Tacoma is 4.9 inches wider in the front and 4.9 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Ranger.

The Tacoma 5-ft. bed TRD Off-Road Double Cab handles at .77 G’s, while the Ranger Lariat SuperCrew 4x4 pulls only .71 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Tacoma 6-ft. bed TRD Sport Double Cab executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.2 seconds quicker than the Ranger Lariat SuperCrew 4x4 (27.9 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 29.1 seconds @ .56 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Tacoma XtraCab has a 1.8 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Ranger SuperCrew (10.7 vs. 8.9 inches), allowing the Tacoma to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Tacoma 5-ft. bed TRD Pro Double Cab’s minimum ground clearance is 1.8 inches higher than on the Ranger SuperCrew Tremor (11.5 vs. 9.7 inches).

Passenger Space

The Tacoma XtraCab has 1 inch more front hip room and 1.7 inches more front shoulder room than the Ranger SuperCab.

The Tacoma Double Cab has 1 inch more front hip room, 1.6 inches more front shoulder room, .1 inches more rear headroom, 2.8 inches more rear hip room and 1.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Ranger SuperCrew.

Cargo Capacity

The Toyota Tacoma has a standard easy lower and lift tailgate, which prevents the heavy tailgate from falling with a crash and causing injury. It allows adults and children to easily open and close the tailgate with one hand to better facilitate loading and unloading. The Ford Ranger doesn’t offer a tailgate assist.

The Tacoma has bed indentations that accommodate 2x4’s for two-tiered loading to help accommodate diverse loads; the Ranger doesn’t offer two-tiered loading.

Payload

The Tacoma Double Cab 4x4 has a higher optional payload capacity than the Ranger SuperCrew 4x4 (1705 vs. 1609 lbs.).

Ergonomics

The Tacoma’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Ranger does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Tacoma Limited/Trailhunter/TRD Pro has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer, navigation instruction and driver assistance information readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Ranger doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Tacoma’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Ranger has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

The power windows standard on both the Tacoma and the Ranger have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Tacoma is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Ranger prevents the driver from operating the rear windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Tacoma’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Ranger’s passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Tacoma the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (This window function must be activated by your Toyota service department.) The driver of the Ranger can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Tacoma has standard Smart Key that allows you to unlock the doors from the driver’s outside door handle and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Only the Ranger Lariat offers Intelligent Access.

The Tacoma’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Ranger’s power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Tacoma’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Ranger’s standard halogen headlights. LED lights also light instantly and last over twenty times longer than halogen.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Tacoma’s headlights were rated “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Ranger’s headlights are rated “Marginal.”

The Tacoma has standard power remote mirrors. The Ranger only comes with remote mirrors at extra cost. Without them the driver will have to roll down the windows and reach across the car to adjust the mirrors.

The Tacoma’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Ford only offers heated mirrors on the Ranger Lariat.

The Tacoma’s power mirror controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The Ranger’s optional power mirror controls are on the dash where they are possibly hidden by the steering wheel and are awkward to manipulate.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Tacoma (except SR/SR5/PreRunner) keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Ranger doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

On extremely cold winter days, the Tacoma’s optional (except SR) heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The Ranger doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

Bluetooth wireless connectivity is standard on the Tacoma, connecting the driver and passenger’s cell phones to the vehicle systems. This allows them to use the vehicle’s stereo and hand controls to place calls safely and easily. Bluetooth costs extra on the Ranger.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Toyota Tacoma (except SR/SR5/PreRunner) offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the front center console. The Ranger doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Recommendations

The Toyota Tacoma outsold the Ford Ranger by over seven to one during 2023.