Mid Sized Pickup; Ford Ranger or Chevy Colorado

[Puller]

I'm in the market for a new mid sized pickup and I spent the past Saturday doing test drives. Based on my on-line research and specifications I'd ranked the Ford Ranger as my first choice, then Toyota Tacoma and Chevy Colorado. Must have features are 4WD version with trailer towing package, full 4 door cab and short bed. I'll be comparing other options like spray in bed liner and electronics. Fuel economy is a consideration.

I've talked to actual owners of both the Ranger and Colorado and am leaning a direction already, but wanted to see if there was any real world feedback from the forum. TIA

 

[walkin jack]

Did they start making the Ranger again? If so I'd go that way. I had one for 11 years and drove the wheels off it. Never a problem in 120K miles. And ity was the little 4-cylinder with manual transmission. Then I bought a new 2004 with the big 6, all the bells and whistles. After 2 years I traded in for my F-150 because I started camping on the beach again and just needed more room for gear. But I loved both my rangers!!!

 

[Moo Moo]

In Australia, the Ford Ranger is the second most popular dual cab pickup (we call them utes of here) next to the Toyota Hilux. Sales are generally neck and neck. The Colorado is way down the list.

 

[sheepdawg]

Ranger gets better reviews than the Colorado and Tacomas are expensive as heck.

 

[sheepdawg]

Did they start making the Ranger again? If so I'd go that way. I had one for 11 years and drove the wheels off it. Never a problem in 120K miles. And ity was the little 4-cylinder with manual transmission. Then I bought a new 2004 with the big 6, all the bells and whistles. After 2 years I traded in for my F-150 because I started camping on the beach again and just needed more room for gear. But I loved both my rangers!!!

The new Ranger is nothing like the old one. I had a 2010 with the 4.0 V6 and it was a fine little truck. My new V8 Silverado gets better gas mileage, has much more room and payload and has far more power. Trucks have come a long ways in mpg.

 

[s&wchad]

Check out an F-150. It's not that much bigger than a Ranger and there's a reason they've been so popular for decades. They also hold their resale value fairly well. I suggest waiting for the big rebates (5-6K) that typically are announced in September. Buying a low mileage 1 or 2 year old truck isn't a bad option either.

I've got a 2018 XLT FX4 with the 5.0L and 10 speed electronic transmission and I love it. I've owned a previous model F-150, an Expedition, several Taurus SHO's with the 5 speed manual and Yamaha motor, a couple of Lincoln Continental's and the recent F-150 is probably the best vehicle I've ever owned. It's powerful, the trans is super smooth, it gets good mileage, the ride is smooth and quiet and the towing/hauling capacity is excellent.

Aftermarket spray in bed liners are only around $500 and well worth it. My dealer arranged a Line-X for my truck and they did an excellent job. The only F-150 they had in stock that met my specs (5.0L, 4 door, off road package, bucket seats, 35 gallon tank) didn't have the liner, but it was added the same day.

 

[Fishinfool]

I'll comment on the Tacoma. A buddy bought a V-6, 4dr w/ 6 foot bed, 4wd last year, new. Paid $34k. I have driven it some, and ridden in it a lot. Rides good, does very well off road, decently quick on road, and handles good.

What I don't like is its high doors / low roof line. Makes for poor visibility. I like to roam the state forests with my camera gear, and take pics out of the truck. It would be difficult in the Tacoma compared to a truck with taller windows. Also, the seats seem to sit very low, don't have a lot of support or comfort. And, at 6'3 and 260 lbs, I find it hard to get in and out of, something that was never an issue with my old Ranger. Gas millage is OK, but not great. Tacoma's do have a great reputation for longevity and resale value though.

Larry

 

[yaktamer]

I looked at them a few months ago. If it's reliability and resale value you are looking at, hard to beat the Tacoma. I'm not a huge fan of turbocharged engines, but otherwise the Ford seemed OK. I liked the Chevy a lot, but the seats offer ZERO support and the interior has cheap plastic everywhere. The Jeep Gladiator is worth a look. But I'd second the suggestion that you look at the F150 with the 5.0 V-8. I have a 2014 2WD with 190k on the odo, and it's been the most trouble-free vehicle I've ever owned. Mileage is surprisingly good, not much worse than the various Ecoboost models (turbocharged V-6s), and from what I understand the economy advantage of the latter disappears when towing.

 

[yaktamer]

I'll comment on the Tacoma. A buddy bought a V-6, 4dr w/ 6 foot bed, 4wd last year, new. Paid $34k. I have driven it some, and ridden in it a lot. Rides good, does very well off road, decently quick on road, and handles good.

What I don't like is its high doors / low roof line. Makes for poor visibility. I like to roam the state forests with my camera gear, and take pics out of the truck. It would be difficult in the Tacoma compared to a truck with taller windows. Also, the seats seem to sit very low, don't have a lot of support or comfort. And, at 6'3 and 260 lbs, I find it hard to get in and out of, something that was never an issue with my old Ranger. Gas millage is OK, but not great. Tacoma's do have a great reputation for longevity and resale value though.

Larry

I also meant to mention the seats in the Tacoma. They seem to sit low enough that, even at 6 feet tall, I had trouble judging where the front bumper was. Not fun for tight parking situations.

 

[GaryS]

I just bought a 2019 Tacoma SR5. One of the biggest complaints people have about them in the car like low seat. Sort of like driving in a Camry.

Fortunately, there is at least one company that makes "seat jackers" that boost up the rear of the seat. They go between the floor and the bottom of the rear seat bracket.

They change the entire aspect of sitting in the seat by changing the angle of the seat. A very popular modification.

Tacoma owners are a bigger cult than S&W owners. I signed up for Tacomaworld forum and I am member 152. Thousand that is. Yes, there are over 150 thousand members on that site.

I swear that some people spend more on modifications and upgrades than they did on their truck.

Of the three trucks mentioned, I would (and did) buy the Tacoma. The Ranger is not the old Mazda designed truck that would not die. The Colorado has had some problems with the automatic transmission from what I've read. Plus, it's a GM product, so won't have all that long a life span.

I'll comment on the Tacoma. A buddy bought a V-6, 4dr w/ 6 foot bed, 4wd last year, new. Paid $34k. I have driven it some, and ridden in it a lot. Rides good, does very well off road, decently quick on road, and handles good.

What I don't like is its high doors / low roof line. Makes for poor visibility. I like to roam the state forests with my camera gear, and take pics out of the truck. It would be difficult in the Tacoma compared to a truck with taller windows. Also, the seats seem to sit very low, don't have a lot of support or comfort. And, at 6'3 and 260 lbs, I find it hard to get in and out of, something that was never an issue with my old Ranger. Gas millage is OK, but not great. Tacoma's do have a great reputation for longevity and resale value though.

Larry

 

[doublesharp]

Honda Ridgeline. I bought mine new in 08 and can't find a reason to get rid of it.

 

[ladder13]

One of my friends sold his Tundra for a Ridgeline. He loves the Honda. Plus, they run forever.

For most tasks the Ridgeline is enough.

 

[PeterJ]

Another vote for the Ridgeline. Will do 99% of what the others will do but in greater comfort and amenities. I don't think any one has duplicated their trunk in the bed.

 

[Sistema1927]

Toyota Tacoma for the win.

However, if you get one legally here in the states, I would truly love to have a Diesel Hilux.

 

[pawngal]

Also, consider what dealer will give you the best service.

 

[Screwball]

I love my Colorado... got it once I got done with FLETC.

3.6L, Z71, crew cab, and long bed. Power wise, I'd put it up against a Silverado with the 5.3L... and definitely better gas mileage. Brought a loaded two axel U-Haul trailer up from NJ... pulled it like nothing was there. I did also pick up a ton of wood pellets for a coworker... which reminded me it is a mid-size truck. Did get it there, but the rear end drooped down noticeable. However, it really isn't the place for a Colorado.

The one thing I pushed for when I was looking (my parents work at a Chevy dealer, so was doing it from GA) was the OEM trailer brake controller. Most trucks that have the trailer package don't have the controller. From what I've heard, the long bed either adds it to the package or makes it an option to not add it. If you plan to get a trailer with electric brakes... I'd say go with it. Busted my knee one too many times with aftermarket controllers at my last job.

Nothing major done to the truck. Side steps (I got tubes with three steps on each side; front door, rear door, and bed access), which I had sprayed by Line-X due to the winter up here. Bed cover, vent visors, console safe, floor mats, and mud flaps. Usually things I'd get for my vehicles. One unusual thing was a set of skid plates... since it is something to worry about up here.

 

[Injunbro]

I've owned & driven all the pickups sold in the US @ one time or another. For quality I rate: Toyota #1 (own 2 Tacoma's now), Ford a close 2nd, Chevy, Jeep & Nissan tied for a distant 3rd & Dodge waaay down the list. Toyotas are pricey but worth it, Fords, because of the lower price, possibly a better buy... I'd have to be desperate to even look @ the others.

 

[HardToHandle]

I like small-medium trucks.

Had a Dakota Quad Cab. MOPAR? Think twice and theN run.

FWIW, all the Colorado owners I know seem to like them. My take is the present model has an El Cheapo interior and has some bizarre visibility issues. The one good thing is the power train seems pretty successful so far. I had the previous model 2012 Colorado and while reliable, it was the cheapest GM could make it.

Tacoma is... Mostly old, even when recently freshened up. My daily driver is 16yoa Lexus so I appreciate the glacial change (and reliability) of Toyota products. I am 5'8" and barely fit in Toyotas. In my neck of the woods, they just aren't very popular because they are small and anemic. My brother had two 4x4 Tacos rust out, even after Toyota "fixed" the frame Crumbling issues. He ended up making money on them with the Toyota financial settlements but stopped buying Tacos and only buys full-size domestics now.

My Dad drives a 25 year old Ranger X cab, which still looks pretty decent and runs okay. Jury is out if the new Ranger is going to have that reliability.

Mentioned already, but the Honda Ridgeline is a sweet machine. Towing capacity is not its forte, but might be worth a look. The biggest downside is Honda has unrealistically capped the production and doesn't seem interested in the truck market.

 

[LVSteve]

The Ford Ranger got pounded by the motoring press for its poor ride. It manages to be floaty and harsh at the extremes at the same time. Not a clever trick.

Guy at work just bought a Colorado diesel and loves it. I don't like the funky window shapes and the drastically cheap looking interior.

Another truck with a cheap looking interior is the last of the Nissan Frontiers. They've just put a new 3.8 engine and 9-speed transmission in them almost as a test run for when the new truck finally arrives. I recently drove a rental Frontier crew cab (old model, 4.0 motor) and liked it. Everything worked and the plastic interior may have looked cheap, but it felt robust. The review of the latest Frontier baffled me because they said it was noisy on the highway. The one I drove was quieter than my Xterra to my ears. YMMV.
2020 Nissan Frontier First Drive: Everything You Need, Nothing You Don't

Tacomas have that bizarre seating position stolen from a Celica and the latest engine is torqueless according to another coworker who test drove one. He hated it.

 

[Farmer17]

Most of the magazines that rate vehicles have the Honda Ridgeline first and the Colorado second. My buddy bought a fully loaded Tacoma and didn't like the ride or seat comfort and after about 7 months traded it for a Ridgeline and likes it. I've ridden in it many times to our trap shoots and it's really smooth and quiet. I know some people love GM products but I've owned about five over the years and they were all average or below in the reliability department so I'm not really a fan. I wouldn't mind a mid size truck but when I was shopping a little over a year ago I bought a new full size Ram Quad cab with PW/PL/PW heated mirrors, keyless entry, backup camera, chrome package, touch screen infotainment, bed liner, tow package, 305 HP engine, and lots of other stuff for $24K out the door. Most of the midsize trucks were at least that or more and I'm extremely happy with my Ram and average 21mpg in the city on cheap ethanol gas.