I posted this over in the Ranger forum and thought I would post my question here to get other opinions. I'm planning to order a new truck for the business. I have narrowed the selection down to the 4x2 4cyl Toyota PreRunner AccessCab or the 4x2 4Cyl Ranger SuperCab. I need the fuel economy, will use the vehicle for light hauling, and perhaps some playing on the beach on weekends.I really like the look and height of the PreRunner but it will cost me about $4000.00 more than the Ranger. I was thinking to get the Ranger, add some larger tires and maybe a cheap 2" suspension lift and I would have 98% of the PreRunner. What do the experts here think about this? Is the PreRunner really worth the $4K premium? Thanks in advance
If you need the fuel economy then save the four thousand and spend it on gas. The Tacoma is a much better truck overall, but it depends on your needs. If you can get by with the Ranger and save four thousand that might be your best bet. If your going to keep the truck well past the warranty, get the Tacoma...which also has much better resale value. G/L either way.
yes, it is more than worth the extra when you consider the amount of time/money the ranger will cost you in repairs during it's (short) life time. not to mention, the quality of the ride and feel of the toyota is SO much better (have you driven both trucks yet???)
the ranger is a garbage truck from garbage company. you may think that you're doing yourself a favor by saving a little cash off the top-but it WILL cost you in the long run.
fords do make decent fleet vehicles. But coming from a family who's always owned rangers, and owning an 07 tacoma myself, do me a favor and just trust me...
BUY THE TACOMA
I guarantee you're going to be in the shop alot more with the ranger, and everything thats going to... will fail about 10 miles after warranty expires. Toyotas will run forever, and still look sexy. I've owned and driven alot of rangers in my life. Decent trucks, fun for wheeling too, but tacoma is better hands down.
what kind of answer did you expect when you post in a Tacoma forum?
I'm sure you got the same exact opposite answer in the ranger forum :P
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I think I'd go with the Tacoma, I've had a few Ford products in the past 4 to be exact and I've also had 3 tacomas and I can say I will never go back to Ford.
Thanks for the replies! I checked out the resale and believe it or not, as a percentage of purchase price, the Ranger is higher due to the substantial discounts/rebates presently being offered by Ford.
Quote:
Originally Posted by G-forcexl
Toyota has a huge incentive program going. It's called resale. Something to consider.
Aloha 6shooter! As one might expect the overwhelming majority recommend the Ranger on that forum. If you want to read their replies you can follow this link:
Thanks for the replies! I checked out the resale and believe it or not, as a percentage of purchase price, the Ranger is higher due to the substantial discounts/rebates presently being offered by Ford.
It depends on how long you plan on owning the vehicle. 50k, 100k,..200k? Do you think the ford can hold up to 200k and still hold value? Toyota has been doing it for decades.
that's funny. only one guy had anything "bad" to say about the toyota and that was that it "rode like a car" ouch. everybody else was praising toyota as a product then saying they bought the ranger because it was cheaper. ha! now compare those responses to ours about the ranger. is it not obvious that rangers are total junk? anyway, looks like you're leaning towards a ranger. all i have to say is good luck!
I wouldn't go so far as to say the ranger is total junk. It's built on OLD and proven technology. Granted the quality of materials is not the same as the Toyota, but to call the ranger "total junk" is a bit of a stretch IMO. That being said, you get what you pay for, and I didn't even consider the Ranger.
Yes, I'm leaning toward the Ranger but still unsure. As I mentioned in my first post my main concerns are fuel economy and reliability. This is by no means my dream vehicle and will be used primarily as a business service vehicle. I currently drive a Jeep Commander 4X4 Hemi and with fuel at $3.40 a gallon and mileage at ~13mpg I'm estimating that what I will save in fuel will almost pay for the Ranger and allow me to keep the Jeep mileage low. If only Toyota could come out with a $1K - $2K rebate then it would be an easy decision as the total 5 year cost would be very close.
Seriously, I may be biased because I was from a family of stolid FORD buyers -until FORD screwed me. I don't mean the dealership (they were just incompetent), I mean FORD. The regional rep made a deal w/ me to rectify the situation, then screwed me. (it goes so far as me notifying him of the appt he had me make at another dealer,then getting a call from the dealer after my vehicle sat for 3 days saying that the guy didn't approve the work - His response when I called and calmly asked if there was a problem was that he "changed his mind" -although he didnt bother to tell me.) And the FCAB consumer appeals is another 4-letter F-word.
However, that being said, if you buy the PreRunner,you're getting a vehicle that is purpose built and engineered to be that way. If you lift a (R)anger vehicle, you'll have something that is never gonna be what it was intended -at best.
I have no facts, but I would guess that resale on a PreRunner will be more than a lifted (R)anger if you take into account your parts, labor, alignments, etc.
But mostly - you couldn't give me a Ford if the deal required me to drive it.
(Now, if someone wants to give it to me and I can sell it, that's fine.)
And in the interest of fairness (more than they gave me) that was 1984.
I won't say I'll never buy another Ford -but it still ain't in my foreseeable future.
(You get the feeling I got really ticked?)
I wouldn't go so far as to say the ranger is total junk. It's built on OLD and proven technology. Granted the quality of materials is not the same as the Toyota, but to call the ranger "total junk" is a bit of a stretch IMO. That being said, you get what you pay for, and I didn't even consider the Ranger.
the reason i say that is i worked for ford for about a year inbetween two jobs for two seperate toyota dealerships. and, the toyota store i'm at now has a ford store directly next door to it. i have been on both sides and know everybody on both sides of the arguement. i know from experience that the rangers are a poor product at best. oil leaks galore and very poor reliability just to start with. i see the ford techs sitting in there toyotas during lunch in the employee parking lot and know 5 seperate techs that came from ford to our toyota store and all 5 have bought toyotas and sware by them-all the while promising never to buy another ford again now that "they know"
AND i too, though i don't want to admit it-had a ranger 4x4 when i was 16 (before I "knew")
all i'm saying is that ford techs themselves will tell you they're junk.
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Buying advice needed: Ranger vs. PreRunner
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