Should I buy the Ford Ranger or Toyota Tacoma?

Drivers in the market for a midsize truck have plenty to like when it comes to both the Ford Ranger and the Toyota Tacoma. Rugged, stylish and versatile, both vehicles are equally at home towing and off-roading as they are driving in the city and suburbs.

If you’re trying to decide between the Toyota Tacoma vs. the Ford Ranger, it won’t be an easy decision. It’s key to look at every element of these models before making your choice.

Below we’ll examine all the important elements of both vehicles, including:

• Specifications - From torque to towing, find out how the Toyota Tacoma and Ford Ranger measure up.
• Safety - Air bags, seat belts and other safety features to keep you and your loved ones safe on the road.
• Reliability - Read up on the reliability of both vehicles to make an informed purchase.
• Interior and infotainment - Stay comfortable and keep the kids busy on every drive.
• Cargo space - We’ll examine how much each model fits in its truck bed.

The Tacoma has a loyal fan base thanks to its reliability. JD Power rated the 2021 Toyota Tacoma 81/100 for quality and reliability. The Ford Ranger has a similarly impressive rating of 85/100.

A J.D. Power predicted reliability score ranks Best 91-100, Great is 81-90, Average is 70-80, and Fair is 0-69, considered below average.

The Ford Ranger interior complements its rugged and utilitarian exterior, built to withstand plenty of wear and tear. It features premium cloth bucket front seats with manual adjustments and premium cloth bench back seats.

For entertainment, the Ford Ranger comes equipped with:

• 4.2-inch Color Productivity Screen
• SiriusXM
• Six Audio Speakers
• FordPass Connect with 4G LTE wi-fi Hotspot
• 911 Assist
• Applink
• A smart-charging USB port
• SYNC 3

The Toyota Tacoma interior is similarly hard-wearing. The interior features climate control, wireless smartphone and mobile device charging, three USB ports, manual day/night rear-view mirror, fabric-trimmed seats with four-way adjustable front seats and a telescopic steering wheel with audio controls.

Both the Ranger and the Tacoma have built-in touchscreen infotainment centers equipped with Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, and wi-fi, along with A/C regulation and climate control. But the Ranger has four speakers to the Tacoma’s six.

Both the Tacoma and the Ranger are available in a range of bed lengths and cab designs to suit your needs. Those looking for a work vehicle might opt for a longer bed length, while those in search of a family vehicle might opt for more interior seating.

The Toyota Tacoma offers two cab styles: The 74-inch Access cab and the Double cab measuring in at either 60 or 74 inches. Both cab styles seat five and offer 40 inches of headroom and 43 inches of legroom up front, while the rear measures 35 inches of headroom and 25 inches of legroom.

The exterior cargo capacity for the Tacoma depends on payload and towing, which differs between the Access and the Double – the Access offering a maximum payload of 1,620 pounds, while the Double has a payload of 1,505 pounds.

Ford’s Ranger has three cab styles to choose from: The Supercab at 73 inches or the Supercrew at 61 inches. The Supercab seats four while the Supercrew seats five. The Regular cab is available in XL only, which only has two seats up front but offers a massive 7.5 foot load bed with a maximum capacity of 1,200kg.

Internal dimensions of the Supercab and Supercrew are similar to the Tacoma – 40 inches of headroom and 43 inches of legroom up front, and 36 inches of headroom and 30 inches of legroom in the back. This makes both models pretty well matched in terms of interior space, and with a variety of bed lengths to choose from in both models, there’s an ideal size to suit everyone.