Which pickup truck comes out as the best pick for this 2023 matchup, the Ford Ranger or the Toyota Tacoma? The truck market can be overwhelming with its choices, variety of trims, engine sizes and powertrain options. The Ford Ranger does have the Toyota Tacoma beat in a few very particular ways; our comparison guide will show you why.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The Ranger is a great hauling and towing machine for any buyer looking to use it as a work vehicle.
- The Tacoma has more engine options than the Ranger.
- Both four-wheel drives, with max five-person seating.
- Interior seating will be slightly roomier in the Ranger.
EXTERIOR FEATURES: DEPENDS ON YOUR NEED
What does your workday look like? Traveling in and out of tight spots? Are you spending a lot of your time looking for parking spaces or need one closer to where you’re going to walk? Need to make quicker turns? The Toyota Tacoma has a slight upper hand than the Ranger in this regard, with its skinnier length and width by just a couple inches, smaller turn radius, and sleeker build – it’s the truck that drives much smoother and is seemingly easier to handle.
The Ranger on the other hand, is the bulkier car when put side by side. It has a bigger turn radius and is much longer in addition. It may require more technique to maneuver than the Tacoma. Because of this, it has a larger truck bed with a cargo space maximum of almost 52 cubic feet, which is going to equate to more hauling capacity. The Ranger has the Tacoma beat with colors to choose from across its trims, offering a total of eight to the Tacoma’s five including a Race Red and a Velocity Blue.
WHICH TRUCK HAS MORE POWER?
This is where we give a clear win to the Ranger over the Tacoma. Buyers might be surprised to find how the 2023 Ford Ranger only comes with one option for a power train across its trims. That’s a turbocharged 2.3-liter Ecoboost V4 which gives drivers 270 horsepower. This standard engine is built for power and is not messing round. It can tow a maximum of 7,500 pounds while the maximum the Tacoma can get up to is 6,800.
The Tacoma comes with two powertrain options:
- 159-hp, 2.7-liter, 4 Cylinder Engine
- 278-hp, 3.5-liter, V6 Cylinder Engine
Despite the Ranger only offering one, the upgrade to the second powertrain on the Tacoma offers hardly a noticeable difference between power. The standard Ranger engine paired with the more powerful torque the engine has to offer, giving drivers 310 lb-ft of torque and diverting power more useful to its wheels, better all-around power performance is in play here. On top of that, the Ranger still gets slightly better gas mileage than the Tacoma, with 21 in the city and 26 on the highway while the Tacoma gets 20 in the city and 23 on the highway.
OFF-ROADING & OTHER FEATURES: RANGER V. TACOMA
The capabilities of what these two can accomplish when you take them off the highway and into the backroads is nearly the same. Both offer solid ground traction, and a powerful four-wheel drive system. The Tacoma does get an inch more of ground clearance than the Ranger, which may prove useful in certain rocky or wet environments.
Both have their trims that correspond to more off-roading drivers as well, with the Ranger Raptor and the Tacoma TRD Pro. Both have their fair share of great entertainment systems that have been improved across the board since last year. Notably, the Ranger comes with a bigger infotainment system at 10 inches and can be upgraded to a twelve inch. While the Tacoma’s standard is a couple inches smaller, it can be upgraded to the largest of the two at 14 inches.
WHICH TRUCK WILL WORK FOR YOU?
Our pick for the better truck in 2023 goes to the Ford Ranger. It has better engine performance and surpasses the Tacoma in just a few other ways that may be seen as minor for some buyers. but can make a big difference for drivers looking to accomplish a certain job. It is also going to cost less than the Tacoma, with an average starting price of around $27,000, so come in today and we’ll find a plan that works best for you.