2019 Ford Ranger vs Toyota Tacoma
There's a blistering-hot, brand-new Ford Ranger in town. The 2019 model year is witness to an overhaul of this beloved compact truck. It looks like the Ranger you know and love, with minor styling tweaks here and there because the vast majority of the improvements are more than skin deep. Just how good is the all-new Ranger? In this comparison guide, we'll compare it to its number one rival, the 2019 Toyota Tacoma. Only one will shake out as the best in this closely contested class of fun-size brawn.
Comfort: 2019 Ford Ranger
You don't have to leave your creature comforts at home. For one thing, the Ranger is plenty spacious, especially in the roomy Double Cab. High-mounted seats means more leg room and a more natural sitting posture for back seat passengers. Meanwhile, the driver will enjoy their 8-way power adjustable seat. We recommend you definitely spring for the SYNC3 infotainment system that comes with an 8-inch touchscreen interface that brings with it Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and three USB ports.
The Toyota Tacoma claims to be more rugged. But in this case, read that as code for ?not as comfortable.' For example, you'll be more than a little snug in the Tacoma crew cab. You might notice a bit of squeeze wherever you sit though since the Ranger has more head- and legroom in both front and back seats than the Tacoma. Thankfully, there are plenty of entertainment and other tech features to get your mind off it, all part of the Entune infotainment system, which includes a 6.1-inch touch screen, Siri Eyes Free, six-speaker stereo, three USB ports, and Bluetooth.
Price: 2019 Ford Ranger
Starting at $24,300, the 2019 Ford Ranger beats the price of the Tacoma. The Toyota rival starts at $25,500. Now, the Tacoma comes with better standard features but is saddled with a vastly inferior engine. You can correct that, of course, by opting for the V6, but then the Tacoma is even more expensive. And at that price point, you can get a bunch of fun extras for your Ranger instead. All things considered, the Ford Ranger represents a much better value.
Performance: 2019 Ford Ranger
Speaking of superior engines, the Ford Ranger boasts the turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder EcoBoost, delivering 270 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. That's the only available engine, but we're not complaining. It's that good. After all, this engine can tow up to 7,500 pounds when properly configured.
Meanwhile, the Toyota Tacoma offers the base 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 159 horsepower and 180 pound-feet of torque. We wouldn't bother with that engine and recommend skipping to the available 3.5-liter V6 that produces 278 horsepower and 265 pound-feet of torque. Even then, the Tacoma only tows up to 6,800 pounds.
There's no question for us that the overhauled 2019 Ford Ranger is a better value. Ford spent some time upgrading its engine and parts and the results speak for themselves.