RBV's vs Toyota equivalent?

[Ultraspontane]

I'm not a brand loyalist, but I like my Bronco II. I also like Toyota pickups and 4Runners. How do you folks compare the Toyota offerings to your beloved Ranger platform?

I've never owned a Toyota truck, but I've heard great things about them. Whenever I read forum threads comparing Toyotas to Fords, it seems the vast majority of people say the Toyotas are better vehicles. They cite reliability and build quality, and cost of ownership as the main reasons.

I'm interested in owning a small truck to use for mountain trips (which may involve the occasion off-pavement detour) and a reliable daily driver.

I like my Bronco II, it is fun to drive, has a very small footprint with it's short wheelbase and narrow track, gets respectable MPG for an old truck, and I love the great visibility from the big windows. What I don't like is that highway driving is a bit strained with the little 2.9. If I decide to keep my little BII, I plan on a 4.0 and M5OD engine and transmission swap, and a D35 and 8.8 axle swap.

As far as reliability and capability, what do you think?

What say you?

 

[EMB1230]

You just opened up a big old can of worms buddy! But I will say this: the current gen of Tacoma's 2.7 I4 has just a little bit more power than our 3.0's and gets much better mileage, their 4.0 has more power than ours but gets the same mileage. My mom has an '09 ext cab 2.7 manual 2wd and she loves it.

 

[adsm08]

The Rav4 is pretty nice. The later Tacos are just too big. I work with a guy that drives one, he loves it, but it is about 125-150% the size of my Ranger. Too big for me.


The big thing that I think Yota has going right now is that they are building their stuff here in the US.

 

[JC 97]

I had a '92 toyota pick-up for 14 yrs.Solid little truck. It had rust problems.Not as bad as the late 80's Toy's.It was reliable but small. In the 90's i worked on the p-ups and the 4-runners.They are reliable and capable vehicles.They had problems too. The early 4x4's had a solid axle in the front, later ones have half-shafts. The early v6's had problems.As to compare trucks,I like my '97 ranger better than my toyota.The ranger is bigger and I think just as well built.The bronco II, I don't know too much about.

 

[Ultraspontane]

Well stickily talking about new trucks the Tacoma is just much more modern and more refined. It's also expensive. I think if we're talking about new Yotas vs Ford we'd need to compare the modern international Ranger (thanks a lot, Ford) to the new Yotas. The old Ranger platform was pretty dated by the time they discontinued it.

http://www.trucktrend.com/features/...nternational_pick_up_of_the_year/viewall.html

Seems like a good truck. I wish more Americans would be sensible and buy smaller vehicles, so Ford wouldn't pull crap like that.

I was more referring to late 80's, mid to late 90's Toyotas vs RBV's. Strictly speaking for under 10,000 total investment, which would be the better platform?

 

[john93rangerstx]

I work on a 04 Tacoma to daywith a rotted frame I have seen rangers with rotted frames

I have see them with both 250000 miles on them look new I seen them with 40000 look like they should have 250000 on them both good what u like more and the rangers are cheaper

 

[wildbill23c]

I can say that I owned a 94 Toyota 4Runner 4x4 5 speed with the 3.0L V6, it was ok by itself but if you wanted it to tow anything forget it the rear suspension wouldn't handle the weight, the engine didn't have the power, and the transmission wasn't geared for it at all. Stick with the Bronco 2 or the Ranger LOL.

I can't say anything about the 4.0L versions but they would probably be ok.

My other truck is a 2008 Toyota Tundra 5.7L V8 and it has all the power in the world to tow/haul, but the fuel economy in town is horrible LOL.

 

[kryptonitecb]

I agree with everything said above. With that out of the way Toyota's fetch a higher price than Ranger's. For me personally I like the Ranger's due to costs. Most of the parts I've seen are cheaper for Ranger's but that could be cause Toyota's last longer, and are built better.

In the offroad area I would take a Toyota over a Ranger due to solid axles and tougher axles. The Toyota front is 9 3/4" ring gear IIRC. Also the aftermarket for doublers, t-case upgrades, etc is better.

But I like my Ranger and would own another one if I had the funds.

Sent from the road while ignoring traffic

 

[wildbill23c]

I agree with everything said above. With that out of the way Toyota's fetch a higher price than Ranger's. For me personally I like the Ranger's due to costs. Most of the parts I've seen are cheaper for Ranger's but that could be cause Toyota's last longer, and are built better.

In the offroad area I would take a Toyota over a Ranger due to solid axles and tougher axles. The Toyota front is 9 3/4" ring gear IIRC. Also the aftermarket for doublers, t-case upgrades, etc is better.

But I like my Ranger and would own another one if I had the funds.

Sent from the road while ignoring traffic

Toyotas are great offroad, but its getting pretty hard to find the older toyota trucks that have solid front axles, I personally hate the IFS junk in the newer toyota trucks it makes the vehicle useless offroad you have to be very careful what path you take or you quickly knock the front end out of alignment.

I like my Bronco 2, and eventually plan on picking up an older ranger again. Unless I can find an old solid axle toyota pickup reasonable up here in Idaho these trucks carry premium prices because the hunters want them.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

One thing I don't care for about imports is they don't have the support that domestics have.

The dealers are only in the bigger cities for the most part and regular parts stores don't stock much for them out here in the sticks.

 

[Rose2300]

IFS can be made to be very capable for not much more than a sfa lift kit.

I sold my 02 ranger about 3 months ago and bought a 96 4runner. I can say the interior quality is superior as far as fit and finish, and ergonomics. The 3.4 has plenty of power and is efficient for a v6. The 4wd on it is awesome for being stock. There are kits like the sonoran steel 1.2 kit that lifts the rig around 3-4 inches, but also greatly increase suspension articulation.

People aren't lying when the say the older toyota rigs are bulletproof reliable. My runner has 213k on it and it runs better than my other 3 cars (95 b2300, 03 explorer sport, and 02 ford ranger) that had 48k, 70k, and 80k respectively.

Of course there is a slight pice premium for 3rd gen runners too. But in my area Rangers also seem to sell pretty far above value.

But since my first car was a b2300, I'll always have a soft spot for rangers!

 

[4x4junkie]

Meh...
I don't see the Toyota reliability thing anymore myself.
Back in the '80s comparing a Ranger with it's puny D28 axle and wimpy TK or Mitsu transmission, and the Toyota with the beam axle and anemic 4-popper that couldn't harm a thing downstream of it, sure. But things changed quite a bit throughout the '90s and people either didn't realize it, or they flat-out refuse to accept it (maybe this is something that perpetuates the "Toyota reliability" thing today?).
The large number of major Toyota recalls that came to light over the last 5-6 years (perforated truck frames, suspension issues, throttle & brake systems issues, just to name a small few) should've clearly shown they really are no different than anyone else. But some people apparently still ignore even the problematic 3.0L V6 when they talk about how reliable Toyota trucks are.

Anyway, that's just my 2¢ on the matter.
My BII has almost 180K miles on the ODO (probably would be more like 230K if it weren't for all the offroad driving in low gear I do) and still runs as if it had 40K. Doesn't burn a drop of oil either (figuratively speaking anyway... all engines burn trace amounts of oil in normal operation).

 

[Ultraspontane]

^ Yeah, your BII is great. My BII has 220k miles and has had several owners and still runs very well, too. So I cannot complain about Ford reliability in this instance.

Someone mentioned imports not having much support, but I think Toyota trucks have huge aftermarket support, while BII's and older Rangers do not seem to have much aftermarket support at all. I've always wondered about that.

 

[Ranger1776]

My brother had one, 1994 yota pickup, beautiful little truck, matte black, home made flatbed, really nicely done, 31" BfG's (now on my truck) REbuilt motor, less than 8,000 miles on it... but my brother is a "Redneck" and likes mudding and stuff... well... he at one point was in a hole, (I never went mudding with him as im not a redneck and i feel bad for the vehicle when they get beaten like that, i see vehicles as living entities that feel and whatnot) up over the headlights... the intake is behind the driver side headlight... HYDROLOCKED A BRAND NEW MOTOR!!! Back on track, they are solid little trucks, the 2.4 will run forever as long as you take care of it, JUST KEEP IT ABOVE WATER... as with all engines... only thing i dont like is the boxed frame... anything gets in there, and they are FAR from being sealed... and it will sit in there and not so slowly rot through the frame... good little trucks IMHO

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Someone mentioned imports not having much support, but I think Toyota trucks have huge aftermarket support, while BII's and older Rangers do not seem to have much aftermarket support at all. I've always wondered about that.

I am not talking aftermarket, you break down in the middle of nowhere on vacation and you are either stuck there or in a rental.

The nearest Toyota dealer is over an hour away and in another state, since there are few Toyotas in the area the local parts stores don't much beyond filters for them.

The only thing I have had to get from a dealer for my old Ranger was the Explorer V8 badges. Starters and alternators (two of the biggest stranding failpoints IMO) are in stock at all three parts stores... and that is for a 30 year old truck.