Obviously, since this is a Ranger forum, I expect folks to be biased toward them, but objectively, which do you think is the best on the market "reliability-wise?"

I ask because I bought my '10 XLT Super 4cyl Auto in September as my second choice. An equivalent Tacoma was my first choice, but too expensive for me. I have loyalty to Ford, as I used to own an '89 Ranger. While I did love it, it wasn't exactly cheap to own over the course of seven years (new brakes, clutch/flywheel, engine, two starters/solenoid, rear end gasket, and more).

Ranger? Tacoma? Colorado/Canyon? Frontier? Dodge (is it still Dakota?)

Thanks for your time!

as far as cheapest to own and reliability id say the ranger has the edge. the colorado/ canyons arent known for being reliable and they arent cheap to buy, dodge is, well, dodge and they have fallen off the planet as far as reliability goes. toyota is god awful expensive to buy, the newer trucks havent lived up to the toyota reliability expectations and repairs are expensive on them.

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I don't know about today's pickups, but the late 80's/early 90's Toyotas were pretty indestructable, until they rusted apart. I think Japanese quality has slipped marginally recently, but I'd probably still put the Toyota and the Nissan just the slightest tick above the Ford. Then the Dodge, followed up by the Chevy. But that's just my 2 cents.

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'97 XLT, ext cab, stepside

Ratings wise according to consumer reviews like Consumer Reports, the Tacoma is the best. If I remember correctly, the Ranger and the Frontier are neck and neck. I didn't look at the Colorado or the Dakota. Judging from the Colorado we have here at work, it's a piece of junk. From previous experince with Chrysler products and the ordeals my brother went through with his Dakota, I would have to say the Dakota is about the same as the Colorado.

Going by the criteria of a small pickup, the Ranger and the Colorado are really the only ones to choose from. The Tacoma, Frontier, and the Dakota are really more of a mid-sized truck.

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Sgtsandman's Work in Progress
2011 Ranger XLT, 4X4, 4 door Super Cab. 4.0L, 5 Speed M50D-R1HD, 3.73:1, 8.8" open differential, Jason Pace cap
2019 Ford Ranger STX FX4, Super Crew, 2.3L Ecoboost, 10 speed automatic, 3.73:1 with rear locker, Leer 100XR cap

great info guys, let's keep it going!

My buddy has a dakota wer constantly working on, my best freind has a 09colorado so thats too new to break lol and as far as yota and nissan , if your thinking about buying jap just go over to your neighbors house and kick him in the balls cause thats what your doing.

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2000 ranger 4.0v6 4x4 ext. Cab with a cap
Mods....
http://www.fordrangerforum.com/proje...start-now.html

my mom has a tacoma, its a great truck. Then my friend has a chevy colorado, witch is basically the same as the canyon and his is a great truck too.
But dodge? well everybody Ive know who has had dodge, the transmission goes out pretty quick. Plus my cousin (mechanic) use to work for dodge, and he says there shit.

So I would debate between, the tacoma,ranger, and canyon or colorado.

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90 ranger 2.9 v6, 5 speed
regular cab long box 2wd.
feature mods-
short ram intake, dynomax exhaust, homade bull guard here soon, 2" body lift 4" suspension lift, 33 bfg all terains.
selling the truck this summer and buying a new ranger hopefully.

I know everyone is wanting to be american and such. And don't get me wrong, I love supporting 'Made in America'.... But where are most of the parts on a Ford or Dodge manufactured?

And as to the question at hand. I LOVE my ford ranger. I've not had a single problem with it that the dealer hasn't been able to fix in less than a couple hours. Every car is going to have their problems, I myself will stick to the good old Blue Oval.

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2003 Edge 3.0 2WD Flex Fuel
Z liner | Truxendo bed extender | Mustang dome | More mods to come...

I went with the Ranger because of its stellar track record. It had some of the better reliability, performance and crash test ratings according to Consumper Reports. The Chevy S10s with the Vortec 4.3 are not known to be the most reliable, and anythin other than the ZR2 is just ugly looking. The Dakota's 3.9L prior to 2004 was a complete joke so i ruled it out those; however the 2004+ 3.7L is a nice engine, but I hate the front end on the 2005+ Dakotas. The Colorado is a nice truck, it is bigger than the S10 and Ranger as it is a midsize truck. The 4 cyl it has is quite peppy and you can get 4wd with it, the I5 has great power but isn't the smoothest of engines. Interiorwise, the Colorado is much better than the Ranger in terms of comfort and features. The Ranger interior has been the same sine the 90's, so if you are comparing a 2006 Ranger to a 2006 Colorado, the interiors are going to be very different. The Colorado's interior is very well built, looks great, has a lot of options and features and is comfortable.

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2006 Fx4 Level 2 with a 5spd, Superlifted on 33's.

If the Ranger goes away I may be moving to Nissan for my next.

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2001 Ranger Edge
3.0 V6
Automatic
4.10 gears
97,780 mi

i have read the colorado is considered "the most dangerous vehicle on the road" because of the poor crash test ratings. the ranger has stayed relatively the same for years, but that shows that the design and integrity of the vehicle lasts longer than the ever changing dodge, chevy, and nissan.

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2005 Ford Ranger Edge RWD 3.0L V6
Superchip Tuner
K&N Cold Air Intake
Flowmaster 40 Series Muffler & Downpipe
Wolo LongHorns Airhorn
Alpine Head Unit, Kickers, and a Bazooka Sub

I'll first answer the question by saying as far as reliability goes, Ranger is the best. I've known many friends that have owned them and never had any problems. That being said it's mostly because Ford people take care of their shit (majoritly). I had a nissan frontier (didn't buy, it was given to me by my gpa) before my Ranger and never ever want to look back. It was a good little truck, only maintenence was a regular oil change. It had over 130K on it. So I say Ford as far as quility and reliability and price. Next choice would be a newer Frontier.

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2008 Ford Ranger Sport 4x4 4.0L
-5 speed, undercoating, tinted windows, keyless entry, 3.73 gears
-Pioneer AVIC-F700BT GPS w/10" Pioneer woofer
-3 inch Performance Accessories Body Lift
-33x12.5 r 15 BFG M/T KM2's

Concerning which vehicle is more American than another, I guess it depends on how you look at it. Many domestic vehicles are built in Canada or Mexico but it's an American brand.

On the other hand, many Japanese vehicles are built in the U.S. The Tacoma and the Frontier are two such examples. One in Tennesee and the onther in Kentucky but I don't remember which is which.

Personally, I would prefer to buy the vehicle that supports workers in the U.S. rather than which vehicle supports the U.S. company but is built in another country.

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Sgtsandman's Work in Progress
2011 Ranger XLT, 4X4, 4 door Super Cab. 4.0L, 5 Speed M50D-R1HD, 3.73:1, 8.8" open differential, Jason Pace cap
2019 Ford Ranger STX FX4, Super Crew, 2.3L Ecoboost, 10 speed automatic, 3.73:1 with rear locker, Leer 100XR cap

So, part two of this question is; Is Ford making their best vehicles overall right now? I have heard this from some "car people." It doesn't seem too off-base...everybody I know with an F150 absolutely speaks nothing but highly of them, and a good friend with a 05 Focus he bought 3 years ago beats the ever-loving hell out of it, and has not spent a dime on it. It has to be a pretty solid vehicle powertrain-wise.

id say the last 6-7 years ford has really stepped up their game in the quality department over what they were putting out in years prior.

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