Best midsize Pickup?

tony

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Nov 13, 2015
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Agreed on the controls of the ranger, if you don't use the touch screen your eyes are off the road.

Suspension - read the FX4 is soft for an "offroad" truck. Tremor is where its at.

Forescan is a free program and you can do all kinds of things with it. Like kill the tree hugger switch, turn of chimes, change the radio screen, run fogs with high beams on, etc.

Start stop - Ranger5g forum guys plug a little LED night light in the console receptacle facing the rear seats, somehow it turn it off.

I ran a little experiment with the "tree hugger" switch. I run my numbers through fuelly and saw no change in fuel mileage. On or off. I ran it for a month or so, I guess its more of a feel good thing as the vehicle is off for 30 seconds at a red light.
Planning on changing the charge pipes, exhaust, blow off valve, put on sliders, maybe a tune. With the price of gas that's last. Most tunes want mid grade or premium.

I am interested in what is coming out from Chevy, Toyota and the new ranger. I think these turbo 4cyl are great little motors. If Toyota keeps the 6 speed manual I'd be interested for sure.
 
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GarnerAF1

GarnerAF1

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Joined
May 7, 2021
Messages
120
Agreed on the controls of the ranger, if you don't use the touch screen your eyes are off the road.

Suspension - read the FX4 is soft for an "offroad" truck. Tremor is where its at.

Forescan is a free program and you can do all kinds of things with it. Like kill the tree hugger switch, turn of chimes, change the radio screen, run fogs with high beams on, etc.

Start stop - Ranger5g forum guys plug a little LED night light in the console receptacle facing the rear seats, somehow it turn it off.

I ran a little experiment with the "tree hugger" switch. I run my numbers through fuelly and saw no change in fuel mileage. On or off. I ran it for a month or so, I guess its more of a feel good thing as the vehicle is off for 30 seconds at a red light.
Planning on changing the charge pipes, exhaust, blow off valve, put on sliders, maybe a tune. With the price of gas that's last. Most tunes want mid grade or premium.

I am interested in what is coming out from Chevy, Toyota and the new ranger. I think these turbo 4cyl are great little motors. If Toyota keeps the 6 speed manual I'd be interested for sure.

I think I may honestly just hold onto what I have, wait out the potential recession a little safer than investing in a new vehicle specially with these crazy interest rates. I’ll see how both the Chevy Colorado ZR2 and Ford Ranger Raptor perform and hold up after a few years on the market before making my decision. That is unless Toyota just knocks it out of the ballpark on their Gen 4’s then I’ll have to throw them into the conversation.


But yeah I think with all the manufacturers seeming to be taking the same or similar direction as for drive train for their future midsize stuff. It’s going to be exciting to see the performance these little motors are going to produce.
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2022
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15
I sometimes wish the “old” midsized trucks came back. The new Maverick is small but isn’t made to be off-road. If we could get a rugged truck the size of the maverick that would be great!
 
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GarnerAF1

GarnerAF1

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May 7, 2021
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I sometimes wish the “old” midsized trucks came back. The new Maverick is small but isn’t made to be off-road. If we could get a rugged truck the size of the maverick that would be great!

I agree, I’ve decided to just go down the new technology rabbit hole. But there is a part of me who will always want back an old late 80’s Toyota with Manual Transmission/Manual T-Case. Locking hubs and rubber floors.
 

Mosby

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Jan 1, 2015
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1,939
I have a 2018 Chevy ZR2 w/diesel that replaced a Suburban. Front and rear locking differential. It does everything I need a hunting truck to do right now. It is great on rocky, narrow trails and unmaintained roads. No such thing as the perfect hunting vehicle. All about trade offs, where you go and what you need the truck to do...ie: towing, off road etc. 5 years from now, my needs might change and my truck might change.
 

mtblackdog

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Feb 3, 2017
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207
Location
Montana
Sure would be nice if our government wasnt so screwed up and we could get Toyota Hi-Lux's here. Ultimate mid size bomb proof rig.
 
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GarnerAF1

GarnerAF1

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May 7, 2021
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120
Sure would be nice if our government wasnt so screwed up and we could get Toyota Hi-Lux's here. Ultimate mid size bomb proof rig.

Heck any of the international versions really. I’ve had the pleasure to travel all over the globe with my job after the Air Force. What’s cool is for example their Hilux among just about all their trucks have some serious reinforcement and fully boxed in frames since it’s their version of a half ton work platform. Kind of sad to actually evaluate the frame of the Tacoma compared to its Hilux counterpart. It’s quite thinned up, definitely not fully boxed in.

Actually did find out one cool thing about Ford. So the ranger in Australia or all the other countries is fully boxed in and has extra reinforcement. So Ford instead of doing what Toyota did to the Tacoma decided to keep most of that same frame minus a little bit of modification to meet crash ratings here in the states.

All those midsize are pretty beefed up compared to our line up. If I could get their Ranger with that 3.2L Turbo Diesel I would do it in a heartbeat.
 

TSU_Archer

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Jul 23, 2022
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Anyone heard when the new 2023 Colorado will begin hitting dealerships?

I absolutely love my ranger but just curious to see what all the hype is about around this 2.7 turbo charge 4 cylinder GM is so proud of. Would love to test drive that ZR2 package with the tuned up motor. Crazy good output numbers.
 

h2so4

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Oct 10, 2019
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Colorado
@TSU_Archer there was a recent article from motor trend or the drive (or similar) about this engine and how awesome It is. They said it used diesel engine design cues for longevity and power. If I find it, I’ll share here. It made me want to go drive one to check it out.
 

TSU_Archer

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Jul 23, 2022
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@TSU_Archer there was a recent article from motor trend or the drive (or similar) about this engine and how awesome It is. They said it used diesel engine design cues for longevity and power. If I find it, I’ll share here. It made me want to go drive one to check it out.

Thanks!

Yeah I’m just enjoying “breaking” free of the blindsided belief that the only good midsize is a Tacoma. It isn’t, I’ve been very pleased with my Ranger and ironically it’s actually more similar to its international brother than a Tacoma is to the Hilux, in terms of rigidity, performance and capabilities.


Lots and lots of great options out there. If this Ranger does me well I’ll probably just get another one but boy oh boy that new Colorado and Canyon are bad to the bone!!!
 
Last edited:

Jakerex

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Aug 29, 2020
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Anyone heard when the new 2023 Colorado will begin hitting dealerships?

I absolutely love my ranger but just curious to see what all the hype is about around this 2.7 turbo charge 4 cylinder GM is so proud of. Would love to test drive that ZR2 package with the tuned up motor. Crazy good output numbers.

I have the 2.7 in a Silverado and it’s excellent in the full size, and it’s the original version of the engine. I really like it. The newer “high output” would be pretty freaking awesome in a smaller Colorado / Canyon.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Joined
Jan 3, 2020
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Becker Ridge, Alaska
Also for the newer trucks with no manual locks. How do you get in the vehicle if the battery dies,
and you need to get inside the vehicle to unlatch the hood?
 

wesfromky

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Nov 23, 2016
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KY
IMG_6581.jpeg


Just a bump to this thread with my 23 Frontier pro4x. Had it a couple of weeks so far and really like it. This thread is one of the things that pushed me towards the Frontier vs some of the other options. If you are looking at a mid sized truck, the Frontiers are worth a good look.
 

def90

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Aug 12, 2020
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Colorado
I bought a new Ford Ranger for work this past August. So far so good. Just bought the bare bones 4wd 2 door model in cactus gray. The turbo 4 cyl has more than enough power to get the thing moving with my AREs commercial topper on it and the back full of tools and supplies.

If I was buying a truck for personal use I would have gotten a Tacoma due to the aftermarket accessory support.

As for Toyotas.. I spied a Hilux driving through Denver the other day.

Hilux.jpg
 
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