Compare the2025 Toyota TacomaVS 2025 Ford Ranger Raptor

The Toyota Tacoma has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Ranger Raptor doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Tacoma has standard Active Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Ranger Raptor doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Toyota Tacoma achieved a “Good” rating - the highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Ford Ranger Raptor has not been tested.

Full-time four-wheel drive is optional on the Tacoma. Full-time four-wheel drive gives added traction for safety in all conditions, not just off-road, like the only system available on the Ranger Raptor.

Both the Tacoma and Ranger Raptor offer rear cross-traffic warning, but the Tacoma with Rear Cross Traffic Alert also has Parking Support Brake (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Ranger Raptor’s Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the Tacoma and the Ranger Raptor have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available blind spot warning systems and around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Toyota Tacoma is safer than the Ford Ranger Raptor:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Tacoma for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Ford doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Ranger Raptor.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota second in reliability, above the industry average. With 92 more problems per 100 vehicles, Ford is ranked 23rd.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota third in overall reliability. Ford is ranked 13th.

The Tacoma Trailhunter’s standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 35 lbs.-ft. more torque (465 vs. 430) than the Ranger Raptor’s 3.0 turbo V6. The Tacoma’s optional 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 35 lbs.-ft. more torque (465 vs. 430) than the Ranger Raptor’s 3.0 turbo V6.

On the EPA test cycle the Tacoma gets better mileage than the Ranger Raptor:

Regenerative brakes improve the Tacoma i-FORCE MAX’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Ranger Raptor doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota Tacoma uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Ranger Raptor requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Tacoma offers a manual transmission for better acceleration, control and sportiness. The Ranger Raptor doesn’t offer a manual transmission.

For better stopping power the Tacoma’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Ranger Raptor:

The Tacoma stops much shorter than the Ranger Raptor:

The Tacoma Double Cab TRD Sport/Limited’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 65 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Ranger Raptor’s 70 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Tacoma 5-ft. bed Double Cab Trailhunter/TRD Pro has standard 18-inch wheels. The Ranger Raptor’s largest wheels are only 17-inches.

The Tacoma Limited/Trailhunter/TRD Pro/TRD Off-Road/TRD Sport/SR5 Double Cab has front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Tacoma Limited/Trailhunter/TRD Pro/TRD Off-Road/TRD Sport/SR5 Double Cab flat and controlled during cornering. The Ranger Raptor’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The Tacoma offers an active front sway bar, which helps keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnects at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Ranger Raptor doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The Tacoma offers an available continuously variable suspension system. Using sensors on steering angle, speed and other driver inputs, the shocks soften to improve ride, or stiffen when appropriate to aid handling on tricky roads. The Ranger Raptor’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Tacoma 5-ft. bed Double Cab’s wheelbase is 3.2 inches longer than on the Ranger Raptor (131.9 inches vs. 128.7 inches). The Tacoma 6-ft. bed Double Cab’s wheelbase is 16.4 inches longer than on the Ranger Raptor (145.1 inches vs. 128.7 inches).

The Tacoma 5-ft. bed TRD Off-Road Double Cab handles at .77 G’s, while the Ranger Raptor pulls only .69 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Tacoma 6-ft. bed TRD Sport Double Cab executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Ranger Raptor (27.9 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 28.6 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Tacoma XtraCab’s turning circle is 1.1 feet tighter than the Ranger Raptor’s (42.2 feet vs. 43.3 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Tacoma 5-ft. bed TRD Pro Double Cab has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Ranger Raptor (11.5 vs. 10.7 inches), allowing the Tacoma to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Toyota Tacoma may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs up to about 1200 pounds less than the Ford Ranger Raptor.

A low lift-over bed design makes loading and unloading the Tacoma easier. The Tacoma’s bed lift-over height is 34 inches, while the Ranger Raptor’s liftover is 36.5 inches.

Maximum trailer towing in the Ford Ranger Raptor is limited to 5510 pounds. The Tacoma offers up to a 6500 lbs. towing capacity.

The Tacoma Double Cab 4x4 has a much higher optional payload capacity than the Ranger Raptor (1705 vs. 1411 lbs.).

The Tacoma Limited has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer, navigation instruction and driver assistance information readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Ranger Raptor doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The power windows standard on both the Tacoma and the Ranger Raptor have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Tacoma is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Ranger Raptor prevents the driver from operating the rear windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Tacoma’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Ranger Raptor’s passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Tacoma (except SR/SR5/PreRunner) keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Ranger Raptor doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Toyota Tacoma comes in extended cab and crew cab bodystyles; the Ford Ranger Raptor isn’t available as an extended cab.

The Tacoma is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Ranger Raptor doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Tacoma first among midsize pickups in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Ranger Raptor isn’t in the top three.

The Toyota Tacoma outsold the Ford Ranger by over four to one during 2024.