Ranger FX4 Battles Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro in the Colorado Wilderness
TFLTruck pits Ranger FX4 against Taco Supreme in series of off-road challenges and not one, but two drag races.
The Ford Ranger is a legendary nameplate, but the truth is that it had been absent from the U.S. market for more than half a decade before the Blue Oval brought it back as a 2019 model. In that time, the Toyota Tacoma only grew more advanced and capable. Does the new Ranger have what it takes to compete with the quintessential midsize truck? To find out, TFLTruck took a Ranger FX4 and a Tacoma TRD Pro out on the challenging Ironclads Trail in Colorado.
At first glance, both four-door trucks have similar shapes to their front ends and their basic dimensions seem close to each other. Each one offers the most advanced off-road package their respective manufacturer offers (in the U.S., at least) that consists of special suspension hardware, skid plates, and different tires, and a form of off-road cruise control (Ford calls theirs Trail Control; Toyota’s system is Crawl Control).
But while the Taco Supreme has a naturally aspirated V6, the Ranger uses a turbocharged 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine to get down the road and over trails. The Toyota truck has more ground clearance and better approach and breakover angles, but the Ranger has a superior departure angle of 25.4 degrees and a crawl ratio of 47.6:1 compared to the Tacoma’s figure of 36.2:1.
Hosts Tommy Mica and Andre Smirnov put both rigs through multiple tests to see which one is better:
Steps
Before Mica (in the Tacoma TRD Pro) and Smirnov (in the Ranger FX4) begin, they throw their trucks into 4LO, engage their crawl system’s lowest speed, and leave their rear differentials unlocked. Both pickups make it to the top with ease, although the Ranger’s open front diff leaves the front tires scrambling for traction upon exiting.
The Dip
This uneven section is a test of ground clearance, suspension flex, and software. It quickly shows how differently Toyota and Ford tune their crawl systems. The Tacoma gets to a certain point, then just gives up and bails out. Mica gets frustrated and says, “You know what? Screw this. I’m just going to lock my rear diff. This is not working super well.” He proceeds to right-foot his way out of the tricky spot.
Smirnov’s Ranger FX4 aggressively tries to maintain a 1 mph cruising speed, but has no other problems moving ahead with its rear diff unlocked. Having witnessed the Ranger’s antics, Mica dubs its Trail Control system “Trail Pimp” (which we’ve decided to call it from now on).
Drag Race
No surprises here. The Tacoma’s V6 generates 276 horsepower and 265 lb-ft of torque. The Ranger’s smaller turbocharged four-banger cranks out 270 horses, but 310 lb-ft. That kind of grunt enables it to smoke the Tacoma not just once, but twice on the drag strip at the IMI Motorsports Complex in Dacono, Colorado.
Slowest Drag Race
The objective here is to find out which truck has the better crawl ratio. The truck that crosses the finish line first in 4LO and first gear is the loser. Despite its on-paper advantage, the Ford ends up getting across before the Tacoma.
Snowy, Icy Hill Climb
Mica engages 4LO, locks the rear diff, and picks the Tacoma’s Mud & Sand Multi-Terrain Select setting. Thanks to its low-end torque and grippy tires, it gets Mica to the end of the trail. Smirnov goes with the Ranger’s Grass/Gravel/Snow mode. He says, “This ice was very hard to walk on, but this truck is like a little mountain goat.” He doesn’t need to use the FX4 package’s skid plates, but one large rock does ring the exhaust pipe’s bell. Aside from that, Smirnov’s ascent is struggle- and drama-free.
It’s been a long time since the Ranger has been available here in the states. The good news is that the newest model was worth the wait, especially if you’ve been looking forward to going wheeling in it….or drag racing against a Tacoma.
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