2024 Ford Ranger Versus: 2024 Tacoma, 2023 Colorado, Canyon, Gladiator and Frontier

For those automotive enthusiasts who had better things to do than follow the Blue Oval company's saga revolving around its latest mid-size Ford Ranger generation – the fourth worldwide and fifth by its name in North America, we have a few advance words before diving into the proposed comparison. So, the second iteration of the T6 Ford Ranger was introduced worldwide – save for the North American region – in late 2021. Afterward, it has lived an entire lifetime, even having time to change to new model years and introduce some feisty special editions.

But over in the United States, there was no rush, indeed. Well, that certainly changed in late March this year when Toyota started a long-running teaser campaign for the upcoming fourth-generation 2024 Tacoma mid-size pickup truck. The best-selling nameplate is swapping iterations soon, on May 19. Alas, Ford was a bit quicker to capture the spotlight and has already premiered their option for living the mid-size workhorse and adventurer lifestyle, including with the mighty Range Raptor in tow, complete with up to 405 horsepower and 430 lb.-ft. (583 Nm) alongside a fancy flight of tech.

The regular Rangers, from XL and XL STX to XLT and Lariat, meanwhile, will have to do with the base 2.3-liter EcoBoost inline-four rocking 270 hp and 310 lb.-ft. (420 Nm). Plus, there is also an optional 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 (315 hp) from the F-150 and Bronco with late availability (following the market launch of Ranger 2.3 and Ranger Raptor during the summer) and 315 hp and 400 lb-ft (542 Nm) along with a standard ten-speed automatic SelectShift transmission.

Other high notes include the "electronic shift-on-the-fly 4x4 system built for on-demand off-road and low traction capability," a much bolder design than before, an optional 400-Watt power inverter with an outlet in the bed, lots of trailering tech, eight or 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster mixed with a standard 10.1-inch or 12-inch center touchscreen with Ford's SYNC 4A system, or new fold-flat rear seatbacks, among many others. Of course, the essential details also revolve around the max capacities - 1,805 lbs. (819 kg) for payload and 7,500 pounds (3,402 kg) for towing.

The V6-equipped Ranger Raptor packs even more grunt, next-gen FOX 2.5-inch Live Valve Internal Bypass shocks, 33-inch tires with 17-inch wheels (optional beadlocks), and a lot more. But it will take more than a signature Code Orange slew of details to face off with the competition properly. Which, by the way, has become a lot stiffer this year. More precisely, just about every foe is brand new, save for the Jeep Gladiator and the eternal Tacoma best-seller.

But that is going to change soon, at least for Toyota. So, we start with the (potentially) least desirable option – the Jeep Gladiator. Well, that is sort of speak, since summer is coming and the Jeep 4x4 season is just beginning, with the option to get rid of the doors and roof and start enjoying adventures with the wind in your hair – even when you drive a Gladiator pickup truck.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is probably the most significant incentive to go down the 2023 Gladiator route, especially since the Jeep brand name is now more expensive than ever – starting from an MSRP of $38,775. Compare that with the 2023 Frontier – now a D41 standalone model for North America instead of a rebadged Nissan Navara. The Japanese truck kicks off at $29,370, but that is for the King Cab – whereas the Crew Cab starts from $30,670 with 4x2 or $32,570 with 4x4. The best part of the deal is that all variants, from base to the $38,900 PRO-4X, have a standard 3.8-liter direct injection V6 engine packing 310 horsepower for a maximum towing capacity of 6,690 lbs. (3,035 kg).

Moving on, just before we kneel in front of the upcoming 2024 Toyota Tacoma king, there are a couple of siblings from General Motors to discuss. The 2023 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon start at $30,695 (Colorado WT 2WD) and $38,395 (Canyon Elevation 2WD), respectively. Of course, there is a catch regarding the pricing difference – Chevy's Colorado can be had with the 2.7-liter four-pot with either 237 hp or 310, while the Canyon is directly offered solely with the high output version. As for their biggest draws, we reckon the Trail Boss and ZR2 are significant assets for the Chevy Colorado and the AT4 or AT4X for the Canyon brethren.

And now it is time to (potentially) hit the 2024 Toyota Tacoma motherload – as the latest evolution of the best-selling mid-size pickup truck is coming on May 19. Sure, we do not have all the official details, but what has perspired is enough to let us know that both Ford's Ranger and Ranger Raptor face an uphill battle for the US market sales throne. After all, just about everyone expects the new Tacoma to become a beast in terms of deliveries, with options like a stick shift, Trailhunter trim, and TRD Pro with i-Force Max, potentially opposing the 405-hp Ranger Raptor with a mightier 437-hp electrified powertrain! Well, let the mid-size brawls begin!