It’s almost like God is making sure that every type of mid-size pickup truck comes out at the same time. In the past year, the Chevrolet Colorado, the Ford Ranger, and the Toyota Tacoma have all come out with new models. It has been a while since this section was mostly about boring old cars, but now it’s time to look into these trucks’ original qualities. How it works The base Tacoma SR has a 2.4-liter inline-four turbocharged gas engine that makes 228 horsepower and 243 pound-feet of torque. A gearbox with eight speeds is connected to it. The engine makes 278 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque as you move up the model levels. If you choose the six-speed manual gear, those numbers drop to 270 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. People who want to go electric can also choose a 2.4-liter hybrid engine with 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque. There are three different engine choices for the Chevy Colorado. All of them use a turbocharged 2.7-liter I-4 and an eight-speed automatic transmission. It has 310 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque in the Turbo Plus version and 237 horsepower and 259 pound-feet of torque in the standard configuration. The ZR2 comes standard with the Turbo HO (High Output) engine, which can be added as an option in other places. The software can boost torque to 430 pound-feet. There are two non-Raptor engine choices for the 2024 Ford Ranger. Both come with a 10-speed automatic transmission. The base turbocharged 2.3-liter I-4 makes 270 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque, while the more powerful 2.7-liter V-6 makes 315 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. The Ranger Raptor’s more powerful 3.0-liter V-6 engine makes 405 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque. Towing and Moving Up to 6,500 pounds can be pulled behind most Tacomas. The most weight that a hybrid can pull is 6,000 pounds, but the base SR can only pull 3,500 pounds. The truck’s 2.4-liter turbo-4 engine runs on gas and can pull up to 1709 pounds. Even though its highest towing capacity has gone down from 6800 pounds to 1638 pounds, its peak payload rating has gone up. The Colorado from Chevrolet can pull a little more than it hauls. The base WT and LT trims can only tow with upgrades, but most trims can tow up to 7,700 pounds. The ZR2 can only tow 6,000 pounds, which is the same as the Tacoma hybrid. The WT and LT trims of Colorado can pull up to 1684 pounds, while the Trail Boss and Z71 trims can only pull 1587 pounds. The ZR2 can only pull 1151 pounds behind it, which shows that it’s meant to carry less. As for the Ford Ranger, the story is similar, but it depends on the engine. Two-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive cars can both pull 7,500 pounds. Four-wheel-drive cars can pull 1,805 pounds, and two-wheel-drive cars can pull 1,711. While the Ranger Raptor can tow up to 5510 pounds and carry up to 1411 pounds, it has fewer features. The springs and brakes Several new suspension parts are now available for the 2024 Tacoma. In the back of the SR, SR5 XtraCab, and TRD PreRunner models, leaf springs are still used. Other trim levels have a multilink suspension. Each grade has its shocks. TRD Pro uses Fox adjustable internal bypass shocks, while TRD Off-Road uses Bilstein monotubes with remote reservoirs. Toyota’s adaptive dampers make the Limited type more comfortable on the road. It’s not as hard on the Colorado. Sport twin-tube shocks with rear leaf springs are used on cars that aren’t ZR2. The ZR2 still has Multimatic’s DSSV shocks. That’s the end of it—easy to use and fun. The Ford Ranger doesn’t have any extra features. Outboard shocks and rear leaf springs are standard on all types. The Ranger Raptor’s back suspension is Watts-style, with trailing arms instead of leaf springs. It also has an adjustable Fox Live Valve damper and a coil-over setup. Four-wheel disc brakes are now standard on all three cars. Hi, Toyota. Welcome to the future. Not on the Road For off-road use, the Tacoma TRD Pro has three different approach angles: 33.8 degrees, 23.5 degrees breakover, and 25.7 degrees exit. It also has 9.5 inches of ground clearance and 11 inches of running ground clearance. Different models that aren’t TRD Pro can run on ground that’s up to 10.7 inches higher than the vehicle itself, and they can turn up to 34.4 degrees, break over at 25.5 degrees, and leave at 22.1 degrees. Ground clearance on the Colorado runs from 7.9 inches (WT, LT) to 9.5 inches (Trail Boss). The ZR2 has the most ground clearance at 10.7 inches. The Z71 has approach angles of 29.1 degrees, breakover angles of 19.5 degrees, and departure angles of 22.3 degrees. The Trail Boss, on the other hand, has approach angles of 30.5 degrees, breakover angles of 21 degrees, and departure angles of 22.4 degrees. It’s clear that the ZR2 is the best trim because its approach angle is 38.3 degrees, its breakover angle is 24.6 degrees, and its exit angle is 25.1 degrees. Running ground clearance is another thing that Ford uses. It’s 8.8 inches for cars with rear-wheel drive, 9.3 inches for cars with four-wheel drive, and 10.7 inches for Raptor cars. When the 4×2 Rangers are in 4×4 mode, their approach, breakover, and exit angles go up to 30.2 degrees, 23.0 degrees, and 25.8 degrees, respectively. Its 33.0-degree approach, 24.2-degree breakover, and 26.4-degree exit beat them both. The Raptor, the Ranger that is more angry, is better. The size and weight You can get the Taco with either two or four doors. The first one has a six-foot bed, and the second one has either a five- or six-foot bed. The Colorado’s bed is only five feet two inches long, while the Ranger’s bed is five feet even. At 131.4 inches, the Colorado’s wheelbase is longer than the Ranger’s. At 131.9 inches, the Tacoma’s wheelbase is longer than the Colorado’s. Between the wheels, the crew cab with the six-foot bed is 145.1 inches wide. The extended cab with the six-foot bed and the crew cab with the five-foot bed are both the same width. The Colorado is the largest. Inside, the Ranger and Colorado have about the same amount of space and legroom in the back. The Tacoma has one to two inches less headroom in the front seats than the other two cars. Crew-cab models have a back seat with about the same amount of headroom as the other cars but 33.7 inches of width, which is about one inch less than the other cars. However, curb weights are very different. For example, the Ranger’s weight is estimated by the maker to be between 4203 and 4415 pounds, while the Colorado’s weight is estimated to be between 4716 and 4971 pounds. Both trucks weigh about the same amount: the Colorado ZR2 weighs 5298 pounds, and the Ranger Raptor weighs 5325 pounds. It can weigh anywhere from 4145 to 4720 pounds. Those numbers, however, do not include the Trailhunter, the TRD Pro, or any hybrid cars. Tech The year 2024 could be better. As standard, Toyota Tacomas have an eight-inch touchscreen for entertainment and a seven-inch set of gauges. Higher-level models come with a 14.2-inch touchscreen in the middle and a 12.3-inch digital gauge display. The front row has three USB-C ports, and there are extra outlets for people in the back seats. You can also use your phone to show the screen wirelessly. There is standard keyless access, and some devices can use a fully digital key if the connected-car subscription is turned on. Base Ranger models come with a lot more tech features, like an eight-inch digital gauge cluster and a 10.1-inch center display that can both be made bigger to 12.4 inches. Chevrolet has made it easy for customers to use technology by giving all of their cars an 11.3-inch touchscreen for entertainment and connecting to a smartphone via Bluetooth. Cost Only one of the three cars is for sale at the moment, even though they are all brand new. The 2024 Ranger XL costs $35,755, and the 2024 Raptor costs $58,555. The Colorado WT with two-wheel drive starts at $30,695, and the Colorado LT with two-wheel drive starts at $33,095. The Z71 is asking $41,395 for the Trail Boss, which adds up to $38,495. When you go all the way up to the Ranger Raptor, which starts at $48,295, the ZR2 is cheaper. The base 2024 Tacoma model, the SR, has a longer cab and rear-wheel drive. It costs $32,995. You have to pay an extra $2,200 for the crew cab and an extra $3,200 for a four-wheel drive. The SR5 starts at $37,695, the TRD PreRunner (only offered with rear-wheel drive) is at $39,595, and the Limited is at $53,595. The TRD Sport and TRD Off-Road start at $43,295 each. More money will be spent on the Trailhunter and TRD Pro, around $65K.
