The Ford F-150 is the most impressive pickup truck on the market, although people find themselves stuck between choosing the former or the Toyota Tacoma.
It is probably because the F-150 is a top-selling full-size truck and the Toyota Tacoma is a best-selling mid-size truck, both serving different functions. The F-150 sold about 900,000 units in 2017, which shows how much it is a customer favorite.
Suppose you want to know which pickup truck is best for adventurous drivers. In that case, it is best to examine their engine power, capability, audio systems, cab dimensions, bed dimensions, off-road capability, trim levels, reliability, price, safety, and technology.
Engine power and performance
Compared to the F-150, the Toyota Tacoma has only three engine options (2.7L DOHC 16-Valve, 3.5L V6 DOHC direct injection, and 3.5L V6 DOHC 24-Valve). These engine options are not as powerful as the F-150’s weakest engine.
The most robust Toyota Tacoma engine is the 3.5L V6 engine, which offers up to 278 horsepower and a torque of 265 lb-ft. The F-150’s 3.5L EcoBoost V6 engine offers up to 450 horsepower and a torque of 510 lb-ft.
The former can tow up to 6,400 pounds of goods while the latter can tow up to 8,000 pounds. It is pretty apparent which engine has more efficiency and can carry cargo with less engine strain.
Safety and Capability
When driving, every driver wants to be rest assured that they are safe. Both trucks score pretty well when it comes to safety and capability. Although, the F-150 still surpasses the Toyota Tacoma with some additional features.
Some of the safety features of Toyota Tacoma include; adaptive cruise control, pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, etc. In comparison, some of the safety features of the F-150 include; trailer backup system, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, forward-collision warning, pedestrian detection, etc.
Both trucks include an automatic braking function that allows your vehicle to know any incoming collision and automatically brakes to avoid it.
The maximum towing capacity of the F-150 is up to 13,200 pounds with a payload capacity of 3,270 pounds. The Toyota Tacoma offers a towing capacity of 6,400 pounds and a payload capacity of 1,175 pounds. The F-150 still surpasses the Toyota Tacoma in this aspect.
Technology and audio systems
It is always a pleasure to listen to beautiful music or the radio no matter the purpose of your journey. Hence, the reason why a sound system is always essential. Once again, the F-150 surpasses the Toyota Tacoma in this department.
The Toyota Tacoma offers drivers a package of six JBL speakers, while the F-150 provides a B&O sound system with ten speakers. The more speakers, the better the sound experience. Although, it is entirely up to the users’ preference.
In terms of technology, the Toyota Tacoma offers just an Entune setup. This technology comes with a wireless charger and a three-prong home outlet fixed in the bed. It has twelve-volt outlets but just one USB cord.
The F-150 offers different technologies such as; the auto Apple and Android CarPlay, 8-inch screen, a 4G LTE ability, and many others to look forward to testing.
Cab and bed dimensions
Even though the towing capability is the essential feature of a pickup truck, everyone still likes a spacious vehicle that can take more things.
As for the cab dimensions, the F-150 is a little bit bigger than the Toyota Tacoma as the SuperCrew model has legroom of 43.9 inches, a headroom of 40.8 inches (in the first row of seating), a headroom of 40.4 inches, and legroom of 43.6 inches (in the second row of seating).
The Toyota Tacoma four-door double-cab model has legroom of 42.9 inches and headroom of 39.7 inches (first row), legroom of 32.6 inches, and a headroom of 38.3 inches (second row).
The F-150 still takes the lead in the bed dimensions as its smallest size is bigger than the Toyota Tacoma’s most enormous size. The former offers bed sizes of 5.5 feet, 6.5 feet, and 8 feet, while the latter provides 5 feet and 6 feet.
Price and Reliability
Yes, you guessed right. The F-150 is more expensive than the Toyota Tacoma, with an MSRP of $45,850. The Toyota Tacoma has an MSRP of $27,615.
The former has a starting price of &28,495 and the latter $26,050.
The Toyota Tacoma is best for anyone looking for something more affordable with good features, while the F-150 is best for power and dependability.
They both come with a three-year (36,000 miles) warranty and a five-year (60,000 miles) powertrain warranty.
Which is better off-road?
Let’s compare the F-150 Raptor and the Tacoma TRD pro. They both have four and rear-wheel drive and a six-speed transmission. The Raptor has a higher lead when it comes to its off-road features.
The F-150 provides skid plates, a widened front, and rear track, a 3.5L turbocharged V6 engine, strong control arms, paddle shifters, heavy-duty off-road shock absorbers, etc.
The Toyota Tacoma provides skid plates, medium-duty off-road shock absorbers, and a manual option.
Advantages and disadvantages.
Unfortunately, the Toyota Tacoma offers minimal infotainment options, and its steering can seem very slow when driving on pavement. Still, above all, a rating of 7.7 out of 10 shows that it does have advantages.
Some of them are; it has a rugged off-pavement ability, the Toyota Tacoma’s V6 engine can be matched with a six-speed manual transmission.
Drivers have to deal with a noisy hybrid powertrain when powering the onboard generator. The F-150 could do better when it comes to spacious storage spots. It has a rating of 8.5 out of 10.
Some of its advantages are; the varied selection of engines, the infotainment system, the onboard generator, the high towing capacity, etc.
Conclusion
It is no doubt that the F-150 has better features and improvements than the Toyota Tacoma, hence why most people will go for it.
As stated earlier, the F-150 is best for drivers who want power, while the Toyota Tacoma is best for drivers who wish to have good features at an affordable price.