Pitting cars against each other is a tale as old as time. Whether you’re a car enthusiast comparing 0-to-60 times, or simply a consumer trying to find the right vehicle for your needs, there’s a long history of taking two cars and putting them head-to-head.
This is especially true with trucks. Truck owners are, justifiably, proud of their vehicles. More than any other kind of cars on the road, trucks serve a practical purpose. They not only take you from Point A to Point B, but they take your equipment, tools, and any other number of work or hobby-related items, too. As such, it’s particularly important for truck owners to get the perfect truck for them.
That often leads to debating the Ford F-150 and the Toyota Tacoma, as these are two of the most popular trucks in the world for a reason. They’re both excellent trucks, but pretty different, with the Tacoma being a mid-size import truck, and the F-150 a full-size American model. Let’s jump into a comparison.
Truck Performance and Efficiency
It’s hard to beat Ford F-150 performance. The F-150 is the most popular truck of all time, and performance is a huge factor in that. The F-150 is comfortably better than the Tacoma in terms of performance, though it’s not an entirely fair fight. Because the F-150 is a full-size truck and the Tacoma is a mid-size one, it should be assumed that the Ford will win the performance comparison.
The F-150 has more powerful engine options, and a much greater towing capacity. For hauling around heavy items, towing, or simply accelerating on your drive, the F-150 is the superior truck here. Unless you’re racing on a curvy backroad, it’s a one-sided performance comparison, though the Tacoma is no slouch. It’s closer than you might expect given that they’re different size trucks, but the full-size model certainly wins out.
Efficiency, however, is a different story. There’s usually an inverse correlation between engine performance and fuel efficiency, though that’s not quite the case here. Both the Tacoma and the F-150 are very similar with their fuel efficiency, though the Ford truck has a larger gas tank.
Truck Safety and Reliability
It’s nearly impossible to compete with Toyota Tacoma reliability. These trucks are known for rarely ever having issues, and for being able to last hundreds of thousands of miles. Simply put, the Tacoma is a superstar on the reliability front.
F-150s are a fairly reliable truck, though they can’t compete with Tacomas. The Fords are incredibly durable though, thanks in part to their size, so they can absolutely take a beating. But they’re more likely to have a mechanical issue pop up. Both the F-150 and the Tacoma have similar warranties to deal with reliability concerns.
As for safety, these are two of the highest rated trucks on the market. If you’re looking for the safest truck, you can’t go wrong with either of these options. Both the Tacoma and the F-150 are equipped with some of the latest and greatest in safety technology and advancements, with features such as lane departure warning, pedestrian detection, emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and backup cameras. Both trucks also receive strong crash test scores, though the F-150 has the advantage of simply being a larger truck. When it comes to protecting yourself in the event of an accident, bigger is almost always better.
Truck Tech and Infotainment System
Just as the Tacoma is known for its reliability, the Ford F-150 infotainment system is highly regarded in automotive circles. As far as infotainment, the F-150 runs laps around the Tacoma, which is still a little bit outdated. Some people see that as a positive quality, as it fits the mold of an old-school work truck. But most buyers prefer a modern infotainment system, and the F-150’s is about as good as you’re going to find on the truck market.
The F-150 has seamless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality, and a large infotainment screen that is intuitive and easy to navigate. It also features a lot of various ports and outlets, and the ability to create a hotspot. The Tacoma is lacking in a lot of infotainment areas, but does have good Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality, and also has a wireless charger in the bed, which is a cool touch. Both trucks have quality sound systems but, assuming you opt for the best options, the F-150 offers a little bit more on the speaker front.
Truck Special Features
One cool thing about the Tacoma is that you can still get it with a manual transmission. Unfortunately, you can’t get a stick shift on all of the trims, and it’s not available on the base Tacoma model. But if you get one of the nicer trims, an old school manual transmission is available. That’s not the case with the F-150, where only automatics are available, as is the custom with trucks these days. Not many truck owners are looking for a stick shift, but the Tacoma is a big win for old school purists.
If you get it loaded with options, the F-150 is a dream truck for off-roading, as it offers features such as off-road shocks (some Tacoma trims offer this as well), multiple terrain steering modes to choose from, automatically adjusted dampening, and an extra wide front and rear rack. If you’re planning on getting off the highway and getting a lot of mud on the tires, an optioned-out F-150 is the truck for you.
Which Truck is Better?
These are two of the best trucks on the market, so it’s impossible to say that one is better than the other. It depends on what you’re looking for. For most people, the F-150 is the superior model. It has better performance, more impressive towing capacity, and offers a better experience in the car cabin. But those perks come with a cost, and the base F-150 MSRP starts at quite a few thousand dollars above the Tacoma’s … and that price discrepancy only grows as you start to consider options.
The Tacoma, on the other hand, is a more reliable truck. Only you can decide whether you want top performance at a top price, or peak reliability with a cheaper price tag.
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