Price and Ownership Costs

These four trucks are relatively close in base MSRP, with the 2025 Ranger XL 4WD crew cab starting at $36,850. That number places it between the Chevrolet Colorado Work Truck at $35,200 and the Toyota Tacoma SR at $36,990. The Nissan Frontier S sits just below the Tacoma at $36,450. This modest $1,770 spread between the least and most expensive base models in this group shows how competitive the midsized pickup market really is.

These pickups’ long-term operating costs tell a similar story. Edmunds has estimated the Ranger’s five-year ownership costs at $42,868 for those who log 15,000 miles per year. That’s very close to the Tacoma’s cost of ownership ($42,669) as well as the Frontier’s ($43,152). On a cost-per-mile basis, the Ranger and Tacoma average around $0.57, while the Frontier is slightly higher at $0.58. Data for the Colorado’s ownership cost couldn’t be found at the time of this writing.

Space and Comfort

The Ranger’s cabin offers 43.2 inches of front legroom and 41.0 inches of front headroom, compared to the Colorado’s 45.2 inches of legroom and 40.3 inches of headroom. The Tacoma and Frontier come up shorter, with the Tacoma at 41.8 and 39.7 inches, and the Frontier at 42.3 and 39.9 inches, respectively. In the back row, the Ranger provides 34.6 inches of legroom, just behind the Colorado (34.7 inches) but ahead of the Tacoma (33.7 inches) and Frontier (33.2 inches).

Power and Capability

The Ranger comes with a 2.3-liter turbocharged inline-four engine that makes 270 horsepower and 310 lb.-ft. of torque, which outdoes the Tacoma’s 2.4-liter turbocharged inline-four, which is rated for 228 horsepower and 243 lb.-ft. The Ranger’s powerplant also puts out more torque than the Frontier’s 3.8-liter V6, which carries stats of 310 horsepower and 281 lb.-ft. The Colorado uses a 2.7-liter turbocharged inline-four making 310 horsepower and 430 lb.-ft. of torque, giving it the highest output of the group.

When the Ranger is properly equipped, it can tow up to 7,500 pounds, comfortably exceeding the trailering capacity of the Tacoma (3,500 pounds) and Frontier (6,930 pounds) and coming close to the Colorado’s maximum (7,700 pounds). Payload capacity is another strong point, with the Ranger rated to haul 1,788 pounds, putting it ahead of the Colorado (1,684 pounds), Tacoma (1,500 pounds), and Frontier (1,290 pounds).

Fuel Economy

The Ranger achieves an EPA-estimated 19 mpg city and 26 mpg highway, making it the most efficient on the open road in this group of competing midsized pickups. The Colorado and Frontier are rated lower, at 17 mpg city and 19 mpg highway. While the Tacoma matches the Ranger in city fuel economy at 19 mpg, it falls behind on the highway with 24 mpg. On the open road, the Ranger also offers the longest estimated range per full gas tank at 468 miles, ahead of the Colorado (449 miles), Frontier (441 miles), and Tacoma (437 miles).

Reviews

Edmunds rates the 2025 Ranger at 8.2 out of 10, which is just ahead of the Colorado’s 8.1 and well ahead of the Tacoma and Frontier, which both scored 7.6. The Ranger scores 8.5 for Technology and 8.0 for Value, matching or exceeding its rivals, with strong marks for Utility and Wildcard at 8.5 each. Consumer reviews on Edmunds favor the Ranger even more, with owners giving it an average of 4.7 out of 5, far higher than the Colorado’s 3.5 and better than the Tacoma and Frontier, which both earned a 4.3 rating.