Tacoma VS S-10

[Ryno]

Guys and Gals-

I am shopping for a new truck...I am down to between a Tacoma and an S10. Baseline is this...ext cab, 2wd, V6, 5spd, Model years 96-98. I need to be able to tow at least 3000 lbs. I am getting a smaller truck because I am back in school, and don't want a huge payment. What are the pros/ cons?? If I went to a Tacoma, I would get the "prerunner", not the mini. Thanks for all info.

Ryno

Build it like a Rhino, and Leave it be.

[havahockey]

Tacoma's will probably cost you more but in the long run will be more reliable then the S10. The S10 has the stronger motor for pulling but the 3.4L can tow 3000 lbs fine. I have a 98 Tacoma in the exact same thing you want except auto tranny and its only seen the dealer once for something minor.

The big question is are you planning on changing out the suspenion at all? If you are hands down get the Tacoma.

Race-Dezert Anonymous - Step #1:
"Hello, my name is Jason. And I'm a Race-Dezertaholic."

[Jerry Zaiden]

1995 - 1997 Ranger 4.0L x-cab. $4500-$7500.
Or the Tacoma pre-runner with a V6 .

[Mike_HKmtrsprts]

I say forget the extra cab and buy full size V8 standard cab and deal with it, mid size trucks are like tampons every poon-tang has one :)....Mike

<font color=red>The dump you take is the gold I make so I can afford to play and race!</font color=red>

[Ryno]

Mike-

I'd love to get another fullsize, and build another 383 for it. However, if gas is gonna go up to $2 a gallon this summer, I don't wanna get 10mpg. I'll be sure and wave at you when I see you at the gas station.

Ryno

Build it like a Rhino, and Leave it be.

[TRDshaunTRD]

Tacoma

"Those who risk nothing, are nothing."

[dezerts10]

Gett he tacoma my trucks not that great on gas milage and its a 4 banger. especially if your gonna do anything to the suspension the tacomas the way to go.


Gregg

[Mike_HKmtrsprts]

Ryno, if thats what I have to pay then so be it but I'll wave at you as I pass you through the whoops and corners oh yah and straight aways :)

<font color=red>The dump you take is the gold I make so I can afford to play and race!</font color=red>

[Ryno]

Thanks for the input Shaun, Jason, and Jerry. It's well appreciated.

Mike-

I'll look forward to seeing you pass me. Esp. if my truck will never see whoops since it's the daily driver.

Ryno

Build it like a Rhino, and Leave it be.

[ESB4130]

the s-10s will be better for just street driving, their faster and have more torque for pulling. but im a dedicated toyota fan, and will say that overall youll be happier with the tacoma for several reasons. for one...toyota doesnt have a rep for being dependable for nothing. 2. im sick of working on s-10 suspension already and all i did was fix my friends fabtech arms that keep doing damage to the truck. 3. have you ever LOOKED at the front end of an s-10? if you have...youll understand why there are like 10 kits available for a tacoma and maybe 2 custom fab shops and fabtech building stuff on s-10s...the front arms are definetly best left stock. and lastly....i have friends with both...and must say that the tacomas handle better offroad, pull 3000lbs just fine, and are much cheaper and easier to maintain. go for the toyota

[Jordan]

How can you say the S-10 is faster than the Tacoma? v6 versus v6 the Tacoma kicks the S-10 all over the place. Even when you match up the 4cyl's the Toyota wins hands down. When my 2.7L 4 banger Toyota was stock I could stay on the back tire of the v6 S-10.

[Brian Mapes]

Got to agree with Jordan i have had many friends with 4cyl and 6cyl s10s and my 2.4 taco could smoke the s10 4cyl and be just behind the 6 cyl.

What should I put here?

[SJP12]

I drive an 01 ext cab V-6 auto, If your going to keep the truck stock, get the S-10. I don't care what anybody says, a BONE STOCK V-6 auto S-10 VS a BONE STOCK Tacoma V-6 auto, NO CONTEST the S-10 will win. moving along.....if you plan to try and make your truck into a prerunner get the tacoma, as the S-10 has a few options for suspension and they all suck. I've wanted to get my truck set up for 2 YEARS and finally gave up. S-10, Tacoma both are great trucks. Just stay away from them Fords:)

I LIVE MY LIFE 1 SET OF WHOOPS AT A TIME!!!

[hbprnstr]

I know four different people with S-10's and none of them have had good experiences at all. Every single one of them had there truck in the shop way more then ten times in the first year for various problems. I have had my tacoma for a year now and it runs as strong as the day i bought it and has never been in the shopfor any reason, knock on wood. I think it comes down to you get what you pay for. An S-10 is alot cheaper truck then a tacoma. Its like comparing a honda civic DX to an acura integra or somthing like that. If you have the cash id recomend the toyota.

PS. I would have to agree with jordan, my tacoma will smoke any S-10 any day,all day,every day. :) haha

[michael_loomis]

HAHAHA MY STOCK sonoma will RAIL a STOCK tacoma .... bent suspension will be fixed soon if anyone wants to run! if your abusive to your truck your trucks gonna fall apart no matter what it is....i've had my sonoma since 98 and its got 120,000 leadfoot miles on it , and other than the standard long travel problems its been awesome and id buy the same truck if i could go back in time and start over!! i just wouldnt have put LT on it ! :)

[ESB4130]

i cant say ive driven an s-10, but i have one friend who always raves about the motor. but, i must also say that my moms camry SMOKED his s-10, and hes a decent driver too. my moms camry has the 3.4 (same as tacoma), the tacoma weighs a little more though. id also say that the 3.4 is probably one of the best motors ever built. their the epitome of a toyota engine, very strong, fast and tourquey, and extremely reliable, and extremely buildable. TRD makes tons of stuff for them, although very expensive, but they all work great and retain reliability. the tacomas are easy to build ANY type of suspension also, be it long travel or a lift, where an s-10 is better left alone (we ALL agree on that, no question that the s-10s are not fun to work on suspension). plus....ive driven my friends tacoma trds out in glamis...and i must say that for a stock truck, those things handle. went through the dunes like they were hard pack, and spent ALOT of time digging out my friends s-10 , i dont know if its just cuz hes a **[IMG]http://cdn3.race-dezert.com/forum/images/mexico-flag.png[/IMG] [I]¡Ay, caramba![/I]****[IMG]http://cdn3.race-dezert.com/forum/images/mexico-flag.png[/IMG] [I]¡Ay, caramba![/I]****[IMG]http://cdn3.race-dezert.com/forum/images/mexico-flag.png[/IMG] [I]¡Ay, caramba![/I]****[IMG]http://cdn3.race-dezert.com/forum/images/mexico-flag.png[/IMG] [I]¡Ay, caramba![/I]**ty driver...but it got old fast and we never had to dig the toyotas out even when the girl who owned it was driving it. so yeah...once again, im voting tacoma on this one...get the prerunner or TRD version and youll be super happy. even the mini you can buy stuff from camburg. but trust me...you'll be happier taking a tacoma to the dez than you will the s-10.

[yotatech]

FYI- The tacoma 3.4l and the camry v6 are totally different motors. Except for their both toyotas. The tacoma engine is a 3.4l with an iron block and aluminum heads. The camry engine is a 3.0l all aluminum as well. So they are not even the same size. I say its whatever you prefer for s10 or tacoma, my friend has had 3 s10s no prob. But toyotas are known for reliability.

[NOODLE]

Until about 2 years ago, i would have never thought about gettin a yota. I have had mulitiple S-10's with no problems what so ever. The 2wd and 4wd have taken nothing but relentless abuse. On the other hand, since a friend of mine got a yota it has been proven to me that even in stock form you can beat the hell out of them and they handle it like champs.

H.O.R.E.
Hemet Off-Road Enthusiasts

[sweetdevil]

I love my s10. It has a TON of power, the only downfall is it has no traction. So unless it has a rolling, start or a pretty good driver, the taco may have it off the line. I've never driven a tacoma, so I can't say for sure if it would take an s10, but I'm down for racing anyone! lol

On the road, there's nothing I'd trade my s10 for. But as soon as I put my bike in the back and hit a big dip or take it offroad, I have to go 5 mph, or the tie down the back tire of my bike, cuz it will bounce up so high it hits the bedsides. So basically, the rear suspension sucks... but it's fine under a load when you're towing. I don't know if you're toys are piling in the back, or going on the trailer, but that's my experience with an s10. As far as mechanical problems, none yet (knock on wood) and I've got 26,000 miles on my 02.

<font color=red>Heaven Doesn't want me, and hell is afraid I'll take over</font color=red>

[SJP12]

Very true, to the thing about only going 5 mph with the dirt bike on the dirt road.

S-10. Ride's awesome, pwer is great, mpg is great, looks great,
the down side to the S-10 is, if you wanna make it into a prerunner you F%%KED, UNLESS you spend a lotta $$$$. This is based of my 2001 S-10 ext cab V-6 auto, thats NEVER USED the warrenty

Tacoma. Ride's like crap, seats suck, good motor, no litmit to offroad capabilites. This is based on my best friends 2000 tacoma prerunner, i like his truck but the ride and seats suck in it, but it was fun to rail it around the dunes in pismo.

It all comes down to what there made to do, The S-10 can do everything but go in the dirt. The Tacoma can go in the dirt and do it well, but it can't tow as much. Who really cares?, as long as my truck runs for another 350,000 + miles (just like my 1982 S-10) i'll be happy. My truck can spin the TIGER PAWS (**[IMG]http://cdn3.race-dezert.com/forum/images/mexico-flag.png[/IMG] [I]¡Ay, caramba![/I]****[IMG]http://cdn3.race-dezert.com/forum/images/mexico-flag.png[/IMG] [I]¡Ay, caramba![/I]****[IMG]http://cdn3.race-dezert.com/forum/images/mexico-flag.png[/IMG] [I]¡Ay, caramba![/I]****[IMG]http://cdn3.race-dezert.com/forum/images/mexico-flag.png[/IMG] [I]¡Ay, caramba![/I]**y factory tires) all day long and then some.

Peace, Hey sweetdevil is your truck still STOCK?

I LIVE MY LIFE 1 SET OF WHOOPS AT A TIME!!!

[TRDshaunTRD]

There has been a debate on which truck is “faster”. The only figures that i could find were from Motor Trend magazine and they are the s-10 4.3-v6-4x4-automatic crew cab vs. the Tacoma 3.4 v6 4x4 automatic dblcab. The 0-60 times are s10 with 10.9 and Tacoma with 9.5. The 1/4-mile times are s10 with 17.8sec/74.9mph and Tacoma with 17sec/79mph. The Tacoma’s engine is rated at 190hp and the s-10 with 190hp. The Toyota engine is very reliable and very powerful considering the small displacement compared to the s10. The Tacoma has 9.3 hp per liter and the s-10 with 7.4 hp per liter. The Tacoma engine is very efficient and reliable. The 0-60 and 1/4 times change with the different models but the margins stay similar. If anyone has stats on 2x extra cabs, that would help.

"Those who risk nothing, are nothing."

[sweetdevil]

I found some interesting articles on this
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://auto.consumerguide.com/auto/used/reviews/full/index.cfm/id/2252.htm>1995-2001 Tacoma info</A>
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://auto.consumerguide.com/auto/used/reviews/full/index.cfm/id/2011.htm>1994-2001 S10 info</A>
2wd ext cab s10 0-60 8.9 and 1/4 in 16.8 @ 82.8 average mpg of 17.2
2wd ext cab tacoma 0-60 9.7 (no 1/4 mile times) with average mpg of 19.4

So the difference isn't much, it can make a world of difference with a decent driver vs. some kid inn his brothers new truck. My biggest reasons would be for the size of the bed, and the towing capacity, which Ford and Chevy out-do Toyota on.

"Tacoma's payload ratings are competitive with anything in this class, but even with the 3.4-liter V6, towing limits fall short of the Ranger and S-Series by about 1000 pounds. Note also that Tacoma has only a single 6.2-foot cargo bed length; while nearly all competitors offer a regular-cab model with a cargo bed of 7 or 7.5 feet. "

Consumer guide also agreed with us s10 drivers on the rear suspension, but had even worse things to say about tacoma's handling and suspension, which surprised me.


<font color=red>Heaven Doesn't want me, and hell is afraid I'll take over</font color=red>

[ESB4130]

hmm. its funny that they had bad things to say about tacoma suspension, i bet the people who tested it didnt test it doing the kind of offroad that were talking about. and on road..i cant say much except that i didnt care much for the s-10s front OR rear suspension. but anyways...thier both actually pretty great turcks, and i think no matter what you got youd be happy for the most part. i have friends who love their s-10s, and friends who hate them, and the same with the tacoma (although i dont really know anyone who HATES them, some would just rather have a fullsize). the tacoma does pull fine though. we pulled an older toyota...fully caged on 33's wiht a 32 gallon fuel cell on a big car hauler....to ocotillo with no problems. we were all fairly impressed actually that a mini pulled that much without any problems, it even kept its speed up the hills.

[havahockey]

I think Tacomas don't get a lot of respect from some people just because its an Import. I know a lot of people with Stock Tacomas and they offroad great. The 2wd Prerunner can go a lot of places other stock 2wd can't go because it has the clearance of the 4wd.

My only complaints with my truck is the seats aren't that comfertable, and the interior isn't that great. Nothing some Mastercrafts and custom dash won't fix though! Other then that the power is fine, takes a beating, and I'd say it offroads ok :).

Race-Dezert Anonymous - Step #1:
"Hello, my name is Jason. And I'm a Race-Dezertaholic."

[JrSyko]

I'll vouch for those little TRD Prerunners. My buddy has one, and when he engages the locker he can almost follow me all ever Baja!

Not trying to start a war, but how do the Rangers compare to the other two in terms of pay load, horse power, and suspension. I've never driven any of them other than my aforementioned buddy's Taco and your right, the seat do suck!

See ya in the dirt!

[sweetdevil]

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://auto.consumerguide.com/auto/used/reviews/full/index.cfm/id/2306.htm>ranger info</A>
Here is the report from the same place
"Rangers struggle to gain speed, especially with an automatic transmission"
"Yes, it jiggles more on rough roads than most cars. Still, the suspension absorbs most bumps without jarring the occupants, and provides stable cornering with moderate body lean"


<font color=red>Heaven Doesn't want me, and hell is afraid I'll take over</font color=red>

[havahockey]

If i didn't have a Tacoma I would of gotten a Ranger, they are a lot comfier then Tacomas. The 4.0 have good power but I wouldn't give up my 3.4L for one. Overall I would still chose my Tacoma over any other mini truck.

Just wait 5 years when all you see in Class 7 is Tacomas :)

Race-Dezert Anonymous - Step #1:
"Hello, my name is Jason. And I'm a Race-Dezertaholic."

[Dillon]

A little 2WD Tacoma with the V6 would spank the little 2WD S10/Sonoma so hard....Now if you are racing the Prerunners and 4WDs then the little S10s should win, but saying you can spank the bigger Tacomas (Pre's and 4WDs) with the little S10 with tiny tires is just sorta dumb, its apples and oranges, they are totally different sized trucks. I know my 4WD V6 Tacoma has pounced on a few ZR2 S10s without much of a sweat, and thats an apples and apples matchup.

Well, next model year S10s will have a nice Tacoma w/ 4.0 liter aluminum motor to play with :)

[havahockey]

I can't wait to see how good of a motor the new Toyota 4.0L will be. Isn't it putting out like 240hp?

Race-Dezert Anonymous - Step #1:
"Hello, my name is Jason. And I'm a Race-Dezertaholic."

[Dillon]

Think it is 245....I'm hoping the tranny is the same, I would swap one before getting LT, 245 stock would be so badass...

[havahockey]

Ya, I wonder how much it would cost vs putting in the supercharger.

Race-Dezert Anonymous - Step #1:
"Hello, my name is Jason. And I'm a Race-Dezertaholic."

[mxjeremy]

Why not get the 4.0 and supercharger? That would be kickass!
The new ugly 4runner comes w/ 2 engine options :
- 4.0 v6 @ 245hp & 282 lb/ft
- 4.7 v8 @ 235 hp & 320 lb/ft

The v8 is 130lb heavier than the v6. This is total vehicle weight, so the larger tranny & other minor things factor in here too. They have to be upgrading the tacoma & tundra v6's to the 4.0 soon.
late.

[00TRDTaco]

You also have to think about gearing. Most (not all) V6 S10s and Sonomas come stock with 3.08 freeway flyer gears. I had a sonoma at first with a Fabtech lift on it, until I broke a motor mount playing in the dirt not even doing anything stupid or hard on the truck. After that, it didn't take much for me to decide to get rid of it and buy a Tacoma. It also helped that I work for Toyota so I get discounts on parts, but still, I would say go with a Prerunner Tacoma, even if its a 4 cylinder.

[michael_loomis]

you go girl!!!!!!

ryno - just go test drive them then you can make a decision. there both great trucks . i thought about getting a taco , i just couldnt stand the import tinnyness.

in 04 the s-10 is being replaced by the "colorado" . supposedly getting 5 cyl. version of the trailblazer motor putting out 225hp.

[Ryno]

Michael-

I will agree with alot of what has been said 100%. I know the 4.3 is a much stronger motor. No doubt about that. However, the offroad ride and mileage are with the Toy. The seats in the toy are rediculous, but those are an easy fix. As for everything else...if chevy made a prerunner version of the ZR2, I'd be there...however...tacoma parts, shocks and suspension are done...I just have to mix and match. Thanks for all the opinions!!

Ryno

Build it like a Rhino, and Leave it be.

[Dillon]

As soon as I read about the 4.0 being in the Tacoma most likely, I put a a big chunk of cash into savings, this is one thing I'm going to do for sure if it kills me. As for supercharger, we'll see, this is a brand new engine, not just a bored 3.4, so if they make it compatible...damn, that would be sweet, but I'm not holding my breath.

[TRDshaunTRD]

your stats must be on 4cyl or something, those numbers are WAY off!

"Those who risk nothing, are nothing."

[sweetdevil]

Damn this thread!!!

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>

As far as mechanical problems, none yet (knock on wood) and I've got 26,000 miles on my 02

<hr></blockquote>

I think the God's of Murphy's Law need to re-read my post... I said knock on wood!!!!
Friday, I get into my truck and decide it's kinda warm in there... Push the button to roll down my window, and it does NOTHING... the passengers side is just fine, but the drivers side doesn't to crap. That's my first problem with the truck. Damn this thread... lol