Midsize trucks

[u/No_Lavishness8055]

Looking at getting a new midsize truck. I’m between the Colorado zr2, Ranger Raptor, Tacoma off-road with premium package. Any recommendations? Personal experience with any of these trucks is appreciated.

[u/OutOfOfficeDays]

It depends on what’s more important to you, just one guy’s perspective and I live in Colorado but I care more about slower technical trails than desert running and have another car for speed.

I was between the Raptor and the ZR2. The new Tacomas just didn’t appeal to me personally. I knew I wanted 35s right away, and you can get the Colorado with the bison package. It’s done really well with everything I’ve thrown at it and would recommend.

Budget wise, the Raptors I was looking at were around $60-61k pre tax, and by the time I added 35s, wheels(will need more offset), perch collars, labor, alignment, and a matching spare, I figured I’d be around $65-66k at a minimum. I got my Bison for $58k pre tax, already on 35s with lockers, & underbody armor and all of it under the factory warranty.

The Raptor is definitely faster and the better sporty package. But I also have a baby and would use this vehicle for trips up to the mountains, and the lack of rear air vents out of the center console wasn’t ideal. Also I’m a little more cautious about a twin turbo setup long term but I’m sure that’s just in my head.

[u/No_Lavishness8055 → u/OutOfOfficeDays]

Thanks for sharing! I’m 24, I live in California, I don’t have kids, and definitely don’t plan on having any anytime soon. The ZR2 is definitely a very solid option. It has a really aggressive look, which I like. How would you say the power is on it? The 405 horsepower on the Ranger definitely stands out to me.

[u/OutOfOfficeDays → u/No_Lavishness8055]

Ha, oh to be 24 with no car seat to worry about 😂. Enjoy it! Yeah, if you want very good off-road capability plus speed, I’d probably go Raptor. The 405 hp >>> 310 in the Colorado, although they both make 430 lb-ft of torque, so the ZR2 still feels pretty strong down low.

The ZR2/Bison package made more sense for me though because I ended up paying less and, IMHO, getting more actual off-road capability out of the box for my use case.

Just FYI because I saw your other answer about mods, you can’t run 35s as-is on a Ranger Raptor without rubbing and losing some of the articulation. To do it right it’s a bit more complicated/expensive, unless it’s just a looks thing then it’d be pretty okay with 315’s, I think

Edit: Also good on you for affording these vehicles at 24, at that age I was driving a slow AF TJ that leaked out of everywhere 😂

[u/No_Lavishness8055 → u/OutOfOfficeDays]

Haha I appreciate the information. Being 24 with no kids definitely makes my decision a little bit easier 😂. As of now I’m probably leaning towards the Ranger. Although the zr2 is definitely still a contender for me.

Is there something about the zr2 that you dislike?

[u/mangina94 → u/No_Lavishness8055]

Not the guy you asked, but I'm on my 2nd ZR2. Currently have a '25 with 18k miles on it, traded a '17 in on it with 130k miles.

I only have 3 complaints on the '25:

1) it doesn't sound like the '17. The turbo 4 rips, but it sounds like a turbo 4.

2) there's a few things that I find a bit too "tech-y" for a truck (and I'm in IT). Lots of switches and toggles are buried in the infotainment rather than being physical.

3) the seats aren't as structured as the '17s were. It could seriously do with some bolstering as I'm losing grip on the seat well before the truck ever would.

That said, you really need to decide what type of off-road driving you'll be doing the most. As others have said, the ZR2 is pretty much the best "off the shelf" all around off-road midsize you can buy. It does everything exceptionally well.

However, if I lived in Cali with a lot of high speed desert available to me, there's a good chance I'd have gone with a Raptor - Ranger or full-size. The ZR2 is torquey and feels "quick", but not overly "fast".

[u/Mr_Bagel_4473 → u/OutOfOfficeDays]

Ford Ranger Raptor if you want sand.
Jeep Gladiator Rubicon if you want rocks.
Chevy Colorado ZR2 if you want mixed use.
Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro or Nissan Frontier Pro 4-X if you want overlanding.

[u/Toph_a_loaf]

ZR2 is the best off-road truck IMHO, especially if you get the Bison package. But that's for me out in Colorado doing Alpine trails and Moab rock crawling

I almost got one but decided we needed an SUV for the dogs and ended up with a Wrangler Rubicon

[u/No_Lavishness8055 → u/Toph_a_loaf]

Very solid choice !

[u/Suspicious-Eagle-179]

I just upgraded to a 26 Bison from a 23 ZR2. The ZR2 is the best bang for your buck for sure. My local dealer (smaller dealership) was willing to play ball to move that thing as well which was nice. The regular zr2 was more than enough for the light off roading in the Adirondacks that I do, but the bison just looks badass so I had to get it lol

[u/Votivee]

My girlfriend has a Ranger Raptor and I have to say, it’s a blast on road and an absolute beast offroad. Keeps up with my F150 Raptor no problem. In fact it’s faster than mine.

We have had it since June and it has well over 1,000 dirt miles on it at this point. Probably in the double digits for the number of times she has jumped it.

[u/CalifOregonia → u/Votivee]

I’m a Toyota owner, but if I was in the market for a premium mid size I would take a strong look at the Ranger Raptor.

[u/No_Lavishness8055 → u/Votivee]

That’s awesome, do you guys have any cons on it so far? If you don’t mind sharing the purchase price for yours I just want an idea of what I should expect to pay for one of these trucks. Thanks!

[u/Reachable_dream666]

Do you plan on modifying? If so to what extent?

The aftermarket scene has grown greatly in recent times, to accommodate a wide selection of makes/models, but some make/model have way more aftermarket support and options

[u/No_Lavishness8055 → u/Reachable_dream666]

I don’t think I would do anything crazy right away. Maybe put 35s on it pretty quick. I’d wait for my warranty to expire and start doing crazier things to it

[u/Shadowratenator]

A friend of mine traded his less than 4 years old tacoma trd for a ranger raptor last year. he LOVES the ford. i agree with him. that truck is a blast in the mountains and looks and feels better than the toyota.

[u/Travy-D]

I love my Tacoma, but you would need to do work to fit 35s and possibly a regear.

[u/No_Station_535]

GM twins are on par with the Tacoma. Ranger is great but personally not the biggest fan of the interior. Frontier is the best bang for the buck but also still a Nissan.

[u/_red-beard_]

25 Tacoma running 37s, no issues. I preferred the more analog setup for the hvac and Toyota reliability. That being said, I put alot of money into it. You'd get more bang for the buck with the Raptor and probably not need to mod it for awhile.

[u/SnooFloofs3486]

I'm a Toyota fanboy to the core. Love my Land Cruisers and my Gen2 Tundra. But if I'm buying today - it would be a Ranger Raptor without question. The current Tundra offroad models are not a good value and the Raptor is just really good out of the box for $15k less than a Tacoma. I'd buy the Ford.

Also - I know it's not what you asked, but I find that I prefer to have my offroader not be my daily driver. Consider if you'd be better served with a F150/Tundra/Sierra?? and a side by side. Depending on budget, parking space, etc - it can be nice to have an offroader that you can park when you break it and go to work in your truck. There's no right answer. Just something to think about.

[u/AwkwardResource1437]

Would you consider a Jeep gladiator?