Buying a late-model pre-owned truck will not only save you hard-earned dollars but will still get you all the best features typically found in the latest iteration of your favorite model.
Don't go anywhere, as we pit the newer versions of these four mid-sized pickups against each other in our article, "Honda Ridgeline vs Tacoma, Ranger and Colorado: The Ultimate Showdown."
Which is the newest of these trucks: Ridgeline, Tacoma, Ranger, or Colorado?
It's safe to assume that shoppers are looking for the latest technologies, design, and, of course, the best performance features in their truck choices.
The Ridgeline, refreshed for 2026 with a more rugged look, is the only model in our lineup that does not feature body-on-frame construction. Instead, it has a unibody construction that makes it a comfortable daily driver.
Toyota’s Tacoma was fully redesigned for the 2024 model year and continues as a fourth-generation model, retaining its muscular, athletic persona.
The Ranger lineup from Ford continues in its current fifth-generation guise, introduced in the U.S. for the 2024 model year.
Buyers looking to buy the latest Ranger will need to wait until around May 2026.
Chevy’s Colorado compact pickup truck is a strong choice, built on a third-generation platform introduced in 2023 and updated for 2025. The latest 2026 model sees minimal revisions.
Which of these trucks is the most spacious: Ridgeline, Tacoma, Ranger, or Colorado?
Let's talk about important stuff like passenger seating and space.
The Honda offers seating for up to five passengers across two rows in its four-door crew cab layout. Passenger volume measures up to 110.4 cubic feet.
Toyota’s Tacoma is available in Double Cab and Access Cab with a total passenger volume of approximately 100.1 cubic feet in the five-seater Double Cab configuration and a total of 85.6 cubic feet of space in the smaller four-seater Access Cab.
The Ford Ranger is sold exclusively as a four-door Crew Cab with a five-foot bed in the USA, and it offers seating for up to five passengers.
The newest Chevy Colorado is available only in Crew Cab and offers a passenger volume of 103.7 cubic feet, comfortably seating five passengers in its two rows of seats.
Powerful Decisions: Ridgeline vs Tacoma, Ranger & Colorado
Your pickup truck is often called on to carry passengers, load cargo, and tow all at once, so a powerful drivetrain is a prerequisite.
Honda’s current Ridgeline model is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine making 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. Coupled with a nine-speed automatic transmission, the Ridgeline offers standard AWD, allowing it to tow up to a maximum of 5,000 pounds.
The latest Toyota Tacoma model is powered by a standard 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder i-FORCE engine making 228 to 278 horsepower and 243 to 317 pound-feet of torque depending on trim, paired with an eight-speed automatic or six-speed manual transmission.
Buyers looking for more grunt from their Toyota can choose the high-output i-FORCE MAX hybrid version that delivers 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque.
Getting the Tacoma’s power onto the blacktop are drivetrain options that include RWD, part-time 4WD, or full-time 4WD, plus an available electronic locking rear differential.
The Tacoma has a maximum towing capacity of up to 6,500 pounds when powered by the 2.4-liter i-FORCE engine and up to 6,000 pounds for those models equipped with the i-FORCE MAX hybrid engine.
The Ford Ranger offers some powerful engine choices in the 2024–2026 models, all paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission.
The base 2.3-liter Ecoboost inline four makes 270 horsepower, a 315-horsepower 2.7L EcoBoost V6 is optional, and for shoppers looking for the ultimate performance from their Ford Ranger, a 405-horsepower 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6 is available in the standalone Raptor model.
A 10-speed automatic does duty across all models, and RWD is standard on base models, while
Four-Wheel Drive featuring a two-speed transfer case is also available on lower trims, but standard on the 2.7 and 3.0 liter trims.
The Ranger offers up to 7,500 lbs of towing capacity, depending on engine fitment.
Chevy's Colorado features a TurboMax 2.7L Turbocharged gasoline engine making 310 horsepower @5,600 rpm and 430 pound-feet of torque @3,000 rpm, that features Automatic Stop/Start.
Two eight-speed automatic transmissions are fitted depending on trim level, and RWD is standard on the two lower rung trim levels, with 4WD available, which is standard on top trim levels.
The 2025 and 2026 Colorado models boast a maximum towing capacity of 7,700 lbs on WT, LT, Trail Boss, and Z71 trims when equipped with the TurboMax engine plus the available trailer package.
The ZR2 model tows up to 6,000 pounds, and base models without the proper package are limited to 3,500 pounds of towing capacity.
Loadbed Capacity: Honda Ridgeline vs Tacoma, Ranger & Colorado
Aside from useful towing capacity, your modern pickup truck needs to offer usable cargo loading space.
The Honda offers owners a maximum payload capacity of around 1,500 to 1,583 pounds across trim levels with a 5-foot-4-inch bed accommodating up to 33.9 cubic feet of cargo volume plus a handy 7.3 cubic-foot secure lockable in-bed trunk.
Shoppers of the Toyota Tacoma can expect a maximum payload capacity ranging from 1,050 to 1,705 pounds, depending on the cab configuration and load bed sizes of either five or six feet.
Maximum load capacity can be found in Tacomas fitted with the Access cab.
The Ford Ranger is fitted with a five-foot bed for SuperCrew models that accommodates up to 43.3 cubic feet of cargo and a six-foot bed for SuperCab models that will load a maximum of 51.8 cubic feet of cargo. Total payload capacity ranges from 1,711 to 1,805 pounds.
Chevy’s Colorado has a maximum payload capacity of 1,710 to 1,846 pounds, depending on trim level, and the standard 5.2-foot load bed will accommodate up to 41.9 cubic feet of cargo.
Purchase your next Truck at Tim’s Trucks
Be sure to visit Tims Trucks to discover our impressive selection of pre-owned trucks, SUVs, vans, and cars.
Our experienced sales team offers exceptional customer service to help you find your next good-quality pre-owned truck.