Ford F-250 vs Toyota Tacoma: Which Used Buy Wins?
As used buys (October 2026), the Ford F-250 typically lists for $63,767 against $38,715 for the Toyota Tacoma (same model years — 2024–2026 — national medians from live listings). The Toyota Tacoma takes fuel economy (23 MPG combined vs 14 MPG); the Ford F-250 leads on NCAP safety (4.4★ vs 4.0★ average). Overall medians mix very different trims — at the cheapest common trims it's the XLT at $53,985 vs the SR XTRACAB at $28,803; see the trim-by-trim tables for a fair match. Every figure below is live market data, not book values.
Head to head
Trim-by-trim prices (last 4 model years)
A fair comparison matches equivalent trims, not overall medians. Like for like: at the cheapest common trims, the Ford F-250 XLT ($53,985) faces the Toyota Tacoma SR XTRACAB ($28,803); the most common trims on the market are the LARIAT (49.1% of Ford F-250 listings) and the SR5 (71.6% of Toyota Tacoma listings); at the top of the market, the PLATINUM ($90,129) faces the TRD OFF-ROAD ($41,581). Share = portion of the model's trim-labeled used listings (a supply-side popularity signal: what the market actually stocks and sells most). “Cheapest”/“Priciest” mark the ends of the quotable trim range — trim ladders don't map one-to-one across brands, so this is not a factory base-model claim.
| Ford F-250 | Toyota Tacoma | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trim | Typical price | Share | Trim | Typical price | Share |
| XL SUPERCAB LB | $35,900 | 0.6% | SR XTRACABCheapest | $28,803 | 3.1% |
| XL LB | $40,289 | 0.6% | SR | $33,086 | 4.5% |
| XL CREW CAB LB | $42,890 | 1.2% | SR5Most popular | $38,409 | 71.6% |
| XLTCheapest | $53,985 | 24.1% | LIMITED | $41,000 | 1.3% |
| XL | $55,015 | 20.4% | TRD OFF-ROADPriciest | $41,581 | 18.8% |
| LARIATMost popular | $68,864 | 49.1% | TRD+SPORT | $47,045 | 0.7% |
| PLATINUMPriciest | $90,129 | 4.0% | — | ||
Rows are aligned by price position (both sides sorted cheapest-first), not by equivalent equipment — trim names never map one-to-one across brands. Full per-trim detail (price ranges, mileage) is on each model's price page: Ford F-250 prices · Toyota Tacoma prices.
Used price by model year
| Year | Ford F-250 typical | Toyota Tacoma typical | Difference | Ford F-250 MPG | Toyota Tacoma MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $69,984 | $44,913 | Ford F-250 +$25,071 | — | 23 MPG |
| 2025 | $58,320 | $38,553 | Ford F-250 +$19,767 | — | 23 MPG |
| 2024 | $63,767 | $38,715 | Ford F-250 +$25,052 | — | 23–24 MPG |
| 2023 | $56,385 | $36,250 | Ford F-250 +$20,135 | — | — |
| 2022 | $49,495 | $33,285 | Ford F-250 +$16,210 | — | — |
| 2021 | $46,994 | $32,497 | Ford F-250 +$14,497 | — | — |
| 2020 | $41,247 | $30,900 | Ford F-250 +$10,347 | — | — |
| 2019 | $36,399 | $29,190 | Ford F-250 +$7,209 | — | — |
| 2018 | $34,797 | $27,588 | Ford F-250 +$7,209 | — | — |
| 2017 | $32,980 | $26,373 | Ford F-250 +$6,607 | — | — |
| 2016 | $25,844 | $24,337 | Ford F-250 +$1,507 | — | — |
| 2015 | $23,300 | $20,487 | Ford F-250 +$2,813 | — | — |
| 2014 | $22,372 | $19,576 | Ford F-250 +$2,796 | — | — |
| 2013 | $21,995 | $17,999 | Ford F-250 +$3,996 | — | — |
| 2012 | $19,995 | $16,895 | Ford F-250 +$3,100 | — | — |
| 2011 | $17,997 | $15,900 | Ford F-250 +$2,097 | — | — |
| 2010 | $16,499 | $14,898 | Ford F-250 +$1,601 | — | — |
| 2009 | $14,926 | $14,255 | Ford F-250 +$671 | — | — |
| 2008 | $13,991 | $13,500 | Ford F-250 +$491 | — | — |
| 2007 | $11,501 | $13,156 | Toyota Tacoma +$1,655 | — | — |
| 2006 | $12,789 | $12,995 | Toyota Tacoma +$206 | — | — |
| 2005 | $11,999 | $12,995 | Toyota Tacoma +$996 | — | — |
| 2004 | $11,995 | $14,125 | Toyota Tacoma +$2,130 | — | — |
| 2003 | $12,047 | $12,798 | Toyota Tacoma +$751 | — | — |
| 2002 | $14,125 | $10,500 | Ford F-250 +$3,625 | — | — |
| 2001 | $11,973 | $11,993 | Toyota Tacoma +$20 | — | — |
| 2000 | $12,600 | $9,995 | Ford F-250 +$2,605 | — | — |
| 1999 | $10,995 | $10,498 | Ford F-250 +$497 | 12–14 MPG | — |
Typical price = national median asking price of live listings for that model year (October 2026); MPG = EPA combined range across rated versions.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper to buy used — Ford F-250 or Toyota Tacoma?
Comparing the same model years (2024–2026), the Toyota Tacoma is cheaper: it typically lists for $38,715 versus $63,767 for the Ford F-250 (national medians, October 2026).
Which gets better fuel economy — Ford F-250 or Toyota Tacoma?
The Toyota Tacoma: its typical rated version returns 23 MPG combined versus 14 MPG for the Ford F-250 (median across EPA-rated versions of the compared years).
Which is safer — Ford F-250 or Toyota Tacoma?
By NCAP overall crash-test rating the Ford F-250 averages 4.4 of 5 stars across rated years versus 4.0 for the Toyota Tacoma. Always check the specific model year's rating in the table above.
Which is more reliable — Ford F-250 or Toyota Tacoma?
NHTSA lists an average of 2.4 recalls per model year for the Ford F-250 and 5.8 for the Toyota Tacoma — an edge for the Ford F-250. Recall and complaint counts scale with sales volume, so treat them as context and check any specific car's VIN history.
Which trims should I actually compare?
Like for like: at the cheapest common trims, a Ford F-250 XLT typically lists for $53,985 vs $28,803 for a Toyota Tacoma SR XTRACAB; the most common trims on the market are the LARIAT ($68,864, 49.1% of Ford F-250 listings) and the SR5 ($38,409, 71.6% of Toyota Tacoma listings); at the top of the market, the PLATINUM ($90,129) faces the TRD OFF-ROAD ($41,581). Overall medians hide this trim mix — use the trim tables above for a fair match. Trim names never map one-to-one across brands, so "cheapest" means the least expensive trim with a real market share, not the factory base.
https://vehisales.com/research/compare/ford/f-250/vs/toyota/tacoma.
Dig deeper
Ford F-250 — live listings & specs Toyota Tacoma — live listings & specs Ford F-250 prices by year Toyota Tacoma prices by year Ford F-250 MPG by year Toyota Tacoma MPG by year
See also: All model comparisons · Best used cars by budget · Used car prices by model.