Ram 1500 vs Toyota Tacoma: Which Used Buy Wins?
As used buys (October 2026), the Ram 1500 typically lists for $41,329 against $38,623 for the Toyota Tacoma (same model years — 2024–2026 — national medians from live listings). The Toyota Tacoma takes fuel economy (23 MPG combined vs 19 MPG); the Ram 1500 leads on NCAP safety (4.4★ vs 4.0★ average). Overall medians mix very different trims — at the cheapest common trims it's the BIG HORN at $34,261 vs the SR XTRACAB at $28,849; 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 Ram 1500 BIG HORN ($34,261) faces the Toyota Tacoma SR XTRACAB ($28,849); the most common trims on the market are the BIG HORN/LONESTAR (27.9% of Ram 1500 listings) and the SR5 (71.5% of Toyota Tacoma listings); at the top of the market, the LIMITED ($52,990) faces the TRD OFF-ROAD ($41,710). 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.
| Ram 1500 | Toyota Tacoma | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trim | Typical price | Share | Trim | Typical price | Share |
| SLT | $29,398 | 2.6% | SR XTRACABCheapest | $28,849 | 3.5% |
| BIG HORNCheapest | $34,261 | 13.6% | SR | $33,271 | 4.5% |
| TRADESMAN | $35,000 | 9.3% | SR5Most popular | $38,479 | 71.5% |
| LARAMIE | $43,453 | 25.1% | LIMITED | $41,111 | 1.2% |
| BIG HORN/LONESTARMost popular | $43,995 | 27.9% | TRD OFF-ROADPriciest | $41,710 | 18.5% |
| REBEL | $46,995 | 9.3% | TRD+SPORT | $46,970 | 0.9% |
| LIMITEDPriciest | $52,990 | 5.9% | — | ||
| RHO | $70,129 | 2.5% | — | ||
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: Ram 1500 prices · Toyota Tacoma prices.
Used price by model year
| Year | Ram 1500 typical | Toyota Tacoma typical | Difference | Ram 1500 MPG | Toyota Tacoma MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $50,864 | $44,728 | Ram 1500 +$6,136 | 12–22 MPG | 23 MPG |
| 2025 | $41,329 | $38,623 | Ram 1500 +$2,706 | 15–23 MPG | 23 MPG |
| 2024 | $34,000 | $38,529 | Toyota Tacoma +$4,529 | 12–23 MPG | 23–24 MPG |
| 2023 | $35,555 | $36,297 | Toyota Tacoma +$742 | 12–24 MPG | — |
| 2022 | $32,875 | $33,498 | Toyota Tacoma +$623 | 12–26 MPG | — |
| 2021 | $29,995 | $32,281 | Toyota Tacoma +$2,286 | 12–26 MPG | — |
| 2020 | $27,715 | $30,816 | Toyota Tacoma +$3,101 | 17–26 MPG | — |
| 2019 | $23,995 | $29,260 | Toyota Tacoma +$5,265 | 17–23 MPG | — |
| 2018 | $19,799 | $27,595 | Toyota Tacoma +$7,796 | 14–23 MPG | — |
| 2017 | $18,989 | $26,286 | Toyota Tacoma +$7,297 | 15–23 MPG | — |
| 2016 | $17,200 | $24,317 | Toyota Tacoma +$7,117 | 15–24 MPG | — |
| 2015 | $15,583 | $20,486 | Toyota Tacoma +$4,903 | 15–24 MPG | — |
| 2014 | $14,500 | $19,553 | Toyota Tacoma +$5,053 | 15–23 MPG | — |
| 2013 | $13,075 | $17,995 | Toyota Tacoma +$4,920 | 15–21 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 — Ram 1500 or Toyota Tacoma?
Comparing the same model years (2024–2026), the Toyota Tacoma is cheaper: it typically lists for $38,623 versus $41,329 for the Ram 1500 (national medians, October 2026).
Which gets better fuel economy — Ram 1500 or Toyota Tacoma?
The Toyota Tacoma: its typical rated version returns 23 MPG combined versus 19 MPG for the Ram 1500 (median across EPA-rated versions of the compared years).
Which is safer — Ram 1500 or Toyota Tacoma?
By NCAP overall crash-test rating the Ram 1500 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 — Ram 1500 or Toyota Tacoma?
NHTSA lists an average of 14.2 recalls per model year for the Ram 1500 and 5.8 for the Toyota Tacoma — an edge for the Toyota Tacoma. 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 Ram 1500 BIG HORN typically lists for $34,261 vs $28,849 for a Toyota Tacoma SR XTRACAB; the most common trims on the market are the BIG HORN/LONESTAR ($43,995, 27.9% of Ram 1500 listings) and the SR5 ($38,479, 71.5% of Toyota Tacoma listings); at the top of the market, the LIMITED ($52,990) faces the TRD OFF-ROAD ($41,710). 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/ram/1500/vs/toyota/tacoma.
Dig deeper
Ram 1500 — live listings & specs Toyota Tacoma — live listings & specs Ram 1500 prices by year Toyota Tacoma prices by year Ram 1500 MPG by year Toyota Tacoma MPG by year
See also: All model comparisons · Best used cars by budget · Used car prices by model.