Ram 1500 vs Toyota Tacoma: Which Used Buy Wins?
As used buys (August 2026), the Ram 1500 typically lists for $42,256 against $39,977 for the Toyota Tacoma (same model years — 2024–2026 — national medians from live listings). The Ram 1500 takes fuel economy (19 MPG combined vs 18 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 SLT at $29,699 vs the SR at $33,536; 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 SLT ($29,699) faces the Toyota Tacoma SR ($33,536); the most common trims on the market are the BIG HORN/LONESTAR (26.5% of Ram 1500 listings) and the SR5 (73.0% of Toyota Tacoma listings); at the top of the market, the LIMITED ($53,894) faces the TRD OFF-ROAD ($42,401). 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 |
| SLTCheapest | $29,699 | 3.0% | SR XTRACAB | $28,998 | 2.9% |
| TRADESMAN | $34,950 | 8.8% | SRCheapest | $33,536 | 4.4% |
| BIG HORN | $35,306 | 14.5% | SR5Most popular | $38,694 | 73.0% |
| BIG HORN/LONESTARMost popular | $43,145 | 26.5% | TRD SPORT | $40,256 | 0.7% |
| LARAMIE | $43,597 | 24.5% | LIMITED | $41,595 | 1.5% |
| REBEL | $48,459 | 10.2% | TRD OFF-ROADPriciest | $42,401 | 17.5% |
| LIMITEDPriciest | $53,894 | 6.5% | — | ||
| RHO | $70,237 | 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 | $53,759 | $44,897 | Ram 1500 +$8,862 | 12–22 MPG | 20–23 MPG |
| 2025 | $42,256 | $39,977 | Ram 1500 +$2,279 | 15–23 MPG | 20–23 MPG |
| 2024 | $34,190 | $38,995 | Toyota Tacoma +$4,805 | 12–23 MPG | 20–24 MPG |
| 2023 | $36,772 | $36,853 | Toyota Tacoma +$81 | 12–24 MPG | 18–20 MPG |
| 2022 | $33,941 | $33,889 | Ram 1500 +$52 | 12–26 MPG | 18–20 MPG |
| 2021 | $30,598 | $32,990 | Toyota Tacoma +$2,392 | 12–26 MPG | 18–20 MPG |
| 2020 | $28,593 | $31,900 | Toyota Tacoma +$3,307 | 17–26 MPG | 18–20 MPG |
| 2019 | $24,908 | $29,995 | Toyota Tacoma +$5,087 | 17–23 MPG | 18–20 MPG |
| 2018 | $19,995 | $27,995 | Toyota Tacoma +$8,000 | 14–23 MPG | 18–20 MPG |
| 2017 | $18,999 | $26,790 | Toyota Tacoma +$7,791 | 15–23 MPG | 18–20 MPG |
| 2016 | $17,500 | $24,900 | Toyota Tacoma +$7,400 | 15–24 MPG | 18–20 MPG |
| 2015 | $15,990 | $20,500 | Toyota Tacoma +$4,510 | 15–24 MPG | 17–19 MPG |
| 2014 | $14,900 | $19,533 | Toyota Tacoma +$4,633 | 15–23 MPG | 17–19 MPG |
| 2013 | $13,500 | $18,186 | Toyota Tacoma +$4,686 | 15–21 MPG | 17–19 MPG |
Typical price = national median asking price of live listings for that model year (August 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 $39,977 versus $42,256 for the Ram 1500 (national medians, August 2026).
Which gets better fuel economy — Ram 1500 or Toyota Tacoma?
The Ram 1500: its typical rated version returns 19 MPG combined versus 18 MPG for the Toyota Tacoma (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 14.0 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 SLT typically lists for $29,699 vs $33,536 for a Toyota Tacoma SR; the most common trims on the market are the BIG HORN/LONESTAR ($43,145, 26.5% of Ram 1500 listings) and the SR5 ($38,694, 73.0% of Toyota Tacoma listings); at the top of the market, the LIMITED ($53,894) faces the TRD OFF-ROAD ($42,401). 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.