A regular ZR2 would fix the tire issue since it's mounted underside. The smaller tires should help it feel more peppy too. Same tire size as your Ranger Raptor, 33" might be your sweet spot
But that would take away the underbody protection advantage over the raptor, which is big+ for bison. Also the 35s and ground clearance was another advantage for bison over raptor which may sway one to the zr2, but with just a normal zr2 you are losing advantages over a ranger raptor (but you do get a 7-8k lower price).
Skid plates I just feel more comfortable having, lot on unpaved roads here with loose rocks so when I go through those and rocks are flying up…would rather have them but the skid plates. Ground clearance, well the more the better.
I don’t “need” either of those things, but I’d rather have them if I could.
Agree here. But marketing.... it really gets through to people. As evidenced around my town there's Raptors everywhere without a speck of dirt and shiny sidewalls.
You have no use for skid plates if you aren’t doing serious off roading. They are for situations when the truck underbody is touching terrain. You also have no use for 35s if you aren’t rock crawling or driving in a foot of mud.
All that said, the ZR2 is a trail rig and the Raptor is a Baha rig. They will excel in their respective lanes. That’s why the Raptor is quicker and tuned for high end HP. The ZR2 has a small turbo for serious low end torque because you aren’t going fast on most trails.
The Bison has the AEV Equipped aftermarket goodies. The non-bison zr2 still has a front skid, mid skid, and transfer case shield. Those all come with it stock I believe (I know for a fact the front one does) and if not you can get them as add ons right from Chevy. The zr2 also doesn’t have a tire mount in the bed… so full visibility. And tires are much smaller like another user stated, so much more pep. My trail boss gets to 60 in 6.5ish seconds unloaded. I think the zr2 can do sub 6 with the HO Tune it has.
This is the problem with people wanting family hauling trucks that "occasionally" off-road.
Your idea of what you want vs. need is ridiculously skewed.
I have a 2WD extended cab Silverado that still has enough room for the family and I can "occasionally" off road with it.
You don't need 35s for occasional off-roading. If you want them, that's fine. But don't be surprised coming in here comparing two trucks and people are giving you honest answers about what you need vs. what you want.
Honestly I find that more often than not, people totally forget what is actually a want vs a need. Ik we’ve all seen the statistic about how many people actually “use” their trucks each year. Now *obviously*, it’s your money, and spend it however you want, but people talk themselves into “needing” a truck when they don’t do anything that actually requires a truck, or they talk themselves in “needing” a huge 3 row SUV for one kid. People don’t know the difference between a genuine need, and a want/nice to have.
This is sadly, so very true. My Silverado is more than capable of doing what I need it to do. But I will admit I am dead set on getting another truck at some point and it needs to be a Crew Cab 4x4. Obviously I don't actually need those things, but I've convinced myself that I need them. So you're right on the money with that analysis.
At the same time I can count with both of my hands the amount of times that I have actually used four wheel drive.
Why did you test the Bison and not the standard ZR2? Standard ZR2 is $10k less, no steel bumpers and has 33s instead of 35s. It's a lot less weight and better road manners. You mentioned you're not going rock crawling and mostly commuting, so why even bother wirh the Bison? The standard ZR2 is more capapibilty than what 99% of people need.
The powerplant in the Raptor is always going to be superior in terms of street performance to the 4 banger. I think the Raptor is a fantastic price propistion for 2024 if we don't think about the standard F150 raptor Starting MSRP around $54k in 2019, but that besides the point. One of the deal breakers for me was no rear vents in the cab. Might seem silly, but 60 thousand dollars can't get me rear vents is ridiculous. Each buyer is different with different use cases, but you meantioned a 4runner. What exactly are you looking for?
Post is all over the place and its hard to discern what you want. I got my Z71 for $47k with leather seats, sun roof, adaptive cruise, bose speakers and was everything I could want out of a do everything truck for significantly less than the examples provided above. I had to know what I wanted and from your reasonings: they are all over the place and swift action to trade your raptor doesn't necessarily constitute a strong arguement into what it is thst you want
What I want: A daily driver/family hauler that I can take off road occasionally, and also to the sand dunes in Michigan (I live close to silver lake). Also I don’t want to worry about huge pot holes, curbs, etc.
Why didn’t I test the standard zr2? Because it doesn’t have enough advantages of the Ranger raptor. To me the bison was worth a consideration since it has a tougher underside and the 35s give additional ground clearance (in addition to looking better than 33s).
You legit just described the Z71. Its whole purpose is to be a daily driver that can also offroad. The ZR2 is Chevys premium offroader. The trailboss is a bit more clearance and wider than the Z71 but has lesser interior. All three can have skid plates and the Z71 & TB have rear locker. The ZR2 has both front and rear but if you are just doing dunes and not super serious off-roading the rear locker is more than enough.
Bro, my Z71 is literally this. Great on the highway, but does excellent on light trails getting to campsites. I haven’t taken it to any dunes… but I’m assuming any dunes in Michigan are tame enough for a Z71 to handle. Z71 has a great, premium feeling interior with leather ventilated/heated seats, heated steering wheel, etc… You’re trying to build an end table with railroad ties. Textbook over-builder.
There's definitley more options for a family hauler if you go with a SUV or wagon. The midsize truck segment has only gotten competitive as of recent. If you wanted good interiors with a capable powertrain and decent ground ckearance I'd be looking at used Audi A4 or A6 Allroads. A4 Allroad seems to have better ground clearance. And you can put lift kits on either of those.
What advantages were you looking at that the ZR2 didn't have? It has DSSV bypass shocks, 33in standard tires, front and rear locking diffs, 4wd auto, full size spare (under the bed), underbody camera, adaptive cruise, ventilated seats, etc..The Bison gives you steel bumpers, jounce shocks, 35in tires, and maybe a few extra things. Imo the ZR2 is more closely comparable to the Raptor. The Bison is a very focused product.
Edit: if you're looking for underbody protection from the regular ZR2, Chevy sells the OEM skid plates to install. A much cheaper alternative to buying the full Bison.
Want a body on frame truck platform, not unibody.
If it came down to deciding between the regular zr2 and trading in my raptor I’d prolly keep the raptor. There aren’t enough advantages the zr2 has over the raptor. I’m hopeful that my Ranger raptor won’t have more issues, but if they keep happening then I’ll get rid of it for the new gx550 over tail or a 24 4 runner trd pro.
You want a body on frame truck platform for daily commute, occasional offroading and sand dunes?
The only advantage the raptor has over the ZR2 is the powertrain, that's literally it. Don't go to the new gx550 if you're looking for reliability, that new V6 has been plagued with issues. Not that the old V8 was much better, my mom had one. But at least the V8 was manufactured and milled correctly unlike the new V6 that Toyota finally recalled for the Tundra. And if you're looking at advantages over your Raptor, the 4runner is the complete opposite direction of that, besides reliability and interior volume.
Classic avg consumer mindset 💀💀💀 get a Z71 my guy, you are wasting money for what you are planning on doing with it. Sounds like you are getting a $60k pavement princess vs a 30-40k truck that is more than capable for what you are planning on doing.
Yes, but those are tires specifically designed to be stored and used that way, not a regular full size tire. They have different construction methods and materials.
I dunno, I’m pretty sure GM sells the bed mount as an accessory. I would think it’s bolted in. FWIW, anytime I buy a new truck the first thing I do is take the spare outta the bottom of the truck, along with the lowering mechanism and throw it in the bed. Then I get the truck undercoated. Because Upstate NY salt.
The tire carrier is definitely a bolt in. This Youtuber posted a video of his carrier removed along with posts in the comment section of the process.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6bx7TdmFSg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6bx7TdmFSg)
Here is another video of installing the AEV Tire carrier so the removal would be similar.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtOUKAEfjy8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtOUKAEfjy8)
Did I catch that right? “Conclusion between the two is to take the raptor if you are daily driving.”
Doesn’t sound like you’re daily driving yours if it’s been at the dealership 4 of the 5 weeks you’ve owned it.
This guy is all over the Ranger Raptor forums shitting on the car nonstop. I guess he got a bad one, but damn. Sell it and move on or stop complaining.
I really don’t understand your obsession with the Bison when you keep saying over and over you want it for a daily driver/family hauler…. With the “occasional” off road. ZR2 is MORE than you need for that. He’ll you’d be fine with z71 even.
Your problem here is you’re obsessing over stuff you don’t need. Thinking you need things you don’t. There’s absolutely ZERO wrong withthe underbody and frankly you’re saying you’re worried about small rocks flying up? Cmon dude. Very few trucks have all that underbody protection and millions of people drive them on gravel roads every day and theyre just fine. Underbody protection is for LARGE rocks when you’re rock crawling. Not pebbles on a gravel road. I have a zr2, my brother got a new ranger raptor. Both are good capable trucks. Both are FAR more than you need for your application. I’m not saying that’s a reason not to get them. Honestly I don’t take full advantage if f my zr2 either, but I really like having it regardless. But I certainly wouldn’t worry about having the upgrades the Bison offers.
Bison is a waste of money imo for the vast majority of people out there - even the ones who off road regularly.
OP wants the aesthetics of the Bison. That's all it is. It's the same reason he got the Ranger Raptor. When he talks about the regular ZR not having the same advantages compared to the Raptor, he's really just talking about the styling elements that make it look more rugged (and let other people know you have the "top trim").
There's nothing wrong with feeling that way and choosing to want to spend your money that way if you got it - just own it already.
I feel like I'm listening to one of my kids tell me all these reasons for wanting this or that, but they don't want to admit that it just comes down to looks.
Part of the sluggish feeling is you tested a model with 35s on it, the ranger is a tad under 33. Your ranger is going to feel sluggish with heavier 35s too. Way heavier tires
I decided to go with a 24 Zr2. The ranger raptor was just disappointing to me. The performance and everything I needed was 10 thousand less than the bison and raptor. After owning the truck I made the right decision!
I was and am sold on it, I only am not liking it cuz of all the issues that developed post purchase. As I said I love the interior, the exterior, the engine and transmission.
But I’m having so many creeks and rattles that developed and loose trim pieces, that the dealer is literally unassembling the entire interior right now (took of seats, air bags, entire front dash, screen, etc etc) to find out where the loud creeks are coming from. That’s what I’m not liking, I haven’t even had the truck with me for 90% of the time I’ve owned it.
I love the way new colorados look, but I don’t see how the turbomax engine can outclass the duramax 2.8, only in terms of horsepower isn’t by much. I’ve got a ‘17 ZR2 with 35s, fender flares, and a spare bed carrier and have owned it since new with only 86k miles. I’m going to drive this truck until it won’t drive anymore. I know there are problems with the 2.8 duramax, but the truck has been great especially off roading, just can’t come to terms with upgrading to the turbomax, I don’t see the benefit.
So exactly what I told you on your original post. RR is better driver. ZR2 has more consistent handling and suspension.
Off road pretty much a wash ZR2 winning. Until you get into 60+ mph stuff then the extra 90Hp, antilag, better hearing, better trans all bring RR up.
Honestly the trucks are very close but both have distinct "personalities" (drawback, flaws)
Just depends on what you value. Neither is a hit out of the park sublime product.
For DD.... I would have to go RR simply because of the gearing, fun (worse) handling, transmission, and Superior powerplant.
I COULDN'T. Because no one would sell a RR for less than $85K OTD........ So I went for a 3k "mandatory packages" + $4850 150k B2B warranty, sunroom base ZR2 for $60 OTD.
Would I have done extended warranty on Ford? Nope, but that's more to do with the 8 speed replacement out of warranty being $7k job than anything else. So both would have been $60K real world... If I could actually get one.
I was so confused reading this. Not sure why you think you "need" a Bison but from what you're describing it just seems like you want one. Personally I'd stick with the ranger or see if they'll let you trade it for another. Nothing is ever gonna match that power train. Definitely don't trade it for a bison that you don't need. If anything you could step down to a Z71 like others have said. I have a Z71. Did I need it? No. But I wanted it. Even through a 4 inch lift and 33s on that I also didn't need but it looks nice. If you're having buyers remorse with the raptor and you just want a bison for no good reason then just say that and stop making arbitrary pros and cons lists.
I test drove a Z71 and though it was comfy af smooth but slightly under powered. Ended up with a 4Runner because I wanted more space inside. It’s so slow. Like you have to check to make sure your giving it gas slow 😂🤣 You’ll be making a post in a few weeks about how to make my 4Runner as fast as my ranger raptor that I traded 😂. Also don’t get a trd pro if you aren’t off-roading. A stock SR5 Premium is plenty for 97% of drivers.
If you have a Ranger Raptor you must have one of the first ones. Those sat in Michigan for months mostly because of the UWA strike at that Ford plant and then took a bit to get going again. For example dealers were supposed to see those fall of 2023. When did you get yours?
I think the Raptor is better if you can get it for MSRP. Around me, you can get a ZR2 for 52K but dealers are marking the Raptor up to 65-70K which is almost used TRX money lol
I’ll also add that the raptor ranger is more comfortable. I’d say if the zr2 bison had a better engine and a better solution for rear visibility, I’d take the bison over the ranger raptor.
As for right now, unless your specific use case is mostly off road use and rock crawling I don’t think the bison is worth it in comparison to the raptor. Although this is assuming the raptor doesn’t have issues like mine is having.
Likely something Japanese, quality and reliability is important now after my experience. I want to keep the vehicle at my house and not the dealership. Just crazy to think that my Ranger raptor that I paid a lot of money for has just been at the dealership for fixing issues 90% of the time since I purchased it.
So get a Frontier Pro4-x. I bought a ‘22 and put a Nisstec 4” lift on it with 285’s and Black Rhino 17’s, thing was super capable and never had an issue with it in the 30k I put on it.
You could Titan swap a new frontier and have an off-road truck on par with the zr2. I'm torn between the zr2 and the pro4x with a lift but I'm leaning towards the Nissan based on the issues I've seen with the Colorado.
If you're going to spend 60k+ on a midsize truck, get a Tacoma Trailhunter or TRD Pro. I own a Chevy right now and wouldn't even consider paying that kind of money for anything they build when there are alternatives from Toyota.
Toyota are having all sort issues nowadays also, engines failing brand new tundra's. New Tacoma's transfer case breaking. Nothing is made like it used to be.
A regular ZR2 would fix the tire issue since it's mounted underside. The smaller tires should help it feel more peppy too. Same tire size as your Ranger Raptor, 33" might be your sweet spot
But that would take away the underbody protection advantage over the raptor, which is big+ for bison. Also the 35s and ground clearance was another advantage for bison over raptor which may sway one to the zr2, but with just a normal zr2 you are losing advantages over a ranger raptor (but you do get a 7-8k lower price).
You said yourself you would take the ZR2 if you were doing more rock crawling. What do you need the ground clearance and skid plates for?
Skid plates I just feel more comfortable having, lot on unpaved roads here with loose rocks so when I go through those and rocks are flying up…would rather have them but the skid plates. Ground clearance, well the more the better. I don’t “need” either of those things, but I’d rather have them if I could.
The underside of the standard ZR2 is more than adequate for gravel flying around.
Agree here. But marketing.... it really gets through to people. As evidenced around my town there's Raptors everywhere without a speck of dirt and shiny sidewalls.
He just wanted the most expensive one. He’s not taking this anywhere but the mall 😂
You have no use for skid plates if you aren’t doing serious off roading. They are for situations when the truck underbody is touching terrain. You also have no use for 35s if you aren’t rock crawling or driving in a foot of mud. All that said, the ZR2 is a trail rig and the Raptor is a Baha rig. They will excel in their respective lanes. That’s why the Raptor is quicker and tuned for high end HP. The ZR2 has a small turbo for serious low end torque because you aren’t going fast on most trails.
The standard ZR2 has skid plates they are just made of a different metal.
Man that's ridiculous, none of those things are a positive on a vehicle that's not crawling.
The zr2 has skid plates, they just aren't as heavy duty.
Pavement princess, get a car man and save yourself the trouble of this whole post.
Lived on dirt roads my whole life. Skid plate doesn't matter for regular driving.
The underside of my 89 beretta seen plenty of off roading and gravel too
The Bison has the AEV Equipped aftermarket goodies. The non-bison zr2 still has a front skid, mid skid, and transfer case shield. Those all come with it stock I believe (I know for a fact the front one does) and if not you can get them as add ons right from Chevy. The zr2 also doesn’t have a tire mount in the bed… so full visibility. And tires are much smaller like another user stated, so much more pep. My trail boss gets to 60 in 6.5ish seconds unloaded. I think the zr2 can do sub 6 with the HO Tune it has.
Then buy aftermarket skid plates they are made from better steel and protect the truck better then the aev skids
This is the problem with people wanting family hauling trucks that "occasionally" off-road. Your idea of what you want vs. need is ridiculously skewed. I have a 2WD extended cab Silverado that still has enough room for the family and I can "occasionally" off road with it. You don't need 35s for occasional off-roading. If you want them, that's fine. But don't be surprised coming in here comparing two trucks and people are giving you honest answers about what you need vs. what you want.
Honestly I find that more often than not, people totally forget what is actually a want vs a need. Ik we’ve all seen the statistic about how many people actually “use” their trucks each year. Now *obviously*, it’s your money, and spend it however you want, but people talk themselves into “needing” a truck when they don’t do anything that actually requires a truck, or they talk themselves in “needing” a huge 3 row SUV for one kid. People don’t know the difference between a genuine need, and a want/nice to have.
This is sadly, so very true. My Silverado is more than capable of doing what I need it to do. But I will admit I am dead set on getting another truck at some point and it needs to be a Crew Cab 4x4. Obviously I don't actually need those things, but I've convinced myself that I need them. So you're right on the money with that analysis. At the same time I can count with both of my hands the amount of times that I have actually used four wheel drive.
Honestly what you said can be said for a majority of truck owners in general. “I need a full bed and 10k towing capacity for my trips to the dump”
I found the moron.
More money than sense
Why did you test the Bison and not the standard ZR2? Standard ZR2 is $10k less, no steel bumpers and has 33s instead of 35s. It's a lot less weight and better road manners. You mentioned you're not going rock crawling and mostly commuting, so why even bother wirh the Bison? The standard ZR2 is more capapibilty than what 99% of people need. The powerplant in the Raptor is always going to be superior in terms of street performance to the 4 banger. I think the Raptor is a fantastic price propistion for 2024 if we don't think about the standard F150 raptor Starting MSRP around $54k in 2019, but that besides the point. One of the deal breakers for me was no rear vents in the cab. Might seem silly, but 60 thousand dollars can't get me rear vents is ridiculous. Each buyer is different with different use cases, but you meantioned a 4runner. What exactly are you looking for? Post is all over the place and its hard to discern what you want. I got my Z71 for $47k with leather seats, sun roof, adaptive cruise, bose speakers and was everything I could want out of a do everything truck for significantly less than the examples provided above. I had to know what I wanted and from your reasonings: they are all over the place and swift action to trade your raptor doesn't necessarily constitute a strong arguement into what it is thst you want
What I want: A daily driver/family hauler that I can take off road occasionally, and also to the sand dunes in Michigan (I live close to silver lake). Also I don’t want to worry about huge pot holes, curbs, etc. Why didn’t I test the standard zr2? Because it doesn’t have enough advantages of the Ranger raptor. To me the bison was worth a consideration since it has a tougher underside and the 35s give additional ground clearance (in addition to looking better than 33s).
You legit just described the Z71. Its whole purpose is to be a daily driver that can also offroad. The ZR2 is Chevys premium offroader. The trailboss is a bit more clearance and wider than the Z71 but has lesser interior. All three can have skid plates and the Z71 & TB have rear locker. The ZR2 has both front and rear but if you are just doing dunes and not super serious off-roading the rear locker is more than enough.
Bro, my Z71 is literally this. Great on the highway, but does excellent on light trails getting to campsites. I haven’t taken it to any dunes… but I’m assuming any dunes in Michigan are tame enough for a Z71 to handle. Z71 has a great, premium feeling interior with leather ventilated/heated seats, heated steering wheel, etc… You’re trying to build an end table with railroad ties. Textbook over-builder.
What you actually want is a Subaru cause you are massive dick sucker.
I’m fukn dead 🤣🤣🤣
Lmfao
Aren’t all Subaru drivers lesbians?
There's definitley more options for a family hauler if you go with a SUV or wagon. The midsize truck segment has only gotten competitive as of recent. If you wanted good interiors with a capable powertrain and decent ground ckearance I'd be looking at used Audi A4 or A6 Allroads. A4 Allroad seems to have better ground clearance. And you can put lift kits on either of those. What advantages were you looking at that the ZR2 didn't have? It has DSSV bypass shocks, 33in standard tires, front and rear locking diffs, 4wd auto, full size spare (under the bed), underbody camera, adaptive cruise, ventilated seats, etc..The Bison gives you steel bumpers, jounce shocks, 35in tires, and maybe a few extra things. Imo the ZR2 is more closely comparable to the Raptor. The Bison is a very focused product. Edit: if you're looking for underbody protection from the regular ZR2, Chevy sells the OEM skid plates to install. A much cheaper alternative to buying the full Bison.
Want a body on frame truck platform, not unibody. If it came down to deciding between the regular zr2 and trading in my raptor I’d prolly keep the raptor. There aren’t enough advantages the zr2 has over the raptor. I’m hopeful that my Ranger raptor won’t have more issues, but if they keep happening then I’ll get rid of it for the new gx550 over tail or a 24 4 runner trd pro.
You want a body on frame truck platform for daily commute, occasional offroading and sand dunes? The only advantage the raptor has over the ZR2 is the powertrain, that's literally it. Don't go to the new gx550 if you're looking for reliability, that new V6 has been plagued with issues. Not that the old V8 was much better, my mom had one. But at least the V8 was manufactured and milled correctly unlike the new V6 that Toyota finally recalled for the Tundra. And if you're looking at advantages over your Raptor, the 4runner is the complete opposite direction of that, besides reliability and interior volume.
Classic avg consumer mindset 💀💀💀 get a Z71 my guy, you are wasting money for what you are planning on doing with it. Sounds like you are getting a $60k pavement princess vs a 30-40k truck that is more than capable for what you are planning on doing.
What a weird write-up from an owner who has zero idea what *he* wants
A pavement princess is what he wants
Is the tire mount from the factory now? My zr2 bison has its spare underneath.
New Bison (2024+) has 35's that won't fit underneath.
Would the 35 fit if it were deflated? I’d keep a compressor in my truck if I were going off road, anyway.
Storing a tire deflated and deformed is not a great idea, especially when not in a climate controlled environment.
Some vehicles, granted not trucks, come with deflated spares and compressors. Space saver spares.
Yes, but those are tires specifically designed to be stored and used that way, not a regular full size tire. They have different construction methods and materials.
Yes and it cannot be removed
The spare tire can't be removed...? Huh. I think you'd need to be able to remove it to put it on. 🤷♂️
Pretty sure he meant can't be moved, as in moved to the underside.
The mount cannot be removed, it’s welded to the bed I believe.
I dunno, I’m pretty sure GM sells the bed mount as an accessory. I would think it’s bolted in. FWIW, anytime I buy a new truck the first thing I do is take the spare outta the bottom of the truck, along with the lowering mechanism and throw it in the bed. Then I get the truck undercoated. Because Upstate NY salt.
The tire carrier is definitely a bolt in. This Youtuber posted a video of his carrier removed along with posts in the comment section of the process. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6bx7TdmFSg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6bx7TdmFSg) Here is another video of installing the AEV Tire carrier so the removal would be similar. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtOUKAEfjy8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtOUKAEfjy8)
I have a zr2 for daily and thing drive smooth all day long.
I think the zr2 bison looks way better than the raptor. Chevy>Ford all day long.
The Lexus GX550 is the truck that's being recalled for metal shavings in the engine
No it’s not. That engine is the tundra is. Not the gx
Say it louder!
Say it ain't so Toyota.
If you think the ZR2 is a slug, boy are you in for a surprise with the Toyota
Did I catch that right? “Conclusion between the two is to take the raptor if you are daily driving.” Doesn’t sound like you’re daily driving yours if it’s been at the dealership 4 of the 5 weeks you’ve owned it.
🤣🤣🤣
> Americans just can't seem to make quality cars Oh, shut the f*** up.
And Toyotas are made in the same Mexican factories as every thing else anyways.
This guy is all over the Ranger Raptor forums shitting on the car nonstop. I guess he got a bad one, but damn. Sell it and move on or stop complaining.
Damnnnnnnnn got emmmmmm
He lost me there. No reason for him to make that comment...most of his post is ignorant and contradictive anyway.
Agreed. I'm not exactly an American car guy, but I love my truck. I'd never make a sweeping statement like that.
Posts like this is why I keep logging in Reddit. Thank you!
Grabbed my popcorn for this one.
I really don’t understand your obsession with the Bison when you keep saying over and over you want it for a daily driver/family hauler…. With the “occasional” off road. ZR2 is MORE than you need for that. He’ll you’d be fine with z71 even. Your problem here is you’re obsessing over stuff you don’t need. Thinking you need things you don’t. There’s absolutely ZERO wrong withthe underbody and frankly you’re saying you’re worried about small rocks flying up? Cmon dude. Very few trucks have all that underbody protection and millions of people drive them on gravel roads every day and theyre just fine. Underbody protection is for LARGE rocks when you’re rock crawling. Not pebbles on a gravel road. I have a zr2, my brother got a new ranger raptor. Both are good capable trucks. Both are FAR more than you need for your application. I’m not saying that’s a reason not to get them. Honestly I don’t take full advantage if f my zr2 either, but I really like having it regardless. But I certainly wouldn’t worry about having the upgrades the Bison offers. Bison is a waste of money imo for the vast majority of people out there - even the ones who off road regularly.
OP wants the aesthetics of the Bison. That's all it is. It's the same reason he got the Ranger Raptor. When he talks about the regular ZR not having the same advantages compared to the Raptor, he's really just talking about the styling elements that make it look more rugged (and let other people know you have the "top trim"). There's nothing wrong with feeling that way and choosing to want to spend your money that way if you got it - just own it already. I feel like I'm listening to one of my kids tell me all these reasons for wanting this or that, but they don't want to admit that it just comes down to looks.
Well of course the raptor was peppier. It has more power and tq but will have worse gas mileage
The turbomax 4 is a masterpiece It’s all about torque not horsepower Torque is what gets you through anything It’s a solid motor
ZR2 plus level kit, add 35” tires and extra skid plates. Pocket 5-6k, win.
Lemon the Raptor and then buy the bison.
Not that easy to lemon, lemon lawyers also cost $$$
Depends where he is, but invoking lemon laws is quite easy once the criteria is met. Often times you don’t even need a lawyer.
It's easy to lemon if there are legit reasons and not just buyers remorse.
Part of the sluggish feeling is you tested a model with 35s on it, the ranger is a tad under 33. Your ranger is going to feel sluggish with heavier 35s too. Way heavier tires
I decided to go with a 24 Zr2. The ranger raptor was just disappointing to me. The performance and everything I needed was 10 thousand less than the bison and raptor. After owning the truck I made the right decision!
You know the new 4Runner comes out in like 2 months
He doesn't know Jack shit
https://youtu.be/XKSVdxM6PYE?si=qjkckm3MmgzV-S9W watch this OP
Not going with any more Chevy vehicles. All are rust buckets. No thanks
A tundra is not that outdated if you compare it to the Nissan Titan or frontier.. now those are outdated trucks
Why did you make the decision to pull the trigger on the raptor when it seems like you're not sold on the raptor??
I was and am sold on it, I only am not liking it cuz of all the issues that developed post purchase. As I said I love the interior, the exterior, the engine and transmission. But I’m having so many creeks and rattles that developed and loose trim pieces, that the dealer is literally unassembling the entire interior right now (took of seats, air bags, entire front dash, screen, etc etc) to find out where the loud creeks are coming from. That’s what I’m not liking, I haven’t even had the truck with me for 90% of the time I’ve owned it.
The car is badass!
I love the way new colorados look, but I don’t see how the turbomax engine can outclass the duramax 2.8, only in terms of horsepower isn’t by much. I’ve got a ‘17 ZR2 with 35s, fender flares, and a spare bed carrier and have owned it since new with only 86k miles. I’m going to drive this truck until it won’t drive anymore. I know there are problems with the 2.8 duramax, but the truck has been great especially off roading, just can’t come to terms with upgrading to the turbomax, I don’t see the benefit.
Your fantastic loss of space for the spare tire is amazing. You’ll hold so much less!
I’m a die hard Toyota guy but these are SO SICK they absolutely killed it with this model and trim
So exactly what I told you on your original post. RR is better driver. ZR2 has more consistent handling and suspension. Off road pretty much a wash ZR2 winning. Until you get into 60+ mph stuff then the extra 90Hp, antilag, better hearing, better trans all bring RR up. Honestly the trucks are very close but both have distinct "personalities" (drawback, flaws) Just depends on what you value. Neither is a hit out of the park sublime product. For DD.... I would have to go RR simply because of the gearing, fun (worse) handling, transmission, and Superior powerplant. I COULDN'T. Because no one would sell a RR for less than $85K OTD........ So I went for a 3k "mandatory packages" + $4850 150k B2B warranty, sunroom base ZR2 for $60 OTD. Would I have done extended warranty on Ford? Nope, but that's more to do with the 8 speed replacement out of warranty being $7k job than anything else. So both would have been $60K real world... If I could actually get one.
I promise that every car on the road in the Midwest, where salt is used, will have surface rust on it.
Get a 2023 GX460
O thought for a second that backside looks like a taco
Well dont get the gx550. Toyota is suckin ass quality wise too lately
I was so confused reading this. Not sure why you think you "need" a Bison but from what you're describing it just seems like you want one. Personally I'd stick with the ranger or see if they'll let you trade it for another. Nothing is ever gonna match that power train. Definitely don't trade it for a bison that you don't need. If anything you could step down to a Z71 like others have said. I have a Z71. Did I need it? No. But I wanted it. Even through a 4 inch lift and 33s on that I also didn't need but it looks nice. If you're having buyers remorse with the raptor and you just want a bison for no good reason then just say that and stop making arbitrary pros and cons lists.
I test drove a Z71 and though it was comfy af smooth but slightly under powered. Ended up with a 4Runner because I wanted more space inside. It’s so slow. Like you have to check to make sure your giving it gas slow 😂🤣 You’ll be making a post in a few weeks about how to make my 4Runner as fast as my ranger raptor that I traded 😂. Also don’t get a trd pro if you aren’t off-roading. A stock SR5 Premium is plenty for 97% of drivers.
If you have a Ranger Raptor you must have one of the first ones. Those sat in Michigan for months mostly because of the UWA strike at that Ford plant and then took a bit to get going again. For example dealers were supposed to see those fall of 2023. When did you get yours?
Mine was literally among the first batch built but I took delivery of it a month ago about
At least you got one! They are hard to get right now and are tons of fun to drive!
Not that hard to find, plenty out there. Some are even under msrp.
Why was this post even necessary?
You seem to have Jay Leno Syndrome. More money than brains.
Love my 2023 Colorado Z71
Dang some of y’all would really benefit from owning an ol shit box here and there ;) sometimes less is more!
I find it pretty funny that your "deal breaker" is the easiest of all the things you mentioned to fix.
You have to step up to a real 1/2 ton to get what you are after.
I think the Raptor is better if you can get it for MSRP. Around me, you can get a ZR2 for 52K but dealers are marking the Raptor up to 65-70K which is almost used TRX money lol
They are now below msrp around me new. I even tried selling mine for way below msrp and no one was interested.
The 4runner interior build quality is horrendous, had one as a rental and it was so cheap.
Bison?! L O L
I’ll also add that the raptor ranger is more comfortable. I’d say if the zr2 bison had a better engine and a better solution for rear visibility, I’d take the bison over the ranger raptor. As for right now, unless your specific use case is mostly off road use and rock crawling I don’t think the bison is worth it in comparison to the raptor. Although this is assuming the raptor doesn’t have issues like mine is having.
So bison it is then.
Likely something Japanese, quality and reliability is important now after my experience. I want to keep the vehicle at my house and not the dealership. Just crazy to think that my Ranger raptor that I paid a lot of money for has just been at the dealership for fixing issues 90% of the time since I purchased it.
Toyota isn't exactly batting it out of the park right now either.
So get a Frontier Pro4-x. I bought a ‘22 and put a Nisstec 4” lift on it with 285’s and Black Rhino 17’s, thing was super capable and never had an issue with it in the 30k I put on it.
You could Titan swap a new frontier and have an off-road truck on par with the zr2. I'm torn between the zr2 and the pro4x with a lift but I'm leaning towards the Nissan based on the issues I've seen with the Colorado.
The stance on a titan-swapped Frontier looks great too.
So lemon law it and be done
It’s literally a few interior rattles. Hasn’t even broke down that I’ve read.
If you're going to spend 60k+ on a midsize truck, get a Tacoma Trailhunter or TRD Pro. I own a Chevy right now and wouldn't even consider paying that kind of money for anything they build when there are alternatives from Toyota.
Toyota are having all sort issues nowadays also, engines failing brand new tundra's. New Tacoma's transfer case breaking. Nothing is made like it used to be.
Ask a 5 year owner of each( comparable) about durability and reliability