Ford Announces The Return of The Ranger in 2019 - TRS's 20TH Anniversary

Well everything looked better back then. When ford announced the new bronco they said it would have serious off road capabilites. How they hell can they back that with a cruck platform? I'm gonna stay faithfully optimistic to my favorite manufacturer. I'll def. Pick one up if they stay true to their word. Im crazy enough to have 6, What's a 7th ford to my stable anyway....



Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

stmitch said:

And the metric system makes a ton more sense than what we use here in the states. I look forward to the day that everything is measured using the same units.

Click to expand...

For automotive stuff we pretty much are metric aside from rim diameter and the speedometer markings.

Every wrench I grab for my 15yo DD has to be metric.

Ranger was a weird mix, it is pretty much all standard now aside from some stuff on the body.

Between that, my old tractors and lawn mower I will be a mixed garage for a long time to come.

Interesting discussion with one of the guys designing the new Ranger here: https://www.reddit.com/r/fordranger/comments/5n1qxp/i_am_a_designer_at_ford_motor_company_product/

TLDR; it's going to be a facelifted version of the current global/T6 ranger. For the US, Ford is limiting their styling to only changing the headlights, grille and front fascia. Body On Frame construction, and the size of current Colorado/Tacoma etc. Manual trans is possible, but not likely. Same with a diesel powerplant. They're watching Colorado sales, and the fallout of the VW dieselgate before officially deciding on either one. The Bronco will not offer a 2 door version, and the doors and roof will be fixed, so it's not a direct Jeep competitor.
He fields many questions/suggestions from people that want it to be smaller, and more like our Rangers, and gives good answers on who makes those decisions and why.

Facelifted T6 sounds encouraging since the looks is what a lot of people have a problem with. Kinda bummed about no std cab longbox but it has been a slow seller for quite awhile anyway.

4dr Bronco... back up three times and punt. If they are worried about 2dr off road rigs not selling why bother with a rough riding body on frame 4dr SUV? They already have the Escape, Edge, Explorer and Expedition for 4dr SUV's with very established nameplates, why mess with another when everyone wants plush 4drs with a carelike ride and mileage?

I guess I do not see any point in producing the Bronco

85_Ranger4x4 said:

Facelifted T6 sounds encouraging since the looks is what a lot of people have a problem with. Kinda bummed about no std cab longbox but it has been a slow seller for quite awhile anyway.

Click to expand...

Seems to me like the looks will go largely unchanged if they can't actually alter any of the sheet metal. They're basically doing the bare minimum in order to get the truck to market faster and with as little new investment as possible. Partly because they're not sure how the market will respond, and partly because they're more concerned with F-150 sales.

And it sounds to me like no standard cab at all. Just extended cab with 6ft bed and crew cab with 5ft beds.

85_Ranger4x4 said:

4dr Bronco... back up three times and punt. If they are worried about 2dr off road rigs not selling why bother with a rough riding body on frame 4dr SUV? They already have the Escape, Edge, Explorer and Expedition for 4dr SUV's with very established nameplates, why mess with another when everyone wants plush 4drs with a carelike ride and mileage?

I guess I do not see any point in producing the Bronco

Click to expand...

Agreed. I'm not sure if you saw it, but he said there will be 6 SUV/CUVs in the Ford lineup by the time the Bronco debuts (because that's what people are buying now), and I'm not sure how the Bronco really fits. I guess the closest comparison that I can think of would be Toyota making the body on frame 4Runner and FJ Cruiser when they have tons of other SUVs in their lineup. Doesn't sound like the Bronco will have retro styling, which is a big reason people were drawn to the FJ, so it's more or less a 4Runner competitor?

stmitch said:

Seems to me like the looks will go largely unchanged if they can't actually alter any of the sheet metal. They're basically doing the bare minimum in order to get the truck to market faster and with as little new investment as possible. Partly because they're not sure how the market will respond, and partly because they're more concerned with F-150 sales.

And it sounds to me like no standard cab at all. Just extended cab with 6ft bed and crew cab with 5ft beds.

Click to expand...

2 years is a long time to make Ranger badges... they could do a lot without touching the hood and fenders.

Yeah, I read that too. Take fleets out of the equation and not a whole lot of std cabs were sold for private vehicles. As the owner of a longbox trying to find a nice solid longbox... they never were terribly common (and mine was made during the longbox's heyday)

One thing that kinda gripes me is he kept saying nobody wanted a compact truck and that fleets were propping up their sales numbers. They still do not get people did not want to buy a brand new 13 year old truck. 1998-2011. 2 different engines, different front hubs (4wd), sat lower... whoopie do. Otherwise the same truck. Dash goes back to '95. Bed '93. And then they got the same mileage (with a V6) or worse than a F-150. Cost wasn't far off from a F-150. What did they expect?

And it is going to be bigger than my F-150 (97-03), which was about the same size as any other F-150 (and bigger) going back to the 60's.

stmitch said:

Agreed. I'm not sure if you saw it, but he said there will be 6 SUV/CUVs in the Ford lineup by the time the Bronco debuts (because that's what people are buying now), and I'm not sure how the Bronco really fits. I guess the closest comparison that I can think of would be Toyota making the body on frame 4Runner and FJ Cruiser when they have tons of other SUVs in their lineup. Doesn't sound like the Bronco will have retro styling, which is a big reason people were drawn to the FJ, so it's more or less a 4Runner competitor?

Click to expand...

I saw that. Maybe tie into the 4dr Wrangler somewhat? Based on the T6 it will not keep up with a Rubicon.

So many people buy Jeeps just because they are Jeeps. Same for Toyota for that matter. The Bronco doesn't have that kind of following.

It burns me that everything keeps getting bigger and bigger (Ranger/F-150/Superduty) and I still don't know what the heck they are thinking with the Bronco.

The Ranger has always been a vehicle that Ford simply offered as a response. They didn't believe in mini trucks from day one, but was seeing to many sales going to Datsun and Toyota. They threw the courier in to the American market until they could get a Ranger in production. Then they did very few changes, and most were probably because of government regulations (airbag, etc). Like already mentioned, the 2011 model had the same interior as my 1996. I don't think Ford ever really loved the Ranger, they kept it just because they thought they needed to offer something in that class.

Ford thought they were threw with it, but the market wants a mid sized truck. Now they're forced ONCE AGAIN to offer us a truck, just like they did with the courier.

Fortunately for us, the Rangers were basically mini-me of the F-150, and proved to be great trucks. Ford may have only offered them out of necessity, but enthusiasts love them.

I would also like to point out that overlanding / adventure travelling is growing like crazy, and midsized vehicles are preferred. Get with it Ford.

the platform prototypes are definitely diesel.


the bed is way better then the st with 4dr. i was trying to catch one at a gas station.

Just puttered a bit and I was able to spec what I wanted in a Ridgeline for about $33K and a Colorado for around $30K with steel wheels, no OnStar - just basics - so it will be interesting to see where the prices start when they bring the Ranger back... Speccing out an F-150 how I'd want is not much more, so can't really blame Ford's insistence up to this point that an F150 is comparable in price but gets you more truck for the money.

James86 said:

Just puttered a bit and I was able to spec what I wanted in a Ridgeline for about $33K and a Colorado for around $30K with steel wheels, no OnStar - just basics - so it will be interesting to see where the prices start when they bring the Ranger back... Speccing out an F-150 how I'd want is not much more, so can't really blame Ford's insistence up to this point that an F150 is comparable in price but gets you more truck for the money.

Click to expand...

True. Ford says we can give you a bigger truck for the same money, but everyone doesn't want a big truck. Some people want something that they can easily load stuff in the back of, but still feel comfortable parking at the store and driving get in traffic.

If they can keep the cost down on them into the $10-20k range great, otherwise forget it, they priced the ranger out of the market the last time when you could get an F150 for about the same price as a maxed out Ranger.

My first vehicle was an 84 Ranger XL 4x2, automatic. My grandparents pulled a travel trailer all over the country with it from 84 to 89. They bought a larger trailer and larger truck so the Ranger became mine. Had an 84 B2, a 93 Ranger, and now the 88 B2 EB. I really enjoy driving RBV's, they're small enough to fit anywhere yet large enough to tackle many every day use needs and light towing duties. With the exception of the 93 Ranger's A4LD tranny issues x2 it was a great truck and the 88 B2 has a fresh A4LD rebuild in it and hope it lasts many many years, larger external tranny cooler was added so I'm hoping it will last, it will not be towing anything, just a DD.

I have a 2008 Toyota Tundra 4x4 double cab with the 5.7L V8...its a gas hog in town. Its a great truck but in all seriousness I still love the older Fords. The new Ranger has me thinking and depending on what Ford comes up with for the Ranger, one may make it to my driveway. The Tundra is great, don't get me wrong, but I don't do enough towing/hauling anymore to really need that large of a truck. Possibly the Ranger may come home anyhow, its still a couple years down the road before its released and tested enough to get the kinks worked out of it and by then who knows what position I'll be in by then, maybe a Ranger and Bronco could follow me home...Wait buy a Ranger and get a free Bronco for all current RBV owners? Now that would be awesome...yeah yeah wishful thinking I know HAHA!!!!

offroadohio said:

You'll all want to shoot me but I'd like to see a car based 4xr with a usable bed. Like Baja but a bed that fits my atv. I loved my dodge rampage becuase it got 30+mpg and fit the atv in back, but it wasn't realistical for a family of four.

I'd be all over a 30+mpg 4door with a 4.5ft wide 5ft bed.

I kind of like the new Ridgeline but the price is a deal killer, as I'm sure the Rangers will be too

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

Click to expand...

I want to shoot you, but it has more to do with your mutilation of the English language there than your vehicle preferences.

FWIW I love El Caminos and Rancheros, which were both car based pickups.

That was a mix of voice to text and me trying to type on a cell phone with my fat fingers.

My apologies

My favorite car based pick up that we had here in America is the Dodge Rampage. IPad three of them and they will fit a full size 4 wheel drive ATV in the bed and get 30 miles to the gallon hauling it down the freeway. But they are only 2 seaters so they are not practical for me any longer because I now have a family of 4.


I have actually thought about taking a Dodge Omni and graphing the Rampage bed onto it to solve that problem

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

I could never get the car/truck mashups to look like anything but weird.

I Don't Want This Thread to get too far off topic but these are my two Rampages that four-wheeler ways every bit of a 1000 pounds and the scrap weighed 1800 pounds.

I drug my 4-wheeler all over the state of Ohio and maintained 28 miles to the gallon with an automatic and 32 miles to gallon with a 4 speed.

If I had a small truck that could accomplish that and Hual 4 people I wouldn't hesitate to go buy a brand new one.






Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk