Ford Ranger will return

[rockin86ranger]

I want a courier size truck (A true mini not a midsize) Of course i understand they have more safety crap to put in but i still think its possible. Besides the smaller size mean lighter which means faster and more fuel efficient.

 

[trail B2]

It all depends how many people step up to the F-150 and how many people change brands.To me a ranger and a full size are a completely different ownership experience.I don't think it will happen because they let most of there small truck business go from lack of updates a lot of competition in that market.When you think about it Ford didn't quit Ranger in Dec. 2011 they quit Ranger when they quite investing in a good truck that competes in the market.While at the same time they have excelled in the car, hybrid and full size trucks with cutting edge technology and a great understanding of the market needs.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

It all depends how many people step up to the F-150 and how many people change brands.To me a ranger and a full size are a completely different ownership experience.I don't think it will happen because they let most of there small truck business go from lack of updates a lot of competition in that market.

Even the class leader (Toyota) isn't a drop in the bucket compared to what the Ranger was selling a couple years ago.

The sales left the class altogether.

 

[Twister]

To me Ford has been making a lot of bad decisions lately. The ending of the ranger, dropping the crown Vic, converting the escape to an ugly eyesore, close to dropping the econoline, and turning the explorer into a fwd grocery getter.

The only newer smaller truck I would buy would be a Nissan frontier.

I think they will come out with a newer small truck, but it won't be for a few years.

 

[trail B2]

Even the class leader (Toyota) isn't a drop in the bucket compared to what the Ranger was selling a couple years ago.

The sales left the class altogether.

Really that surprises me one thing that makes that happen is the difference in fuel mileage between the little trucks and the full size isn't that big.The new technology isn't in the little trucks as much.Probably because it's hard to get someone pay $45,000 for a small truck.I'm thinking like GDI motor technology.Around here people who have money to buy an expensive car buy a diesel pickup.It snows and there is a lot of wood stoves and public forest.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Really that surprises me one thing that makes that happen is the difference in fuel mileage between the little trucks and the full size isn't that big.The new technology isn't in the little trucks as much.Probably because it's hard to get someone pay $45,000 for a small truck.I'm thinking like GDI motor technology.Around here people who have money to buy an expensive car buy a diesel pickup.It snows and there is a lot of wood stoves and public forest.

Not really a drop in the bucket but quite a bit of difference, especially with the Dakota and S-10 being viable contenders and pulling decent numbers.

2002:

http://forums.pickuptrucks.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=145111&page=247&fpart=1

2012:

http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2012/0...year-monthly-sales-1-ford-f-series-169-f.html

 

[MeanMark87]

I don't see the Ranger ever coming back. People just love full size trucks, and judging from what I can see, even $4 gas isn't keeping them off the road. There are other options out there I guess....the Frontier, Tacoma, Colorado....but for some reason I wouldn't feel right unless I had a Ranger.

To me, there seems like there should be a huge market for smaller trucks, especially the Ranger, which has better fuel economy than any other small truck sold in the US. People need to haul, but don't necessarily want to do it in a rig that's never going to get out of the teens for mileage. But what do I know...I seem to have a penchant for buying Fords that are going out of production....first I had a crown vic and now a Ranger.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I don't see the Ranger ever coming back. People just love full size trucks, and judging from what I can see, even $4 gas isn't keeping them off the road.

My 5.4 '150 with really high gearing (3.31's) and oversize tires (32's) gets the same mpg my former college roomate got with his stock '00 Ranger with the 4.0 (16mpg) On stock rubber my '150 was bumping 20mpg, seats 6, tows 7k lbs... I looked at getting a new Ranger but it kept coming up short... especially since I was keeping the '85. A nicely equipt 3yo '150 with 25k miles was actually a little cheaper than a comparable new Ranger... so I went that route. 6 years later I haven't regretted it.

Basically it came down to even a SOHC 4.0 Ranger couldn't do much more than my old 2.8 truck, it would still be limited to hauling brush and lawn mowers and that was about it. Came down to I might as well buy a car to get better milage since the '85 was staying. Or I could get a fullsize with similar or better milage and quit borrowing trucks (which I hate doing) to tow my tractor.

 

[tony314]

Ford didn't want something competing with their beloved F series trucks and the Ranger did that. They basically forced the Ranger out to get people to buy F series trucks. I've heard any ranger traded in at a Ford dealership are not being resold as to keep them off the market. Probably horse crap though.

 

[tony314]

Evil full size trucks... I've ran into a few Ford dealers around town that keep trying to get me to trade in my Ranger for a full size F-150. Stating i'd be much happier and have more options. I'm good with the Ranger. A full size has nothing to offer me!

My 5.4 '150 with really high gearing (3.31's) and oversize tires (32's) gets the same mpg my former college roomate got with his stock '00 Ranger with the 4.0 (16mpg) On stock rubber my '150 was bumping 20mpg, seats 6, tows 7k lbs... I looked at getting a new Ranger but it kept coming up short... especially since I was keeping the '85. A nicely equipt 3yo '150 with 25k miles was actually a little cheaper than a comparable new Ranger... so I went that route. 6 years later I haven't regretted it.

Basically it came down to even a SOHC 4.0 Ranger couldn't do much more than my old 2.8 truck, it would still be limited to hauling brush and lawn mowers and that was about it. Came down to I might as well buy a car to get better milage since the '85 was staying. Or I could get a fullsize with similar or better milage and quit borrowing trucks (which I hate doing) to tow my tractor.

 

[nb11]

Ford didn't want something competing with their beloved F series trucks and the Ranger did that. They basically forced the Ranger out to get people to buy F series trucks. I've heard any ranger traded in at a Ford dealership are not being resold as to keep them off the market. Probably horse crap though.

Ford saw that they weren't making any money off of Rangers. The last major upgrades were the front suspension in '98, then the Duratec engine after 2001. Look at the links posted above, and in 2002 it was something like 118k f-150's to 33k Ranger's being sold. It seems to me that they tried again with the FX4 LVLII packages in what, 2006-2008? And it obviously didn't save sales.

There just wasn't a market for the ranger in the United States anymore. People feel that they can get more for their money with the F-150 (which, they can). The selling point of a Ranger is a smaller truck that's easier to manage and gets much better gas mileage for people who don't haul a lot. It needs a 4-cylinder Ecoboost to be able to do that, I think.

 

[6.2]

The level II ended in 07 and started before 06, not sure what year 03 maybe?

 

[adsm08]

I think the Lvl II's started in 04.

 

[adsm08]

I've heard any ranger traded in at a Ford dealership are not being resold as to keep them off the market. Probably horse crap though.

DING DING DING DING.

It is horse crap.

Ford cannot tell the dealerships what to do with used vehicles. Period.

We have a handful of pretty sharp looking 4th gens including an FX4, a Level II and a really nicely done over Sport on the lot where I work right now.

There are days that I get tempted to trade my 87 on any of those three that I just mentioned.

 

[adsm08]

I want a courier size truck (A true mini not a midsize) Of course i understand they have more safety crap to put in but i still think its possible. Besides the smaller size mean lighter which means faster and more fuel efficient.

Smaller and lighter doesn't always mean more efficient. It's all about power to weight ratio.

The 4.6 gets better mileage than the 5.0 because it weighs less and makes more power. But in the F-150 it doesn't really do much better than the 5.4L. The 4.2 actually sucks down the gas if you are towing with it. At the same time, you can't get a 4.6 in an F-250. It would suck the fuel down too.