New U.S. market Ford Ranger: thoughts?

[wildbill23c]

Wont see me lining up for one.

A techy, unibody, over complex, independent rear suspensioned "truck" with a bed smaller then the cab? No thanks.

Bring back manual trannys, I beams, and locking hubs, and a full ladder type frame, we might talk.

You mean a Ranchero or a Explorer Sport Trac LOL...actually the new version is worse. It will be nothing more than a Ford Escape with a truck bed...possibly worse, a Ford Focus with a pickup bed.

 

[Rangerx2]

Wont see me lining up for one.

A techy, unibody, over complex, independent rear suspensioned "truck" with a bed smaller then the cab? No thanks.

Bring back manual trannys, I beams, and locking hubs, and a full ladder type frame, we might talk.

Unfortunately the 80's are over. We'll likely never see I-beam suspensions and locking hubs again. You want us to bring back carburetors and Flatheads too? I'll tell Marty McFly to save you a seat in the DeLorean.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Unfortunately the 80's are over. We'll likely never see I-beam suspensions and locking hubs again. You want us to bring back carburetors and Flatheads too? I'll tell Marty McFly to save you a seat in the DeLorean.

Carbs, yes, flatheads were before my time, so i cant speak for those.

How nice it was when the only engine managment systems were duraspark boxes and hot air chokes.

Oh, and BTW, 2wd superduties and all econolines still use I beams. Yes the econoline is still in production (stripped chassis only)

Its only the "trucks" aimed at the yuppie market that have forsaken them.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Unfortunately the 80's are over. We'll likely never see I-beam suspensions and locking hubs again. You want us to bring back carburetors and Flatheads too? I'll tell Marty McFly to save you a seat in the DeLorean.

Pretty sure 2wd Super Duty's still have I beams... 4wd's have locking hubs.

 

[AgPete139]

Honestly, love my Ranger. Gotten so fed up with it as of late though. Perhaps my needs have changed, my traveling has changed, or my hobbies have changed. They were fantastic trucks back then. But, this is now, and it cannot hold up.

I have so much invested that I will never get my money back, and I haven't fully used it since the improvements/tinkering.

There's never going to be a sizable aftermarket. Fudging everything to fit or cutting/welding something on is something I'm done doing. From grinding off rivet heads or shortening axle tubes to rewiring the dash JUST to get a basic speedometer, it'll never get easier for the Ranger.

Most of us have spent countless hours scouring the internet for simply slotted brakes or SS brake lines, to better fitting exhaust pipes.

Power adders...well, the consensus is usually a 5.0L swap.

You want to bag your mini truck, sure!! Tucking those tires runs into issues, and finding something like shorter shocks will be a challenge in itself.



MY POINT: Outside of our community, people don't care for this part of the market. We are such a niche, but we are unique. Jeeps are grossly similar with bandwagon mentality, but they have options, even modern luxury conveniences.

F-150 sales prospered. Good for Ford, and their lack of a need for a government assisted buyout 6 years ago.

But another Ranger will not be in my plans. Someone above mentioned it'll need more years of development and R&D: this is fact. It won't come out for at LEAST another 3 years of constantly development. Everything in R&D takes time and testing.

How will it sell? If it's cheap, under $22k? Well. Loaded under $28k? Still well.

Fuel economy? It needs to be high 20's combined city/hwy for me to blink at it if it stays compact.

Unibody? So be it. Bring it on. It's not the worst thing that can happen, but bed replacement will be unfortunate. Price will be affected. See "Price" comment above.

Aluminum skins & safety ratings: it needs to contend. This is where a lot of the R&D will be spent. It's a sliding scale. (See "Unibody" comment.)



Now that I'm 33 years old, had Rangers and turning wrenches on it since I was 16, and am financially more stable, money will likely be allocated elsewhere for VALUE and future investements. Rangers have always been a vehicle with diminishing returns not able to hold value like a Corolla, BMW 5 series, Chevy 1500, or stock vanilla 1970 Porsche medium-high mileage @ $20-30k.


Just my $0.02.


Pete

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Now that I'm 33 years old, had Rangers and turning wrenches on it since I was 16, and am financially more stable, money will likely be allocated elsewhere for VALUE and future investements. Rangers have always been a vehicle with diminishing returns not able to hold value like a Corolla, BMW 5 series, Chevy 1500, or stock vanilla 1970 Porsche medium-high mileage @ $20-30k.


Just my $0.02.


Pete

One thing I noticed on here... a lot of us started out with Rangers in high school... because they were cheap. Then a lot of us went to F-150's later on as we went out into the world. I know the kids with S-10's went to Silverados later too. Kind of a gateway truck.

Kinda wonder how that plays into things...

And one of the reasons I went with a F-150 is because at the time they didn't hold their value as well as a Chevy. In 2005 my '02 5.4 Scab with 25k miles for $18k was sitting next to a '01 Silverado extended cab 5.3 with 90k and no rocker panels for $16k.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

I bought my first ranger brand new in 87. At that time there was a distinct difference between it and a 150, as time went by that difference eroded. This is why people quit buying them. They figured if im getting the same mileage, more capacity, more room, and more options, might as well spend the couple grand extra for a 150.

Honestly, all trucks built by ford currently disgust me. Ugly, bloated, to much electronic bs in the cab, etc.

This is also the reason my next expensive truck purchase will pry be a chevy.



EDIT--------------

Athough, if the new bronco looks anything like this, i may sign up...

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I bought my first ranger brand new in 87. At that time there was a distinct difference between it and a 150, as time went by that difference eroded. This is why people quit buying them. They figured if im getting the same mileage, more capacity, more room, and more options, might as well spend the couple grand extra for a 150.

Honestly, all trucks built by ford currently disgust me. Ugly, bloated, to much electronic bs in the cab, etc.

This is also the reason my next expensive truck purchase will pry be a chevy.



EDIT--------------

Athough, if the new bronco looks anything like this, i may sign up...

They are all loaded with electronics... which I am ok with as long as I can delete the more over the top ones.

My big gripe with trucks in general is the price. Can't hardly touch much of a half ton for less than $40k... which is sickeningly the same price as a comparable gas 3/4 ton.

As cool as that Bronco is... it is someone's pipedream and nothing from Ford.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

They are all loaded with electronics... which I am ok with as long as I can delete the more over the top ones.

My big gripe with trucks in general is the price. Can't hardly touch much of a half ton for less than $40k... which is sickeningly the same price as a comparable gas 3/4 ton.

As cool as that Bronco is... it is someone's pipedream and nothing from Ford.

My biggest bitch is the touch screen radio and climate controls. I want knobs or sliders and buttons.

Cause all i can think is what happens when this stuff inevitably takes a shit?

My next truck will be a stripped down, 3/4ton, (likely a silverado), with a gas engine. But christ their still 40k.

My 97 which was top of the line it its day stickered at 24k, inflation hasnt done THAT much.

 

[wildbill23c]

They are all loaded with electronics... which I am ok with as long as I can delete the more over the top ones.

My big gripe with trucks in general is the price. Can't hardly touch much of a half ton for less than $40k... which is sickeningly the same price as a comparable gas 3/4 ton.

As cool as that Bronco is... it is someone's pipedream and nothing from Ford.

Truck prices are ridiculous because people buy them for their family car now rather than buying a car. That's also why diesel fuel is so expensive now, because people started buying diesels when the price of diesel fuel was much lower than regular gas.

Not saying cars are cheap, but the majority of people buying a truck to use it as a family car is what has driven the truck market prices through the roof.

As for all the electronics, that's nothing more than the majority of the population becoming lazy couch potatoes, along with lack of driving skills forcing the invention of a bunch of nonsense safety devices...all of which at some point will fail, and when they do the repairs will be astronomical.

My first vehicle was a 1984 Ford Ranger 4x2. It wasn't new but I loved that truck and wish now I would have kept it, knowing from this forum what I know now the issues it had would have been easily solves with a duraspark conversion.

I've gone to a 3/4 ton, a 1/2 ton, etc. but now I'm back with a Bronco 2. I probably never will completely get away from an RBV, yes I'd love to have a ranger again, I love the little ranger pickups as well.

 

[tcbaklash]

The most "truck-ish" midsize truck you can buy new is a Toyota Tacoma, bar none. If ruggedness and manual transmissions arouse you, don't even bother looking elsewhere. I've heard the Colorado/Canyon drives like a crossover and factually the Ridgeline IS a crossover with a bed. I don't know how the new Ranger will stack up, but it's probably going to have more potent engine options like the 2.7L Ecoboost and 3.2L Powerstroke. Don't expect a V8 because it'll never happen, but props to whoever stuffs a 5.0L Coyote in one.

Considering that the current midsize trucks (except the current-gen Frontier, which is on its 12th year and is therefore as irrelevant as the NA Ranger in this comparison) on the market start around $24K and don't get in "loaded" territory until like $35k ($40k+ for a Colorado/Canyon with Z71 package), you can expect the upcoming Ranger to be around there. Sorry to burst anyone's bubble.

The Wrangler Pickup is also coming out next year if you're into ugly stuff...

As for the unibody discussion, there is already a unibody competitor doing quite well in the market: Honda Ridgeline. Depending on the consumer, this might not even matter, or they might not care, or they might not know what unibody means. The average consumers are not enthusiasts like us. Visit California and see for yourselves, there are lots of truck owners that don't use the bed, tow, or go off-road.

The days of working on your own vehicle are gone and they're not coming back, as are manual transmissions. The fuses on my girlfriend's 2014 Yaris require a fuse puller to remove them. Fear the future. The new Ranger isn't going to be anything like the NA Ranger except for the badges.

 

[stmitch]

Bashing new trucks is fun and all, but if it's not your thing, nobody is making you buy them. They made millions of older, basic trucks. They're cheap to buy. If you want a small, bare bones truck, buy an older truck and spend the money you'd spend on a newer truck to redo the older truck and make it everything you want with nothing you don't. $20-30k builds a hell of a nice older Ranger with just about whatever combo of power/capability/fuel economy/refinement you could want.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Considering that the current midsize trucks (except the current-gen Frontier, which is on its 12th year and is therefore as irrelevant as the NA Ranger in this comparison) on the market start around $24K and don't get in "loaded" territory until like $35k ($40k+ for a Colorado/Canyon with Z71 package), you can expect the upcoming Ranger to be around there. Sorry to burst anyone's bubble.

People pay 3/4 ton prices for compact trucks too?

Why does the truck buying public not see this as being wrong? It has to be gravy money for automakers.

I would like a new truck (F-150/250 though) but my wage hasn't doubled in the last 10 years to match truck prices almost doubling (and not depreciating)

XLT, rubber floor, plain radio, 40/20/60 seat, extended cab shortbox, 4wd, V8 is what I would want. Nothing too weird... but over $40k.

 

[tcbaklash]

People pay 3/4 ton prices for compact trucks too?

Why does the truck buying public not see this as being wrong? It has to be gravy money for automakers.

People buy them though and I can't imagine why. They do all the same things they would do with a sedan.

Canyon Denali 4x4 starts at $43k and it's got the same exact infotainment system as a base Colorado... I think the only difference are the seats and a couple electronics which is a rip-off. It's Here's what it looks like fully loaded with the diesel engine.

For $48k I could buy a lot of things that are nicer. That's the base price of a new Shelby GT350, which is a freakin' collectible.

 

[Blown]

I prefer what I have now, no payment, relatively low insurance cost, I can work on it and have, so it's custom to my style.

Just saying:
A large truck payment?
$400/mo. over 8 years earning 7.5% is worth $55,000.
$55,000 left to grow another 20yrs. at 7.5% is close to a quarter million.