There are millions of vehicle enthusiasts who are just as dedicated to their "brand" as you are to yours. I've owned hundreds vehicles in my 70 years, all makes, brands, types, imports, domestic, even a Vega and Pinto (but never a Yugo). Each had something or some quality I liked, or I wouldn't have bought it. And yes, I have had several Jeeps, real Jeeps, not the Fiat made stuff that's out there now.
Jeep owners would look at your Ranger and ask "why would someone own a itty bitty old truck"?
Piece of crap to you, but his pride and joy. Never critize someone for their likes and dislikes...may come back to bite you in the arse.
Grumpaw
Hear hear! Not everyone is lucky enough to be with their soulmate, or to drive their dream car (or even a DD mutt you have learned to love and despise, depending on the day, perhaps over time gaining a grudging admiration for its continued ability to keep chugging with only minimal mechanical affection).
My Dad was never much on Fords. Apparently when he returned from WWII and started farming his own land, he and my uncle went in on a Model "B" one-ton. The story went, supposedly it had a 4-cylinder engine while the rear gears were set up for a V-8 (?). It was gutless, and prone to overheating, and cracked the block/head (I dunno - wasn't there). They fixed it, sold the truck and bought a 1949 Chev 1-ton brand new that he was sill driving when I was a kid in the early 70s. There was a strong GM dealer in our neighborhood, and my dad drove GM cars most of his life (last car he bought was 1 new 1990 Plymouth Acclaim after he retired and the local GM dealership folded after the patriarch passed on and his grandson started a Chrysler dealership). Never bought another Ford truck till his last grain truck, a 3-ton with a big V-8 that drank gas in great big gulps, so I don't think it impressed him much either.
As a teenager, I borrowed the farm Chev pickup when I needed independent transport. Didn't get my own car til I was away at school for a few years and decided that, even though the city had pretty decent buses, a car would be really handy sometimes. So I dealt on an orphaned 73 vega for $300 - drove to a parts store to get a gas cap to replace the rag(!) in the filler tube and the car wouldn't start afterwards! Ended up with a new battery and terminals that same day - learned to not love side terminals! sold the vega (Bought $300 drove 3 years, put maybe $300 into it and sold for $300 so pretty decent overall) and bought a 79 Capri that was an absolute lemon (not the car design so much - it had just had all the joy and life used and stomped out of it - but was pretty easy to work on).
Later got a rusty 78 pickup that was a lot like the 77 we had on the farm. Learned that Chevies pretty much put Everything together with a ton of bolts (which mean body and other parts were pretty interchangeable with some work. Was working by then - discovered pick-a-part junkyards and had a blast learning to fix stuff and upgrading some features. It retired eventually out to the farm as its engine was getting tired and an engine rebuild project got stalled due to time, $ and distance.
Some time later, I bought a house and need a truck in a hurry to move and get set up. Bought a 'disposable' rusty 1980 F150 with (as it turned out) a worn-out 300 with blow-by that would leak out the crank-case, into the cab and keep mosqitoes down! Got a junkyard engine put in, started transplanting other junkyard parts and panels onto it - was a pretty decent beast 'til the ring gear started to go and I never quite got around to replacing it (also rising price of gas made it a little expensive to feed for regular use).
Then came a series of Mustangs and Rangers and the Windstar I am driving at present while organizing some Ranger revivals. I don't live and breath Ford, but I mostly drive them. I am used to their quirks, and they are overall built to be worked on (unlike the 93 Nissan Altima I had for awhile!). Parts are plentiful and not too expensive (especially at pick-a-part yards). And, yeah, I have gotten pretty attached to some of them, especially one Mustang (totalled when a friend was driving it, just about the time I had everything fixed up right) and the Rangers.
Cars are like religions or sports teams. Everyone sees things differently, and their is no point in flipping off someone who is just trying to be friendly.
Though teasing a friend who loves THEIR truck just a little too much can be kinda fun... (as long as you are prepared for the bread you cast to come back to thee...)