The NEW 2009/2010 Ford Ranger

[tbirdsps]

In Feb this year Ranger sales were up 36%. If that continues I think Ford may re-think killing off the Ranger.

Sales are everything to a manufacturer.

 

[Skeleranger]

a unibody? why would i want suv or car like construction. but if we got the 4dr. 3.0L turbo diesel out of south america i would be one happy camper. thats y im excited to see the 150 get the 4.4 which they rate at 500 ft lbs of torque, thats something i wanna test drive

 

[guskoltoukis]

I just bought abrand new 08 ranger on saturday, and i had a discussion with the owner of the dealership. He has already been told by ford that the european version of the ranger will never be sold here, (neither imported or manufactured here) as long as the f150 is the top truck in America. He said a 4 door ranger with a possible diesel would be a direct competitor for the f150, and ford has no interest in competing with itself for money. So for all those rumors about the euro ranger coming here, im laying them to rest once and for all.

 

[av8tor1]

I was in Oz back in 2003 and drove around in a Ford Falcon mini pickup, Ive had rangers since they were called (cough...cough) Couriers and I was very impressed... plenty of power, great handling, modern design..

the shifting with the left hand while sitting on the right while driving on the right was a real challenge LOL

anyways, I was told back then (Oz source) that they would be coming to North America in 2009-2010

maybe this is the answer to some of the rumors...

http://www.ford.com.au/servlet/ContentServer?cid=1137384216525&pagename=Page&c=DFYPage

 

[kaskirov]

i was driving the other day and did a double take after seeing a new escape. kinda looks like the uk/aussie/asian ranger to me

 

[Mac]

After watching this video, might explain a little why the Ranger is not going to be made in the US any more, not sure it's dead, just different.
http://info.detnews.com/video/index.cfm?id=1189
Dave - Wish some of the Aussie cars/truck could make it over here.

 

[Combat]

I just bought abrand new 08 ranger on saturday, and i had a discussion with the owner of the dealership. He has already been told by ford that the european version of the ranger will never be sold here, (neither imported or manufactured here) as long as the f150 is the top truck in America. He said a 4 door ranger with a possible diesel would be a direct competitor for the f150, and ford has no interest in competing with itself for money. So for all those rumors about the euro ranger coming here, im laying them to rest once and for all.

I remembered seeing those overseas version of the Ranger at Iraq. I remembered they had a diesel engine, four doors, and a hard metal bed. It also had a lift to it from factory. Those Rangers are probably better than the Toyotas Pre-Runner, guaranteed. Those Rangers should be sold here. Those overseas Rangers will outlive the owner, that's why they won't bring them here. Who will buy another truck?

 

[Shoeboy]

I was in Oz back in 2003 and drove around in a Ford Falcon mini pickup, Ive had rangers since they were called (cough...cough) Couriers and I was very impressed... plenty of power, great handling, modern design.

They're called "Ute's" there. A friend of mine lives down under, and always makes fun of me when I call my truck a truck, and she will always reply with Ute. I nearly ordered a 1979 Holden Commodore HZ Ute a few months back, its a 1979 RHD El Camino. I know, I nearly went to the dark side, but can you imagine if the big three came back with the "El Camino", "Ranchero" and "Rampage". I'd probably go over to one of those vehicles and ditch the Ranger. Can you imagine a 5.4L, 5 speed in a car that doesn't weigh that much. That would move. Damn Aussies have all the best cars, but then again, they don't have the Mustang.

 

[Jason]

The problem here in america is the ridculous emissions standards. If they brought something over here by the time they choked it down the emissions BS it would make maybe 3\4 the power its supposed to (if your lucky).

I always wanted to see a 2dr Crown Vic with a 5.4L 3V....too bad it didnt happen :

The problem with vehicles nowadays is everything and everybody is concerned with is Ride quality and how much techno gizmos you can pack into something. What happend to crank windows, stick shift, and manual locks with a vynil seat and rubber floors?

The last REAL trucks, in my opinion were built back in the late 70's, when dashes were steel, Axles were solid, and transmissions got shifted by hand.

80-96, atleast for Fords were still acceptable, after that (other then the Superduty) theyve been trucks in Form only. Some disagree, and thats your right. I dont even really consider my 96 a "Real" Truck, my 78 on the other hand....

Just my rant.

later,
Dustin

Ever heard of the Euro 3 emissions standards? Europe is way worse than the US for emissions regulations. The real problem is what the general public wants. They want quiet and nice riding vehicles. If there is a substantial demographic that wanted something else and had some real cash, it would exist. Jeep still builds the Rubicon. There are folks that wanted it, and have the cash to buy it. That's all you need.

 

[Will]

Dustin won't believe this, but efficiency and economy go hand in hand with gas motors. Not all cars certified in the US in the mid 70s when the cats went on had cats on them. Some cars, through improved engine design, met the requirements without emissions control devices. In fact, even now, there are really very few emissions control devices.

Dustin is stuck in the past. When the old big motors got kicked in the stones by the EPA it was because Ford and the rest were had a business model that included being blindfolded and walking around operating farm equipment. The start adding stupid shit on rather than trying to improve the engine. It took them 10 years for the lights to begin to flicker, and by then the Japanese were on them like Pearl Harbor all over again.

The things the big three did to kill the power in their engines, as opposed to building better engines were like taking asprin to fight off the pain of gunshot wound. It was the Honda Civic that passed the emissions test without a catalytic converter incidentally. it also didn't have an air pump, retarded cam timing and a pathetic ignition curve. Those things scooted for having tiny engines in them--and they did it by careful design rather than slapping shit together.

Now, a 5.7 in that Charger makes more real power and torque than an old big-block in the "muscle car era". A 5.4 in an F150 pulls better than an old carbed 460.

I won't argue about the truck body. I have rubber mats, vinyl seats, metal dash, metal headliner and crank windows. It suits my careless nature. Automatics have been around as long as standard shifts in pickups though, and I prefer my TH400 to a M465. I don't have cupholders and the coffee doesn't tolerate shifting.

 

[pillen140]

I don't have cupholders and the coffee doesn't tolerate shifting.

ford has really bad cup holder designs! '90s escort, they were out lined circles 1/4 deep, my old ranger didnt have any, '96 explorer's has two that are shaped like a figure 8, and cant fit two cups at once! the new mustang has a small one and big one, very annoying because you cant have a large drink and the passanger has to get a small. its such a small thing, but really, why dont companies make good cup holders? actually my '95 ranger 5spd has good ones, thats about it!

sorry to get off topic!

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Dustin is stuck in the past. When the old big motors got kicked in the stones by the EPA it was because Ford and the rest were had a business model that included being blindfolded and walking around operating farm equipment. The start adding stupid shit on rather than trying to improve the engine. It took them 10 years for the lights to begin to flicker, and by then the Japanese were on them like Pearl Harbor all over again.

The things the big three did to kill the power in their engines, as opposed to building better engines were like taking asprin to fight off the pain of gunshot wound. It was the Honda Civic that passed the emissions test without a catalytic converter incidentally. it also didn't have an air pump, retarded cam timing and a pathetic ignition curve. Those things scooted for having tiny engines in them--and they did it by careful design rather than slapping shit together.

50 hp, 1500 lbs... whoopie, VW had been making cars like that since the 30's. And between the two I would take the VW hands down, they are both deathtraps anyway.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_civic#First_generation_.281973-1979.29

It is also a severe advantage to start from a clean slate. Honda just had to make a car that people wanted and build their empire off of that. The big three had to reinvent themselves into something completely different within a couple years. They had a magnificant run with the muscle cars, and I doubt they could grasp that the entire market would collapse in only a couple years, as it hadn't since the depression or WWII.

Honda and other imports did they same thing they did during the SUV fallout a couple years ago, they avoided the trends altogether and just made a reliable commuter car car. Not really a groundbreaking business model either, they get the crap kicked out of them in sales during a good trend, and shine when the market falls apart.

 

[Will]

And that is why Toyota is the big ONE now. They never get the crap kicked out of them. Look at the Honda Accords streak as the best selling car in America.

A company like Ford in 1970 had no excuse for not using their massive resources to build a car that could compete with an upstart. They were being stoopid.

 

[pillen140]

what are you talking about? the mustang II was the best! .....not!

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

And that is why Toyota is the big ONE now. They never get the crap kicked out of them. Look at the Honda Accords streak as the best selling car in America.

A company like Ford in 1970 had no excuse for not using their massive resources to build a car that could compete with an upstart. They were being stoopid.

The Civic didn't come out until 1973, so it would be kind of tough for anybody to make a competitor for a car that was three years prier to its release date and nobody knew would be successful or even worth competing with. The most powerfull musclecar hadn't even been built yet, and the oil embargo hadn't started, so they had no reason to change gears. Up to that point people had always wanted bigger more powerful cars, so it was a complete mix up when they all of the sudden didn't.

Ford had a car that would compete, the Pinto. The deletion of a measly little shield and a press heyday pretty much killed it.

I said Honda and other imports... that included Toyota. Their US truck scheme hasn't been all that strong, it took them 3 tries to get something that would halfway pass for a half ton, and the segment leader to ignore their compact truck for 10 years (that would be the Ford Ranger) to take over that class. They are pretty much the same thing as Honda, if the big three survive this round they will be at the bottom of the pile again until the next crash.