What in the world...

[Uncle Gump]

This just came up in my Google feed.

2026 Bronco Pickup?

2026 Ford Bronco Pickup Debuts with Hardcore Styling and Strong Gas Engine Performance - Kisan College https://share.google/eti2kkD2JYclhO5fk

Not sure i believe it...

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Fake news...

What We Know About The 2025 Ford Bronco Pickup - Know more!

Get the latest updates on the highly anticipated 2025 Ford Bronco Pickup and fuel your adventurous spirit with Goats Trail Apparel's rugged gear for offroading!

goatstrail.com

 

[sgtsandman]

Good. The bed in the picture looked next to useless. The first thing that crossed my mind was that the current version of the Ranger uses a frame based on the Bronco. So, one truck would be stealing market share from the other, possibly causing both to fail from not enough demand.

 

[Ranger850]

So, one truck would be stealing market share from the other, possibly causing both to fail from not enough demand.

That doesn't seem to be an issue with the Maverick/Bronco Sport. BOTH of those share the Escape platform, and all 3 of those sale in decent numbers. Meanwhile I was on a FORD dealer lot this weekend. Exactly ONE Ranger for sale, a topped out XLT FX4, $45k, not a single "Low end" XL STX , NO Broncos. Just a bunch of Mavericks and F150s

 

[sgtsandman]

That doesn't seem to be an issue with the Maverick/Bronco Sport. BOTH of those share the Escape platform, and all 3 of those sale in decent numbers. Meanwhile I was on a FORD dealer lot this weekend. Exactly ONE Ranger for sale, a topped out XLT FX4, $45k, not a single "Low end" XL STX , NO Broncos. Just a bunch of Mavericks and F150s

Different markets on the Maverick and Bronco Sport. Well sort of. Something with a truck bed and a crossover SUV. Though an argument can be made for something like the Escape and the Bronco Sport since they are about the same size. A different look, but basically the same thing.

As far as what you saw on the lot, I can't begin to figure out Ford's marketing plan. Or maybe it's the dealer's marketing plan? I wonder if they are just buying what sells the most for the lot and letting custom orders for everything else be the model they are running with. I know the F150 is Ford's baby and they would rather sell that than just about anything else in the inventory.

 

[Saddle Tramp]

The Ranger, Bronco and if I remember a F150 variant are built at the same factory. Ford pushes the Bronco production because of the higher profit margins.

 

[Ranger850]

The Ranger, Bronco and if I remember a F150 variant are built at the same factory. Ford pushes the Bronco production because of the higher profit margins.

" Profit Margin" That was kinda my point. NO low end models are on the lot, so the Dealership will say " Nobody ever buys the low end models". To the point that FORD quit delivering stripped down Rangers and made the STX the lowest trim on an XL model, AND still, none of those to be seen on the lot. All the Mavericks were in the mid 30K range, a truck that was supposed to be a small affordable truck has become an overpriced status symbol ( some how?) nowhere near the "Under $20k truck" they promised a few years ago.

 

[SenorNoob]

I feel like we've effectively passed the days of ANY new (Or even most used less than 10 years old) vehicle being under $20,000. Which is crazy to me. I only paid $45,000 for my house.

 

[Blmpkn]

I feel like we've effectively passed the days of ANY new (Or even most used less than 10 years old) vehicle being under $20,000. Which is crazy to me. I only paid $45,000 for my house.

Yeah.... I paid 3k dollars more for my bronco than my parents did for 5 acres and a 2400sq foot house in the mid 80s.

Ive now got a quickly depreciating asset and my mother is up 10x on her investment lol.

 

[RobbieD]

Yeah.... I paid 3k dollars more for my bronco than my parents did for 5 acres and a 2400sq foot house in the mid 80s.

But; you can't drive a house . . .

. . . unless a tornado comes along.


Prices on EVERYTHING is nuts these days.

And from what I keep reading, somehow it's us Boomers' fault.


I do sincerely feel bad for younger folks, though. They are definitely getting a shittier deal than the rest of us.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

The Ranger, Bronco and if I remember a F150 variant are built at the same factory. Ford pushes the Bronco production because of the higher profit margins.

Bronco and Ranger share the same assembly line, the current Ranger is actually based on the Ranger. F-150 does not touch their factory.

By the time you get a rear bulkhead in there the bed as pictured isn't much bigger than the cargo bay of a regular Bronco... which is far from huge. The Bronco SUV (unlike a Bronco Sport) having a semi-easily removable roof compared a pickup kind of makes a Bronco with a similar sized bed look kind of silly.

And then you look over the fence at a Gladiator with all that and a 5' bed...

 

[sgtsandman]

Bronco and Ranger share the same assembly line, the current Ranger is actually based on the Ranger. F-150 does not touch their factory.

By the time you get a rear bulkhead in there the bed as pictured isn't much bigger than the cargo bay of a regular Bronco... which is far from huge. The Bronco SUV (unlike a Bronco Sport) having a semi-easily removable roof compared a pickup kind of makes a Bronco with a similar sized bed look kind of silly.

And then you look over the fence at a Gladiator with all that and a 5' bed...

I think you meant the current Ranger is based on the Bronco.

From what I understand, the load capacity of the Gladiator is pretty much the same as the Wrangler. I remember reading about people being disappointed about that. So, other than the increased storage room, which the Wrangler desperately needs, you really don't gain much.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I think you meant the current Ranger is based on the Bronco.

From what I understand, the load capacity of the Gladiator is pretty much the same as the Wrangler. I remember reading about people being disappointed about that. So, other than the increased storage room, which the Wrangler desperately needs, you really don't gain much.

Yeah, that.

Gladiator is more but like a typical mid-size or even half ton its easy to wish for more. I know they are pretty stout for pulling, like rated to 7500lbs.

 

[Blmpkn]

But; you can't drive a house . . .

. . . unless a tornado comes along.


Prices on EVERYTHING is nuts these days.

And from what I keep reading, somehow it's us Boomers' fault.


I do sincerely feel bad for younger folks, though. They are definitely getting a shittier deal than the rest of us.

I'm just about in the middle of the millennial generation, and while things for us ARE definitely measurably worse than they were for the.. more seasoned generations.. I can say with absolute certainty that a meaningful amount of the whining from people my age and younger about how things are is just that.. whining.

Having a "woe is me" attitude, coupled with an extreme amount of entitlement, a lack of drive to better ones life, poor life choices (especially willfully living above ones means, double especially with vehicle payments).. these things just exacerbate everyone's issues. Having 4 kids while still in your 20s don't help either that's another issue though..

I know kids I went to school with that STILL work bullshit entry level/low paying jobs & complain about how much they struggle to pay rent.. but still somehow have money to go out to the brewery twice a week, smoke all the weed in the world, and pay for way more streaming services than are necessary people who are still paying on student loans for USELESS degrees they DONT USE... it's wild.

The labor shortage during covid was the younger generations perfect chance to get a REAL job if they didn't have one already.. yet.. nearly nobody I know took the opportunity. I know people still frying chicken at gas stations that could of easily increased their pay by an easy 50% by starting out in an entry level position in just about ANY of the trades.. and would be making 2x what they used to by now... But nope.. laziness mixed with complacency has kept them down.

"Get a job you like and you'll never have to work a day in your life"


... It's a good philosophy, sure. But it's just not realistic.. and people can't see that it's keeping them down. Get a good paying job. Who gives a shit if it's not your dream job? I'd rather suffer from boredom at a well paying job than poor-dom for the amount of time that I'm NOT at work.. which is the majority of ones time..


I dropped out of high school AND dropped out of college (flunked out, technically... I got tired of it and stopped showing up. School was NEVER my thing.. I DIDNT WANT to go to college.. a domineering mother forced me to go).. got a monkey job putting up seamless gutters once I moved back to Maine and now I make 2x the state wide average household income.. my living situation isn't great and I'm not happy with where I am at this point in my life but that shit is ENTIRELY MY FAULT for one reason or another. I'm not gonna stoop low enough to blame the boomers.. that's all on me. It's called accountability.. something the younger generations have no grasp of.

2025 and 2026.. the years I turn this boat around and get to where I should be. Drive. Ambition. It's really not that difficult. Get out there and make it fuckin happen


I've said it before, I'll say it again.. I'm gonna be a extremely grumpy old man by the time I'm an actual old man. My level of grumpy is easily 90% of the way there already and I'm still a solid couple decades away..

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I have a young friend who just finished his welding apprenticeship. He is making $55/hour. If his body holds out and he is smart with his income he could be retired in 20 years, which would put him under 50 years old. Wish I had been that smart...