Come on everyone, lets laugh at the new Ford Ranger

Starting price:
2019: $25,195 ($29,896 in 2023 dollars)
2020: $25,305
2021: $26,015
2022: $27,425
2023: $28,895
2024: $35,755
Ford has been really on lately, they released the new Bronco, Maverick, and Lightning in short succession. All were appealing and exciting vehicles through some combination of price, features, or technology.

But then they released the new Ranger today and oh jeeze it's the PS3 of trucks. Overpriced upon release with a disappointing amount of configuration.

Don't be fooled, this design was phoned in from Australia (not a bad thing). It was a fine truck, but somehow on the journey across the Pacific it lost everything I might of liked about it. It lost the manual transmission, diesel engine, and most irritatingly the single cab and extended cab options. Knew the first two weren't going to happen, but losing all cab options was an unpleasant surprise.

So that leaves the crew cab short bed option only, which is essentially a truck configured as a car, basically a car+truck or cuck as I call it (Ford that feel free to use that in your promotional materials). I'm not going to say crew cabs don't have their place, but if your only selling the CCSB configuration, your not trying to sell a work vehicle your selling a fashion accessory. Ford neutered it, and they'll sell a million.

The good news is the new Tacoma is coming out soon, and it is way more appealing based on official leaks. I remain cautiously optimistic that the price will be reasonable (<30k). This could age poorly, maybe new trucks are all getting that expensive, I doubt it.

 

Expensive and pointless! What a waste! I thought Ford was "getting it" but apparently they lucked into some good ideas in the past couple years.

 

Chevy did the same with their Colorado and canyon. Nice looking vehicles but they couldn’t fit a bicycle in the bed. What a waste and Chevy models top end are over 60 grand for a half of a truck

 

I'm curious to see what Tacoma pricing is going to look like.

Manufacturers have realized they can make more money selling smaller numbers of higher margin vehicles. I'm sure Ford looked at sales numbers and found that auto crew cab short beds had the highest take rate.

(It's gotta be the same with Tacoma, you can't throw a rock without hitting a DCSB)

The more variation in a product, the more expensive and complex it is to produce.

I like the look of 2door ext cabs, but I probably wouldn't buy one. The double cab is just more practical unless bed space is the priority. Since most of these are literally bought to be used as cars with beds, that's probably not an issue for most buyers.

I always hear about the "work truck" market, but it that really that big of a segment? Besides the Orkin man I hardly ever see small trucks used in that role. Not saying it doesn't happen, but not too common where I live.

That said, I don't find anything particularly exciting about the new Ranger other than the fact that it's cool you can still get a V6, and that the Raptor has a coil sprung rear.

My pick in this segment is the GMC Canyon AT4.

 

If we are talking useless cargo small bed small motors unreliable turbo chargers then I agree. The AT4 is hot and very good off-road. I just saw a YouTube TFL truck segment on it and looks pretty capable . It is a great looking vehicle but the cost is ridiculously high but so is everything else.

 

The good news is that currently most of the Ford line up comes with a recall too, so you can become friends with your service advisor.

 

Wait until the new Taco comes out. I expect a large price increase for that too.

 

I am sure you’re right. The new Canyon jumped also. Price increases plus the interest rates it’s insane.

 

Cuck! Classic ford

 

Well I rode in the backseat of one. Not much room and when you turn to get out you bust your knee on the door hinge. We were pulling a 250 cruiser so it’s got plenty of power and traction control with the turbo 4. Then I hurt my elbow removing a dolly fishing from the back because it’s got a spacer lift. Took over a year to heal.

 

Playing devil's advocate, you have seen current pricing on Toyotas, right?

 

In my mind, the Toyotas are worth eery penny of their cost. Why? Toyota doesn't have the "planned obsolescence" American designed/built cars have. They last longer, and better than the American designed cars do.

Just my opinion, for whatever it's worth.
Pat☺

 

It’s the crash protection. The cabin don’t leave much room for you to bounce around.

 

This high price crap makes me root for some Chinese upstart penetrating the US market like Akio Toyoda penetrates me with his probe every day.

 

Seems like those little 4cylinder eco boost run pretty good though.

 

My buddy has a ranger. It's pretty nice. Way better seating position than the taco and just pleasant all around to drive.


However they just announced the ranger raptor. 405HP 430TQ. Starts at 57k.
https://media.ford.com/content/ford...ll-new-2024-ford-ranger-raptor-is-ready-.html

if the Tacoma did not exist I'd probably go the ranger route.

 

True! People are paying well over $50K for 4Runners, and Tacos are right behind them.

Let's get ready to give another big thanks to the people who couldn't live without a brand new 4Runner and went and paid thousands over MSRP for letting Toyota know that the 4Runner wasn't expensive enough. I suspect the market will right itself sometime after easy money gets harder to come by.

$57K doesn't seem bad, especially when you consider that people are paying that much or more for 4Runners.

 

I might just invent an e-bike powered truck. Cops want to pull me over for it? I'll tell them kiss off I'm not paying that kind of money for a truck.

 

and bronco raptors going for at least 10k over around where i live....that's 95k and more.....

 

Wow! Damn near 6 figures for that ugly ass thing!? Sheesh!

For that money, I'd rather build something.

 

Yeah that ranger raptor is pretty cool! Best part is they put normal sized tires on it.

A raptor with "raptor lights"..

 

"Flared fenders with functional fender vents house aggressive 33-inch BFGoodrich® all-terrain KO3 tires on 17-inch wheels that can be mounted to optional beadlock capable wheels with available bead locks for running extra low tire pressures in sand and rocky conditions"

Lots of cool stuff just in this little excerpt.

But, the thing that stuck out the most was the mention of the BFG KO3! WOOT! I can't wait to watch it be the best tire ever for a few years, and then the market will catch up and then some people will say they're overrated garbage! Not that that sort of thing has ever happened before.

 

KO3 has terrible wet traction...

Eh, edit for people that don't realize I'm trolling

 

Lol! For a second I was thinking "how the hell does he already know this?"

I'm super curious now. I might have to check out BFG's website.

 

They're new so sound exciting. I had OG KO's on a Ford exploder about 20 years ago and didn't like the wet traction (when worn prob 75%) or in the mud. To be fair, the thick, slick clay carolina clay mud doesn't really work for anything other than an MT that can clear treads but the KOs literally turned into racing slicks.

KO2s look great but never tried them. I'm on rugged treks, that are supposed to be hybrids, but haven't honestly tested them so don't know if they are a good balance or not. I know the dunflops were difficult to break loose on wet pavement even when trying (everything stock) and I can get the treks to break loose new with all the weight and larger size - I expected that with wider tread blocks though and it's not excessive and the traction control recovers quickly.

If wet traction was the KO2 Achilles heel, interested in what the KO3 brings

 

Sounds like you like the Ranger. What does the Tacoma existing have anything to do with that?

Personally, I think Tacoma is super overrated.

 

Tacoma looks way, way better. At least perceived very reliable. Better aftermarket support.

For me it's a no brainer, Tacoma or nothing. But if it didn't exist then my top pick mid sized truck would be ranger. Looks good enough. Probably reliable. Decent aftermarket suport.

 

It out tows the 4R and Tacoma. And I’m not spending cheese unless it can pull a 250 cruiser.

 

I think the new Ranger looks great, and it could of been a very handy medium truck. The problem is that price jump.

Ford doesn't give a shit. The base F150 costs less for crying out loud! Ford can make a compelling vehicle, they made the Maverick one of the most affordable vehicles on the market.

When I see this price I think that's them telling me to buy either an F150 or a Maverick. Because Ford can make a compellingly priced truck, and this is not one.

 

This is what I was thinking but was too afraid to ask!