My only comment on this is another boanheaded, shortsighted move by Ford. This is equally as stupid and short sighted as not selling the super crew Ranger in the US and getting kicked in the junk by every other manufaturer that does -
Ignoring your best selling product for so long that your competition re-designs there's several times over, improves there's several times over, adds more features to there's several times over - while you do so little that you have the same basic body for the last 15 years, much less the same basic unimproved & unmodified motors - that is just plain stupid. Instead of continuing to set the pace as the ranger did at one time - Ford so neglected the Ranger that it's competition has kicked the ranger in the junk. I say this as a guy who has owned 5 of them, and I am now trying to decide what I am going to buy next because it won't be a Ranger since they are going to stop making them. When your at the top of the stack and do nothing to stay there for almost 15 years - that is just plain stupid.
hsfbfan:
With the cost of fuel increasing as it is, don't you think that the demand for vehicles that get better fuel economy will increase as the demand for larger, less efficient vehicles drops off? I do.
Sometimes you sacrifice a little bit of profit to insure that your customers have a product available that meets their needs. The brand loyalty of Toyota and Honda owners comes to mind. They bought the 100k mile coupes/sedans because they could not afford new. They liked what they got for their money. They came back and bought new Accords and Camrys, and their children will do the same. They do not remember the 1200 cc Datsun and the Toyota Corolla that came in the first waves. That would rust out in Cleveburg in a minute, that would barely climb out of Denver heading west. All they know is the product of today, and they got there by being available at all price levels.
Just my opinion. I think FoMoCo is ignoring a segment, and has failed to invest in the product beyond 'face lifts' since 1984. I bet the base cab from then would bolt onto the current frame.
They ignored the T/Sable and blew the best selling car off to the rental companies. They invested money in Jaguar, Rover, Volvo, Mazda, and Aston-Martin. Instead of getting the latest Mondeo over here, or the latest Focus, either of which put the locals to shame, they put money into power 3rd seat development. Managers make choices, and I think some are not very well thought out. This is another in that category, in my opinion.
tom
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^ Exactly my point! Food for thought. If I get fed up with Ford and buy a Nissan or Toyota, when the Ranger comes back out - what will Ford do to try and win me back over? Gee they screwed me by not selling the Super Crew Ranger here I want so bad, they have ignored me, a loyal Ranger owner for almost 20 years, the ignored me or my brand loyalty for about 15 years....hmm I could go on, but my point is what they are doing now with the ranger is stupid and short sighted, it will only make them loose loyal customers to there competitors...and at this point can Ford really afford to do that? Is that really a smart plan? Once they do this how will they win guy like me back, because if I buy a Nissan or Toy and am happy with it why would I want to switch back to a Ranger? Especially when Ford has proved in the past they will ignore that market. What do I know, I am just a guy looking to off my Ranger now and move on to another brand because the one I am loyal to is screwing me on this deal -
Maybe so but when these decisions were made gas was cheap and full size trucks and SUV's were the order of the day. You cant have vehicles out from idea to the street in a short period of time.
Did you guys read the entire article that the link referred too? Midsize F100 coming in 2011 and a new Ranger in 2012? The Ranger doesn't appear to be dead, just resting.
I have always wondered why nuts and bolts were designed to be tightened to the right instead of to the left. Unless you are trying to fasten the hardware from behind.
Maybe in the southern hemisphere the screws tighten counter-clockwise like how the water goes down the drain in the opposite direction than it does in the northern hemisphere.
If the F-100 is going to be like the Explorer Sport Trac then I won't be buying one. What am I going to do with a 4 foot bed?
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Duane
It's better to burn out... than to fade away - Joe Elliot
May be Ford suggest people will not bue F150 trucks becouse low fuel milage, prefering rangers, but many of us got F-150 for crew cab only ore for with extended cabine to have normak rear sofa, not jump seats.... Many of us love trucks and do not love to drive cars, like me...
So market need ranger with crew cabine...
i can tell you this first hand......my dealer was doing everything he could to get me into an f-150......and when i was leaning towards the ranger, i was then looked at, and i felt like a second class citizen.......the salesman enthusiasm went out the door, and come to find out they make more off of the f-150 than the ranger
to me i was like....hey im buying a NEW ride, regardless of your % that you make
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no ticky, no laundry
My name is Paul, and my ride is a 2006 ranger tremor 4x4
Quote HSFBFAN:
Maybe so but when these decisions were made gas was cheap and full size trucks and SUV's were the order of the day. You cant have vehicles out from idea to the street in a short period of time.
....
Okay, can't be done overnight, but they have been fiddlin' with redesigns for years. They HAVE the Far East Ranger designed and being built TODAY. Make another assembly line just like the other one... They are again depending on the big-time profit from the F150 to carry the rest of their model line-up. Bad idea. Look what happened when they had all their eggs in the Explorer basket and the Firestone tires started to turn to goo, flipping Explorers like pancakes. They are doing the same, with all their hopes for profit depending on the F150 model lineup. Not very perspicacious, if you ask me. I know enough to not have all my investment in one company stock, I spread it around and hope they all don't go toes up at the same time. They seem so short-sighted and stock-market-driven in their planning they lose track of their customers in the rush to meet or beat the 'Wall Street' analysts projections. The Street guys don't build a damn thing. They produce NOTHING, yet they run the Corporations around by the nose to meet the Street expectations.
A good company would ignore Wall Street and focus on building a product that people want at a fair price. That, and treat your customers with respect seems to be a good plan, one that has been ignored as demonstrated by most of the responses to the original article.
Just My 2 copper clads worth...
tom
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It's not how hard you work, it's how much you get done. Simplificate and add lightness
Maybe in the southern hemisphere the screws tighten counter-clockwise like how the water goes down the drain in the opposite direction than it does in the northern hemisphere.
If the F-100 is going to be like the Explorer Sport Trac then I won't be buying one. What am I going to do with a 4 foot bed?
The article said it would be a replacement for the sport trac, not like it. Supposed to be sized between the Dodge Dakota and a 97-03 F-150.
Look what really happens. During gas crisis of 70-80-s USSR got very good profits saling oil and did much to reduse fuel consumption inside country. In USSR many gasoline engines were converted to CNG ore LPG. This tendention was saved after fall of USSR and now we have all city buses with CNG engines. CNG is 3 times cheapper then gas but.... we have more and more cars now. Yeah, average modern car use twice less car of 80-s.
And now whe have not enought gas for all cars. Using alternative fuel, like CNG, LPG, ethanol, synfuel may really make gas cheapper. Look at South Afrrican respublic! The import no barrel of oil, but they have more gas, then they need and export it. Decisive solutions may easily kill all the oil industry. Oil kings know it well and they praise all gods for automotive industry to make guzzer cars. Automotive industry I guess will be ready for new power technologies soon ore may be they are ready now. But cars with gasoline engines will never disapeare.... why? Just imagine a half ore more cars with electric engines... Ok! who will bue gas having this alternative? I know a gue who converted his car to electric engine. He got 10 220Ah used batteries from semitractors (really he got more, but 10 only were good). He installed 50Kwt engine from fork lift truck. Fully charged battery may let car run about 70 miles. 6 hours to revolt.... But batteries live 3-4 years only. He did some calculations and taking into account current battery prise (no reason to take into account that he got used batteries) he has 40% economy only, but gas is more expencive every day. And if industry will make cheap and light battery, like Li-Ion ore Li-polymer what will happen?
They don't need to redesign the ranger on my account, I like it just fine the way it is. I don't like change, thats why I bought a retro stang. I wish they still made the early bronco and jeep CJ for that matter. Really the only thing the ranger needed was the crewcab option, not that I need it, but there are those who do. The size, the look are all good to go and the ruggedness of course. Waves, why do you need updated engines in the ranger, you only buy the 3.0 anyway ha ha. I would like to see a straight 6 in the ranger, great lowend torque motors. It's a shame the ole 300 I-6 won't fit, that would be my swap for my 88, but it won't. I really don't know what people want the ranger to change to, other than a crewcab, it's a great truck, tough as nails, it's handsome and the 4.0 and 2.3 have plenty of power, all that you need, maybe not all that you want, but all you need. HP is a head game, cause no matter how much you have, it's never enough. I know alot of you would like a diesel, but the american auto makers and japanese as a whole are reluctant to use diesels in the american market, not just the ranger. I bet if the only things you changed on the ranger, were to offer a crewcab and a diesel, kept evrything else the same, it would once again be the best selling small p/u in a america. It's sorta pointless to ponder it now, since were getting a new compact ranger and a mid size, should be something between the two for everyone. I know there will be a V-8, a crewcab, a new look, better mpg and maybe a diesel down the road, I don't know which truck will get what, except the F-100 gets the V-8 for sure. I still would like to have a 4 cylinder ranger 4x4 that gets 30 mpg and has a manual tranny and t-case with no carpet.
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2009 FORD RANGER fx4 off/road, 5-speed manual, torson diff and rancho's!
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