The Nissan Frontier D40 (current US model) dates back to 2004 so that puts it into its 16th year for 2019. I will also note that your profile pic has an ancient Bronco or something, and in many threads on the Bronco forum, people seem to want a brand new 1966 Bronco.

I am confused as to why anyone's expectations of the Ranger involve some kind of brand new "spaceship" design that will "wow" people. Pickup trucks are crude body-on-frame vehicles, and having been a van owner, will note that Ford's E-series van basically dates back to 1975. It's mostly gone but I think they're still doing chassis cabs on a platform that is OVER 40 YEARS OLD. And the old Ranger pickup went from 1983 to 2011, or 19 model years.

Posts on these Ford truck forums are fairly inconsistent. Some complain about new technology like EcoBoost engines and high tech/safety equipment and streamlined bodies. So they seem to want brand new boxy 1966 Broncos and solid axles on both ends, but complain because the Ranger is based partially on a (dated or proven depending on your POV) design that is 9 years old and still quite modern.

Would you like a carbon fiber unit body Ranger/Bronco that goes 200 mph over the Rubicon trail while pulling a 32' camper and gets 40 mpg? And looks like a 1966 Bronco and costs $20,000? With a V8 of course. I think we all would but...

A lot of complaints seem to be about price. Many complainers don't want (or can't afford) to pay the price for any new vehicle--so why would your input matter to Ford? Trucks are cash cows and have huge profit margins built in. If you are a used truck buyer, fine....buy used. There are great deals on "ugly duckling" trucks like the Nissan Titan...one of my approaches in the past was to buy vehicles that depreciated like rocks when they were a couple years old (assuming their value drop was not because they were junk).

If you are an actual new vehicle buyer, vote with your wallet and the market will sort itself out. The Ranger may or may not be a big success--I suspect it will do very well once prices settle down with incentives and discounts, assuming it proves to be tough and reliable. Find a Ford employee and get "friends and family" deals if you want a Ranger ASAP.

I doubt very much that the Ranger will be all new for the US in 2 years. Nissan redid the Frontier for world markets in 2014 (new model is D23) but they are still selling the 2004 (D40 model) truck in the US. The US Transit Connect was redone after 3 years, but the original was built in Turkey on old assembly lines, not new assembly lines like Ford is using in Wayne, MI.

George

 

 

X2
MT lost all credibility when the Honda Ridgeline was MT truck of the year for 2006.

 

I think that it was Alfred Sloan, working at GM in the 1920s and 1930s, when asked about making a low priced car to compete with the Model T, who said to leave the low priced end of the market to used cars. GM almost buried Ford at the time, so that strategy seemed to work then. Maybe it will work for Ford now.

On the other hand, the Korean manufacturers seem to be making money by selling new cars with lots of features, but priced below the competition. In other words, good values.

The issue seems to be that Ford cannot make any money unless the car/truck costs a bundle, so Ford sells the least amount of vehicle that it can for the most amount of money it can.

Good plan, if it works.

This is exactly right. People love to whine and complain about the cost as they reach for their wallets. If you think the Ranger is too expensive, don't buy it.

GMC said that 60% of its pickup truck sales are the top line Denali trim. The number is similar for Lariat trims and above at Ford. If people want to pay stupid money for a truck, why should the OEMs disagree?

The new F250 diesel (I have owned 3 new F250s and 2 new Rams Cummins in the last 20 years) has gotten waaaaaay to expensive for me. And I only tow 11,000 lbs., so huge capabilities are not something that I am willing to pay for. That is why I went used this time (saved a friggin' bundle. Like long vacation in Fiji bundle).

 

The success of the Ridgeline proves that many people who buy pickups do not really need pickups. So car-like properties win comparison tests.

 

Went to the local Ford dealer this afternoon. The very first Ranger that arrived within the last week sold this morning and was being detailed for it's new owner. Wanted to check 9ne out and test drive. There is one at a dealer 45 miles from me. More are in Transit but they take time to get up here.

was really looking forward to driving one, although won't be able to get a real idea of power for a few months with our ice/snow covered roads.

 

If Honda selling 30,500 Ridgelines in 2018 proves people want a car like ride in a truck, what does it say when the roughest riding truck and oldest Nissan Frontier sold 80,000? I don't mind the Ridgeline concept/idea, it is a nice vehicle for a lot of people. It needs to tow more and at least look like a truck a little more IMO for me to ever consider it. I agree MT is very biased and probably pays the top advertiser back in most articles.

 

There is no doubt the Frontier is a real truck and that the Ridgeline is an SUV-based "crossover" pickup truck...

There are people who want to own a pickup truck that drives like a car/SUV, and the Ridgeline is a great vehicle for them....remember the El Camino and Ranchero? (And Dodge Rampage, Subaru BRAT, etc?) They were crossover car/pickup trucks back in the day. I don't think they ever sold in large numbers, but they did work for a few people...I don't recall their towing capacity or payloads, but they certainly did not stand up to real trucks...

 

A co-worker just bought a 2019 Ridgeline and I have to say that I'm no less than completely impressed with this vehicle. Honda put a ton of thought into this vehicle and smacked that one right out of the park. It's not heavy duty nor does it have to be. It does what it's designed to do. I prefer a bit more of an aggressive look than the Honda but I have to admit, I'd buy one, it'll pull a 5x8 trailer.

 

God help you if you get a flat in a Ridgeline while the bed is full. Spare tire access is thru the floor of the bed. You'd have to unload half the truck to get to the spare tire.

 

Many cars don't even HAVE a freaking spare tire any more (a spare was an option on my Grand Caravan)...and almost every SUV and car has the spare under the trunk so you have to unload.

Although I personally refuse to buy a vehicle without a spare, the chances that I have to use one are extremely low. One time in the last 10 years I think... Tire pressure sensors make for advance warning for any flat that doesn't involve a gigantic slashed tire. Road service insurance doesn't cost that much.

I think the enclosed compartment under the bed of the Ridgeline is kind of weird. You can certainly put your cooler and sports gear under there, but if you use the pickup bed to carry a load, you have to empty it to get to the beer or sports gear. It seems to be designed to drive around empty, which is actually what most pickups seem to do.

 

I got a flat on my 2004 expy on I-95 in Maine with 8 of us in the truck and all of our gear. I had to completely unload the back, fold the rear down forward to get to the tire irons, jack and the tire winch. I'm not seeing how that makes a Ridgeline a deal breaker.

 

I think the point being made was a pickup (the Ridgeline claims to be) should have the ability to utilize its full size spare with the bed loaded. What if you have a pallet of (whatever) in there and no way to move it? Situation is typically different in a SUV/Car as they aren't designed to carry the types of loads pickup trucks are.

That said if I get one in my Excursion i'll have to unhook my high sub box and remove any cargo to get my spare out, but my F-150 the bed doesn't need to be touched.

I can say I only see a handful of Ridgelines on the road here (any generation) but would loose count within .25/mile if i was counting Rangers(old ones), s-10/colorados, frontiers..ect

 

I see your point but, if you had "real" pick up with a pallet of say 750 pounds of whatever in the bed, do think that the flimsy POS scissor jack is going to be strong enough to handle the load? That's a silly question for sure and for that reason, I keep a 3 ton bottle jack in my truck.

 

This thread was started when I read that the Ranger plant was going into overtime to satisfy the demand. I have no doubt that the Ranger will outsell the Ridgeline, the Frontier, and very possibly the GM twins (although that remains to be seen). Thread tangents are not a huge problem for me, but worrying about flat tires is not something that most people *really* need to do.

If you have fears of getting a flat in any vehicle, spend $50 per year and buy yourself some road service insurance...then if you have a flat on the road, the nice man in the tow truck will either come and change it or flatbed your truck to a tire store where you can have the flat fixed or buy a new tire. The $50 is less than a full tank of gas for a big truck. For more insurance, carry a tire plugging kit and a small 12 volt compressor with you...or a can of fix-a-flat (although that will cost you the price of a tire pressure sensor if you need to use it).

I don't think anyone is under the impression that the Ridgeline is a tough work truck or heavy tow vehicle, but it will be competing with the Ranger in the recreational pickup truck market. Internet forums did not exist in the days of the Ranchero and El Camino, but I see the Ridgeline as filling that market niche.