Only $9500 off the F150, or roughly 20%?

You live in the wrong part of the country my friend.

For a pickup, 25% off MSRP is the starting point for me. Would never pay more than that and have never had to. 25% off MSRP is pretty common around here. The good deals start at 30% off MSRP and have snagged those more than once.

Just bought a new 2019 Escape at 38% off MSRP.

And no, I can't do that every day of the week or any truck on the lot. But if you have patience and look around, those deals are out there.

The F150 is sale priced at $34,500 at a local dealer. But this dealer pads the price by $250 for window tinting, so call it $34,750.

The Ranger is $33,700 at the same dealer. Yes, the Ranger is cheaper, but look what you get for $1000 more in the F150.

 

If you think buying a truck is expensive, don't try buying groceries.... I happen to disagree though, I live in the best state in the union. Most beautiful to boot!

All of it is a moot point, because whatever you would save buying in the lower 48 would be eaten up quickly shipping it up, could potentially break even if you drove it up and slept in the truck and didn't eat much.

 

Sorry. Could not live in a place where my car/truck gets dirty the second it leaves the car wash. I own 10-12 cars. It would drive me crazy.

 

Currently have 17 registered and insured in the driveway. My f150 is on day 23 (and 300 miles) after a detail and all I've had to do is wipe the brake dust off the white 22s and it looks fantastic. Not sure what you're trying to say...

 

This this this this. ^^^

I grew up a Ford Ranger fan. Had a '90, '93, '99, and '03 in the fam over the years. Loved them all. But I couldn't stomach the "new" Ranger after seeing it in person. It's clearly an outdated truck, with certain features literally thrown on it at the last second (take a look at the brake controller, door keypad, etc. They look like Fisher Price designed them.) The front suspension design leaves zero room for upgrading tires unless you also want to do wheels with negative offset. The only engine option is a turbo-4. The interior looks like they ripped it out of a 2011 Edge. The magazine reviews are all mixed, with some praising the truck and others commenting on it's terrible braking, rough suspension, and outdated design. I just couldn't bring myself to fall in love.

Plus, a truly NEW Ranger is coming in 24 months from what all the reports are telling us.

So, I brought home a 2020 Jeep Gladiator instead. Max Tow package gives me 1,511 lbs. payload and 7,650 lbs. towing. The interior looks modern. The brakes are HUGE and stop the truck on a dime. The ride is like a dream; the rear suspension is adapted from the award winning Ram 1500 design. The transmission is a ZF-based unit, loved worldwide. I've already had a blast playing with larger tires, auxiliary lights, and other modifications. Did I mention we can ride around with the doors and top off WHILE hauling an ATV or load of lumber? Can't take the truck anywhere that people don't literally follow us into stores to ask about it, or slow down in the adjacent lane to take videos. The resale is pegged at 70% @ 48 months by the banks, which makes lease payments dirt cheap. I'm in love.

Maybe the 2021/22 Ranger will be one that I can rekindle my love for. But right now, the Jeep Gladiator is the love affair. Ford, you should have brought your A-game.

 

I think that just maybe you are stretching this point just a bit. The ride of vehicles with solid front and rear axles has never been described as dreamy, in my experience.


Exactly, but as long as people (many of whom are in this forum) start drooling whenever they see FORD on something, anything, "good enough" is what we will get.

People criticize me for being critical of Ford, but unless you demand the best, you will not get it. Accept "OK' or "not bad" or "good enough", and this is what Ford will sell.

Toyo is the same way. Everyone, and I mean everyone, says the Taco is a pretty crappy truck. But it has a good reliability reputation, and Toyo fans are very loyal, so Toyo has no reason to spend big development dollars to make a decent truck. So the Taco stays crap.

 

I haven't really had the stomach to defend the Ranger much since it's launch in the US mainly due to all the reasons that have already been beaten into the ground.

But, to try and compare the Gladiator to any other mid sized truck available isn't really being fair and honest to anyone. The Gladiator comes with some really deep pockets considering it's $33,545 entry price. With that price you're in F-150 / 1500 price ranges with a ton more capability to work, tow and pull. The Gladiator is a niche vehicle and I'm glad it's here because choices are vitally important.

To say that the Taco is crap is a stretch from hell IMHO. On Toyota's darkest days of quality, they will still be more reliable than anything from Detroit and their customer service will always outshine the best that Ford can / will offer.

I'm eager to see what comes behind the current Ranger offering.

 

Never said that the Taco broke a lot. Reliability is its saving grace. But the Taco is 2-3 generations behind in powertrain, ride, handling and interior, to name a few. And that is not me saying it. Everyone is saying it. Read the reviews.

The Taco does not break, but it is a very poor truck. Yet the faithful buy them, which is why Toyo has not put any serious development money into the truck in over a decade.

And that is my point. I get why people buy the Taco, really I do, but if people are willing to buy crap, crap is what they will get.

 

????? I think the Taco is a GREAT truck. I think it's a lousy *car*, which is where the criticisms come from. The Ford E-van chassis ran from 1975 to 2014...it was (and is) a DARN good truck.

Trucks are work vehicles. My impression of an ideal truck is something that will put its work capabilities above gimmickry and new technology. It should be physically comfortable because people spend a long time behind the wheel, but it does not need every possible electronic gadget that Lincoln puts in its luxury cars.

People buy Jeeps (and now Gladiators) because, once again, there is a certain aspect of crudeness to them in their removable tops and solid axles. If you take a decibel meter and measure the noise at 75 mph in a Wrangler or Gladiator, I am guessing it will be terribly loud. And once you put huge mudder tires on one (as many people do), it gets louder yet. There is nothing really modern or comfortable in the creature comforts in a Gladiator compared to a Ranger.

I bought an F100 pickup brand new in 1978 because I wanted a tough commuter and recreational support vehicle; I did not need a truck but I bought one because it was definitely different from a car. It was a Flareside and had a wood slat bed, and the same rear fenders as a 1953 F100. 300 inch six and 4 speed manual OD transmission were very trucklike. I put some nice wheels and tires on it and drove it for 100k miles. After that, I drove full size vans from 1986 to 2016, or 30 years. They were all trucks, and although the newer ones were quite comfortable, they were still trucks underneath.

Ford is aiming the Ranger partially at recreational markets (who also buy Jeep Wranglers), and we shall see how successful they really are in terms of sales numbers. The campers, bicyclists, kayakers, and rock climbers who might buy a Ranger are tolerant of a lot of physical adversity and I don't think they will complain all that much about the Ranger. The truck-like character may instead APPEAL to them. These same people buy Jeeps BECAUSE they are trucklike and different from a dang Camry....

 

You must have been living in a cave for the last decade with no outside contact if you still believe people buy trucks for work. Trucks are now being used for everyday driving and only occasionally to haul something.

There is a reason that the fancy, shmansky Ram sales are up 20%-30% YOY while F Series sales are down slightly YOY.

If people buy trucks solely because they need a truck, then the Ranger, Colorado, Taco, etc. would never sell. For the same money (or less) I can get a better equipped F-150, which is far more capable.

 

Maybe read the last paragraph of my post above again(?)

My point was that people who don't need trucks buy them for recreation and other purposes. But IMO the REASON people buy them is to "wear" a vehicle that shows them as being tough and outdoorsy, etc. And a real truck-like driving experience is something they want to experience. This is the market that keeps Jeep Wrangler sales high, and which Ford is trying to tap with the Ranger. This is the same reason that people buy expensive and highly engineered rock climbing clothing to wear to the mall, or who wear pricey custom cowboy boots to work at their desk job. Look at the new Ranger brochure and the photos in it. It's not plumbers and carpenters but overwhelmingly recreational users who could make do with vehicles like crossover SUV's. If you're tough enough to climb a rock face, or finish a triathlon, or run a marathon, you're tough enough to drive a real truck.

Likewise, people who buy Corvettes are not road racers and don't "need" any aspect of the car's performance. They are to show off at the golf course, which is why Chevy always engineers Corvette trunks to hold a couple golf bags. And I'd venture to say that 95% of Raptor buyers are not desert racers. Most Jeep Wranglers around my area seem to be driven by well-to-do high school girls and midlife crisis males, or the sporting/rec crowd. Vehicles have always been status symbols.

Many people live in cities and don't have tugboats for parking an F150 in tight structures and parallel parking situations. Full size pickups don't fit well in mall parking spaces like Jeep Wranglers do. There are certainly people who "wear" full-size pickups to show them off and who view the gigantic size as status, but others who can't fit one in their garage, carport, or downtown parking structure.

 

I always get a kick out of the trolls that complain about the Ranger being an 8 year old design. Had I known they were offered I'd have bought one 8 years ago. Oops, this is the first year offered in the US. Reality is it isn't 8 years old in the US, more like 1.

The complaints about the 2.3 EB being the only engine avail don't hold much water either. That engine has out classed all the V6's in the competition when it comes to towing. The 10 speed auto is icing on the cake. The complainers should go test drive a new Ranger.

Expensive? Does anyone think the competition is cheaper?

Lastly why do I buy a mid size truck? Well, I despise FWD vehicles, and just about all vehicles are FWD now days. The trucks are RWD and tougher than most vehicles too. That comes in handy on these roads that never get repaired in OH. I don't particularly need a truck but it comes in handy for some of the things I haul to my boat or towing a trailer with an MC. The mid size truck is easy to find parking with, I passed on the f150 very quickly.

 

You should go drive one then. The rear suspension is adapted from the award-winning Ram 1500 suspension and they've got this thing dialed in perfectly. It's smooth as glass on the road and feels wonderful. It's fantastic, particularly in Overland trim.

 

Gladiator sales in June exceeded FCA's expectations and has already grabbed a nearly 8% market share.

Ford spent the last 4-5 years developing the Ranger.

FCA spent the last 4-5 years developing the Gladiator.

Whose time was better spent?

 

From Car & Driver: