So I was thinking about getting a new ranger, mostly because I've decided to get a 4x4. I went to the website and built it up just like I wanted and everything looked fine. I decided that before I fell in love with it, I would check out what the new mazdas look like. But when I went to build it, I found out I can't get a 4.0 with a regular cab! Thankfully, the ranger will allow such things, so I'm not optionless. Intrigued, I decided to see what other small trucks limited the engine/cab configureations. Much to my chagrin, I found that the tacoma forbid the v6 with the regular cab. Even worse, the dakota, raider, and frontier don't have a regular cab option AT ALL!!!!! The colorado won't put their I-5 in a regular cab unless you get the top trim level, but the GMC Canyon is quite configurable, and one can put any engine with any cab on any trim level.

Apparantly, only Ford and GMC feel like I should be able to configure my truck the way I want it. I'm more than a little confused as to why mazda and chevy disagree with their respective brothers. Kudos to Ford and GMC.

Does this annoy anyone else? Not that I would be likely to buy something other than a Ranger/B4000, but I'd like to have more options open to me. I won't even get into the bigger trucks (F-150 doesn't even have a regular cab anymore).

 

Well, around here you won't find standard cabs on a new car lot unless it's a stripper 4 banger model. The majority of people prefer supercabs so that's what the dealers stock. Std cabs also come back to bit when it's time to sell. Quite a few of my buddies found that one out first hand.

 

many people dont like those regular cabs, personally, I LOVE em, less space to occupy with useless junk, and such stuff. an extended cab wouldnt bother me, but I'd rather have my regular cab.

 

Actually, I'm pretty sure that Toyota doesn't offer a regular cab at all. They have the 'Access Cab', which is a basic extended cab, and they have the 'Double Cab', which is the 4-door configuration.

I just bought a 95 B2300, standard cab. I would have preferred the extended cab, mostly because I'm long in the leg and there's not quite enough room to get the seat configured just right. But it had the long box option and I needed something for utility.

By the way - nice forum you guys have here. First post!

Alan

 

I don't know why manuafacturers do this, car manuafacturers should do what the customer wants not whats easiest or cheapest, i can't believe that the manufacturers don't think we would want these options. I was very upset when I bought my ranger last year and figured out that you can't get an extended cab in a Ranger that has a four cylinder so being the way I am "I'd rather walk than drive anything esle than a Ford" I opted for a regular cab, but in '06 the extended cab in the Ranger 4 cyl. is "back by popular demand" I guess. But now if I want to get one I will have to pay dearly if I want to trade my '05. That makes me mad

 

[QUOTE=Maritimer]Actually, I'm pretty sure that Toyota doesn't offer a regular cab at all. They have the 'Access Cab', which is a basic extended cab, and they have the 'Double Cab', which is the 4-door configuration.




yes they do sell one. msrp starts at 14,585

 

Yeah it really me off not to be able to buy what I want especially if Im willing to wait 6-10 weeks to get it. Any engine with any cab, bed length. And not to be able to buy a regular cab in F-150 is cart load of crap. They wonder why they keep losing market share. The one that really gets me is not being able to get the interior colors I want with the external paint colors. I mean im paying for this if I want it green with a pink interior what is the problem.

 

[QUOTE=ford390gashog]Well, I'll be....I just checked toyota.com and there it is. I'm from Canada. They don't offer it here (www.toyota.ca)
I stand corrected.

Alan

 

One would think, considering how much the aftermarket has grown in recent years, and the popularity of hot rod shops and tuners these days, that car companies would say, "People like customizing their cars and trucks. Perhaps we could A) make that easier for them, thus enticing them to buy our vehicles or B) make it possible for them to get what they want from us, thereby eliminating their desire to spend their money with some other company." Maybe that's wishful thinking. But they can't do what Toyota is doing "buy our Scion, it's soo ugly, you'll have to customize it!"

 

When manufacturers are in a financial pinch AND they've probably got folks who track how many of each configuration are being bought, that's where configurations and options get pared down.

Of course, if Ford just made one auto and manual tranny with a swappable bellhousing to cover all three Ranger/B-truck engines, this might not be an issue.

As for you not getting what you wanted and settling for a reg cab I4 Ranger, heh, why not find a 2.5L SCab of 98-01 vintage? Easy for me to say since I don't by new....but you get the idea.

P.S. Is the new F-150 having that access door(s) for junk behind the seats really that big a deal to not call it a "real" reg cab anymore? Seriously, I don't think it qualifies as a SuperCrew! Live with it. It's a neat idea and I wished my last truck, a reg cab, had that. When you own a biz, you need to carry a lot of junk inside the cab with you (like food orders) sometimes.

 

In an effort to be comprehensive about this, I've checked the last "small" truck I could think of, the isuzu I-series (same as the colorado/canyon) and it doesn't offer a regular cab in any configuration.
As far as the F-150 acess doors, they seem like a fine idea, but my personal preference would be to not have them, so I'd just like to have some option other than A) live with it B) buy a different make or C) weld them shut (for those of you who might wonder, no, I wouldn't weld them shut).

 

I don't understand this trend either. I work at an assembly plant in production scheduling and one of the things I have to do at least once a week is check vehicles for options that run astray in the build process. There is no good reason why certain exterior/interior color combinations shouldn't be allowed. It adds no additional cost to the manufacturer at all. A different number gets printed on the build sheet and the worker on the line pulls the appropriate part!

Another gripe...why does Ford tie appearance options to engine size? If I want to CUSTOM ORDER a vehicle a certain way, why in the heck can't I get the aluminium rims or chrome trim AND a 4 cylinder engine? OK, so the dealers don't want decked out 4 cylinders on their lots (though they might start changing their tune should we see a repeat of last year), that's fine. But don't force the customer to select something that he doesn't want over an unrelated option. BTW...you can order ANY Nissan or Toyota pickup with the appearance package...regardless of engine type.


Wake up Ford!

 

You might want to keep that to yourself LOL! I like my old single cab, shortbed Ranger, cuz all that bouncing around keeps me alert. I have to laugh watching people with these ginormous trucks and SUV's trying to park at a store. But if that's what folks are buying, that's what they're gonna make.

 

its all supply and demand. i go both ways.(take it easy!) i have both a reg. and ext. cab. i'm 6'2 and like to stetch out a bit so i opt. for the ext. cab i just wish i'd known about the 4 drs. in '00. my wife has the reg. cab and suits her good and suprisingly i fit well in there but could use just a little more leg space especially for a road trip. the building supervisor here at work ordered his dakota back in '01 with the 5.9ltr drive train which is in the rt version and paid dearly for it but got what he wanted. what a sleeper 4wd.

 

A 4.0 in a regular cab Ranger would be a hoot! I really like my 3.0 regular cab 4x4.