What is it with people and crew cab light pickups? Did you want a light pickup or an SUV? The bed of the truck can only be so long - so either you get a pickup with a usable 7 foot bed for hauling quite an array of items, or you can have a truck that will haul your family/friends, but not be terribly usable as a truck. It's a TRUCK, not an SUV, if you want both, go buy a SporTrack or something. Either that or buy a vehicle that can handle both roles equally well - like an F-350 or something.

I think that's the basic underlying problem facing car manufacturers today, people want their vehicles to do EVERYTHING - and typically end up doing nothing. I bought a Ranger because it's a small, lightweight, weekend Honey-do truck. If I need a passenger vehicle I'll by a car. If I need an ORV, I'll by an SUV.

 

I personally agree with most of you as I don't want to see the size of the ranger to increase much as it being small is what is so attractive about it. To me, I want a truck, I need a truck, and I have a large dog and a Baby. I also spend a lot of time off road, I need to haul a lot of dirty stuff to my camp, and I also have summer and winter toys that won't fit in the back of a sport utility. To me, I'd rather have a regular cab long bed, but I need a decent sized back seat that can hold a baby car seat. Supposedly the jump seats in the current Ranger have the LATCH system-can anyone shed any light on this and its usefullness if you have young children? Furthermore, I like most people can't afford 2 cars and need 1 to do my daily driving and weekend work for me. I travel a good 3 miles of some tough unmaintained log roads to get to my camp that are very skinny and hard to get through-I can only think of maybe 2 SUV's that are out right now that could make it up this road and they'd have plenty of scratches to show at the end. Lastly, the current Ranger is solid and is very cheap when compared to any other truck out right now (local dealers have them going for $15k: ext cab, FX4, auto, 4x4 after rebates) so thats another point in its corner.

What it comes down to is I don't want to spend $25-$30k on an SUV that I can't fit my ATV's and snowmobiles, camp wood, loam, paint, ladders, trash, beer cans, etc. in the back of. So please don't consider me a whiner, consider me someone who loves the current ranger but in my own circumstance wish there was some kind of offering that would fit my situation rather than make me look at the overpriced and oversized competition.

 

I totally see your point, my kids are grown, so a regcab would work for me and the wife, but had to get the xtracab to get the 4.0 back then. I just read an article on this, and I believe it was truck trend, don't remember for sure. It said ford has had a change of heart, where as the sport trac was thier crewcab ranger. Ford now see's a need for a true crewcab ranger and may be out as soon as 08. I believe a crewcab is comming no matter what else they do and it's an option needed to compete with the others.

 

I'm skeptical that there's any Ranger re-design or F-100 in the works. In the world of vehicle manufacturing, 2009/10 is right around the corner, and yet anything that I've heard about such things has been nothing more than speculation and rumours. There would be no reason for Ford to keep it such a secret at this time.

Here's a link that was posted a few weeks ago that further casts doubt on any sort of redesign or new small truck offering:

http://www.marketwatch.com/News/Stor...C981A597A13%7D

My comment at that time was as follows:

 

It isn't a secret, there's stuff leaking out all over the place, even some concept pitures. The owner of my ford dealer goes up to Detroit all the time for meetings, previews, and product asesment. He says the new ranger will be built back in louisville, he's not sure of the name change as they still refer to it as a ranger. However, says there is for sure a redesign in the works for 09, but from what he has seen, it won't be a big departure in looks from the current ranger. More like a cross between an f-150 and a ranger with more interior space and a crewcab. Truck trend thinks the crewcab could be out by next year. I couldn't see them going to that much trouble if thier changing it in 09, unless the cab was to stay the same, but then you wouldn't have more interior room. He says for sure ford isn't going to give up thier share of the small truck market, that you can take to the bank.

 

[QUOTE=eigenvector]What is it with people and crew cab light pickups? Did you want a light pickup or an SUV? The bed of the truck can only be so long - so either you get a pickup with a usable 7 foot bed for hauling quite an array of items, or you can have a truck that will haul your family/friends, but not be terribly usable as a truck. It's a TRUCK, not an SUV, if you want both, go buy a SporTrack or something. Either that or buy a vehicle that can handle both roles equally well - like an F-350 or something.

whats the problem with a 4 door truck,,,the real problem is having this company the only truck company without a 4 dr light pickup truck, its rediculous. and if i want a longer bed than i would take the 2 door truck.....its a no brainer. its all about options something ford needs help with

 

Why do you dog ford so much, in about all of your post, your peeing on ford. You sound like a ford hater instead of an enthusiast, what gives ?

 

I'll explain it to you. Ranger base price, just under 19k canadian. Sport Trac base, just under 31K canadian. I'd assume the USA price differential is similar.

The Sport trac is a great vehicle, and it would fill the niche for myself, and others who want a four door with a small cargo bed. However, that price alone is going to keep it out of my driveway. As for an F350 or "something that can handle both roles well" that's a no-go as well. I don't want or need a full size truck, aside from my trusty 77. The Ranger is the right size and the right price for me.

 

Good point seventseven250, and how hard is it to make a crewcab ranger, they make them all over the world except here, so it's not that they don't know how to make one. The sport-trac was ment to fill the nich, but at a much higher price, and it's more suv than truck, It even has irs now. So get a sport trac if you want a crewcab isn't even a good reply, it's apples and oranges.

 

sportrac prices are rediculous

 

Let's try not to make it too personal Wendell, I certainly don't find my opinion to be a bad reply. To me it boils down to what do you want to do with the vehicle - haul people or haul cargo? The Ranger hauls cargo quite nicely. I don't see what a crew cab would offer other than the ability to seat more people. You only have so much space on that frame - so either you get an 8ft bed and a reg cab, a 7 foot bed and a extended cab, or a 6/5 foot bed and a crew cab. They already have vehicles that do that - it's called a Subaru/Blazer/Explorer/Escalade/Z-71/Avalanche/Durango/SporTrac (did I forget any). Why turn a truck into passenger vehicle when there are already so many options already available.

It isn't my fault Ford made the SporTrac so darn expensive.

 

Your point good is as well, like you, I need a truck, not a taxi. I just don't think the sport trac is a good replacement for a crewcab ranger for those who need it. Why not make everyone happy and build a reg, xtra and crew cabs, cause thats what thier going to do anyway. That way, we can have our beds and they can have thier taxi's, works for me.

 

Personally, I bought a pickup so I wouldn't have to drive my drunk friends home after a night at the bar. Unfortunately those same drunk friends are the ones calling me to help them move their stuff. So what's my point? Well if you want something that can haul people and "stuff", buy an SUV and a trailer. You'd probably need a trailer anyway to make up for the lack of bed space in a 4 door pickup. It makes me cringe to see these Honda Ridgelines, Avalanches, SportTracs and even Tacomas on the road with 4 doors and a 4 foot bed. What's the point?

 

It's longer than 4' with the tailgate down hee hee. Different strokes for different folks. The fact is, ranger sells have slipped as of late and a big part of that reason is the lack of the crewcab option. Reguardless who likes it or needs it, ford needs to have the option as does the rangers in other countries. It's a very competetive market and you need to lead, follow, or get out of the way. In this case, ford would be following, but they need to at least do that.

 

This conversation is getting off topic. Some people need vehicles to haul stuff and people and if they do so be it. I for one have that need and don't want to register two vehicles, insure two vehicles and find room for two vehicles. For many the reduced price of the ranger crew cab will fit the bill nicely.