yeah, driving alongside it, it was pretty odd looking.. at first I didnt know what kind of truck I was looking at, I thought it was possibly a nissan, 'til I seen the mazda grille.. I gotta say, it was pretty tall. I was driving an '09 silverado (work issued truck) when I took the pics. It looked to be a "mid-sizer".. So I hear this is based on the european mazda BT-50?? wikipedia calls the BT-50 a "1-ton" pickup.. hmm.. I liked the idea of a smaller/lighter F-150 better.. Didnt they already switch to a control-arm front suspension on the '98 rangers anyway?? Thats modern to me. I liked the old I-beams.. those last forever, we have 3 f-150s in the family, 97-99 models, and theyr all on theyr 3rd set of balljoints!! anyone else have this prob?? I live in MI though, salt fixes "everything" in the wintertime here.. lol

 

On pickuptruck.com it said the 4cyl turbo diesel will be for the overseas market. Probably too much of a pain to market one here in the US because of the rediculous emissions for diesels CARB and the EPA came up with. (Will be worse for 10') Its a shame really because a 4cyl diesel (minus urea inj. and a dpf) would get great mileage and be down right peppy in these trucks. Theres no way I'm buying a diesel with EGR, DPF, CAT Urea inj. and all sorts of other emissions crap strapped to it. Will cost too much money in the long term.

"Photographed T6 test trucks are configured in both left- and right-hand drive versions and are longer and wider than the current overseas Ranger. The mules are powered by diesel and gas engines. An industry source says the T6 Ranger for the U.S. will likely be powered by a new 1.6-liter four-cylinder direct injection turbocharged EcoBoost engine producing at least 175 horsepower and 180 pounds-feet of torque. Ford's 3.0-liter Duratorq TDCi four-cylinder turbodiesel engine, rated at 154 horsepower and 280 pounds-feet of torque, is expected to be carried over in the new truck for buyers outside the U.S."

Looks like they are already out in New Zealand
http://www.ford.co.nz/servlet/Conten...=FNZ&c=DFYPage

 

You should have been kicked repeatedly for buying all 4 tacoma's. I know, I know, toyo's are built in USA. bla bla bla - profits go to JAPAN when you buy one! I think that new ranger will be one ugly truck if they build it and it may even be built on foreign soil, but at least the end profit will go to Detroit.
Just keep drivin that F250!!

 

looks like they welded the nose of a subaru to the shrunken cab of a new chevy truck, then tore the bed off a sport trac, then forgot a back bumper. ...FAIL

 

Yeah why would he continue buying trucks he was completely happy with.

 

Obviously you missed the part about where the profits wind up.
Maybe the next time your at the unemployment office you should ask a UAW worker or subcontractor to a U.S. auto maker why. If your lucky enough to still have a job, ask a WW2 Pacific Vet. I have family that shed blood in Japan fighting against the toyota & honda grandfathers, so maybe I'm biased, or more patriotic than most. Imagine us kissing osama's @ss and making him richer because he makes a good truck? Doesn't make sense!
I realize it's just my opinion and you guys have the right to yours, but I think I speak for a few others when I say - I didn't log in here to hear how wonderful jap trucks are, this is an AMERICAN BASED FORD website! Guys, if you want to flame me go ahead, I'll be outside taking my flag down before dark like I do every night!

 

LOL you need to educate yourself my friend. Things don't work quite the way you think it does. Dwelling on the past is real productive also. For the most part US automakers and unions put themselves into the situation they are in and unfortunatly took work from many other businesses in the US, Canada and around the world also. If you don't like something thats said in here, well you know where the door is.

Hmm, I had several relative that fought in WW2 also. He was a crew chief over in asia for several years where he caught melaria. He had to get blood transfusions on a regular basis for the rest of his life (lived to around 82) and had many ilness that were complicated by the fact that he had maliria and the treatment given. He also owned Yamaha outboard motors and snowmobiles too, I guess he was a bad un patriotic american.

 

Do the ball joints have grease fittings on them? Having grease fittings on the ball joints and greasing them regularly will help to keep them in good shape. Also not turning when the trucks not moving helps also. You can get aftermarket ball joints with grease fittings on them.

 

LOL myself now. First off, we are not friends. 2nd, I'm well educated and things don't work the way you think either. Dwelling on the past is not productive, not caring about it is STUPID. I never said the unions are perfect, but they are Americans, toyota is not. Also, I do know where the door is, and SO DO YOU if you don't like my opinion!

 

While I can't help but agree with Mr. Redsuperduty's patriotism, we as consumers of trucks, cannot sit idly by while Detroit (in our case Ford) gives us an inferior product. It's not our patriotic duty to be given a crap sandwich and continue to "take bites" while Ford provides superior products to their customers in other parts of the world.

For example, why has every other small truck mfg redesigned their small truck model once (some twice) since Ford has last redesigned theirs? And I don't buy the "if it ain't broke" line. My '02 Ranger rides like a fork truck compared to similar Nissan's and Taco's - to say nothing of an '09 foreign-job, while Ford hasn't done anything to the Ranger in the last 7 years.

Now that they finally will get off their butts and provide us a new Ranger/F-100 if it doesn't have a diesel, I say they shouldn't waste their time.

What happened to the '09 F-150's 5cyl diesel?

When Detroit served the American public crappy, underpowered and maintenance prone diesels we didn't buy them. So now the masterminds in Detroit still think "Americans won't buy diesels like the Europeans." While I cring at comparing "us" to "them" I will say smart is smart and GOOD, strong, efficient diesels in a small truck platform is just plain smart. When is Ford going to figure this out?

_________
'02 Ranger XLT Supercab 4X4, 4.0

 

wow thats hideous!

 

FUGLY!!! I stick with my 1991 and my 2007 Taco

 

I'm on my 5th Ranger. I've loved all of them and had zero problems with any of them. When the Ranger replacement comes out and I don't care for it; I'm going to get a Frontier. I work with a guy that has one and it's much better than my Ranger ride wise.

If I'm done with the Ranger than my wife will be done with Ford cars because we like to deal with one dealership.

Ford has a lot riding on this to continue my loyalty

 

Sorry, not trying to bust your ***** or anything, but if you are as educated as you say you are then you would know that profits go to the shareholders of the company. You could own Toyota stock if you choose to.

 

What the heck did do to that truck.