columbus has their annual auto show this weekend and among all the new cars/trucks/suvs they did have a new ranger on display, also saw the promotional video for the new ranger on a huge screen. i will say im impressed and do like it. the display truck however was in a roped off area, said on a window sticker "preproduction model-vehicle locked for your protection". but what i could see i liked. does look like a ford 9" rear end with a removeable 3rd member, steel chrome bumpers, leaf springs on rear mount right under the frame as opposed to the older stuff that used brackets to mount outboard of the frame rails. the one on display was a grey fx4 supercab. of course i took some pictures but it does look better in person than in photos, what i had seen before i wasnt a fan of but i do like it now that ive seen it. 18" wheels though? and 6-lugs? overall very nice though.

 

I love that color on the Ranger. That's the one I want to get pending how astronomical they make the price.

 

Normally I'm not a fan of dark grey on any vehicle, but on this XLT Chrome package presented here it does look very classy! It looks like they borrowed the wheels from the F-150 parts bin, as those are same wheels that Ford offers on the F-150 XLT when you opt for the extra chrome package. I don't know that I would need the FX4 option, but I could very easily picture this sitting in my driveway! New or used, I imagine this is most likely what I'll be driving next; especially if Ford decides to offer a N/A engine choice

 

Hi. Is the body steel or aluminum?

 

not sure to be honest, as far as i know its steel. heck of a paint job, reflected almost like a mirror.

 

 

Not from me it won't. The point for to be interested in a ranger is to have a smaller truck that costs less. I'll settle for an outdated Nissan Frontier before Ford that amount from me.

 

A crew cab 4x4 Colorado STARTS at about $33,000, so we can expect the Ranger to be in the same ballpark. That's before any options whatsoever. I can see a XLT model with some nice options closing in on $40k quickly.

And that is the main issue with these trucks. It's why they nearly went extinct to begin with. After rebates, crew cab mid-level Silverados and F-150s are in the <$40k range all day every day.

 

Ford will ASK $35k easily. It'll fetch them zero because I won't be paying for one, since it's not actually worth $35k. At that point why not spend $5k more and get an F-150 with the 2.7EB?

 

 

 

From what Ford is saying so far, most of the body panels of the Ranger will be steel. However they are talking about the hood, tailgate and maybe the doors or something being aluminum. That could help keep costs down for the consumer, while also keeping the weight down in the interest of fuel economy. I was actually hoping for the entire body structure to be aluminum, but that's just me.

 

I've never seen one in person yet, but these pictures make it seem damn near the same size as an F150? I thought I had read here that it was the same size as a mid 90's F150. For me that is the real deal killer on this. I'd like a truck the size of the '96 Ranger I used to have, otherwise I can't see the point.

 

Back seats that fit people, creature comforts that people expect, crash requirements, and most importantly PROFITS.

The original Ranger was brought out in a world of compact Toyota, Nissan, Ford Courier, etc. pickups that sold for the same price as a compact car. Compact cars do not make money for Ford, which is why the Focus is moving to China and the Wayne, Michigan Focus plant is being converted to build Rangers and Broncos.

Compare a new F150 with a 70's F150. The current Honda Civic is way bigger than a 70's Accord.

 

Very true sir but, adding 10 air bags and a host of lights, sensors and crash / crumple zones to modern cars requires a bunch of real estate.