Ford Ranger Dead in 2009?

[Sleeping Dog]

Looking like the last of the compact trucks is biting the dust. Just in time for the Mahrinda to arrive.

Am I the only person who believes there is a market for a small pickup? Particularly when gas is $3+ a gallon.

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/20/i...2009/#comments

Jim

[NorCalBronco]

I'm sad about this, I love my Ranger! I think a FX4 model would be a great EV canidate with stock 31x10.5 BFG's, 4.10 gears, LSD, etc. Oh well.

[Martinjmpr]

It's a shame but it's obvious that Ford gave up on the Ranger years ago. Too bad, my '99 was a fine vehicle (although 2wd.) When I was shopping for a new 4x4 last year I passed by the Ranger because (a) I hate the pushbutton T-case, and (b) from what I saw on the Ranger forums when I had my Ranger, the MPG of the 4x4s was atrocious, especially with the 4.0l.

I don't understand why American manufacturers can't make a small engine that's powerful. Seems like the only way the domestics know of to increase power is to increase displacement, and correspondingly to decrease MPG. The Japanese have been making economical and adequately powered vehicles for years.

[Nullifier]

Whats even more sad is how the japanese car makers are now falling into the trap of bigger is better. and over the past few years with the gas price thing lurking on the horizon THey to now have lost their identity to the bigger is better thinking of the american buyer.

The toyota mini and nissan mini died in 2005. It is a surprise that an american manufacturer actually held in there longer then anyone else.

It seems that everything about the U.S. car market is moving more and moer toward bigger fuel consuming vehicles. It really sayes alot about the U.S. buyer and our mindset on things.

[DaveInDenver]

The toyota mini and nissan mini died in 2005. It is a surprise that an american manufacturer actually held in there longer then anyone else.

The only reason the Ranger held in there this long was that Ford stopped developing the platform about 10 years ago (when they went to a torsion bar IFS from the TTB). Had they paid any attention to the platform it probably would have grown like the Taco, Dakota or GM trucks, too. What I don't understand is why a car manufacturer can't just leave something well enough alone. I guess the only way to get people to lease a new car every 3 years is keep changing it. There's not a lot of people who drive a truck until it dies and look to replace it with essentially the same thing anymore.

[ntsqd]

Dave,
I think there are, we're just not vocal enough or they're just not hearing us.

[DaveInDenver]

Dave,
I think there are, we're just not vocal enough or they're just not hearing us.

No, I do think you're right that there are plenty of people who think like us. The problem is somewhere between about 1994 and 2004 most of the manufacturers get into this competition that's spiraled out of control. Which leaves people like us uninterested in a new truck and so we just keep putting bandaids on our olds ones. Since we're not spending the money on new trucks as much, this leaves a false impression to the marketing people. It's all about money. Not to mention that Toyota probably didn't have nearly the margin on a 22R-E, W56, bench seat white truck with no A/C in 1991 that a fully decked out Tacoma does now...

[Sleeping Dog]

The problem is somewhere between about 1994 and 2004 most of the manufacturers get into this competition that's spiraled out of control.

The buyers are more to blame than the manufacturers. When I bought my first pick-up in 1981(?), a good half of the used full size p-up's I looked at had 6 cylinder motors, even a few 3/4 ton models.

Even then those trucks were leisurely when entering the highway, but you lived with it. Now buyers not only want an empty truck that accelerates like a car, they want 0-60 in under 10 seconds with a 3000# camper in the bed or pulling a 7000# trailer.

We have met the enemy and he is us!

Jim

[PrairieDog]

Count me as a fan in the Ranger camp, too. I prefer having the bed, and longer wheelbase over the Jeeps. And they're narrower than f/s trucks. I know they're not latest/greatest, but they're still pretty stout, and reasonable to operate ($).

But don't get me started on Ford. At Ford, Marketing is Job#1. I hope Mulally can pound some sense into them.

[tamangel]

...so it you were going to buy a 4X4 used ranger today, what years would you consider and what options... pre-plastic and pre-pushbutton transfer case era..

Mike