Home Forums Gear Hunting Trucks and Four-Wheel Drives 2019 Ford Ranger

Looks like a close copy of the Tacoma, which isn't a bad thing.

It uses a second-generation 2.3-liter twin-scroll turbocharged four-cylinder EcoBoost engine with a forged steel crankshaft and a new 10-speed automatic transmission - 280 hp / 310 lb-ft of torque in the same engine as the Explorer.

It's got a steel, not aluminum skin:

http://www.motortrend.com/cars/ford/ranger/2019/2019-ford-ranger-first-look-review/

had several rangers years ago, 1984, 1992,1998,2002 never had any trouble with them, both of my kids got one as their first vehicles.

It might be nice if it’s priced right.

I expect it won’t be.

I can't trust another Ford anything .

If they step the power up from 280/310 the Tacoma will be in trouble. That 3.5 is very underpowered on the bottom end.

I don't see many Tacoma owners switching to a Ford.

It does look like a Tacoma.

First thing that came to mind was "isuzu".

I don't get the mid size pickup segment. Neither fish nor fowl. Neither economy or payload.

A little easier to park. That's about it.

After owning a Tacoma its hard to switch to anything from the Big Three. My only bitch with the Tacoma is the mileage is pretty lousy.

I doubt it will be any cheaper than an F-150, but it does look nice.

Meh. Front end is not nice looking.

Be interesting to see it up close. Hard to judge from the pics how big it really is. Nobody really makes a compact truck anymore, and that’s a shame.

I think that after 3 iterations Ford finally got the ecoboost thing down. Ford engineers job was made easier by copying the best selling midsize truck in the world .

This new incarnation has been available offshore for quite a while. If I'm reading correctly, Ford Australia designed this new version.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Ranger

I've had a few Rangers. They were good trucks. I'd have to see the price before I even gave it a thought. If they're not significantly cheaper, it's not worth the smaller truck.

Looks like its on a frame though. That's nice. It certainly does look like a Toyota.

Four banger Eco-Boost - two mechanics I know say the Eco is not a long term dream. Report problems at 50-60K near the the end of warranty. I see they are touting a second generation Eco. Mechanics say never buy the first generation - especially an engine. The "front collision avoidance" is automatic braking and it takes over the steering wheel from you!. Deal breaker for me. I suspect a starting sticker at $25K easily tops $30K. A 2-4 year old Tacoma is my probable replacement, but I am barely over 100K.

Google up Toyota Hilux vs Ford Ranger. Then consider Ford vs Toyota on the customer service end of the deal,

I always figured the Ecoboost to be a problem down the road. Making a small engine work hard to make big engine power, to me, just invites stress-failed components down the road, probably after the warranty runs out.

Looks like a decent truck tho.

Depending on price and real world MPG, it looks like a good prospect for the wife. Been thinking hard about a Tacoma.

Ecoboost doesn't scare me in the slightest.

My 2012 Eco should've blown years ago apparently, but it's still running flawlessly at 100k. A bud has one about to roll 180K. Mine may grenade today but up to this point, it's been the best, most trouble-free truck i've owned of any manufacture.

Since the HiLux was mentioned as things we can't get in the segment. I saw 5 of the Mercedes pickups that we can't get in the USA driving through Northern MN on Thursday. Must be doing cold-weather testing, they were all running nose-to-tail.

Electronic power assist steering and collision avoidance . Yee hah! What has ford done for us lately? Wait till that chit goes tits up on you. No thanks, I'll keep my taco. A lot of companies are going to that set-up. They will bend you over and pound it to you when it goes bad.

I’ve never owned a vehicle from a US maker... my current Tacoma (a 2014) suits me fine. I’m not opposed to a Ford, etc., when the quality is equal to my Toyota’s.

This new Ranger sounds like it will beat my Taco in the mpg dept., which I suppose isn’t saying much. That’s one area the Tacoma suffers. Maybe Ford will light a fire under Toyota’s butt if they lose a little market share. That would suit me fine. Competition is healthy and benefits all of us.

I have both. I have a 98 Ranger XLT stepside 4 cylinder manual transmission. It started life as a 1 wheel drive and I put a new rear end in to make it a 2 wheel drive. It was big enough for the stuff I needed to haul, but not big enough to borrow when your friend decides to move. It beats my 2015 Tacoma Sport for nimbleness in tight spots and I can see the surroundings better from it. When I was looking for a new truck, Ford didn't offer the Ranger any longer and they lost my business. Both are manual transmission and sadly, most companies are offering that less and less. My Tacoma is superior in every other way other than mileage and the other two items I mentioned.

I don't tow anything, but I haul stuff I don't want in the cab. If the Tacoma was a little bit smaller, it would be perfect for my needs.

At the end of the day, it's still a Ford. No thanks.

Brad, I have 2012 Tacoma and it gets crappy mileage. Allegedly the new Atkinson cycle engines found on the newer Tacomas do much better.

I think there is a market for a mini truck like the hilux or Gen. 1 taco.

I kinda like it.

I will be interested to see one in person

Not a bad looking truck at all. Although I have never owned a Ford, if the fuel mileage was decent and I ever get over the fear of that ECO Boost engine, I might consider one if the price was right. I know several people that owned the V-6 Rangers years ago and they ran forever.

Tacomas are nice trucks but I always hated the front seat set up, my knees felt like they were in my chest, I am over 6ft 2in.

I’m really hoping the Ranger Raptor version is available in the US. That could really interest me. Rumors it could be revealed at Chicago Auto show this month. Not that I need a desert racer, but I’m not against the cool factor and better tires and extra clearance does come in handy at times. I had a Ranger many years ago and it served me well enough. Also had a couple Sport Tracs which were great vehicles. Kind of a Swiss Army knife of vehicles. Had an FJ Cruiser which I liked but it had a couple issues Toyota wasn’t interested in fixing. Currently have an F150 with the 3.5 EB and I am sold on the EcoBoost engines. I get 20mpg commuting to work and can get 23-25 on backcountry roads when limited to 50-60 mph. Simply switching between modes (towing, sport, regular) is like having different engines they are so distinct. Only drawback to the F150 is size. While useful at times, I’ve found I can do nearly all I need with a smaller truck and it’s easier to get around. The new Ranger looks to be about right to me. Only possible issue for me is towing a horse trailer. Have two good sized Trakehners that we need to get around.
This, new to US, Ranger ought to be a good truck. They continued selling Rangers around the world so it’s not really a completely new truck. See many of them in Australia, the Middle East, S.Africa, and Central America. Kind of wish they went with aluminum panels and bed to save weight and eliminate rust as an issue.
I’ll be checking them out once they hit the lots next year.

http://www.motortrend.com/news/ford-ranger-raptor-teased-february-7-debut/