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

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/