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Ghost
Mon Dec 19th, 2011, 10:15 PM
Oh well, there's still the Taco.

OR, if you live outside of the USA you can still buy the Ranger.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/15/ford-ranger-pickup-reaches-end_n_1151756.html


DETROIT — It's the end of the road for the Ranger in the U.S.
Ford is ending production of the smallest pickup it makes, a truck that helped the company battle more fuel-efficient Japanese imports when it was launched in 1982. The last American-made Ranger rolls off the assembly line in Minnesota Friday.


After peaking in the mid-1990s, sales of the Ranger have fallen over the last decade, hurt by neglect as Ford focused on more profitable large pickups. The Ranger's styling grew stale, it lost its fuel economy edge and the price wasn't much lower than beefier siblings like the F-150.
Other companies aren't so sure it's time to ditch small pickups. Toyota Motor Corp., General Motors Co. and Nissan Motor Co. all plan to continuing selling small pickups in the U.S., citing high gas prices and loyal buyers.


Still, sales of small pickups topped out at 1.2 million, or 8 percent of all vehicles sold in the U.S., in 1994, according to LMC Automotive, a consulting group. About a quarter of those were Rangers, which appealed to guys for their manly styling and zippy ride. But sales have been sliding ever since. LMC expects small pickup sales to total 297,000 this year, or 2 percent of the market.


Vehicles need styling updates to help keep up sales. But Jim Oaks, a retired state trooper from Salem, Ohio, who runs a website for Ranger enthusiasts, says current models have almost exactly the same interior as one he bought in 1996.


Pricing has also been a problem. The Ranger started out as a cheaper alternative to bigger pickups, but as Ford added features, like upgraded transmissions or satellite radio, prices crept up. A top-of-the-line, two-door Ranger with a V6 engine starts at $22,340, or just $600 less than a base model F-150. Automakers' incentives, including zero-percent financing and other deals, erased that price premium altogether, making bigger trucks more appealing.


Small pickups have lost their fuel economy edge as automakers improve the efficiency of engines in bigger trucks. The Ranger, which offers a four-cylinder engine, can get up to 27 miles per gallon on the highway. But an F-150 with a more powerful V6 can get 23.


Gas costs didn't matter much to buyers in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when pump prices were cheaper. But when gas spiked and the recession took hold in 2008, drivers who didn't need pickups to haul things stopped buying altogether. Demand for both large and small pickups suffered, with sales of small models dropping by nearly half between 2007 and 2009.
"You really have to start questioning whether to commit the tremendous capital and resources," says Ford U.S. sales analyst Erich Merkle. He says the company expects many Ranger customers to shift to F-150s, which are nearly 4 feet longer and sit 10 inches higher than the Ranger.


The end of Ranger production means the closure of the St. Paul, Minn., plant where it's made. The plant has produced more than 6 million cars and trucks since 1925, when it was opened by company founder Henry Ford. Many of the plant's 800 workers will be able to transfer to other facilities, the company says.


Ford will continue to sell a new version of the Ranger outside the U.S. Those trucks will be built in Thailand, South Africa and South America.
Ford isn't the only company taking a hard look at small pickups. Fred Diaz, the head of Chrysler Group's Ram truck brand, says the company is still deciding whether it will continue to sell the small Dakota in the U.S.
But most of Ford's rivals say they remain committed to the market. Some drivers still want the features of a pickup even if they don't need big ones like the Chevy Silverado.


"We still believe there is significant opportunity ... in the U.S. market, for those customers who don't need all of the capability of a Silverado but the functionality of a pickup truck," says GM spokesman Otie McKinley.
Oaks, 44, thinks Ford will eventually reverse its decision, especially if gas prices remain high. Rangers have a lot of fans because they're dependable and easy to modify for off-roading, he says. Oaks and his wife own models from 1983, 1989 and 1996.

madvlad
Mon Dec 19th, 2011, 10:21 PM
A changing market will always need a changing vehicle unfortunately. As much as I hate ford and gmc but the ranger is one great battle truck for daily work loads

WolFeYeZ
Mon Dec 19th, 2011, 10:23 PM
Mmmm, my family has one of these like 20 plus years old. Cant go above 50 mph and randomly shuts off at speed killing power steering and brakes :D Besides that its a pretty awesome little truck for the $800 we spent on it 5 years ago.

Ghost
Mon Dec 19th, 2011, 10:29 PM
A changing market will always need a changing vehicle unfortunately. As much as I hate ford and gmc but the ranger is one great battle truck for daily work loads


Times changed, but like the overly long run of the Fox body Mustang, the Ranger was left to linger and die on an outdated chassis with only minor styling changes to hide the lack of substantial changes.

Still, for what they are/were, I'm sure they'll be missed.

Zach929rr
Mon Dec 19th, 2011, 11:10 PM
I have full intent in buying a '99 stepside at some point in time in Midnight Blue. <3 first ranger

Wrider
Tue Dec 20th, 2011, 12:58 AM
They're citing the exact same reasons as Dodge when they killed off the Dakota for 2012. Besides the Dak had grown into almost the same capabilities as the Ram 1500, and was more expensive than some of the Rams.

RajunCajun
Tue Dec 20th, 2011, 08:21 AM
I had a 98 Ranger for about 10 years. I basically couldn't kill it. Even though I hated it for the last couple years I drove it and couldn't wait to trade it in for my Tacoma, (which I love more than any truck I've ever been in?) it was great little truck.

salsashark
Tue Dec 20th, 2011, 08:37 AM
They're citing the exact same reasons as Dodge when they killed off the Dakota for 2012. Besides the Dak had grown into almost the same capabilities as the Ram 1500, and was more expensive than some of the Rams.

IMO, Dodge killed the Dakota when they redid the body style in 05. It went from a very capable mid sized truck to a bloated sub full sized with crap transmissions and no clearance.

If there was one vehicle that I wish I could have back, it would be my 00 Dakota. I loved that truck.

vort3xr6
Tue Dec 20th, 2011, 09:10 AM
IMO, Dodge killed the Dakota when they redid the body style in 05. It went from a very capable mid sized truck to a bloated sub full sized with crap transmissions and no clearance.

If there was one vehicle that I wish I could have back, it would be my 00 Dakota. I loved that truck.

I agree. The 99-04 Dakota's were the tits. Especially with the V8's. I miss mine but I love my new car.

asp_125
Tue Dec 20th, 2011, 09:28 AM
The upside to such a long production run is that the Rangers are pretty hard to kill. I used to see them going places off road that would be off limits to a full size truck.

modette99
Tue Dec 20th, 2011, 03:34 PM
My cousin had a bare bones Ranger 2WD with Manual for High school/College he bought new with HIS money on the A-Plan. I think he paid like $8K new off the lot...LOL I think that was back in 1992. My cousin kept it till it was totaled in a wreck after 200K miles. If I recall he got like 28mpg back then. Like I said it was bare-bones, roll up windows, I'm not even sure it had A/C.

Anyways its a shame, Ford did not keep it updated nor did they keep it priced right.

modette99
Tue Dec 20th, 2011, 03:35 PM
They're citing the exact same reasons as Dodge when they killed off the Dakota for 2012. Besides the Dak had grown into almost the same capabilities as the Ram 1500, and was more expensive than some of the Rams.

Yep that is so true, I remember looking at the Dakota and thinking why would I buy this when you can get a real Full size truck (Ram, F150) for not much more.

asp_125
Tue Dec 20th, 2011, 03:39 PM
So while we (CAN/US) lament its passing, the rest of the world gets this:

http://image.trucktrend.com/f/29280281/2012-ford-ranger-front-view-static.jpg

mdub
Tue Dec 20th, 2011, 03:41 PM
good..those trucks are junk.

Ghost
Tue Dec 20th, 2011, 03:44 PM
So while we (CAN/US) lament its passing, the rest of the world gets this:

http://image.trucktrend.com/f/29280281/2012-ford-ranger-front-view-static.jpg

Explorer SportTrac?

mdub
Tue Dec 20th, 2011, 03:45 PM
at first glance i thought of honda timberline. dependable but, butt uglee.

asp_125
Tue Dec 20th, 2011, 04:02 PM
Explorer SportTrac?

2012 Ranger

Wrider
Tue Dec 20th, 2011, 04:38 PM
at first glance i thought of honda timberline. dependable but, butt uglee.

Ridgeline. Not only ugly, but I'm 6'2 and can barely reach the bottom of the bed because the sides are so poorly designed.

mdub
Tue Dec 20th, 2011, 05:10 PM
besides the aesthetics ......i guess it is dependable...

Ghost
Tue Dec 20th, 2011, 05:34 PM
Ridgeline. Not only ugly, but I'm 6'2 and can barely reach the bottom of the bed because the sides are so poorly designed.


It's also primarily FWD, only has a v6, doesn't tow amazingly well, and can't really get a bike in the back with the midgate up.

FZRguy
Tue Dec 20th, 2011, 10:11 PM
Tacoma's are great but $30k for a small size truck, no can do.

modette99
Wed Dec 21st, 2011, 12:58 PM
It's also primarily FWD, only has a v6, doesn't tow amazingly well, and can't really get a bike in the back with the midgate up.

Why not get the Chevy Avalanche??? Can tow, has 4wd, pretty rugged and doe snot look butt ass ugly.

http://files.conceptcarz.com/img/Chevrolet/chevy_avalanche_manu-06_016.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xQpYuGAd4b4/SwHhmh-9otI/AAAAAAAAAmY/1dk8lbQW258/s1600/ridgeline+took+motor.jpg

Ghost
Wed Dec 21st, 2011, 01:05 PM
Why not get the Chevy Avalanche??? Can tow, has 4wd, pretty rugged and doe snot look butt ass ugly.



To be honest, I'd never get either, I'd just get a "real" truck. Get a crew/quad cab and a full bed. I've never really seen the point to the Avalanche/Ridgeline/Baja type of "truck".

mdub
Wed Dec 21st, 2011, 01:06 PM
Or one of these

http://pictures.topspeed.com/IMG/crop/200811/toyota-trd-tundra-st_460x0w.jpg (http://www.topspeed.com/cars/toyota/2008-toyota-trd-tundra-street-concept-ar66444/picture271663.html)

Ghost
Wed Dec 21st, 2011, 01:23 PM
Or one of these

http://pictures.topspeed.com/IMG/crop/200811/toyota-trd-tundra-st_460x0w.jpg (http://www.topspeed.com/cars/toyota/2008-toyota-trd-tundra-street-concept-ar66444/picture271663.html)

Don't think they ever actually made it into production, but it was a cool idea--Toyota TRD's version of a Ford Lighting.

FZRguy
Wed Dec 21st, 2011, 04:16 PM
Same here. I don't need four doors but do need a long bed.

thaitanic
Wed Dec 21st, 2011, 10:44 PM
this sucks! ranger is a great truck, durable and reliable. now, i have buy a tacoma and pay 40k +, and pay 5k for optional TRD stickers! this blows

FZRguy
Wed Dec 21st, 2011, 10:52 PM
You can always buy a Chevy S10. :lol:

modette99
Thu Dec 22nd, 2011, 10:11 AM
To be honest, I'd never get either, I'd just get a "real" truck. Get a crew/quad cab and a full bed. I've never really seen the point to the Avalanche/Ridgeline/Baja type of "truck".

My father in-law loved his two Avalanches...it was a beast though and a 35 gallon fuel tank and piss poor mileage I will say is not for me...oh wait I do get piss poor mileage now with the Hemi...LOL

He traded in his new Avalanche as it was not working out hauling PIGS (using it for home delivery of propane tanks...LOL So he upped his work vehicle and bought a 6.6 Liter Diesel

This, and he got it fully loaded:
http://www.marfdrat.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/2011-gmc-sierra-all-terrain-hd-concept-gear-patrol-04.jpg

I don't even want to know what he paid for it, he is now looking for what he calls a boat car to drive to the yacht that gets great gas mileages as the Duramax had turned into a work vehicle for his company more or less....LOL

FZRguy
Thu Dec 22nd, 2011, 08:33 PM
That's a nice looking truck. I can deal with a short bed plus extender, but don't need or want four doors. Access cab is perfect for me.

FZRguy
Sun Jan 22nd, 2012, 08:29 PM
So Ford is blowing out remaining 2011 Ranger's with some nice rebates. I got this XLT on Saturday with $5000 off the negotiated sales price. Go see Kristian at Courtesy Ford if you want one, or any Ford for that matter. He's a CSC member a made me a good (and honest) deal. I would have saved a lot of time if I had gone there first.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d105/mcqueenj/Ranger001.jpghttp://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d105/mcqueenj/Ranger002.jpg

rybo
Sun Jan 22nd, 2012, 08:45 PM
Sweet John!

Enjoy the new truck!

FZRguy
Sun Jan 22nd, 2012, 09:23 PM
Considering I've been driving a 1990 Jeep Wrangler since Nov of 1989, I figured it was about time. :lol:

Darth Do'Urden
Sun Jan 22nd, 2012, 11:05 PM
Guess I'm one of the few that's always loved the Ridgeline. Rides like a car, has the in-bed trunk (that holds a ton), no wheel well intrusion in the bed, rhino liner-type coating comes stock on the bed, and plenty of room in both front and rear of the cabin.

I don't know...sure it's not a "real" truck (whatever that means), but it can do 90% of what most people actually use trucks for: large-item hauling and light towing (which it does just fine). Most folks don't have the yacht and need to carry 10,000lbs of concrete (???) in the bed, or tow 4 bikes, 2 jet-skis, a small boat, and a Ford F-150 all at the same time (funny commercial, though). Most men just like the "idea" of a "real" truck, but don't even have enough money to afford anything that would warrant its use.

But hey...that's just me. =)

CaptGoodvibes
Sun Jan 22nd, 2012, 11:37 PM
So Ford is blowing out remaining 2011 Ranger's with some nice rebates. I got this XLT on Saturday with $5000 off the negotiated sales price. Go see Kristian at Courtesy Ford if you want one, or any Ford for that matter. He's a CSC member a made me a good (and honest) deal. I would have saved a lot of time if I had gone there first.


Thanks for the heads up!