Toying with the idea of getting a Ford ranger

Ford Ranger = still made with parts designed in the 1980's.

 

and since they are discontinuing the ranger the value will plunder

 

Just think about what your saying here because you really truly are throwing your money away. You mention that Toyotas consistantly run 300k but you only keep a vehical no more then 2 years. I think you also spoke about resale value. So you are going to take a truck that is reliable and has a high resale value and trade it in on a new ford ranger that probably won't have any problem shile you own it because its so freaken new but it is going to depreciate like a Rock in that 2 years. So when you decide to go traid in your used ford ranger for something else you will be shocked by how far you have been set back on your trade in value. Heck you could wind up still being upside down in your loane after only 2 years. Just thinking it through with the info you provided man.

 

I had a 98 Ranger 4x4 "4 door" access type cab. It was certainly built more rugged than the Tacoma, and I liked the smaller size and dislike the big Tacoma, but the Ranger was just crap from a reliability perspective. Its chassis technology was very primitive too, it rode and handled like a Model T (from where its design came from no doubt).

If a manufacturer would combine the Ford Ranger size and rugged body build with Tacoma reliability I'd be there in a heartbeat.

 

Getting rid of the Tacoma and getting a Ford Ranger....downgrade.

 

I agree with you that if there was a bit smaller _quality_ truck I would buy it. Tacoma is still too big for me, but given the alternatives, to me, it was the best choice.

Given that, I WOULD NOT buy a NEW Ranger. Even if you think you are going to keep it a long time, you just never know. If you need to get rid of it at some point, the depreciation is going to be nasty. If you do decide a Ranger is the way to go though, seriously consider buying used. May not be perfectly configured for your liking, but over time, much better $$$ choice.

 

I would say go test drive one first. I considered a Ranger before I bought my Tacoma because I owned a 1997 and a 2002 when I was younger and actually liked them. The 4.0L is a gas hog and unimpressive in the power department. If you say in your original post you believe the Tacoma is the best built... so that being said, why would you get something you said youself is sub-standard?

 

i recently drove an 11 ranger which the dealer ship loaned my mother while her escape was in the shop u will regret loseing the amount of head and shoulder room the taco has not to mention the road manners not sure on the over all quality of the ford but if it is discontinued there must b a good reason

 

It was discontinued due to CAFE mileage standards. Ford had to discontinue something to raise their fleet mileage standards and it came down to the Ranger or F150. No way they'd discontinue the F150 since it is their cash cow. They *should* have redesigned it with newer technology to raise it's mileage, for the size of the Ranger it did pretty crappy in the department.

 

Great question. You know why? Because the truck is a lowly 3rd in my list of hobbies/money pits. The Taco has always been more truck than I needed. I don't mean to sound like an ass, but if I have a car that makes 400 HP and bikes, do I really care if my truck is underpowered? Also, lets be honest, the Taco MPG is horrendous, so how much worse can other trucks be? 16 mpg is what I get, so how bad can a Ranger or Frontier be?

As nice as the Taco is (I drove it across country and back, I know how well it rides), the shortfalls are really starting to get to me. I cannot deal with the 6 speed, its really really stupid. I could use a bench seat so my big dog can ride in the front. I would find it easier to park a smaller truck in the cramped train station parking lots.

I am considering a 2012 Taco Reg Cab 4x4 too, if I can still get it in an Auto. The access cab is nice, but maybe the reg cab is more what I need. Anyone know if I can order a reg cab 4x4, bench seat with auto?

 

Wow I am surprised you have posted just once in my thread. 84 posts in 12 minutes is more your MO.

 

I believe you can get a regular cab 4x4 auto. toyota.com can confirm. The Ranger with the 4.0L is a bit of a pig, if you're going to complain about MPG's, I wouldn't go near it, it won't be any better than the Tacoma. FWIW, many people get 20MPG out of the Tacoma V6 so if you lighten up on the skinny pedal, you can get there also. Just a thought, good luck with whatever you choose.

 

Wow apparently there is a shrink somewhere that tells people to sign up for Tacomaworld forum to spill their depression.

Also Ford Ranger does not have the all mighty ATRAC ..

 

There won't be a 2012 Ford Ranger sold in America, the last one you could get was 2011...

 

Never understood why people are surprised at the reactions such as these. It's a Tacoma board, and the OP wants to downgrade to a Ford Ranger. Really??

Good luck with your future endeavors.

 

I had 2008 4 cyl 4x4 Reg cab and loved it. Mine was manual, but I think you can get it in automatic. It had a bench seat (base model) and manual windows etc., but I didn't care. It was zippy and climbed over/through almost anything. If you're starting to consider that as an option, I would recommend it. The reg cabs have a much "smaller" feel to them than the access/double cabs, even though it's not that much shorter... Probably just because of the lighter weight.

You can't special order tacos though, unfortunately. You have to scan dealer inventories (most dealers list what they have online nowadays) and just jump on it when you see a config you like.

My coworker has an old Ranger, and he seems to like it. No major problems as far as I know. I've ridden in it, and it was ok, but the cab seemed smaller than a Tacoma... might have even more trouble getting your big dog in there. Heh.

 

Where do you plan on buying that 2012 Ford Ranger? According to various reports (Motor Trend, US News & World Report, etc), the Ranger was discontinued in North America as of December 2011. Perhaps that's why the Ford website only lists the 2011, not a 2012, version.

Personally, I wouldn't put a lot of money into a discontinued vehicle with potentially declining support and questionable resale value.

Anyway, if those reports are true, the few remaining options for a smaller (new) truck are Mazda, Suzuki, and similar. While shopping a few months ago, I wasn't particularly impressed by those vehicles.

Sales of the Toyota Tacoma remain reasonably strong, ensuring it's likely continuation. This is one reason why I chose this truck over others. It's also a darn nice truck, which greatly helped that decision.

 

If you go to carmax.com, do a search for 2012 tacoma. You can get a regular cab 4x4 with auto trans. There's 5 of them listed in the US just on carmax. I believe they are all 2.7L engine.

If I didn't need 4 doors for the kid, this would be my truck of choice. They look sharp with some nice wheels.

http://www.carmax.com/enus/view-car...8+15+9&Q=8073eeb3-9265-4afb-b81e-c3fe1b809ddb

 

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