Back to Ford

[bigb]

I’ve come back to the Ford fold with my purchase of a 2026 Ranger Raptor in Marsh Grey. After 30 years with Super Duty’s, I no longer needed to tow a trailer or haul dirt bikes to the desert on weekends so I went to a Honda Ridgeline in 2019 (my grown daughter asked what I did to her Dad). Ridgeline was actually a great vehicle, did everything I asked it to do (and did it well I might add), and even fit i my garage … but was just the most vanilla vehicle I think I have ever owned. The call of the Raptor was just finally to loud to ignore. Only a tank of gas through it so far, but I have managed to hit a little off road on a local tight, rutted and fairly steep trail and was all smiles. Very happy with the truck.

Dealer experience was the worst I have had in several decades of buying vehicles (advertised as MSRP “Dealer asking price” but then a $15K markup when I get there), but fortunately that is behind me. Only reason I mention the Dealer is to relay another issue I had and wonder if others have experienced. When about to leave with my purchase, the salesman gave me a walkthrough that basically consisted of having me download the Ford App. I looked for the button to fold the mirrors on the drivers door and I didn’t have one. Instead of two buttons, mine had a single button on top of the panel When I asked about it, the salesman stumbled a bit then said they were manual fold. NOPE .. he them said my truck wasn’t optioned with the button. NOPE .. I suggested we look at the other three Ranger Raptors on the lot and they all had two buttons. I insisted they document it needed to be fixed, and they acted like I was being difficult by not taking their word that Service would adress it later (was near closing time and Service was gone). Took it in for my Service appt 4 days later and they tried the same game. Even told me it wasn’t in the build sheet or on the window sticker. Fortunately I had my window sticker and told him where to look to see ”folding power windows”. Long story short, on the fourth day in the shop, they finally changed it out because I was a dog on a bone about it.

This dealer won’t see me again, but so far I am feeling like the prize of owning this Ranger Raptor was worth the pain.

Good on you for not taking their BS. You probably already know that you can set the mirrors to automatically fold when locking the doors?

Mine has the 2 buttons and I thought I'd be using the folding mirror button but as it turns out I never do. Still nice to have it though if you're ever in a tight situation.

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[got3fords]

The dealer I got my Raptor from was pretty decent. When I went into the finance office I said no to all the add-ons, and she didn't even bat any eye. Was in and out of there pretty fast. Then I realized the truck didn't have floor mats. When I asked about them they said just take the ones out of your trade-in (5G). They didn't fit quite right so I pushed them to get me the right ones, which they did.
But I am using my usual much smaller and closer dealer for service.

 

[Geo8866]

I live near Philadelphia and drove five hours to Madison Ford in Virginia for my Ranger. It was worth the ride not to deal with BS and get a straight forward, good deal. "Fred Bean" has a monopoly on dealerships in eastern PA and NJ so they do that add-on crap. They had a $300 charge added on that the salesperson couldn't even explain what it was. I'm willing to drive halfway across country not to feel robbed.

 

[stemplar]

I live near Philadelphia and drove five hours to Madison Ford in Virginia for my Ranger. It was worth the ride not to deal with BS and get a straight forward, good deal. "Fred Bean" has a monopoly on dealerships in eastern PA and NJ so they do that add-on crap. They had a $300 charge added on that the salesperson couldn't even explain what it was. I'm willing to drive halfway across country not to feel robbed.

Fred Beans does not have a monopoly in the area. Far from it. I bought two fords last year, each a good deal (thousands off msrp, no bullshit sales tactics, patient sales folk, etc) from Kennedy Ford in Feasterville.

 

[got3fords]

I live near Philadelphia and drove five hours to Madison Ford in Virginia for my Ranger. It was worth the ride not to deal with BS and get a straight forward, good deal. "Fred Bean" has a monopoly on dealerships in eastern PA and NJ so they do that add-on crap. They had a $300 charge added on that the salesperson couldn't even explain what it was. I'm willing to drive halfway across country not to feel robbed.

Dude, that's my dealer! It's about 13 miles from my house.

 

[superj]

I am not a wrangler fan, though we have had every generation from cj5 & a 7 to the current jlu. The wife loves them though.

Our 04 tj was a dependable jeep though. It previously was a mail jeep so it was a right hand drive. My son's friends rolled it in Colorado while 4 wheeling and I went and picked it up. Once I pulled the plugs and cleared the cylinders, it started right up and drove into the trailer. It never stopped running the whole time my family owned it even though my youngest son treated it really badly. It lost reverse so we had to replace the transmission but we still drove it for probably 2 years with no reverse. It had been driven back and forth to Colorado springs 3 or 4 times with no reverse.

Here it is the day we bought it

Here it is after being rolled

Here it is after most of the bet parts being replaced. (Most)

That jeep is still driving too. My son, unfortunately, traded it for a miata

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