What Made You Choose Your Ranger?

[Lion77]

What the heck is a wax?

Gen Z speak for WRX because having a consonant in there takes too much brain power, so they replaced the consonant with vowel .

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[Lion77]

That makes sense! The Ranger seems like a good middle ground if you don’t need the extra size of an F-150 but still want some solid capability!

Add to that the fact that the approach, departure and breakover on a stock RR is still better than an F-150 Raptor on 35's (they even up when the F-150 is on 37's). If you compare a stock RR's angles to something more in it's price range, like a F-150 Tremor or Silverado ZR2 Trail Boss aka the V8 off-road-work trucks, assuming you don't need the towing / payload, the RR's angles are even better yet as is it's ground clearance.

It's a surprisingly well-rounded truck and kinda right in the sweet spot stock but has enough headroom to take it in more extreme directions if you want to fit it for a specific purpose within reason (lift + tires for more trail-oriented truck or stock suspension + better 33's for a performance / handling-oriented setup).

 

[stemplar]

My journey to buying my '25 Ranger Lariat was years in the making. I was interested in the 5th gen when they returned to the US, but before I started shopping for one COVID had set in so I sort of lost momentum before I even got started. After COVID, truck prices were bananas and I didn't need a truck that bad, so I waited. I made some offers on 2023's, but low supply and inflated prices made me unsuccessful. By 2024 most mid-sized trucks got refreshed, and since I had no religion about one manufacturer over another, I looked at them all. And speaking of preconceptions, I'm proud to say that I only cared about capability, reliability, and perceived value and didn't care about esoteric attributes for my day-to-day use, namely whether it was body-on-frame or unibody. I get the benefits of body on frame; really, I do. But if a unibody truck performed better in ways that matter to me than a body on frame, then so be it. And yes, something with a bed I can haul manure in is a truck. Full stop. So I shopped for a taco and learned that I liked it more than the last gen which was slow, painfully uncomfortable, and aesthetically underwhelming. The new gen is quicker, less uncomfortable, and even uglier. Off to Nissan I went, and I felt pretty neutral about it after the test drive. I'm sure I'd be happy with one, but it felt dated and sluggish, not unlike how I felt about the 5th-gen rangers (at least for being dated). I looked at Canyons and sort of liked them, but that was about the time their OTA updates were bricking scores of trucks and my local dealers are lazy old dudes who knew nothing about, well, anything, so to the Honda dealer I went. Shopping for a pickup in a Honda dealership felt like I was looking for a motorcycle in a Schwinn bike shop, but at least the sales people were honest and said, "I don't know" a lot. The Ridgeline checked most of my boxes: really good payload, great as a daily driver, comfortable (enough) for the family, and a useful bed with more than 4' between wheel wells, a lockable "trunk", etc, and other smart things like a split rear seat that makes underseat storage access easier. Only the towing was on the weak side, so off to Ford I went. The Ranger was vastly improved over the 5th gen in a number of meaningful ways: longer, wider, and rear shocks moved outboard of the springs made for a much more refined ride. The rear seat folded flat (but still no split seat!). The tech was up-to-date. Good payload (great on the base model, ok on the loaded lariat). Great towing. Comfortable interior for 4 people. Quite frankly I didn't like the 4-cylinder as it felt rough, loud, and generally unrefined to me, and the brakes felt like the pad material was made from scrap wood. But at the end of the day, it came down to the honda and the ford, but the low towing number for the honda made it come in second place. I decided to wait for the 2.7 and the new model year since at the time when I made my decision there was still a lot of chatter about j-braces. When my '25 lariat fx4 arrived I was pleased to find that the brakes were improved and the 2.7 was everything I expected given my experience with it in the f150's.

If I had to do it all over again, as much as I like my '25, I don't know what I'd buy. Each of the manufacturers had issues with their new models and that seems to be behind each of them. I know ford's 3.0 is of the nano family, but I have no interest in buying one. Lack of port injection, first year of the "de-tuned" engine, and other differences between it and the 2.7 make me not want one. I don't hate it or anything; I just don't want one. I'd probably end up comparing the ranger with the 2.3 against the competitors. Maybe the ford would still come out on top, but losing things like projector led headlights, leather seats, and who knows what else, just leaves me feeling like I'm getting less for more which doesn't sit well with me.

 

[pkvir]

I wanted a capable mid-sized truck; I also wanted something fun to drive. This left me with one option.

 

[Watchdog62]

Loved my 2019 fx4 lariat with its mods but my 2025 is the sum of total FP badassery!

 

[emjay24l]

I'd probably end up comparing the ranger with the 2.3 against the competitors. Maybe the ford would still come out on top, but losing things like projector led headlights, leather seats, and who knows what else, just leaves me feeling like I'm getting less for more which doesn't sit well with me.

A 2.3L with a Ford performance tune will make 322 hp and 359 lb-ft of torque at 2,500 rpm and will not affect the OEM warranty. This is more hp than the 2.7L and although it is 41 lb-ft of torque less than it the peak torque hits at 2,500 rpm instead of 3,500 rpm for the 2.7L. IMO, there isn't much real world difference between a 2.3L with a tune and a stock 2.7L. If one tows a lot and/or hauls heavy loads then I think the 2.7L is the better choice.

 

[Watchdog62]

A 2.3L with a Ford performance tune will make 322 hp and 359 lb-ft of torque at 2,500 rpm and will not affect the OEM warranty. This is more hp than the 2.7L and although it is 41 lb-ft of torque less than it the peak torque hits at 2,500 rpm instead of 3,500 rpm for the 2.7L. IMO, there isn't much real world difference between a 2.3L with a tune and a stock 2.7L. If one tows a lot and/or hauls heavy loads then I think the 2.7L is the better choice.

Which in 2027 is no longer an option as the 2.7 is being replaced by the 3.0 tuned for 380hp vs the RR 411. I wonder if FP will have tune for it and get close to the 452 you get now for the RR FP tune?

 

[1996-to-2025]

I still drive my old Ranger that I bought in 1996, so I have an affinity for the brand. The 2.7L V6 was what made me choose the Ranger again. It was a long wait, haha.

 

[emjay24l]

Which in 2027 is no longer an option as the 2.7 is being replaced by the 3.0 tuned for 380hp vs the RR 411. I wonder if FP will have tune for it and get close to the 452 you get now for the RR FP tune?

The 2.7L is still a good comparison since it has nearly the same hp and torque numbers as the 3.0L in the lower trim levels. A tuned 2.3L isn't that far away from either detuned V6 engine.

 

[Sharpix]

Sold my 2nd gen taco, it was feeling incredibly old and rough. Went to toyota and the new its TERRIBLE. No rear seat space, no rear AC, white fabric seats in a 4x4? WTF! Awful styling, plasticky, bad screen, uninspiring audio, awful front and sides styling...

Went to Ford, checked a F150 and was too large. Next day went back, test drove a Ranger 2024 Wildtrak 4x4 and got in love.

The 2025 wildtrak 4x4 (sourced from South Africa) had LOTS MORE EQUIPMENT that the tacoma and had a 5k discount. I still like it a lot one year after

 

[Phoenix5454]

The 2.7L is still a good comparison since it has nearly the same hp and torque numbers as the 3.0L in the lower trim levels. A tuned 2.3L isn't that far away from either detuned V6 engine.

In the 2027 F150 application the power numbers are exactly the same as the outgoing 2.7TT for the 3.0. The main difference is that the peak power comes in 1200rpms sooner. I imagine we will see the same power figures in the Ranger application of the 3.0 as the F150 (315hp and 400ft lbs) and the bronco will have the higher output that they have already stated for the non raptor 3.0

 

[emjay24l]

In the 2027 F150 application the power numbers are exactly the same as the outgoing 2.7TT for the 3.0. The main difference is that the peak power comes in 1200rpms sooner. I imagine we will see the same power figures in the Ranger application of the 3.0 as the F150 (315hp and 400ft lbs) and the bronco will have the higher output that they have already stated for the non raptor 3.0

I am curious to see how the peak torque coming in at such a low rpm plays out regarding towing, daily driving, acceleration, turbo lag, etc. I expect that Ford will add dual port injection to the 3.0L in 2-3 years like they did when the 2.7L was put into the F-150.

 

[SR-71Ranger]

Always been involved in tuning cars. I was into the WRX when they first came to the states in 2002, and purchased a 2003. It was my intro to forced induction vehicles and the potential performance that could be unlocked for much less than NA. I owned a C6 Z06 for a while. Power was so fun but very impractical and interior was typical outdated GM for that generation.

Just bought a Ranger Raptor to replace our Subaru Outback Wilderness. The Outback in this trim is a great car. Tons of space, perfect road trip car and decent power (turbo 4cyl) and handling both on and off road. Most versatile car I’ve ever owned and would argue, available right now. The CVT never gave problems but only have 50k miles, but the shift quality plain sucked. The electronic Nannie’s were ridiculous! The eyesight monitoring stepped in wayyyy too much and was borderline dangerous on a few occasions. The infotainment system was extremely buggie.

So why a RR now? It checks all the boxes. It can do what a midsized truck does for hauling basic residential and outdoor sports things, with a tonneau it doubles the carry capacity of our Outback wagon, extremely comfy seats, better ground clearance and off road manners, and it drives like a sports/rally car! It’s just as fun as my modded WRX back in the day…. Actually, better. The infotainment system and physical climate control buttons are a relief too.

Reliabilty is the one unknown so we will see but the reason I rotate care every 3-5 years is I’ll always have a warranty which allows me to dump the car off at a dealer and say “fix it”…. For free.

 

[Onceaneagle]

My first truck was a new 1996 Ford Ranger STX Extended Cab (see the Rangers We Have Known thread). Traded it in for a new 2003 Ford Ranger Edge Extended Cab. In 2010, we had the gas guzzler rebate. Went to my dealer and found out I could get a new Ford F150 FX4 Extended Cab for not much money because my Ranger was in demand and the gas guzzler rebate. So I moved up to the F150. After 102,500 miles of no issues except a power seat heating element quit working, decided to trade in for a 2021 F150 Lariat FX4 Extended Cab. Then...I got too old. The F150 became a PITA to park when I went to the city. Did not need the 6.5' bed that much anymore. Looked at 2025 Ford Mavericks. Drove Mav Lariats with both available engines. Wanted a hybrid in Ruby Red in June 2025. My dealer could not get one without ordering and no guarantee he would get one until 2026. Five dealers around me out to 150 miles could not get one. I called dealers that had one, all out of State. They would not trade with my dealer. They would not come down below MSRP, with dealers in Chicago, Vegas, and in California charging ADM that was insane. So I gave up. About October 2025 I saw a 2025 Ford Ranger Ruby Red in a parking lot. Loved it. Saw all the rebates. Wanted a Ranger Raptor. Called my dealer. Not available in Ruby Red. Really? So how about a Lariat FX4 with BAP? Can't get one ordered for 2025 due to change over. Other dealers won't trade. Called five other local dealers to include the largest in the area. Same story. I went Internet shopping. Called a dealer in South Dakota 420 miles away who had one on the lot with everything I wanted. We did the deal over the phone, great price on trade and with rebates, wired the money, paid to ship it and pick up my trade, signed paperwork electronically, and my Ranger was in front of my garage door in 72 hours. Absolutely love this truck with the 2.7L.

 

[el_sabio]

Because when people ask me what I drive I can say, “a Ford fu*kin Ranger!”

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