What Made You Choose Your Truck?

[Alaska_Wolf]

I’d love to hear more about your experiences coming ‘down’ (at least in size) from an F150 to a Ranger. I loved my 2007 F150 & never should’ve sold it as that started me on a downward stretch of used cars & short term new. I’m hoping a midsize will keep the good of that old F150 in a package sized just a bit better for city parking lots. I”m hoping comfortable enough for long trips too.

Honestly, it hasn't been a "terrible" experience MJE, just different. As far as the Ranger goes, its very comfortable; now if you want it to be as comfortable as a F 150, its not and it can't be because of the volume of the cab. But to me at least, its decidedly more comfortable than either the Maverick and the Bronco Sport and its hands down more comfortable than a Taco. The rear seat has markedly less legroom than an F 150 of course; my tall, long-legged wife said it was quite comfortable -- but she was not sitting back there for 8 hour road trips.

I do like the fact its surprisingly zippy and nimble. I'll admit I had my reservations about the 2.3L Ecoboost, but it seems to be more related to the sporty 3.5L Eco, than the powerless 2.7L that was in my F 150; and it felt WAY more powerful than the 2023 Taco V6 I test drove. The Ranger handles well on the Interstate, and handles way better than the F 150 in town, and significantly better in parking lots and structures. It's also done really well off road, and in the snow, the 3PMSF Hanook Dynapro AT-M tires I'm finding to be pretty decent for OEM tires; I didn't want to change them out as soon as I left the dealership for a change.

I do like the fact that the dash and controls are laid out like an F 150, and not in the format of other new Fords that look as though they have a huge, annoying tablet-like growth sprouting from the top of the dash -- definitely not a better idea to me. While there are some differences, I kind of liken them to the differences between an XL and Lariat dash; different but not markedly so. The shifter is in the same comfortable spot as an F 150, and you don't have to hunt around the center console for a dial shifter.

I hope I answered you question MJE. I'm finding that while I'm adapting to the changes, I just have to remind myself that its a Ranger and not a F 150, and both come with their own distinct set of advantages and disadvantages. Its not my beloved 2004 Yellow Truck, but its shaping up to be a worthy contender and I'm enjoying it.

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[Alaska_Wolf]

Do you have a release date yet for this novel ? Would be an interesting read

Coming soon to theaters near you!

 

[MJE]

Honestly, it hasn't been a "terrible" experience MJE, just different. As far as the Ranger goes, its very comfortable; now if you want it to be as comfortable as a F 150, its not and it can't be because of the volume of the cab. But to me at least, its decidedly more comfortable than either the Maverick and the Bronco Sport and its hands down more comfortable than a Taco. The rear seat has markedly less legroom than an F 150 of course; my tall, long-legged wife said it was quite comfortable -- but she was not sitting back there for 8 hour road trips.

I do like the fact its surprisingly zippy and nimble. I'll admit I had my reservations about the 2.3L Ecoboost, but it seems to be more related to the sporty 3.5L Eco, than the powerless 2.7L that was in my F 150; and it felt WAY more powerful than the 2023 Taco V6 I test drove. The Ranger handles well on the Interstate, and handles way better than the F 150 in town, and significantly better in parking lots and structures. It's also done really well off road, and in the snow, the 3PMSF Hanook Dynapro AT-M tires I'm finding to be pretty decent for OEM tires; I didn't want to change them out as soon as I left the dealership for a change.

I do like the fact that the dash and controls are laid out like an F 150, and not in the format of other new Fords that look as though they have a huge, annoying tablet-like growth sprouting from the top of the dash -- definitely not a better idea to me. While there are some differences, I kind of liken them to the differences between an XL and Lariat dash; different but not markedly so. The shifter is in the same comfortable spot as an F 150, and you don't have to hunt around the center console for a dial shifter.

I hope I answered you question MJE. I'm finding that while I'm adapting to the changes, I just have to remind myself that its a Ranger and not a F 150, and both come with their own distinct set of advantages and disadvantages. Its not my beloved 2004 Yellow Truck, but its shaping up to be a worthy contender and I'm enjoying it.

Thank you for sharing your impressions so extensively Gary, really appreciate it! I do agree, it won’t be quite an F150 in comfort due to just sheer cab volume, that’s just the nature of choosing mid sized vs. full size. But comfort is my primary factor in choosing next. I think my challenge is my expectations were set by my beloved 2007 gray truck (the earlier yellow ones were awesome looking!) but I no longer live in the country & have a 2hr drive to get to civilization. THat made the F150 a great choice for my life then & I used it to travel all over the western half of the continent in some of the best times of my life.

I live in the city & though I still want to travel as I once did on the interstates, I also have to reckon with the fact that I need something small enough I can maneuver around day to day in the city. It’s just me & my dog so back seat size isn’t a huge factor. She’s not nearly as picky as I am! I havent tried either the Ranger or the Taco yet, but I’ve heard the Taco isn’t the midsizer you want if comfort is your priority.

I admit controls are a big thing too, I’m learning towards Ford again, having now experienced 2 modern ones (explorer & bronco sport) just simply for the fact that I’m used to & know where all the controls are. The driving aids & tech are all laid out simple & easy to use with good displays. I assumed every modern car did it this way until trying my mother’s Acura & discovering that even more expensive cars don’t necessarily have controls figured out well.

Thanks again for an awesome response, please keep sharing your impressions & I’ll keep reading!

 

[rwolfcastle]

I admit controls are a big thing too, I’m learning towards Ford again

I've seen you around the GM forum and I feel like there are a lot of Ford haters there. Between me and you, I'm also leaning HARD toward the Ranger now. I went to a GMC dealer beginning of January ready to put money down on the Canyon AT4X but they weren't taking orders. I'm so glad I didn't now as it seems things keep coming out that make them unable to compete.

Rangers have trail control which doesn't get enough credit as a feature. It seems to work better and quieter than Toyota's crawl control. Rangers also have homelink garage door openers and rain-sensing wipers. All simple things the GM twins are still lacking. I was looking at the AT4X as a Raptor competitor but I still think the Raptor is next-level. I'm hoping to get one but even if I don't, I may still get a Ranger Tremor or something.

The only feature that could be lacking from Ford is the ventilated seats which I'm still crossing my fingers for.

 

[carmigo]

I just bought my 2023 Ranger Lariat FX4 Jungle Splash Edition, first "new" Ranger I've ever had. I've bought Ford's almost exclusively for 50 years now, one of my two exceptions being an International orange and black 1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda w/426. I've also had a black and white 68 Shelby GT 500 w/428, a red 1968 F 100 Ranger (yep, there was an F series Ranger), a red 67 Mustang Hard Top; then there was my little green 1976 Datsun B-210. I actually really liked that little car, it was comfortable, fun to drive and affordable for a brand new airman. When I was sent to the UK in 1980, I sold it rather than taking it with me and bought a red 1976 Ford Granada (UK), and talked my new bride out of ever buying Dodges again. Then we ordered a red 1985 Ford Bronco straight from Ford, and picked it up in Minneapolis to help us deal with the snows of the Michigan Upper Pennisula; and I found a 1976 bright red Maverick Stallion 302. After the snowmageddon years, I bought a red 1989 Bronco and my wife got her Lil Red 1998 Ranger. We kept both of those until we traded them in for a brand new 1995 red (does anyone see a pattern yet?) Eddie Bauer Ford Bronco and moved on with the next chapter of our lives as we moved to Alaska with kids and dogs.

Once we got to Anchorage, I bought myself a little white and blue 1986 F 250 and wifey kept the NEW red Bronco... Fast forward a few years and I past by an auto transporter with this beautiful truck on the top heading to Cal Worthington Ford of Anchorage. Needless to say, I whipped a u-turn and followed that truck. 3 hours later, I was now the proud owner of my own brand new 2004 Screaming Yellow and Dark Shadow Gray Metallic F 150! Then after we left Alaska, we got the wife a new metallic black 2013 Ford Edge Limited which she kept, right up until she saw a beautiful, and seriously impractical, ruby red metallic 2016 Ford SHO sitting unclaimed, and alone, on a lot more than a year after it was built. Well...there went Yellow Truck, and I inherited a black SUV... The Edge wasn't bad, and I kept it until I found a 10 month old ruby red metallic 2018 F 150 Lariat with 9,000 miles on it. Wife kept her little race car until 2022 when she found a ruby red metallic 2020 3.5L Ecoboost Ford Explorer Platinum, which is now her forever vehicle -- we'll see. My F 150 was nice, but it wasn't yellow truck, and besides, all of the parking lots seemed to be shrinking so this year I finally got serious about looking for a new, smaller, vehicle. Oh, and my 2.7 Ecoboost was WAY under-powered for a F 150 and only got 15 mpg combined; yellow truck with that 5.4 Triton averaged over 20 mpg, even through sub-zero temperatures.

I looked at a 2023 Toyota Taco, but was not at all impressed with how uncomfortable the cab was. Then I went on to look at many other vehicles, all of which were painted in the same crappy white, silver and grayish colors. Was there a huge paint sale on white, silver and gray automotive paints? Finally I went and tested the new Maverick...it was okay, but nothing special, I'm not sure what all the buzz was about; and it is definitely NOT a Maverick. Then it was on to look at our our beloved Broncos, only to find the unimpressive Not-a-Bronco, and the seriously even more unimpressive Not-a-Bronco Sport. (has anyone noticed how many Not-A-Bronco and Not-A-Bronco Sports are already up for resale?) Finally, a deep green green color caught my eye, and after a salesman annoying test drive, my new 2023 Ranger Lariat FX4 Jungle Splash Edition is parked in my driveway.

This is exactly what we wanted when we asked to hear your story! Thanks for sharing. That ranger sound stunning and well worth the journey.

 

[carmigo]

Coming soon to theaters near you!

We'll be first in line

 

[Alaska_Wolf]

Rangers have trail control which doesn't get enough credit as a feature. It seems to work better and quieter than Toyota's crawl control. Rangers also have homelink garage door openers and rain-sensing wipers. All simple things the GM twins are still lacking. I was looking at the AT4X as a Raptor competitor but I still think the Raptor is next-level. I'm hoping to get one but even if I don't, I may still get a Ranger Tremor or something.

The only feature that could be lacking from Ford is the ventilated seats which I'm still crossing my fingers for.

I did give the Ranger trail control a test, so far I'm really impressed with it on a snow covered mud downhill grade. Mine did come with Homelink and the rain-sensing wipers. I was originally disappointed by the lack of ventilated seats on the Rangers, but as I always cover my seats with Carhartt seat covers it really was a moot point. Once I thought about it, I realized I had never used them when I did have them, the Carhartts kept the seats cool in my F 150, even when it was 105 outside.

 

[MJE]

I've seen you around the GM forum and I feel like there are a lot of Ford haters there. Between me and you, I'm also leaning HARD toward the Ranger now. I went to a GMC dealer beginning of January ready to put money down on the Canyon AT4X but they weren't taking orders. I'm so glad I didn't now as it seems things keep coming out that make them unable to compete.

Rangers have trail control which doesn't get enough credit as a feature. It seems to work better and quieter than Toyota's crawl control. Rangers also have homelink garage door openers and rain-sensing wipers. All simple things the GM twins are still lacking. I was looking at the AT4X as a Raptor competitor but I still think the Raptor is next-level. I'm hoping to get one but even if I don't, I may still get a Ranger Tremor or something.

The only feature that could be lacking from Ford is the ventilated seats which I'm still crossing my fingers for.

That’s me! Maybe expected for a Chevy forum, but yeah a lot of anti Ford guys there. For me I have to absolutely check out all possibilities in the hope of finding a car I’ll keep for the next decade.

I can see how you’d go AT4X though, from what I see GM really did their homework to bring out a competitive truck! A friend of mine loved his 17 Canyon and can’t recommend them enough. But yes I’d seen on there too that even the top end models lack homelink & rain-sensing wipers. I‘m not going to call those things deal breakers, but those are things I have on my Ford now at far less cost. Maybe I’ve had Fords too long but I’m told to expect less going to just about any other vehicle.

Looking forward to checking out the Raptor myself! I’m really hoping for the Platinum to land here as a Denali competitor though. That ought to have ventilated seats.

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