Two Totally Useless Features As They Came From the Factory

[AzScorpion]

I was having FOMO over not having the rear beer window when i got the truck, but i think it looks better without it.

I wish mine didn't come with it. I had one in my Tacoma and in 4 1/2 years never opened it once. If it were powered I would use it but it's to much a hassle to climb in the back seat and to open/close it.

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[Jbroke]

Let me start out by saying I absolutely LOVE my Ranger Lariat! I won’t discuss here the things I wish it had that were not available on even the top of the line Ranger. HOWEVER, there are two features it DOES have that are pretty much useless as they came out from the factory.

1. The Fold-in Mirrors – Why would they design these to where the switch has to be ON for the mirror button to have power? By the time I remember to fold them in, it’s after the switch is already off, and I am out of the truck. I can’t even open the door and reach in to push the button to fold them in. Ideally, this should have been designed with an option to fold them in by default every time the switch is turned off. Either way, the button should be full time powered, even with the ignition off.
2. The Sliding Back Window – After driving a Sport Trac for 13 years with a wide, full opening top to bottom electric window, that could be opened or closed while going down the highway, this tiny, square, manually sliding window, is useless to me. I don’t foresee a time when I will ever be driving down the interstate and decide I want to open it, pull over to the side of the road, get out, get in the back seat, and open the window manually. This window should have been designed with the convenience of an electric switch to be used from the driver’s seat.

I could write multiple pages on what I LIKE about my Ranger, but, after driving it for a month, these are about the only two things that I could find that are REAL shortcomings in my opinion. Thanks for the opportunity to have a place to vent!

Agreed on the back window, should’ve just left it as no opening part if it wasn’t going to be electric IMO or at least made it like the Tacoma where it’s the full height of the window not a baby square it just looks off.

 

[UncleBob]

As an owner who had a Sport Trac for over 15 years, I totally agree that the Ford totally missed the boat with not installing a full size (or near to) power slide DOWN rear window. That tiny little manual slide window is totally useless. Except for opening it ONE time to see that it actually opened, I have never opened it since.

As for the power mirrors. I prefer that they DON'T auto operate. I leave then extended as I enter my garage as a visual judgement to my centering thru the door (single car door) and the move slightly left and retract the mirrors. I do both to provide walking clearance between the truck and a nearby refrigerator as I walk to the door into the house.
I leave them retracted when I back out so I don't have to worry so much about clipping the mirror as I exit the garage and only extend them after I clear the door frame.
as far as retracting them in parking situations, I generally park in HC parking positions and if not, I would retract them if I feel it might be beneficial for the specific space.

Regarding the window lockout. I think driver windows operating panel should ALWAYS be enabled. The lockout should ONLY affect passenger panel. Otherwise, while you unlock the panels to allow one person to operate a window, another brat in the back seat can open anther window you had NOT intended for them to open. Ford really screwed up on this.

 

[outdoorphotog]

I wish mine didn't come with it. I had one in my Tacoma and in 4 1/2 years never opened it once. If it were powered I would use it but it's to much a hassle to climb in the back seat and to open/close it.

Must have been an afterthought in the design of the overall truck..

 

[r1ch999999]

I just took a short highway trip with the rear window open, it does stop the harmonics.
Also @Ranger_Rocks I have a two car garage with one door, in order to fit both my Ranger and my wife’s Santa Fe and get the doors open I have to pull in and then tuck the truck all the way over, so I’m literally an inch or two from the door opening when I pull in/out. I retract my mirrors so I only have to move over a little to clear the door opening.

 

[Michel Jeanneau]

I have been using my rear window on warm days when it's not quite AC weather...ride home with the front driver window down and the rear window open is nice. As for needing power...I have that solved for now (my kids in back are my power window). Both my previous Rangers had the rear window which is nice since neither truck had AC and I used them all the time

 

[Augie81]

How wide is your garage door opening ?

I can't speak for UncleBob but my garage door is 91 inches wide with the trim. So I also like that they are not auto. It only took me a few days before folding them in as I pull in to my garage and unfolding them after I back out just became a habit. Just like pushing the button to open and close my garage door. It's just part of my routine now.

 

[Jake596]

I found it bizarre that the sliding rear window is considered a coveted rarity in the ranger trim levels, pickup trucks had sliding rear windows, thats just how it was, every pickup truck i can remember owning or those owned in my immediate family had the sliding rear window, now its a golden egg? I havent seen a Ranger with the sliding rear window in my neck of the woods, hell i might take a picture when I do. This is one of many modern day 'option' irritations that we can experience. Soon tires will be an option, "hey did you get the tire option?", "Naw waiting a few paychecks, had to go without the tires"......

 

[GaryMc]

As an owner who had a Sport Trac for over 15 years, I totally agree that the Ford totally missed the boat with not installing a full size (or near to) power slide DOWN rear window. That tiny little manual slide window is totally useless. Except for opening it ONE time to see that it actually opened, I have never opened it since.

As for the power mirrors. I prefer that they DON'T auto operate. I leave then extended as I enter my garage as a visual judgement to my centering thru the door (single car door) and the move slightly left and retract the mirrors. I do both to provide walking clearance between the truck and a nearby refrigerator as I walk to the door into the house.
I leave them retracted when I back out so I don't have to worry so much about clipping the mirror as I exit the garage and only extend them after I clear the door frame.
as far as retracting them in parking situations, I generally park in HC parking positions and if not, I would retract them if I feel it might be beneficial for the specific space.

Regarding the window lockout. I think driver windows operating panel should ALWAYS be enabled. The lockout should ONLY affect passenger panel. Otherwise, while you unlock the panels to allow one person to operate a window, another brat in the back seat can open anther window you had NOT intended for them to open. Ford really screwed up on this.

How wide is your garage door opening ?

I always back into my garage on the left side, and my wife pulls in front first on the right side. That way, both of our driver doors open to the middle. That allows me to park much closer on my passenger side, which allows more room for us to exit our vehicles in the middle of the garage. I would be OK if it would just fold in the mirrors when I lock the vehicle like her Lincoln Nautilus does. She can manually fold hers in with a button, or automatically when the doors are locked.

 

[r1ch999999]

I found it bizarre that the sliding rear window is considered a coveted rarity in the ranger trim levels, pickup trucks had sliding rear windows, thats just how it was, every pickup truck i can remember owning or those owned in my immediate family had the sliding rear window, now its a golden egg? I havent seen a Ranger with the sliding rear window in my neck of the woods, hell i might take a picture when I do. This is one of many modern day 'option' irritations that we can experience. Soon tires will be an option, "hey did you get the tire option?", "Naw waiting a few paychecks, had to go without the tires"......

I don't know about that, my 89 and 95 Rangers didn't have a sliding rear window. My 03 and my 19 Rangers do. The best was still my Sport Trac.

 

[GaryMc]

I agree about the rear window. Wife loves hers on her FX4 and will probably never use it.

I hate mine, actually use it, and will still probably swap it out. With the DiamondBack and window open a bit, 10' lengths of pvc are easy to carry and often too floppy for the roof rack. The restrictions in visibility, size and inconvenience of opening are enough to want it gone.

THANKS for giving me a sensible use for that little back window! I don't have to haul PVC very often, but when I do, I'll remember that option.

 

[GaryMc]

I was having FOMO over not having the rear beer window when i got the truck, but i think it looks better without it.

You can forget that fear of missing out, because after having one, I can agree that if I ever have my back window broken out while parked at a baseball game, I will go back with a regular plain back window!

 

[GaryMc]

I have been using my rear window on warm days when it's not quite AC weather...ride home with the front driver window down and the rear window open is nice. As for needing power...I have that solved for now (my kids in back are my power window). Both my previous Rangers had the rear window which is nice since neither truck had AC and I used them all the time

I suppose in New Hampshire that is very feasible, however, here in the desert of the West Texas oil fields, we can go from having a late winter snowfall to melting the snow in 85 degree heat the very next day. We don't have many of those "not quite AC weather" days.

 

[r1ch999999]

I suppose in New Hampshire that is very feasible, however, here in the desert of the West Texas oil fields, we can go from having a late winter snowfall to melting the snow in 85 degree heat the very next day. We don't have many of those "not quite AC weather" days.

we have those days in NH too, 80s one day and snow the next.

 

[HenryMac]

Our XL doesn't have the folding mirrors or the sliding rear window. We traded our '02 Tacoma for the 2019 Ranger.

We used to use the sliding rear window in the Tacoma a lot for hauling light gauge items, (wood trim, pvc, etc) that wouldn't fit in the 6 ft. bed. But the Tacoma had the full height sliding window. Once open there was no glass at the bottom, just an aluminum track the glass slid in. I'd be leery of setting anything on the glass like the Ranger window has.

After looking in the rear view of the Tacoma and seeing that little sliding window for 17 years.... I really like the unobstructed view looking in the rear view mirror of the Ranger.

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