Ranger has fresh competition...

[Motorpsychology]

OK... I'll Bite. How do you watch the roof when going through a car wash?

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[VAMike]

I'm terrified of a side impact on the Ranger, like having a can of Soda protecting me

You do understand that body panels have literally nothing to do with side impact protection? And that the ranger has a "good" rating for side impact protection from IIHS? (Old frontier did ok with that but was pretty bad overall. I assume they improved things in the update but it hasn't been tested.)

 

[Cape Cruiser]

Depending on the price, I might end up trading in my Ranger for that frontier. I first have to "feel" the body panels, and get a sense for the durability of the "body" components. Don't get me wrong, the Ranger has an incredible engine and solid transmission, but literally everything else about the truck feels cheap. Body panels are thin and feel hollow at the doors (I'm terrified of a side impact on the Ranger, like having a can of Soda protecting me), paint chips and scratches if you so much as look at it the wrong way, and the plastic on the inside (door handles specifically) feels like I could snap it if I squeeze hard with my hand (and I don't even lift bro!).

I'm definitely going to be ready for a vehicle with higher quality "body" and general plastic materials in a few years. Truly the opposite of built "Ford" tough imo, I'm afraid to lean on the door for fear of causing a dent

Juan , I believe all new vehicles are like that. Weight savings. I just came from a Taco and its the same. Heck even glass is thin now. Good luck Bret

 

[Tulumben]

As someone who does not yet own a truck but planning on getting one in the next few years, I think the Nissan would be a strong contender for me overall - I like the look of it and it should do what I need it to do. Waiting to see what the next gen Ranger is like before I pull the trigger on anything.

One thing that I don't understand is - why do all trucks seem to fall into only 2 very specific size categories, mid-size and full-size, and each truck within those categories is basically the exact same size (+/- maybe 2%). Like if you compare the various dimensions of different mid-size trucks, they are pretty much all close to identical.

In terms of the interior seating room (back seats in particular) I find mid-size trucks a bit too small and then full-size trucks are absolutely massive, with nothing in between. I can't be the only person who would love something that's half way between a mid-size truck and a full-size truck in terms of size. Why doesn't this exist? Every time a new gen version of a truck (i.e. the new Frontier) comes out I am crossing my fingers that they would make them a bit bigger in the interior but it never seems to happen.

 

[HenryMac]

Paint and chips? Got my Ranger summer of 2019. I live in the boonies on a dirt/gravel road. I also travel to WV to my property. Old trails...lots of brush dragging against sides.

Zero chips. Zero scratches.

Of course I ordered mine with mud flaps and don't have nobbies sticking out 6 inches past the fenders.

Zero issues with the paint.

Tod, I'll agree with others in regard to chipped paint. On our truck though it's just frontal, nose in the wind chips.

But it's brutal here in the Rockies... even the "top soil" where we live is basically sandy aggregate.

My '02 Tacoma had issues with this to though. This winters been tough. Lets see how Ranger Smith looks come spring time

I will say the rocksliders we installed and the Weathertech mudflaps protect the side of the truck. No issues there whatsoever. With the sliders you don't get the 1920's / 30's running board look, but you do get protection. Best of both worlds.

 

[Tulumben]

it does exist....regular cab, supercab and supercrew sizing adjusts your interior space.

I guess my post was a bit ambiguous... I meant a mid-size supercrew vs. full-size supercrew... ideally I'd like a supercrew that falls in between those two, mainly referring to the size of the cab but also referring to the overall size of the truck as well. Like the F150 supercrew has rear legroom of 43.6 inches and the Ranger has rear legroom of 34.5 inches.... give me a supercrew with 38.5 inches of rear legroom and a 5.5 foot bed and I'd be happy.

 

[Tracy Bowman]

As someone who does not yet own a truck but planning on getting one in the next few years, I think the Nissan would be a strong contender for me overall - I like the look of it and it should do what I need it to do. Waiting to see what the next gen Ranger is like before I pull the trigger on anything.

One thing that I don't understand is - why do all trucks seem to fall into only 2 very specific size categories, mid-size and full-size, and each truck within those categories is basically the exact same size (+/- maybe 2%). Like if you compare the various dimensions of different mid-size trucks, they are pretty much all close to identical.

In terms of the interior seating room (back seats in particular) I find mid-size trucks a bit too small and then full-size trucks are absolutely massive, with nothing in between. I can't be the only person who would love something that's half way between a mid-size truck and a full-size truck in terms of size. Why doesn't this exist? Every time a new gen version of a truck (i.e. the new Frontier) comes out I am crossing my fingers that they would make them a bit bigger in the interior but it never seems to happen.

Go sit in a Ranger Supercrew. Plenty of room.

 

[Tulumben]

Go sit in a Ranger Supercrew. Plenty of room.

I actually have not sat in one in person so hopefully you're right and it's bigger than I am expecting. Looking for a vehicle that can carry 4 adults (and gear) relatively comfortable on 2-4 hour trips ideally.

 

[Tracy Bowman]

I actually have not sat in one in person so hopefully you're right and it's bigger than I am expecting. Looking for a vehicle that can carry 4 adults (and gear) relatively comfortable on 2-4 hour trips ideally.

My son and grandson ride in the back seat of my supercrew with no problem. My son is 6’3”. He has gone on some fairly long trips with us, but I think if it were a VERY long trip, he might get a little uncomfortable. I wish you the best in finding a truck that fits your needs. I will say, though, that I LOVE my Ranger!

 

[Motorpsychology]

I actually have not sat in one in person so hopefully you're right and it's bigger than I am expecting. Looking for a vehicle that can carry 4 adults (and gear) relatively comfortable on 2-4 hour trips ideally.

The the Jeep Gladiator at 38.3" has the most rear seat legroom of the midsize trucks, but it is about 8" longer than a Ranger and the MSRP is in full size territory. it's not just about dimensions.
How high off the floor you sit, where your feet have to be, headrest intrusion etc all play a part in comfort.

 

[r1ch999999]

The best solution to the rear legroom problem is to sit in the drivers seat.

 

[wmadoty]

please let dodge drop out first.

they'll cram a hellcat engine into theirs to get best in class numbers....and not worry about all the kids wrapping them around telephone poles.

I loved the Super Bee! I would have gotten one as my first car but I could not afford a new one. Asked a dealer about getting a used one and he told me there were no used Super Bee's, only new ones and those that had been crashed by teenagers.

 

[r1ch999999]

This reminds me of a time I tried to buy a Dakota, right before the RT came out. I wanted the V8, regular cab, manual transmission, 2wd. The dealer refused to order it, probably a good thing because I ended up moving to NH a few months later.

 

[TimmyB]

The best solution to the rear legroom problem is to sit in the drivers seat.

Or, drive around with short people like me and my wife up front. Hell, you'll have all the room in the world back there!!!

 

[shred5]

I did look at the Tacoma when deciding to purchase the Ranger, and TBH, would have gone with it if not for the price difference. In my area, Tacomas are VERY popular, and the dealerships just wouldn't budge or offer any kind of incentives. The Ford dealerships were willing to negotiate and give me a solid deal for the truck, so I went with them.

My experience with the Tacoma was that (1) I didn't like the drive feel as much as the Ranger, and (2) I didn't like the seat position (felt like my head was hitting the top of the cab, and also I couldn't see very much as the hood obstructs visibility). Still, I felt the metal materials on the exterior, and the plastics in the interior was a bit higher quality. Maybe that will all change in 4-5 years when I'm ready to trade in and buy a new truck though, so I will check out every option b4 buying.

The price is what got me too. I originally wanted a Ranger but it never seemed to come out so I bought a Colorado. When it came time to get another truck I was looking at everything. Was close to getting a Taco and then then their was like 6000.00 plus in rebates and then dealer had almost 2000.00 off plus I got some more and they gave me almost whet I paid for the Colorado. I could not believe how much value it retained. I almost traded a 3 yr old truck for new.

Have you actually looked at the other offerings? I admit the Ranger isn't up to par with the larger trucks (or any vehicle segment), but non of the others are either. The Ranger is actually the best of the bunch.
I'll be willing to bet the new Frontier's interior is mostly hard plastic surfaces. I was hoping they would come out with something better, because I'm waiting for someone to come out with a midsized that isn't sub-par.

I actually owned another offering and the Ranger feels cheaper and less rugged than my Colorado did.

Colorado feels more like a truck than the Ranger and the Ranger feels more like a SUV to me. It also sounds more like a SUV. If you owned a truck the Colorado would feel better and if you came from a SUV the Ranger would.

When it comes down to the two there was nothing bad about my Colorado but it didn't excel at anything either but was very solid truck. With my Ranger there are things I love and things I hate, there are things it excels at and this that are terrible.

My Colorado didn't even have a chip or dent. My Ranger had a major one in the hood within a month.

I am not going to say which I like better because it really does not matter it is all opinion and preference anyway.

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