Big Ecoboost ..

[maxbottomtime]

I’m about to ruffle some feathers with this one.

Autos now can shift better and quicker than all but the best. I used to believe I HAD to have a manual when my 4.0L 6sp TJ was my daily driver/weekend toy for 10 years, now with this truck plus trail control I’ll never go back and I’m not too proud to admit it. It’s 2021, the machine/computer can do it better than you.

That's been true for 30+ years. Having a manual transmission to me is about the joy of driving. Additionally, I feel like I can better control a vehicle (throttle position, coasting, etc.).

I want my next car to be a stick shift again, but the Ecoboost mustang in auto is tempting.

I will admit after driving nearly entirely stick i have, on two separate occasions, stomped the "clutch" in my wife's automatic to be ready to react to a car braking ahead. She was not pleased. I've also turned the car off in drive more times than I'd care to admit.

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[Trigganometry]

That's been true for 30+ years. Having a manual transmission to me is about the joy of driving. Additionally, I feel like I can better control a vehicle (throttle position, coasting, etc.).

I want my next car to be a stick shift again, but the Ecoboost mustang in auto is tempting.

I will admit after driving nearly entirely stick i have, on two separate occasions, stomped the "clutch" in my wife's automatic to be ready to react to a car braking ahead. She was not pleased. I've also turned the car off in drive more times than I'd care to admit.

Have to agree with you. Way more control with a standard. I had a Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4 standard. Could easily take exit ramps at 80mph. Downshift and power into it. No way that’s happening with an automatic!

 

[NC_LFX4]

That's been true for 30+ years. Having a manual transmission to me is about the joy of driving. Additionally, I feel like I can better control a vehicle (throttle position, coasting, etc.).

I want my next car to be a stick shift again, but the Ecoboost mustang in auto is tempting.

I will admit after driving nearly entirely stick i have, on two separate occasions, stomped the "clutch" in my wife's automatic to be ready to react to a car braking ahead. She was not pleased. I've also turned the car off in drive more times than I'd care to admit.

I still have the habit of always keeping one hand on the shifter, but it’s very nice to not have to worry about fine clutch/throttle control off road now. That was one of the biggest drawbacks to the TJ when I drove a lot of the WW2 Marine Corps invasion trails on Guam, you really had to be on it with your clutch and throttle modulation without breaking the tires loose on the red clay covered rock.

 

[Dr. Zaius]

Millenial here. Every car I've owned up to my Ranger was manual.

The best story I have though is back when I had my TJ Wrangler (3-pedal) I was a pool manager and my one lifeguard decided she needed to move my truck. After watching her struggle for 5 minutes she came back as she saw me laughing my a#% off and exclaimed "Why does your truck have 3 pedals?"


and that, my friends, is the millenial you're speaking of

You are probably the exception among your age group ?

My sons (22 and 20) were both taught how to drive manual with my V10 Super Duty (tons of torque even at idle so it was hard to stall it).

None of their friends know how to drive a manual.

 

[AzScorpion]

Have to agree with you. Way more control with a standard. I had a Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4 standard. Could easily take exit ramps at 80mph. Downshift and power into it.

No way that’s happening with an automatic!

I do it all the time is S mode. Use the +/- buttons and it's faster than a stick not having to push the clutch.

 

[Raacerx]

The 10 speed transmission is actually quite cool in terms of technology, and it has the capability to shift nearly as fast as a dual clutch, as it's well beyond just your normal torque converter situation. In theory it has the specs to beat the classic ZF 8HP.

Problem is that Ford gives the Ranger (and every other Ford) a terrible TCU tune because well, it's a truck and for common people, so for most people want it to shift into 6th by the time they're going 30mph, with rubber gear changes and no engine braking. But the transmission absolutely has the capability to perform like a dual clutch, rev matching in milliseconds.

The Mustang GT effectively has the same transmission, all the 10 speeds are pretty much the same, and with a serious tune, it can bang out shifts like a sequential. But they overheat, and 10 speeds is just stupid when the motor has such a wide powerband, IMO.

 

[maxbottomtime]

I still have the habit of always keeping one hand on the shifter, but it’s very nice to not have to worry about fine clutch/throttle control off road now. That was one of the biggest drawbacks to the TJ when I drove a lot of the WW2 Marine Corps invasion trails on Guam, you really had to be on it with your clutch and throttle modulation without breaking the tires loose on the red clay covered rock.

 

[Floyd]

The 10 speed transmission is actually quite cool in terms of technology, and it has the capability to shift nearly as fast as a dual clutch, as it's well beyond just your normal torque converter situation. In theory it has the specs to beat the classic ZF 8HP.

Problem is that Ford gives the Ranger (and every other Ford) a terrible TCU tune because well, it's a truck and for common people, so for most people want it to shift into 6th by the time they're going 30mph, with rubber gear changes and no engine braking. But the transmission absolutely has the capability to perform like a dual clutch, rev matching in milliseconds.

The Mustang GT effectively has the same transmission, all the 10 speeds are pretty much the same, and with a serious tune, it can bang out shifts like a sequential. But they overheat, and 10 speeds is just stupid when the motor has such a wide powerband, IMO.

For me the 10SPD is a game changer, ideally suited to the powerband of the 2.3L EcoBoost with stock tuning and programming.
The superior performance of the Ranger is as much about the 10SPD as it is about the2.3L EcoBoost.
I get your point, but I think the combination and the stock tune is brilliant for real world driving/towing with the Ranger. I do have a 2WD SuperCab though which is the best overall street performer of the Ranger offerings.
All things considered... performance, mileage, durability, hauling and towing, I think they got it about right.
Still, like you, we all like to dream about that hidden potential.

 

[Raacerx]

For me the 10SPD is a game changer, ideally suited to the powerband of the 2.3L EcoBoost with stock tuning and programming.
The superior performance of the Ranger is as much about the 10SPD as it is about the2.3L EcoBoost.
I get your point, but I think the combination and the stock tune is brilliant for real world driving/towing with the Ranger. I do have a 2WD SuperCab though which is the best overall street performer of the Ranger offerings.
All things considered... performance, mileage, durability, hauling and towing, I think they got it about right.
Still, like you, we all like to dream about that hidden potential.

For stock and 99% of all Ranger drivers, I agree, it's great and these days even a 1% increase in MPG is a huge win. But I run the Ford Performance tune and even that improves things a lot.

I wish it wasn't quite so shift happy. I understand that's the whole point, but with 2.3L of displacement and a small turbo, I don't need to shift at 2000rpm if I want to slowly accelerate but the TCU will.

I'm researching the ability to swap in a Mustang steering wheel and it's paddle shifter; in the end, it's simply a contact actuation signaling a shift and unlocking a few things in the ECU.

 

[AzScorpion]

For stock and 99% of all Ranger drivers, I agree, it's great and these days even a 1% increase in MPG is a huge win. But I run the Ford Performance tune and even that improves things a lot.

I wish it wasn't quite so shift happy. I understand that's the whole point, but with 2.3L of displacement and a small turbo, I don't need to shift at 2000rpm if I want to slowly accelerate but the TCU will.

I'm researching the ability to swap in a Mustang steering wheel and it's paddle shifter; in the end, it's simply a contact actuation signaling a shift and unlocking a few things in the ECU.

If you don't like the auto shifts in D why not just use S and hit the +/-? This way you can control your shifts/rpm's more. This is what I do and it's way more fun to drive.

Or you could just lock out the higher gears (8-10) in D.

 

[Raacerx]

If you don't like the auto shifts in D why not just use S and hit the +/-? This way you can control your shifts/rpm's more. This is what I do and it's way more fun to drive.

Or you could just lock out the higher gears (8-10) in D.

The "gear switch" is a total laughable joke. You couldn't pay me to use that crap. Besides, the whole point of the paddle shifters is to keep your hands on the wheel.

I will use Sport mode and the manual mode when I need to hold a gear in a higher speed situation where I don't want to use hill descent or something. But I've had dual clutch paddle shifting vehicles for the last 15 years, so it was tough to lose that.

Ranger Raptors have paddle shifters, the 10spd has the capability. If it's anything like every other modern vehicle I've owned and worked on, then it already has the capability and wiring built in, it's simply not being used or coded. This is far cheaper than actually omitting these items and creating entirely separate pcb boards...

Ranger Raptor wheels are expensive, and the F150 Raptor wheels are still $450. But Mustang wheels are a dime a dozen, basically free.

The lack of paddle shifters is the single biggest issue I have with the vehicle.

 

[Langwilliams]

I feel more connected to the vehicle when driving a standard shift but to be fair it is a lot easier to eat while driving in an automatic.

 

[AzScorpion]

The "gear switch" is a total laughable joke. You couldn't pay me to use that crap. Besides, the whole point of the paddle shifters is to keep your hands on the wheel.

Why is it a joke, it does everything you're complaining about? Just because you don't like it doesn't mean its crap and who cares about keeping two hands on the wheel?? I learned to drive on a stick and for over 40 years have only driven with one hand on the wheel. It's not like you're driving NHRA where even they drive one handed.

 

[CJBax]

Yeah that's right.... if you're drag racing, but a manual still reigns supreme when you approach turn 5 at Road America. (Or any winding country backroad)

This is laughable, seriously. From a true Alabama boy who grew up in true farmland Alabama, yeah that was true, once upon a time... it has not been the case for many years. You can pretend all you want that you and a stick can outperform a modern performance auto or DCT, but pretending is all you'll be doing. Modern transmissions can easily handle the up/down shifts needed in these circumstances, and far superior to all but the most expensive professional MT being driven by the best professional drivers in the world. Every auto I have, including modern CVT's, are superior and more fun to drive on winding country roads than any MT I or anyone I know have ever driven. Very few people I know still proclaim that their MT is the end all be all. Interestingly, the folks that I know that refuse to believe that a modern AT could outperform a MT, are all 60+ years old and have never owned a vehicle with a modern performance AT. My dad, who will stay in the Alabama back country till they day he dies, finally admitted that autos her better then manual, after I gave my mom a Subaru Forester with a CVT and 8.7" of ground clearance. I doubt he'll ever get another MT vehicle again. His last two vehicles were a ford ranger MT and a jeep wrangle MT, both rather old though. He drives the Subaru exclusively now.

 

[dondonbabyraptor]

In my opinion knowing the knowledge of how to drive manual is important, but modern A/T is superior unless you are the top 1% of drivers. However, I will admit that manual adds to the visceral experience of driving. Although… I don’t know about that visceral experience since I am guilty of not knowing how to drive manual. I will learn someday but growing up during my days manual was already going out the door. It’s a shame though, I want to have a manual in my dream Miata in the future, will have to learn a lot more than growing up with it.

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