How Many Have Gone From Ranger to F150? Hybrid Specifically.

[Raacerx]

Seeking advice.

After 3 years, I'm getting rid of my 2021 Ranger Tremor Lariat. I've been fairly unhappy with the truck overall, and while it's never had to be towed or left me truly stranded, it's had constant problems on and offroad and doesn't handle extreme situations well (lose A/C in high load / high heat, diffs lock up in snow, etc); time to move on.

My original plan was to get the Ranger Raptor, but I'm fairly soiled on the Ranger line and the fact that it's still the old PU chassis underneath, so I then decided to transition to the new Toyota Tacoma Hybrid.

However I never anticipated their pricing to be so freakin outrageous. I drove the non-hybrid TRD-Offroad Tacoma and was also pretty disappointed; it basically felt like my Ranger with a bit of a nicer interior and a few extra creature comforts that are largely available on the newer Ranger anyways. It seems like the truck Toyota should have released 4 years ago.

When I found out a 5ft bed TRD Offroad package Hybrid Tacoma was going to set me back nearly $60,000, and 6ft bed was only available with their ridiculous trims at $70,000, it made me rethink my whole approach. When I found out the Hybrid only gives 1-2mpg better, I really started to lose interest in the midsize segment and wonder what to do.

Drove the Ranger Raptor; fun truck, certainly more comfort than my '21 Tremor, but not any faster than my Stage 2, insurance is high, and the gas mileage is atrocious. It's also $60,000...

As I was leaving, the salesman asked me why I didn't want to consider an F150... I assumed with the huge jump in size (5" wider and nearly 22" longer) that the gas mileage and pricing was way worse.

Drove an F150 XLT Powerboost FX4 under their recommendation. I was very surprised.

Can someone explain to me how the F150 is also $60,000, and yet it has more power than a Ranger Raptor, better mileage than the Tacoma, and far more tech than either of them?

The thing hauls ass, the interior is far nicer than the Tacoma or the Ranger, the on-highway driving is more controlled and quieter, there's more creature comforts, self driving, insurance is less...

It seems like there's a catch, or have I just been duped by the midsize truck segment?

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[Joeiconic]

The deciding factor is simply size. I’ve owned several F150’s and they are so big now I can’t fit one into my garage and it’s too hard to park where I work.

 

[mtbikernate]

My boss has had a Powerboost F150 for awhile now. He got the base trim, and with the Powerboost he said it had all the options he wanted that he'd have to get a much higher trim to get without the Powerboost.

He averages a few mpg better than I do in my Ranger (he told me recently he's averaging about 26mpg unloaded). I've ridden in it once or twice and it's definitely nice. He pulls an Airstream with it. Sounds like you start to lose out on most of the hybrid benefits when you start to tow, but it's still plenty capable.

He's got a crew cab long bed and it's absolutely massive. No way I'd want to drive something that big with my particular habits. He lives out in the country and encounters far fewer tight parking scenarios than I do on a daily basis, though.

I've got a coworker who finally got the Maverick hybrid he ordered early last year. He's also pretty thrilled with it. He uses it primarily for mountain bike and kayak transport duties. He has an old F250 beater (actually a little smaller than my boss's F150 powerboost) that he uses for his little landscaping side job.

 

[Raacerx]

Crew cab long bed definitely is gigantic. I'd be going for a 5.5ft Supercrew, which is 22" longer than my current Ranger Supercrew 5ft, and still intimidating.

Unfortunately, I do drive in the city often, but I'm not sure the extra 22" would make that much of a difference. It's rare that I "just fit" into a spot in San Francisco; I either do with room to spare, or I look elsewhere.

I'm in the construction industry, so a larger bed and more hauling is no bad thing.

I've also heard reports of the F150 Hybrid hitting 25-26mpg unloaded on the highway as well.

Previously, I've barely put 11k miles a year on the Ranger, and much of that was off-road. Now I expect to need to drive double that amount on the pavement.

My biggest worry is not parking in the city, but rather clearance on the trails.

I'm already quite wide on many of the "Jeep" trails I frequent, and my Ranger is pinstriped to hell and beyond. There are areas where I'm pretty sure I might not be able to get through in a fullsize.

I don't tow often enough to care much about tow mileage, but I certainly was limited by the Ranger's tow capacity. I don't mind losing a few thousand pounds tow on the Hybrid.

The deciding factor is simply size. I’ve owned several F150’s and they are so big now I can’t fit one into my garage and it’s too hard to park where I work.

My wife gets the garage because of the car charger. Aside from my worry with trails, and the annoyance of parking, most of my driving is longer distance.

 

[RedlandRanger]

The F150's are nice, but I think you'd regret your choice on the trails. I don't do serious offroading, but do travel a lot of very narrow, crappy, brushy Forest Service roads. I have friends with full size trucks that have difficulty going places I do. I also have some pinstriping but I purchased white so it would hide the pinstriping better.

Its not the length, but the width that you'd regret I think... Driving on road the F150s are nicer, but a mid size is a lot better offroad, IMO.

 

[Tom_C]

Did I read correctly that they're also discontinuing the scab? Everything on it sounds good, though I don't need a bigger truck, and I sure don't need a bigger truck AND a crew cab.

 

[Raacerx]

The F150's are nice, but I think you'd regret your choice on the trails. I don't do serious offroading, but do travel a lot of very narrow, crappy, brushy Forest Service roads. I have friends with full size trucks that have difficulty going places I do. I also have some pinstriping but I purchased white so it would hide the pinstriping better.

Its not the length, but the width that you'd regret I think... Driving on road the F150s are nicer, but a mid size is a lot better offroad, IMO.

Very true. I decided to do a sort of record of all the trails I've been on, the trails I frequent the most, and the areas I still want to explore. In general, it shouldn't present a problem, but of course, it's those 5% situations where it matters the most.

Although I'll be spending a lot of time off-road, given a change in lifestyle, I'll also now be adding a lot of road miles. Previously, I was working entirely for myself and took weeks or months off at a time. Now, I've got to limit that a bit.

But I am worried about the frequent situations I encounter when I want to pull off the highway onto an overgrown dirt road in a national forest to pop up the rooftop tent; as you mention, it's already a real tight squeeze with the Ranger, and it could be disastrous with 5" more.

At the same time, giving up some extreme situation capability to gain some additional space for 2+ week adventures could be crucial.

On it's own, the F150 doesn't strike me as that much larger. When it's next to my truck, it looks like an F250.

Did I read correctly that they're also discontinuing the scab? Everything on it sounds good, though I don't need a bigger truck, and I sure don't need a bigger truck AND a crew cab.

Yeah, phasing out I think on many of the models.

 

[Tom_C]

Yeah, phasing out I think on many of the models.

I just took a peek, you can get an XLT scab with 6.5' bed. That's the highest trim level it's offered on. I think it was $65K the way I built it. I'll pass.

 

[dano42]

It sounds like you’re describing two different vehicles. A serious off roading truck, and a highway cruiser. I’m not aware of anything that is good at both; usually they are strong on one but not the other. I have a ‘21 Lariat Tremor as well, and I love it after driving full size 4WD pickups in the fields for 35 years. I do some light off-roading, realizing it’s my daily driver around town, etc. This truck is decent off-road, comfortable in town and long trips. It’s not exceptional at either, but it was designed to do a little of both quite adequately. I did the opposite of what you’re talking about. I bought a new ‘20 F150 SCREW FX4- had that for a year, and traded it for my Tremor. It was really comfortable on the road, had the big tank, the 3.5 liter engine, better gas mileage, but a PITA around town. The bottom line is if you want just one vehicle, it won’t be good at everything. Good luck on your search, and let us know what you end up with.

 

[DaveT]

I went from an F-150 to the Ranger 18 months ago because it was too big for many parking spots. Well, I may have to go back to the F-150. Why? # 1. Nicer/larger back seat with actual space to carry things. The Ranger can barely hold a load of groceries in the back. 2. Better mileage! The 2.7 V-6 twin turbo was better on gas than the my Ranger's 2.3 four cylinder (I have the Tremor). 3. Overall much more user-friendly front dash in the F-150. Some of the push button controls, such as fan speed, are barely visible when driving. You gotta use the screen for temperature control.

 

[RANGER_MARC]

Seeking advice.

After 3 years, I'm getting rid of my 2021 Ranger Tremor Lariat. I've been fairly unhappy with the truck overall, and while it's never had to be towed or left me truly stranded, it's had constant problems on and offroad and doesn't handle extreme situations well (lose A/C in high load / high heat, diffs lock up in snow, etc); time to move on.

My original plan was to get the Ranger Raptor, but I'm fairly soiled on the Ranger line and the fact that it's still the old PU chassis underneath, so I then decided to transition to the new Toyota Tacoma Hybrid.

However I never anticipated their pricing to be so freakin outrageous. I drove the non-hybrid TRD-Offroad Tacoma and was also pretty disappointed; it basically felt like my Ranger with a bit of a nicer interior and a few extra creature comforts that are largely available on the newer Ranger anyways. It seems like the truck Toyota should have released 4 years ago.

When I found out a 5ft bed TRD Offroad package Hybrid Tacoma was going to set me back nearly $60,000, and 6ft bed was only available with their ridiculous trims at $70,000, it made me rethink my whole approach. When I found out the Hybrid only gives 1-2mpg better, I really started to lose interest in the midsize segment and wonder what to do.

Drove the Ranger Raptor; fun truck, certainly more comfort than my '21 Tremor, but not any faster than my Stage 2, insurance is high, and the gas mileage is atrocious. It's also $60,000...

As I was leaving, the salesman asked me why I didn't want to consider an F150... I assumed with the huge jump in size (5" wider and nearly 22" longer) that the gas mileage and pricing was way worse.

Drove an F150 XLT Powerboost FX4 under their recommendation. I was very surprised.

Can someone explain to me how the F150 is also $60,000, and yet it has more power than a Ranger Raptor, better mileage than the Tacoma, and far more tech than either of them?

The thing hauls ass, the interior is far nicer than the Tacoma or the Ranger, the on-highway driving is more controlled and quieter, there's more creature comforts, self driving, insurance is less...

It seems like there's a catch, or have I just been duped by the midsize truck segment?

Hey, Max, I love my 2029 Ranger Lariat FX4, but when the time came to consider moving on, we decided on a Bronco Outer Banks with all the tech and lux we could pile on. Part of me would have loved to move up to a 150 FX4 with Powerboost, which would not cost much more than the Bronco and get better MPG, but they are just so huge that it would not be practical regarding garage space, parking lots, etc. I drove a 150 as a loaner for one week, and I literally could not walk from one side of the garage to the other without opening the garage door to get around that beautiful, massive 150. So, not for me, but I wish you the best of luck with your new ride!

 

[got3fords]

1. Nicer/larger back seat with actual space to carry things. The Ranger can barely hold a load of groceries in the back.

Barely hold a load of groceries? Seriously? Exaggerate much?

 

[Chris M]

Barely hold a load of groceries? Seriously? Exaggerate much?

I'm sure he meant the back seat. When we get groceries just for the two of us, it's really easy to fill up our back seat to the point I have to be careful opening the door so the bags don't bail out on their own.
If he's got a bigger family than us I can see where he might be justified in saying what he did.

 

[got3fords]

I'm sure he meant the back seat. When we get groceries just for the two of us, it's really easy to fill up our back seat to the point I have to be careful opening the door so the bags don't bail out on their own.
If he's got a bigger family than us I can see where he might be justified in saying what he did.

Ok, but it's a pickup, what about the bed?

 

[Chris M]

Ok, but it's a pickup, what about the bed?

Fair question. I didn't look to see where he lives.
I live in Phoenix, AZ and there's no way in hell I would put my groceries in the bed of my truck, most especially in the summertime.

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