What’s with all the Ranger hate reviews?

[IdahoRanger]

He's probably the Tacoma forum Moderator.

Now that is funny.

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[HenryMac]

So tired of folks looking at a Lariat model Ranger and then saying you can buy an F-150 for the same price.

Do you want a stripped down F-150 work truck... if what you are looking at is a fully loaded Ranger Lariat?

Comparable equipped:

• 4x4 F-150 Base Level Ecoboost SuperCab is $38,495
• 4x4 Ranger Base Level Ecoboost Supercab is $29,800
• $8,695 difference.

 

[AzScorpion]

I'm surprised this review is not on the Tacoma forum where all will have a circle jerk.

I decided to venture over to TW and it is posted there. Post #2508 and of course a few negative comments after. The funny part is they have their own "New Ford Ranger Mega Thread" which has over 2500 post on it. Seems like a lot of posts for a truck they think is a whole lot of nothing. lol

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/new-ford-ranger-mega-thread.499742/page-126

 

[BHunted]

So tired of folks looking at a Lariat model Ranger and then saying you can buy an F-150 for the same price.

Do you want a stripped down F-150 work truck... if what you are looking at is a fully loaded Ranger Lariat?

Comparable equipped:

• 4x4 F-150 Base Level Ecoboost SuperCab is $38,495
• 4x4 Ranger Base Level Ecoboost Supercab is $29,800
• $8,695 difference.

There is kind of a caveat. My sales guy kept asking me if I wanted another F150. At the time there were hardly no saving incentives for the Rangers. But the F150 would have knocked a ton of money off full price. I just didn’t need another full size truck....

 

[swampchomp07]

What really annoys me is how the Gladiator takes the victory in some of these reviews solely because of its off-road capability. It fails in just about every other category and costs quite a bit more than its competitors. You're not taking that Gladiator anywhere my Ranger can't go and it looks like garbage.

 

[HenryMac]

What really annoys me is how the Gladiator takes the victory in some of these reviews solely because of its off-road capability. It fails in just about every other category and costs quite a bit more than its competitors. You're not taking that Gladiator anywhere my Ranger can't go and it looks like garbage.

Agreed. The little local town dealer here sells Dodge / Ford / Chevy. We were there last Thursday and the Gladiator when viewed from the side looks hideous. That's why about every photo is a 3/4 front or 3/4 rear shot. The proportions of the bed to the cab, with that squared off cab back roof profile, just looks wrong. Almost like an aftermarket kit.

Speaking of which, some of the aftermarket conversions I've seen that turn a 4 door Wrangler into a truck look much better than Jeeps factory Gladiator.

Green Iguana: ’14 Jeep Wrangler Sport Truck Conversion

 

[SN13]

Has anyone else actually heard any engine noise pump through the speakers?

Also, the passenger seat guy acting like it was low power when it hits 1/4 mile in the same time as the v6 tacoma hits 60mph.

 

[SubVet]

I decided to venture over to TW and it is posted there. Post #2508 and of course a few negative comments after. The funny part is they have their own "New Ford Ranger Mega Thread" which has over 2500 post on it. Seems like a lot of posts for a truck they think is a whole lot of nothing. lol

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/new-ford-ranger-mega-thread.499742/page-126

The longest thread in the Tacoma forum is for a tune.....60,000 replies. I don't want a truck that needs a tune just to be drivable. My 2016 Tacoma was a dog.....yeah a "reliable" dog.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...lopment-thread.495735/page-2662#post-21790314

 

[FX4Offroad]

I have a friend that has Tacoma after Tacoma and is absolutely a Toyota fan boy. All he gets are Toyotas for his wife too.

He would consistently rag on my F150 even though it was a beast. Now that I have the Ranger, he is always ragging on it for no reason.

"The bed isn't a real truck bed, leather seats aren't for real trucks, real trucks don't need a turbo, real trucks are made of steel panels, not aluminum".

I guess, real trucks are only Toyotas and have to have bearings replaced on a regular basis.. Hmmm.

His current Tacoma is always in the shop...almost always bearings or universal joints. He tells me that Tacoma's are the best and will last forever but doesn't count the constant repairs that certainly help it last. The paint is atrocious with fading, clear coat peeling off and huge cracks.

I just keep my mouth shut because he won't change. As long as he's happy with his choices I'm good.

He's Tacoma blind and Ford jealous.

 

[AzScorpion]

The longest thread in the Tacoma forum is for a tune.....60,000 replies. I don't want a truck that needs a tune just to be drivable. My 2016 Tacoma was a dog.....yeah a "reliable" dog.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...lopment-thread.495735/page-2662#post-21790314

Yeah,I saw that one too. Here's an even better one trying to defend the drivetrain. I always said my Tacoma had power but I didn't want to consistently have to drive it at 4800 rpm's to get it!

Do any of you see any RPM above that is less than 3800? No? That means that YOU ARE GONNA HAVE TO REV THAT ENGINE UP TO AT LEAST 3800 RPM TO EVER SEE ANY MAXIMUM OUTPUT. Seriously. And for the V6 you need 4600 RPM to feel the good stuff!

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/enough-already-your-trucks-t-hp-and-rpm-explained.574429/

 

[Johnner]

Maybe I’m just ‘Ford Blind’ but what is with all the recent hate reviews lately on this truck? For example:

I’ve owned a number of older rangers and my last truck was a 2014 Nissan Frontier which I had purchased new and although it was a bit long in the tooth also thought was a pretty good truck - but my new Ranger is really the nicest truck I’ve had - Is it perfect? no it has a few quirks but I like this truck more and more each day!

Guess some people are just going to hate...

That YouTube reviewer typically only likes Toyota products. And isn’t fond of trucks or rather doesn’t use different logic when reviewing cars / suvs / trucks. That and I’ve watched many many of his reviews most are decent in full BUT always whinny and kinda not a car guy mentality. I’ve avoided watching his crap for awhile.

 

[Wes Siler]

I think Phil is right, I bet someone is getting paid to review this way. There’s a recent Motor Trend Gladiator Sport vs. Ranger XL and it seems quite obvious the Ranger should have come out on top.

I used to be a car journalist (was road test editor at Jalopnik back in the 2000s, have written for all the buff books etc etc), and there's really no direct pay for play in that world. Sure, publications rely on advertising money, they generally don't want to piss off advertisers, and the journalists themselves need to retain access to have their jobs. But, no manufacturer pays for positive reviews, and they're generally cool with bad reviews, so long as the journalist or publication in question is reasonably fair. The only manufacturer that ever cut me off was GM, because I was the first person to say that the Camaro was a turd. That lasted about a week before Dan Neil said the same thing, then they apologized. Story for another time...

Where there is a problem is in the levels of experience and expertise mainstream publications are able to bring to truck reviews. Every car journalist I can think of is a sport or luxury car guy, not someone who enjoys doing stuff outdoors, who does manual labor, or who can be trusted to operate a vehicle off-road without significant levels of supervision. So, not only do they just totally lack any idea of what trucks are used for, or have any idea how to evaluate their ability to perform work, but they set out to evaluate trucks as if they were competition for a Prius or M3. And something like a Ranger is going to be really disappointing if you're expecting 30+ MPG fuel economy, or race track handling. You see this in the stories or videos they put together. I watched one where the guy tried to navigate a tricky descent, without engaging hill descent control. Edmunds complained about an FX4 spinning its wheels on a tricky climb, but wasn't using terrain management. Everyone's complained about the FX4's stiff shocks, as they drive unladen trucks with only a single passenger.

I guess my point here is that you as media consumers should be thinking critically about the media you consume. Is it a random video from a channel about geese that you've never seen before (as above)? Probably not the source you should be turning to for education about vehicles. Is the reviewer in question 11 years old? Does the test conducted seem utterly disconnected from the ways in which you would use a truck? Seek out media channels who are transparent about their experience and methodologies, and can bring more to the story than a camera and 800 words.

 

[swampchomp07]

I used to be a car journalist (was road test editor at Jalopnik back in the 2000s, have written for all the buff books etc etc), and there's really no direct pay for play in that world. Sure, publications rely on advertising money, they generally don't want to piss off advertisers, and the journalists themselves need to retain access to have their jobs. But, no manufacturer pays for positive reviews, and they're generally cool with bad reviews, so long as the journalist or publication in question is reasonably fair. The only manufacturer that ever cut me off was GM, because I was the first person to say that the Camaro was a turd. That lasted about a week before Dan Neil said the same thing, then they apologized. Story for another time...

Where there is a problem is in the levels of experience and expertise mainstream publications are able to bring to truck reviews. Every car journalist I can think of is a sport or luxury car guy, not someone who enjoys doing stuff outdoors, who does manual labor, or who can be trusted to operate a vehicle off-road without significant levels of supervision. So, not only do they just totally lack any idea of what trucks are used for, or have any idea how to evaluate their ability to perform work, but they set out to evaluate trucks as if they were competition for a Prius or M3. And something like a Ranger is going to be really disappointing if you're expecting 30+ MPG fuel economy, or race track handling. You see this in the stories or videos they put together. I watched one where the guy tried to navigate a tricky descent, without engaging hill descent control. Edmunds complained about an FX4 spinning its wheels on a tricky climb, but wasn't using terrain management. Everyone's complained about the FX4's stiff shocks, as they drive unladen trucks with only a single passenger.

I guess my point here is that you as media consumers should be thinking critically about the media you consume. Is it a random video from a channel about geese that you've never seen before (as above)? Probably not the source you should be turning to for education about vehicles. Is the reviewer in question 11 years old? Does the test conducted seem utterly disconnected from the ways in which you would use a truck? Seek out media channels who are transparent about their experience and methodologies, and can bring more to the story than a camera and 800 words.

Well said

 

[808matt]

It’s kinda funny how they are all for the F serious full size and even the bronco but when it’s another midsize
Truck, it’s a POS from what theyve heard. Lol

 

[AzScorpion]

It’s kinda funny how they are all for the F serious full size and even the bronco but when it’s another midsize
Truck, it’s a POS from what theyve heard. Lol

That's the key right there,most haven't even tried the Ranger but right away they're bias. I was determined to get rid of my Tacoma this year and the only truck I test drove besides the Ranger was the Colorado ZR2. I actually was impressed with it and it wasn't really a bad truck but I thought the interior was somewhat dated and it lacked a lot of the tech and fit n finish that the Ranger has. After 2 test drives with the Ranger it was an easy decision but I will say if the Ranger had not come back to NA, I would be driving the ZR2 right now. I always try to base my opinions after doing as much research as possible and determining what the best product is for my money. Most times I over analyze things but that's a whole other story! lol

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