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INTRODUCTION
To this thread’s future readers: I’m starting this thread while my truck is in the shop for repairs. We’ll get to that story later, but it turns out that “Go Fast and Break Stuff” is just a euphemism, and not something they mean literally. Who knew?
But this also means that I’m limited to my failing memory and the handful of existing pictures I have. Yes, some of you may have seen these pictures in some of the other threads on here, and some of the things I say may not make sense, or be flat out wrong. One day, months from now when I have my truck back, I’ll likely add some new pictures to some of the existing posts here, and will have fixed whatever inaccuracies you lot call me out on. All that to say, quoted posts from other users may not match what is actually in this thread.
Anyways, let’s begin…
Part 1 - A New Truck
I’ll easily admit I’m fortunate. COVID didn’t really affect me. I work in Cyber, and my job switched to around 90% telework. If anything I realized I didn’t need to be making payments on my ‘16 Mustang GT, not when I still had my motorcycle and my wife’s car. And I’d only put about 8,000 miles on it in the 2 years I’d owned it, so obviously I wasn’t using it like it was meant to be. So, I sold it.
But, I’m a gearhead at heart, and almost as soon as I cashed Carmax’s check, I started looking for something else.
Mini Coopers, 80’s era F-series trucks, and nearly everything in between. Somehow, I kept justifying higher and higher prices, and once I saw 4-year old Tacomas at nearly the same price as new ones, well, why buy a used truck when you could get the full warranty of a new one for the same price?
Anyways, like I said, I’m a car guy. I’ve had classic Mustangs, a handful of Bimmer M-series vehicles, and various trucks and Jeeps. And over the years, I’ve started moving away from speed and power to simple bullheaded stubbornness. Er, flexibility. 500hp doesn’t do well in snow or ice, and low riders don’t do well with storm debris and speed bumps. And 2-seat roadsters don’t have room to carry anything. But trucks do, and the next thing I know, I’m at my local dealer trying to find a 2020 Ranger Lariat that their website showed in stock.
Now, this was March 2021, and dealer lots were starting to look bare. When they only had 300 of their typical 1100 vehicles in stock, why they parked this truck on the side of their building, unseen from the road and the typical buyer, I’ll never know. But it had sat for something like 76 days, long enough for them to have forgotten about it. So I bought it.
2020 Ranger Lariat FX4
Sport Appearance Package
Technology Package
91 miles
~$38,500 + taxes/fees/etc
Even managed to have them toss in a spray-in bedliner.
The Ranger was instantly comfortable, and I couldn’t wait to load up the family and take them on a demo ride. And now that I had an off-road capable vehicle, it was time to try out some of the local trails.
While I wish I could say it was a wonderful ride, it wasn’t. The motor was smooth, and I could tell the truck had no issue moving on the dirt and rock, but the suspension… I felt embarrassed, after touting the “do-it-all”ness of the truck to my wife, especially after telling her that I wouldn’t have to do anything to it, since the Lariat package had everything. But here I was, wondering if I had made a mistake. Clearly something would have to change…
To this thread’s future readers: I’m starting this thread while my truck is in the shop for repairs. We’ll get to that story later, but it turns out that “Go Fast and Break Stuff” is just a euphemism, and not something they mean literally. Who knew?
But this also means that I’m limited to my failing memory and the handful of existing pictures I have. Yes, some of you may have seen these pictures in some of the other threads on here, and some of the things I say may not make sense, or be flat out wrong. One day, months from now when I have my truck back, I’ll likely add some new pictures to some of the existing posts here, and will have fixed whatever inaccuracies you lot call me out on. All that to say, quoted posts from other users may not match what is actually in this thread.
Anyways, let’s begin…
Part 1 - A New Truck
I’ll easily admit I’m fortunate. COVID didn’t really affect me. I work in Cyber, and my job switched to around 90% telework. If anything I realized I didn’t need to be making payments on my ‘16 Mustang GT, not when I still had my motorcycle and my wife’s car. And I’d only put about 8,000 miles on it in the 2 years I’d owned it, so obviously I wasn’t using it like it was meant to be. So, I sold it.
But, I’m a gearhead at heart, and almost as soon as I cashed Carmax’s check, I started looking for something else.
Mini Coopers, 80’s era F-series trucks, and nearly everything in between. Somehow, I kept justifying higher and higher prices, and once I saw 4-year old Tacomas at nearly the same price as new ones, well, why buy a used truck when you could get the full warranty of a new one for the same price?
Anyways, like I said, I’m a car guy. I’ve had classic Mustangs, a handful of Bimmer M-series vehicles, and various trucks and Jeeps. And over the years, I’ve started moving away from speed and power to simple bullheaded stubbornness. Er, flexibility. 500hp doesn’t do well in snow or ice, and low riders don’t do well with storm debris and speed bumps. And 2-seat roadsters don’t have room to carry anything. But trucks do, and the next thing I know, I’m at my local dealer trying to find a 2020 Ranger Lariat that their website showed in stock.
Now, this was March 2021, and dealer lots were starting to look bare. When they only had 300 of their typical 1100 vehicles in stock, why they parked this truck on the side of their building, unseen from the road and the typical buyer, I’ll never know. But it had sat for something like 76 days, long enough for them to have forgotten about it. So I bought it.
2020 Ranger Lariat FX4
Sport Appearance Package
Technology Package
91 miles
~$38,500 + taxes/fees/etc
Even managed to have them toss in a spray-in bedliner.
The Ranger was instantly comfortable, and I couldn’t wait to load up the family and take them on a demo ride. And now that I had an off-road capable vehicle, it was time to try out some of the local trails.
While I wish I could say it was a wonderful ride, it wasn’t. The motor was smooth, and I could tell the truck had no issue moving on the dirt and rock, but the suspension… I felt embarrassed, after touting the “do-it-all”ness of the truck to my wife, especially after telling her that I wouldn’t have to do anything to it, since the Lariat package had everything. But here I was, wondering if I had made a mistake. Clearly something would have to change…
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