Convince Me To Buy One

[Magnetetic]

Sitting next to my 2020 Ranger XLT is my 1996 Ranger XLT with between 300 - 400 thousand miles on it. Only changed the plugs and wires and one belt pulley on the 4.0L engine. Other wear and tear items on the suspension and clutch had been replaced as needed. Still very silent when idling at a light when the engine is warm.

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[mailbox4449]

I can see how transition and waiting would cause some minor buyer's remorse however once the time comes for your walk around and assuming there are no factory mishaps you should be a happy camper and satisfied with the new Ranger

Absolutely! Like someone stated a few posts back, I think reading all issues on this forum is like reading the news everyday. Just finally got to me. As I stated before, I'm looking forward to my purchase and trying to stay in the sections of the forum that give me ideas on what to add or modify on the new truck. Yes...my wallet is off limits until I actually get the truck...but GOD help me when it does get here

 

[mailbox4449]

Sitting next to my 2020 Ranger XLT is my 1996 Ranger XLT with between 300 - 400 thousand miles on it. Only changed the plugs and wires and one belt pulley on the 4.0L engine. Other wear and tear items on the suspension and clutch had been replaced as needed. Still very silent when idling at a light when the engine is warm.

They sure don't build them like they used to

 

[Bctriangle]

Ordering, one can wait a very long time. I ordered one in September and they just emailed me beginning of February that it was going into production ?... I ended up finding one on a lot almost specd exactly the way I ordered (2021 Ranger Tremor LARIAT Black) back in October.
I absolutely love this truck! Drives smooth, can tackle anything it comes across (so far) and it's nimble unlike a full size truck. Only bad thing I can say is gas mileage sucks.

 

[mailbox4449]

Ordering, one can wait a very long time. I ordered one in September and they just emailed me beginning of February that it was going into production ?... I ended up finding one on a lot almost specd exactly the way I ordered (2021 Ranger Tremor LARIAT Black) back in October.
I absolutely love this truck! Drives smooth, can tackle anything it comes across (so far) and it's nimble unlike a full size truck. Only bad thing I can say is gas mileage sucks.

Thanks for the input I received my "scheduled" build date from FORD yesterday, so I will just sit and wait like others did/are Glad you found one and like it.

 

[SAZ Ranger]

I haven't read all the posts, in the beginning most people dodged the answer but here are my thoughts.

I was also hesitant about the eco boost engine with a turbo. I bought 2019 Lariat because there weren't many to choose from at the time. Why did I buy this vehicle if I had any doubts, good question, but I did. I have owned German and Asian cars over the years and they were good but basically I like to buy American. Put an American to work and keep the profits it my country. Fords have treated me best over the years I guess that's why I took the chance.

Being an early 2019 I did get one of the Rangers that has the low speed vibration thing that they haven't been able to fix to my satisfaction, but its not all that big a crisis. It vibrates slightly at take off at speeds between 8 and 12 miles an hour then it goes away. Tacomas have had the same problem over the years. I take off slowly until I reach about 15 mph and then give it more gas which only takes about 2 seconds. Other than that the truck is a couple years old now and I'm very satisfied with it. Its very comfortable and now that its past 7000 miles the gas mileage is great, about 22 or 23 in the city and close to 30 on the hi way.

I watched a ton of videos before I bought one here is what stuck with me. Turbos spin at really high rpm's, so when I start it cold or warm I let it idle for about 20 seconds to get fresh oil to the turbo (cheap insurance) that's when I put on the seat belt press the button that turns off the the engine start stop option, take off the emergency brake and check the mirrors before I take off. On the other side if you have been driving hi way speeds for a long time, before you shut the engine down let it idle for a minute or so to let the turbo cool a little and stop with fresh oil in the turbo (more cheap insurance). Turbos cost a lot to replace.

Good oil at change intervals of about 5 or 6 thousand miles is the smart thing to do, I use Mobile One Full Synthetic, watch the links I added below, watch the whole videos. Seems all the high performance cars (Porsches, BMW's, Corvettes etc) came from the factory with Mobile One and the manufacturers recommend the continued use of the same oil.


I also add Lucas fuel injection cleaner every other tank of gas, its cheap if you buy it by the gallon and refill their little bottles. I believe that improves my gas mileage enough that what you gain in gas mileage pays for the injection cleaner, and my tail pipe run pretty clean, not black and sooty like most direct injection cars do.
The engine and transmission are a great match, almost always in the correct gear for the situation, if your towing you can also turn off the higher gears if you don't want them. At 70mph the engine is still just below 2000 rpm. On the hi way at 70 or so mph and the rpm's being around 2000 there is almost no turbo lag. You can jump out and pass with ease. Turbos have been tried off and on for years, Ford has been doing Turbos for a long time now and have worked out many problems that other companies are still working on.

Before I ramble on any more, here are some video links.

200,000 mile EcoBoost review


Can engine oil last 20,000 miles


3 Big Problems With Direct Injection Engines


A more in depth visit to Mobile One test center, longer but more informative.


Here is a photo of my tail pipe.

My wife drives a Ford Escape with EcoBoost. She treats it terrible, it has almost 50,000 miles and has had no problems. She thinks I'm crazy for buying full synthetic. Time will tell.

 

[Trigganometry]

Here’s my take on it. This forum is really a very small percentage of actual Ranger owners. But, of that percentage I’m pretty certain that most on here are more discernible and educated of what they purchased and also what is expected from that investment. A very small amount have had bad experiences or decided it wasn’t for them. The balance of us are more than happy with our decisions to own one.

In the end it’s really what you want. If you’re happy with it paying for it is also not an issue. If not then every payment is like pulling teeth.

 

[mailbox4449]

I haven't read all the posts, in the beginning most people dodged the answer but here are my thoughts.

I was also hesitant about the eco boost engine with a turbo. I bought 2019 Lariat because there weren't many to choose from at the time. Why did I buy this vehicle if I had any doubts, good question, but I did. I have owned German and Asian cars over the years and they were good but basically I like to buy American. Put an American to work and keep the profits it my country. Fords have treated me best over the years I guess that's why I took the chance.

Being an early 2019 I did get one of the Rangers that has the low speed vibration thing that they haven't been able to fix to my satisfaction, but its not all that big a crisis. It vibrates slightly at take off at speeds between 8 and 12 miles an hour then it goes away. Tacomas have had the same problem over the years. I take off slowly until I reach about 15 mph and then give it more gas which only takes about 2 seconds. Other than that the truck is a couple years old now and I'm very satisfied with it. Its very comfortable and now that its past 7000 miles the gas mileage is great, about 22 or 23 in the city and close to 30 on the hi way.

I watched a ton of videos before I bought one here is what stuck with me. Turbos spin at really high rpm's, so when I start it cold or warm I let it idle for about 20 seconds to get fresh oil to the turbo (cheap insurance) that's when I put on the seat belt press the button that turns off the the engine start stop option, take off the emergency brake and check the mirrors before I take off. On the other side if you have been driving hi way speeds for a long time, before you shut the engine down let it idle for a minute or so to let the turbo cool a little and stop with fresh oil in the turbo (more cheap insurance). Turbos cost a lot to replace.

Good oil at change intervals of about 5 or 6 thousand miles is the smart thing to do, I use Mobile One Full Synthetic, watch the links I added below, watch the whole videos. Seems all the high performance cars (Porsches, BMW's, Corvettes etc) came from the factory with Mobile One and the manufacturers recommend the continued use of the same oil.


I also add Lucas fuel injection cleaner every other tank of gas, its cheap if you buy it by the gallon and refill their little bottles. I believe that improves my gas mileage enough that what you gain in gas mileage pays for the injection cleaner, and my tail pipe run pretty clean, not black and sooty like most direct injection cars do.
The engine and transmission are a great match, almost always in the correct gear for the situation, if your towing you can also turn off the higher gears if you don't want them. At 70mph the engine is still just below 2000 rpm. On the hi way at 70 or so mph and the rpm's being around 2000 there is almost no turbo lag. You can jump out and pass with ease. Turbos have been tried off and on for years, Ford has been doing Turbos for a long time now and have worked out many problems that other companies are still working on.

Before I ramble on any more, here are some video links.

200,000 mile EcoBoost review


Can engine oil last 20,000 miles


3 Big Problems With Direct Injection Engines


A more in depth visit to Mobile One test center, longer but more informative.


Here is a photo of my tail pipe.

My wife drives a Ford Escape with EcoBoost. She treats it terrible, it has almost 50,000 miles and has had no problems. She thinks I'm crazy for buying full synthetic. Time will tell.

Mark, Thank you for the in depth information. I do appreciate your feedback and I have seen majority of those videos during my research. They definitely helped make my decision easier. Your personal experiences are just as important and just reassures me moving forward
Thanks again for your input

 

[OrangeStreak]

Alex,

Congratulations on your buy…In my opinion it is a good move!

I am also a researcher, and it is important to me also to learn as much as possible about what I'm getting into before making a judgement for an important purchase like a vehicle. I did an intensive amount of research online, talked to Ford owners, Ranger reviews, researched figures thru KBB and NADA, insurance, MVD costs and state taxes, dealer add on's, thorough test drive, etc. In addition, weighed in on my former experience with Ford (have owned 3 previous) and a lot of other various vehicles.

I have owned many types of vehicles: American, European, and imports as a reference point for consideration. This Ranger is my 4th truck. I do not expect perfection but reasonable quality and dependability. Here are my dislikes: Seats too hard so got some high-end seat cushions and problem solved. Don't like the Auto Start-Stop feature so got the Auto Stop eliminator and problem solved. OEM infotainment screen too small but excellent visuals when backing up even at night so am adjusted to this. Too much wind noise especially on the hwy. I wish the mpg's were better but am hitting close to the EPA stats so can live with that. One sure mpg saver...stay off the turbo and let those Taco's go on by . The acceleration is amazing.

All electrical and mechanical components have worked great with the exception of a one-time electrical glitch in the infotainment screen display which has not occurred since and Dealer couldn't duplicate it. EDIT: When the truck was fairly new...cruising with the heater on and music playing on flash drive ...suddenly a strange noise (not sure if electrical or mechanical) came from under the dash and sounded like bb's rolling in a metal can. Dealer could not duplicate that either and hasn't happened since. No components affected by either of these. I'm particular about vehicle features (they are straight forward and functional on the Ranger) and the quality of the vehicle operation, maintenance (follow it strictly) and performance. Blackstone report showed the Ranger within positive spec's for fuel in the oil!

Bought the truck new while it was being assembled at the factory. Was fortunate to hit a good time during the peak of the Covid crises…got 9.5% off MSRP and the dealer threw in a paint protectant sealant package. Delivery day pic. below Naturally had buyer’s remorse for a little while (30 K+ is not a drop in the bucket for me!) after the purchase but that eased up soon after experimenting with various driving situations.

So here is my 2 cents: Love the way it drives and handles (like a typical 4X4) in the city and on the hwy. Two out of state trips. So far, I am overall considerably pleased with the Ranger and at this point if I had to do it all over again would buy it in a heartbeat! Not everyone has had the same experience as me and will neither agree with my approach or methodology but that’s me. The biggest problem now is spending too much time on 5g and trying to evade the Money Pit . Have fun and enjoy the Ranger for all it's worth

 

[ScottyT]

Only you can decide...

 

[Dr. Zaius]

Only you can decide...

Take the Blue pill, you will wake up tomorrow morning believing that the Tacoma is the best midsize since it sells the most, just like McDonald's is the best hamburger since it sells the most.

Take the Red pill, you stay on 5G, and we will show you just how deep the Ranger modification hole goes...

Remember, all we're offering is the truth.

 

[mailbox4449]

Alex,

Congratulations on your buy…In my opinion it is a good move!

I am also a researcher, and it is important to me also to learn as much as possible about what I'm getting into before making a judgement for an important purchase like a vehicle. I did an extraordinary amount of research online, talked to Ford owners, Ranger reviews, researched figures thru KBB and NADA, insurance, MVD costs and state taxes, dealer add on's, thorough test drive, etc. In addition, weighed in on my former experience with Ford (have owned 3 previous) and a lot of other various vehicles.

I have owned many types of vehicles: American, European, and imports as a reference point for consideration. This Ranger is my 4th truck. I do not expect perfection but reasonable quality and dependability. Here are my dislikes: Seats too hard so got some high-end seat cushions and problem solved. Don't like the Auto Start-Stop feature so got the Auto Stop eliminator and problem solved. OEM infotainment screen too small but excellent visuals when backing up even at night so am adjusted to this. Too much wind noise especially on the hwy. I wish the mpg's were better but am hitting close to the EPA stats so can live with that. One sure mpg saver...stay off the turbo and let those Taco's go on by . The acceleration is amazing. All electrical and mechanical components have worked great with the exception of a one-time electrical glitch which has been solved. I'm particular about vehicle features and the quality of the vehicle operation, maintenance (follow it strictly) and performance.

Bought the truck new while it was being assembled at the factory. Was fortunate to hit a good time during the peak of the Covid crises…got 9.5% off MSRP and the dealer threw in a paint protestant sealant application. Naturally had buyer’s remorse for a little while (30 K+ is not a drop in the bucket for me!) after the purchase but that eased up soon after experimenting with various driving situations.

So here is my 2 cents: Love the way it drives and handles (like a typical 4X4) in the city and on the hwy. So far, I am overall considerably pleased with the Ranger and at this point if I had to do it all over again would buy it in a heartbeat! Not everyone has had the same experience as me and will neither agree with my approach or methodology but that’s me. The biggest problem now is spending too much time on 5g . Have fun and enjoy the Ranger for all it's worth

Thanks Paul for all the info and personal experience. That color was my second choice if I had to pick off the lot... well that wasn't in the cards for most, and like everyone else, i had to order one. Glad I did, just sittin back and waiting...
Thanks again for the input, much appreciated

 

[mailbox4449]

Take the Blue pill, you will wake up tomorrow morning believing that the Tacoma is the best midsize since it sells the most, just like McDonald's is the best hamburger since it sells the most.

Take the Red pill, you stay on 5G, and we will show you just how deep the Ranger modification hole goes...

Remember, all we're offering is the truth.

you said hole....

 

[Dr. Zaius]

you said hole....

As in Black Hole.

Once your wallet hits the Schwarzschild radius, there's no turning back.

It begins with "There now, I think I'm done modding..."

You know you're being drawn in when a $30 shirt is way too expensive, but a $300 part for the Ranger is too good of a deal to pass up.

 

[OrangeStreak]

Thanks Paul for all the info and personal experience. That color was my second choice if I had to pick off the lot... well that wasn't in the cards for most, and like everyone else, i had to order one. Glad I did, just sittin back and waiting...
Thanks again for the input, much appreciated

Your welcome Alex. I was looking for Lightning Blue, Shadow Black and Saber in a Scab. When I saw it had been pre-ordered by the Dealer, jumped on it and purchased before anyone else could get their hands on it! The excitement was at a fever pitch on delivery day and I'm still trying to get over it
I can image how you're going to feel when you get that call!

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