Need dad advice: Ranger Regrets?

JeeperCreeper

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I have my first kid on the way. I've mentioned before, I have a Tremor on order. Hopefully here in October.

I love the Ranger, wanted one for years.

But, my wife has a small Jeep Renegade. It's staying. I'm worried a Ranger might be too small for a growing family in Alaska where gear and toys and adventures are abundant.

I grew up with a single cab Ford with 4 family members. Daily drove a YJ wrangler for 9 years. So I can handle small. But doesn't mean I want to.

I read through the Ranger as a family car threads, and I know car seats can fit.

But, for the price of my Tremor, I can get a Ram 1500 Warlock quad cab V6. Drives great, I like both trucks. The quad cab gives me a foot extra in the bed, 6 inches wider, few inches of legroom

Does anyone with a Ranger and kids regret not getting a full size truck? Hoping my truck will be my daily driver and family vehicle for at least 15 years.

Would love some guidance from you Ranger lovers on mid-sized vs full-sized trucks in this market.
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VegasRanger

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I don’t have kids, but seeing how small the rear space is in my crew cab I can’t imagine this being a good fit for you. I’m only 5’5” and even then, there’s not a lot of leg room left for rear passengers. That’s my opinion though. For my wife and two dogs is perfect, but if I had kids, me personally I would go full size for sure.

Also, they’re hard to find but you can find Warlocks in crew cab for just a little more. I test driven a few, they’re actually pretty nice for the price.
 

AzScorpion

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No kids here but you should go out and try them both out if possible. I know inventory is very scarce right now but you're the only one who can really determine which one fits your family better. What works for others might not work for you but it sounds like the extra room Ram might be better for your growing family.
 

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I had the exact opposite experience. I was looking at both and bought a V6 Ram 1500. I traded it in a year later for a Ranger.

Ram was really cheap feeling/looking inside, way under powered and the fuel economy wasn't great. Windows wouldn't roll down when it got hot and the rust issues were real. It's not pleasant to park or drive in tight places.

I feel like the 4 door Ranger has plenty of space for a car seat and kids stuff but that's my opinion.

I would suggest taking a car seat and test driving both. See which fits your needs best. Don't buy something you don't really want like me. You'll regret it.
 

AutobotXJ

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I feel like the ranger has very good room for a midsized truck. I have two kids- 13 and 10 and it is perfect for us. But keep in mind I thought my XJ and XB were also good size for my family.
I drive an F150 Crewcab for work and the cab is WAY bigger but my kids prefer the ranger. It’s not just about “space” but comfort and I guess they are more comfortable in a smaller space.
When truck hunting, I really liked a Ram Rebel (used) on the lot. Way more room, but I honestly didn’t want to drive a full sized truck outside of work mainly because of parking and the kind of adventuring we do on the weekend.
BTW, I am also perfectly comfortable in the front and back seat of the Ranger. It doesn’t look like a lot of room back there, but I fit fine behind the drivers seat set for my position and I’m 6’1”.
 


Danager

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I had 3 kids and SUVs. A stroller, playpen/crib, and a few bags fill up the cargo space quicker than you think. When they were 10, 7, 5 - I bought my first F150. The added space in the bed was nice. I really liked the space in the back seat. We went on road trips I would not wanted to have in a smaller truck or SUV.
Now my kids are 21, 18, 15. I only ever have the 15 year old with me occasionally. The Ranger is perfect for me now.

I think you will appreciate space for seating and storage. Utility is, or can be comparable. My Lariat Tremor was the same price as a mid XLT F150. I went back and forth on this decision for about a month. I found I didn’t need bigger anymore.
 

Willcuts93

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I've got 2 kids. Put the next size up car seat in there before you make you decision. Infant seats fit with plenty of room but 2 of the big toddler ones gets really crowded. My front seats just barely touch both toddler seats when sitting in my normal position.
 

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Works for my 2 kids, 12 and 15 year old girls. Gear or dogs in the back.

For me full size was not a consideration though. I'm not buying a $40k vehicle to park it outside and a midsized truck fits my garage.
 

Floyd

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I have my first kid on the way. I've mentioned before, I have a Tremor on order. Hopefully here in October.

I love the Ranger, wanted one for years.

But, my wife has a small Jeep Renegade. It's staying. I'm worried a Ranger might be too small for a growing family in Alaska where gear and toys and adventures are abundant.

I grew up with a single cab Ford with 4 family members. Daily drove a YJ wrangler for 9 years. So I can handle small. But doesn't mean I want to.

I read through the Ranger as a family car threads, and I know car seats can fit.

But, for the price of my Tremor, I can get a Ram 1500 Warlock quad cab V6. Drives great, I like both trucks. The quad cab gives me a foot extra in the bed, 6 inches wider, few inches of legroom

Does anyone with a Ranger and kids regret not getting a full size truck? Hoping my truck will be my daily driver and family vehicle for at least 15 years.

Would love some guidance from you Ranger lovers on mid-sized vs full-sized trucks in this market.
A couple of points...
The Ranger is as roomy as most family sized SUVs except it has a huge "trunk" instead of a third row.
The Ranger is a year 2000 "fullsized" truck.
Today's "fullsized" trucks might better be called "oversized" trucks.(think Canyonero)

 

Peas

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I’ve had my 19 ranger for two years now and have done baby buckets, toddler seats and now boosters in the back of my crew cab . My kids are 3 and 5 now. I am 6’2” and have the seat fully back so the older kids feet are close to the back of my seat (and you know how that goes).

All that being said, I absolutely love the truck and would not get anything else. The kids love going off roading and taking adventures in the truck. I have an ARE Overland topper that is critical to hauling all the gear and dogs and stuff. I have a ski rack on top and am considering a rocket box for additional storage.

It’s the best truck I’ve owned and don’t plan to get anything bigger as the family grows (in size, not in numbers)
 

dondonbabyraptor

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You said 15 years? I would say if he’s not a crazy sprouter you have good chance of him being able to fit in that comfortably for at least 13-14 years and then maybe at 15 he will be slightly uncomfortable for long road trips. Then you can let him use the Ranger for a first vehicle :) they say it’s tested to 150k miles with no major repairs…

Now do you want to drive a full size truck or a mid size truck? I think you are questioning that a little bit more. Either way the kid will fit fine IMO.
 

slowmachine

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I have five kids from two marriages, and have owned 45 (I have a list) cars. Without hesitation, I would buy a van. We always seemed to have some kind of 4x4 around, usually Jeeps at least 10 years old, for off-road fun, but the vans did the vast majority of the kid/family hauling. Even now, with only one child at home, we’re looking hard at a 4x4 EcoBoost Transit.
 

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I can fit 4 x 8 sheets in the bed and my two teenagers fit in the back fine. I like the size of the Ranger for parking also.
Works perfectly for me.
 

808matt

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I have my first kid on the way. I've mentioned before, I have a Tremor on order. Hopefully here in October.

I love the Ranger, wanted one for years.

But, my wife has a small Jeep Renegade. It's staying. I'm worried a Ranger might be too small for a growing family in Alaska where gear and toys and adventures are abundant.

I grew up with a single cab Ford with 4 family members. Daily drove a YJ wrangler for 9 years. So I can handle small. But doesn't mean I want to.

I read through the Ranger as a family car threads, and I know car seats can fit.

But, for the price of my Tremor, I can get a Ram 1500 Warlock quad cab V6. Drives great, I like both trucks. The quad cab gives me a foot extra in the bed, 6 inches wider, few inches of legroom

Does anyone with a Ranger and kids regret not getting a full size truck? Hoping my truck will be my daily driver and family vehicle for at least 15 years.

Would love some guidance from you Ranger lovers on mid-sized vs full-sized trucks in this market.
My first born is just under 2 months. No regrets here on a full size but living in Hawaii (Oahu) a mid size is preferable. I would get a full size if and when the time is right but for now the Ranger will do. Unless you plan on having more kids, you’ll be fine for at least 10 years
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