Ranger has fresh competition...

[shred5]

This never was true. Ford was selling the ranger at about the same pace they were making them right from the beginning. The sensational press just ran with idiotic headlines like "ranger only sells X in its first quarter" while ignoring the fact that Ford only managed to ship about X rangers to dealers in its first quarter. By the end of the first year Ford had sold about 90k rangers, which seems to be about what they expected and about what they made. They never were sitting on a ton of unsold inventory relative to any other manufacturer. Yeah, they had rebates--but so did everyone else. The biggest problem with the ranger's initial sales was simply bad reporting. And I never did really understand who had an ax to grind with Ford; we didn't see the same kind of headlines for the gladiator launch ("Jeep sells only 314 units in April!?!?!!!") instead we saw "Jeep has lots of pre-orders" with no mention of the fact that just like Ford or any other manufacturer with a new model it took a while to ramp up production and then get trucks onto dealer lots. Just bad reporting and fanboy headline amplification.

I will disagree partially because that may have had some to do with it but there was a good amount of inventory at my dealer until the large rebates came out. Matter of fact they had so many Rangers they kept some on their overflow lot. Right after the rebates the Ranger moved into second place in sales. Around thanksgiving the Ranger became hard to get by me. I believe those rebates helped put the Ranger on the map.

I had been looking at the Ranger for many months before purchasing and the rebates are why I bought. If not I would maybe never would have purchased one. He also had tried steering me back to another F150 because when I was looking originally the F150 could be had cheaper with more options. That also could have hurt sales.

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[VAMike]

I will disagree partially because that may have had some to do with it but there was a good amount of inventory at my dealer

An anecdote is not the same as data. Maybe your dealer just sucked at selling rangers? Many people have reported that their dealer tried to steer them to an F150, but the ranger kept selling regardless--maybe at other dealers, or in spite of the dealers. Reality is that the numbers looked fine, regardless of your perception at your particular dealer.

https://www.goodcarbadcar.net/ford-ranger-sales-figures/

The numbers are a little wonky (June...) because of the data sources used (Ford only reports quarterly so it's a combination of manufacturer data & dealer/registration data) but the bottom line is that the sales were up a little at the end of the year, but not dramatically. I ordered mine in 2018 and when it hit the lot in April it was the first Ranger my dealer had seen. Notice how the sales numbers jumped in April? That's when Ford finally started getting them built and shipped in volume. All those doom and gloom headlines were about 2019Q1 when it was almost impossible to find a ranger on a dealer lot. That determined the story line, and every other report in 2019 neglected to mention when comparing e.g., 2019H1 sales, that the Ranger simply wasn't really available in 2019Q1. In order to preserve the story line they quite deliberately failed to compare quarterly sales directly (which were fine for the Ranger in Q2, Q3 and Q4) and stuck with only headlining YTD. Anyway, it's not like sales went from 2k to 12k units when rebates came out, there was a pretty constant upward trend throughout the year. And again, the rebates weren't out of line with other manufacturers. It's also important to remember that rebates are region specific. Some people talk about how Toyota never discounts, but I remember seeing Toyota discounts larger than Ranger discounts. Maybe peoples' perception of Toyota pricing relative to Ford or GM pricing is correct where they are, but it all comes down to how well each manufacturer projected demand in a particular area and how much inventory they're trying to get rid of in that place.

 

[shred5]

An anecdote is not the same as data. Maybe your dealer just sucked at selling rangers? Many people have reported that their dealer tried to steer them to an F150, but the ranger kept selling regardless--maybe at other dealers, or in spite of the dealers. Reality is that the numbers looked fine, regardless of your perception at your particular dealer.

https://www.goodcarbadcar.net/ford-ranger-sales-figures/

The numbers are a little wonky (June...) because of the data sources used (Ford only reports quarterly so it's a combination of manufacturer data & dealer/registration data) but the bottom line is that the sales were up a little at the end of the year, but not dramatically. I ordered mine in 2018 and when it hit the lot in April it was the first Ranger my dealer had seen. Notice how the sales numbers jumped in April? That's when Ford finally started getting them built and shipped in volume. All those doom and gloom headlines were about 2019Q1 when it was almost impossible to find a ranger on a dealer lot. That determined the story line, and every other report in 2019 neglected to mention when comparing e.g., 2019H1 sales, that the Ranger simply wasn't really available in 2019Q1. In order to preserve the story line they quite deliberately failed to compare quarterly sales directly (which were fine for the Ranger in Q2, Q3 and Q4) and stuck with only headlining YTD. Anyway, it's not like sales went from 2k to 12k units when rebates came out, there was a pretty constant upward trend throughout the year. And again, the rebates weren't out of line with other manufacturers. It's also important to remember that rebates are region specific. Some people talk about how Toyota never discounts, but I remember seeing Toyota discounts larger than Ranger discounts. Maybe peoples' perception of Toyota pricing relative to Ford or GM pricing is correct where they are, but it all comes down to how well each manufacturer projected demand in a particular area and how much inventory they're trying to get rid of in that place.

It wasn't just my dealer. I dealt with dealers all over even out of state that was just the one I bought from and also the one I started with.

If Ford was selling everything they created why such huge rebates? Since then the rebates have been much smaller. People were getting between 8 to 10 thousand off sticker total. That does not happen to a vehicle that is in low stock.

It really does not matter to me anyway nor do I care. I own no stock in Ford. You certainly are entitled to your opinion.

My point on the Nissan I believe still sticks and you may have a difference of opinion so be it. I just do not see allot of the current Frontier owners upgrading.

 

[VAMike]

It wasn't just my dealer. I dealt with dealers all over even out of state that was just the one I bought from and also the one I started with.

If Ford was selling everything they created why such huge rebates? Since then the rebates have been much smaller. People were getting between 8 to 10 thousand off sticker total. That does not happen to a vehicle that is in low stock.

Look at the numbers. All I can say is that your assertion that the rebates were the entire reason the ranger sold is simply not supported by the data. The delta between August and November was less than 2k out of 83k for the year. It's certainly not the case that everybody was getting $10k off their ranger, so regardless of how excited you are about your deal let's try to deal in the big picture rather than the wacky exception. And the big rebates were on certain trims, not across the board. So maybe they made too many of those trims? Maybe they wanted to experiment with pricing to see what would happen? Maybe some dealers/areas really flubbed their sales and needed a lot of help? Who knows. I don't doubt that rebates drive some sales, but the overall month to month variation was marginal not revolutionary.

And the fact that the rebates have been smaller and the MSRP didn't go down kinda proves that Ford didn't think that the pricing was a problem, doesn't it?

 

[GitRDone]

I may be sticking my foot in it here, but I think rebates are common across the board with all truck manufacturers at year end. Thankful I was able to fast forward through the myriad of Toyotathon ads during NFL playoffs.

 

[alazar14]

Nissan just unveiled their 3rd gen Frontier today. A respectable redesign with class leading 310HP. It will also be offered with two cab and two bed configurations. This new Frontier is due out this summer, so it will be competing with the 5th generation Ranger. It will be interesting to see how much market share it will take from all the other midsize trucks and their aging designs???

The one thing I hope Ford does with this next gen Ranger is offer multiple cab/bed configurations! While the 5th gen might be lacking these due to being a carryover from the T6 global truck, an all new truck for the NA market really needs more choices in configurations.

A SuperCrew/longbed with a Tremor package would be the ultimate factory base overland rig. I hope Ford nails this next gen.... my ‘02 F-150 Lariat SuperCrew is really starting to show some wear.

Depending on the price, I might end up trading in my Ranger for that frontier. I first have to "feel" the body panels, and get a sense for the durability of the "body" components. Don't get me wrong, the Ranger has an incredible engine and solid transmission, but literally everything else about the truck feels cheap. Body panels are thin and feel hollow at the doors (I'm terrified of a side impact on the Ranger, like having a can of Soda protecting me), paint chips and scratches if you so much as look at it the wrong way, and the plastic on the inside (door handles specifically) feels like I could snap it if I squeeze hard with my hand (and I don't even lift bro!).

I'm definitely going to be ready for a vehicle with higher quality "body" and general plastic materials in a few years. Truly the opposite of built "Ford" tough imo, I'm afraid to lean on the door for fear of causing a dent

 

[r1ch999999]

Depending on the price, I might end up trading in my Ranger for that frontier. I first have to "feel" the body panels, and get a sense for the durability of the "body" components. Don't get me wrong, the Ranger has an incredible engine and solid transmission, but literally everything else about the truck feels cheap. Body panels are thin and feel hollow at the doors (I'm terrified of a side impact on the Ranger, like having a can of Soda protecting me), paint chips and scratches if you so much as look at it the wrong way, and the plastic on the inside (door handles specifically) feels like I could snap it if I squeeze hard with my hand (and I don't even lift bro!).

I'm definitely going to be ready for a vehicle with higher quality "body" and general plastic materials in a few years. Truly the opposite of built "Ford" tough imo, I'm afraid to lean on the door for fear of causing a dent

My hood bends a bit when the dryer from the car wash blows on it. I’m not thrilled with that.

 

[Chris M]

My hood bends a bit when the dryer from the car wash blows on it. I’m not thrilled with that.

As does mine...and watch your roof the next time you go through the wash and watch it flex a lot, too!

 

[DHH]

Depending on the price, I might end up trading in my Ranger for that frontier. I first have to "feel" the body panels, and get a sense for the durability of the "body" components. Don't get me wrong, the Ranger has an incredible engine and solid transmission, but literally everything else about the truck feels cheap. Body panels are thin and feel hollow at the doors (I'm terrified of a side impact on the Ranger, like having a can of Soda protecting me), paint chips and scratches if you so much as look at it the wrong way, and the plastic on the inside (door handles specifically) feels like I could snap it if I squeeze hard with my hand (and I don't even lift bro!).

I'm definitely going to be ready for a vehicle with higher quality "body" and general plastic materials in a few years. Truly the opposite of built "Ford" tough imo, I'm afraid to lean on the door for fear of causing a dent

Have you actually looked at the other offerings? I admit the Ranger isn't up to par with the larger trucks (or any vehicle segment), but non of the others are either. The Ranger is actually the best of the bunch.
I'll be willing to bet the new Frontier's interior is mostly hard plastic surfaces. I was hoping they would come out with something better, because I'm waiting for someone to come out with a midsized that isn't sub-par.

 

[HenryMac]

As does mine...and watch your roof the next time you go through the wash and watch it flex a lot, too!

OK... I'll Bite. How do you watch the roof when going through a car wash?

 

[alazar14]

Have you actually looked at the other offerings? I admit the Ranger isn't up to par with the larger trucks (or any vehicle segment), but non of the others are either. The Ranger is actually the best of the bunch.
I'll be willing to bet the new Frontier's interior is mostly hard plastic surfaces. I was hoping they would come out with something better, because I'm waiting for someone to come out with a midsized that isn't sub-par.

I did look at the Tacoma when deciding to purchase the Ranger, and TBH, would have gone with it if not for the price difference. In my area, Tacomas are VERY popular, and the dealerships just wouldn't budge or offer any kind of incentives. The Ford dealerships were willing to negotiate and give me a solid deal for the truck, so I went with them.

My experience with the Tacoma was that (1) I didn't like the drive feel as much as the Ranger, and (2) I didn't like the seat position (felt like my head was hitting the top of the cab, and also I couldn't see very much as the hood obstructs visibility). Still, I felt the metal materials on the exterior, and the plastics in the interior was a bit higher quality. Maybe that will all change in 4-5 years when I'm ready to trade in and buy a new truck though, so I will check out every option b4 buying.

 

[HenryMac]

(I'm terrified of a side impact on the Ranger, like having a can of Soda protecting me)....

Safety is best judged by crash testing... in which case the Ranger did outstanding. It's the internal structures that are important.

 

[Hounddog409]

Depending on the price, I might end up trading in my Ranger for that frontier. I first have to "feel" the body panels, and get a sense for the durability of the "body" components. Don't get me wrong, the Ranger has an incredible engine and solid transmission, but literally everything else about the truck feels cheap. Body panels are thin and feel hollow at the doors (I'm terrified of a side impact on the Ranger, like having a can of Soda protecting me), paint chips and scratches if you so much as look at it the wrong way, and the plastic on the inside (door handles specifically) feels like I could snap it if I squeeze hard with my hand (and I don't even lift bro!).

I'm definitely going to be ready for a vehicle with higher quality "body" and general plastic materials in a few years. Truly the opposite of built "Ford" tough imo, I'm afraid to lean on the door for fear of causing a dent

Paint and chips? Got my Ranger summer of 2019. I live in the boonies on a dirt/gravel road. I also travel to WV to my property. Old trails...lots of brush dragging against sides.

Zero chips. Zero scratches.

Of course I ordered mine with mud flaps and don't have nobbies sticking out 6 inches past the fenders.

Zero issues with the paint.

 

[alazar14]

My hood bends a bit when the dryer from the car wash blows on it. I’m not thrilled with that.

I hand wash mine because I'm afraid the Carwash will scratch or peel off the paint. Even moderate pressure on the roof causes it to flex, very concerning.

 

[Chris M]

OK... I'll Bite. How do you watch the roof when going through a car wash?

The most obvious answer would be by standing in the bed of the truck as it goes through the wash...

That said, I knew when I posted that that the wording wasn't quite right, and I should have said "watch the headliner flex", or something to that effect. Depending on the force of the dryer, you will see it flex, hear it pop sometimes, and sometimes it will cause the sunglass case cover to open on its own.

For those of you that wonder why I don't just wash it myself and avoid all this kerfuffle, I have back issues that prevent me from doing things like this anymore. I would be happy to be back where I could wash my own vehicles...I do miss it.

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