Should I Buy a 2019 Ranger or 2019 Ridgeline?

Geoff

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Buy what you want. Nothing is going to have everything you want with nothing you dislike. Compromises must be made if you can't find the perfect vehicle. I'm certainly happy there was no standard bedliner. I want to choose it. No tailgate damper? That's a problem? Really?

You probably ought to buy the Ridgeline as the Ranger 'flaws' will probably knaw at your ass while you own it.

Me? I put down a $1000 back in Sept, sight unseen. I didn't even test drive one - the first time I drove a 2019 Ranger was on the way home from the dealer after paying for it. And, it's the best vehicle I've ever owned (and I've bought plenty of new Fords). YMMV
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Hounddog409

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Hey Guys,
Thanks for all the responses. We haven't made up our minds yet. We are undecided. The responses will help one way or another.

I am posting here thinking we are NOT the only ones who went through this process. Hopefully someone else can share their purchase decision process. Share if they were at similar crossroads.

And the fact I posted in a Ranger forum should tell you I am looking for the pros/cons of having the Ranger.

In fact, the wife is sold on the Ranger. I am the one holding off on pulling the trigger.

Sure, we could get a trailer and hitch it to the Hyundai. Meh, not convenient.
Sure, I could run out and rent trucks from Uhaul over the weekend to do projects. Meh.
Sure, I could even hire someone with a truck from craigslist as needed. Big Meh.

Fact is trucks have come so far that they can easily be multipurpose --- one of which is being a DIY vehicle and a daily-driver. We are talking mid-size, not half ton.
You lost me on no bed liner or tailgate dampener are your reasons it is "unfinished".

Bed liner? Come one. I would not want one forced as standard. I prefer spray liners. So WTF am I gonna do when I remove the factory plastic? I prefer to make that choice myself and keep the price down.

tailgate ? It's a truck. I have never owned one that didnt drop the tailgate when I opened it. And I never thought twice about it. You are not going to break anything if you dont gently open and gingerly lay the tailgate down. That is a sales gimmick that IS NOT needed. It's a solution searching for a problem.

Do the smart thing and listen to your wife. You know you will in the end anyway.

You need a better list of concerns to get better posts.
 
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YouknowwhatImean

YouknowwhatImean

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Alright. I come to a ranger forum and point out its 'flaws' -- so some lumps should be expected. :)

I'm not saying the Ranger is a POS. Just saying it feels unfinished; maybe rushed out. Just looking for the best value for the money.

I could point out the no tail-gate damper could be a safety issue if one has children.

I could point out the +$2800 option with a manual rear window??

The rear seats with no 60/40 and limited storage due to design. Maybe i'm overly concerned but I envision her doing a Costco run and not having an option of using the bed because of inclement weather.

Maybe the answer is the Ridgeline is just simply the better designed vehicle sans rock crawling.
 

Geoff

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Alright. I come to a ranger forum and point out its 'flaws' -- so some lumps should be expected. :)

I'm not saying the Ranger is a POS. Just saying it feels unfinished; maybe rushed out. Just looking for the best value for the money.

I could point out the no tail-gate damper could be a safety issue if one has children.

I could point out the +$2800 option with a manual rear window??

The rear seats with no 60/40 and limited storage due to design. Maybe i'm overly concerned but I envision her doing a Costco run and not having an option of using the bed because of inclement weather.

Maybe the answer is the Ridgeline is just simply the better designed vehicle sans rock crawling.
Well, it feels unfinished and rushed to you...not to me or most of us here. What did you expect?
Buy the Ridgeline. You're already bitching about the Ranger and all you've done is look at one and test drove it.
 

RedlandRanger

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Alright. I come to a ranger forum and point out its 'flaws' -- so some lumps should be expected. :)

I'm not saying the Ranger is a POS. Just saying it feels unfinished; maybe rushed out. Just looking for the best value for the money.

I could point out the no tail-gate damper could be a safety issue if one has children.

I could point out the +$2800 option with a manual rear window??

The rear seats with no 60/40 and limited storage due to design. Maybe i'm overly concerned but I envision her doing a Costco run and not having an option of using the bed because of inclement weather.

Maybe the answer is the Ridgeline is just simply the better designed vehicle sans rock crawling.
As others have stated it all comes down to what is important to you. While I agree the rear seat in the Ranger is strangely designed, I don't find it to be a huge issue for me. The rest of the world apparently doesn't either as it seems to have been that way for the last 8 years.

Every vehicle is an exercise in compromise - you just have to figure out what compromises make the most sense for you. For me, I couldn't stomach a Ridgeline. I find them to be extremely ugly and although I don't use the towing and payload capacity of my truck frequently, I like to have it when I need it. I don't do rock crawling, but I like to have a capable 4WD vehicle when I need it. For me, the Ranger seems just about perfect, with a few compromises (5' bed, rear seat being the primary two compromises). In every other way, it is an AWESOME truck for me.

It may be that the Ridgeline is designed better for what you intend to do with it. It does fill a market need. I'm just not in that target market and neither are a lot of people here.
 


Dennis Harvey

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I looked at the Ranger from a totally objective perspective and I was fully prepared to stick with my Tacoma if it didn't live up to my expectations. The only negative I came up with was the rear seat storage situation, which is pretty minor IMO, but I was extremely impressed with everything else. I was fortunate enough to have a local dealer order a truck that I built out on the Ford page when they started ordering their first batch of Rangers and that is the one I wound up buying. After having the Ranger for a couple of weeks now I have zero regrets on the purchase, a great fit for my needs.
 

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I could point out the no tail-gate damper could be a safety issue if one has children.
Give me a break. I'd consider the dampered version more dangerous because the kid actually has an opportunity to stick their finger in the crack as it slowly comes down. Otherwise, again, even my youngest kid can manage the light aluminum tailgate. I certainly don't remember hearing about a lot of safety issues caused by undamped tailgates in the 100 years they existed before someone decided that reviewers really needed to stand back and watch the tailgate open dramatically. Even when the tailgate was a heavy piece of american steel. In the real world I will never in my life need to stand back and watch my tailgate open. Not once. The one case where a dampener actually makes sense is if you have a remote open tailgate. Otherwise, it's to make it look fancier than it is. If you really like that, cool--but don't pretend it's some kind of safety issue or otherwise important.

I won't even go over the same ridiculous points you've managed to bring up again. Honestly, if that's the worst you can come up with, the engineers at ford must be cracking a cold one over a job well done.
 

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In the long run, I think you'll be much happier with the Ridgeline.
 

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I think that is an important point - while you can certainly point out flaws in the Ranger, when you look at them compared to the whole, it seems like they are minor details (for most people). While I think the dampened tailgate is cool, it most certainly is not a necessity. Same with wireless charging - the Tacoma had it and it was cool, but it is not a necessity. Same with the back seat - while others may have a more functional back seat (more storage, flat fold down, 60/40), for me it is not a necessity. Those are more nice to haves.

It is kind of like when I was watching all the review videos and guys were complaining about the "hard plastic" on the interior - if that was the worst they could find to complain about, the truck must be pretty good! Or the reviews that focused on all the styling aesthetics - I just want the truck to not be ugly - it isn't a designer piece - but again, that might be important to some.

You need to figure out what is most important to YOU, and make your decision based on that, not on what other people say.
 

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I will echo the comments about compromise. No one OEM makes the perfect vehicle. Worked at the dealership level for 10 years and sold almost all the brands. Go with what works for you in your individual situation and needs. I have owned three F-150s in a row since 1993. Have two other Merecedes-Benz vehicles in the driveway. Yes, my rear floorboard space is less than the F-150 and the rear under seat storage isn't the same as the F-150s, but it more than works for me. I enjoy driving the Ranger more than the 2 Mercedes-Benz in the garage. It's just a great vehicle for me and more fun to drive than my F-150 SuperCrew Lariat I got out of.

Do I miss the power rear sliding window that I had in the F-150. Absolutely! Does it make the Ranger feel cheaper. Absolutely not. I love the lockable tailgate tied to the regular door locks. Weather is not a factor. Just add a tonneau cover! :like:

As far as the price of the truck. They don't get cheaper going forward. If you buy a vehicle to hold on to it for the long haul, price is not the major factor as you are looking at a long term investment. If not...lease the vehicle.
 

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If you get the supercab, it's really easy to reach the rear window. :like:
 

ExChief45

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Is the Ranger perfect? No, but damn close. There are a few things that if I had a choice I would like to have seen Ford do differently. These things are like your list nice to have but not needed. I love my Ranger and will go so far as to say it is my favorite vehicle I have ever owned and there have been quite a few.

All that said you have to buy what you like/want not what anyone here does. But please stop calling it unfinished that is one of the more ridiculous things I have heard anyone say about the Ranger. It is a fine truck but maybe not for you!
 

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Thanks for everyone staying respectful to a newcomer with his honest opinions about the 2019 Ranger.

Honestly, unless you have a job that requires you to "have" a work truck, most people would get by with a Honda Ridgeline. It's a niche product and not for the mass market, but it fills a niche nevertheless that is ignored by GM, Toyota & Ford.

@YouknowwhatImean you should drive both the Ranger and Ridgeline back to back and make up your mind, personally I don't mind the bouncy ride of a body-on-frame truck; and since I also own a Toyota sedan I can tell the difference between a passenger car & truck.
 

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Alright. I come to a ranger forum and point out its 'flaws' -- so some lumps should be expected. :)

I'm not saying the Ranger is a POS. Just saying it feels unfinished; maybe rushed out. Just looking for the best value for the money.

I could point out the no tail-gate damper could be a safety issue if one has children.

I could point out the +$2800 option with a manual rear window??

The rear seats with no 60/40 and limited storage due to design. Maybe i'm overly concerned but I envision her doing a Costco run and not having an option of using the bed because of inclement weather.

Maybe the answer is the Ridgeline is just simply the better designed vehicle sans rock crawling.
For your needs buy the Ridgeline. You won't be happy with the Ranger if you already have reservations regarding the truck.
Good luck!!
 

MT19RANGER

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Buy what you want. Nothing is going to have everything you want with nothing you dislike. Compromises must be made if you can't find the perfect vehicle. I'm certainly happy there was no standard bedliner. I want to choose it. No tailgate damper? That's a problem? Really?

You probably ought to buy the Ridgeline as the Ranger 'flaws' will probably knaw at your ass while you own it.

Me? I put down a $1000 back in Sept, sight unseen. I didn't even test drive one - the first time I drove a 2019 Ranger was on the way home from the dealer after paying for it. And, it's the best vehicle I've ever owned (and I've bought plenty of new Fords). YMMV
Me too! I chose all the options I wanted and went with my tastes not thinking of others and their needs or wants. It's mine and it's perfect for me.
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