Why did YOU choose a mid-size truck?

RangerDave

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I have always preferred the mid-size trucks. Usually had just one vehicle and felt a truck was the way to go for occasional hauling and the fact that a back seat was rarely needed. And really just like the look and style of trucks.
Had a 2007 Mustang GT along with other cars from time to time but they mainly stayed in the garage and not driven regularly.

Over the years I have had a Dodge Ram 50 4x4 then a 94 Dodge Dakota regular cab followed by a 99 Dakota reg cab. Kept it for 12 years and then decided to look for another one but all that was available was Taco and Frontier. I have worked in the auto industry for Tier 1 suppliers so always purchased from the "Big 3".

Ended up with 2011 Ram 1500 reg cab followed by a 14 Ram 1500 R/T. They were always to big and could barely squeeze them into the garage. The interesting thing is that the Ranger is 2 inches longer than the Ram. I think the reduced width is the reason i am much happier now.
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Mokume

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My last 2 previous Ford pickups have been Ranger S/Cabs, a '91 and a '00. As I've posted elsewhere in this forum site, the F-series is just too large for my needs and for navigating urban Honolulu traffic.
In addition to the 2 Rangers I've also owned 2 F-150's, an '81 XLT Flareside and an '86 Lariat Styleside, both 4x4 shortbeds.
There was 1 'mistake' though, I did very briefly own a '05 Silverado 1500 regular cab, what a blunder that was.
The '20 S/Cab Lariat 4x2 I have on order will probably my last new vehicle purchase, I did look into a '19 Tacoma, but the driving position is absurd, the 4.0 V-6's performance is beyond anemic, (my beater '02 Honda CR-V will run circles around it) and everywhere you go here you'll see one. So much for individualism, hopefully my "Rapid Red Tri-coat metallic" finished Ranger will be unique here for some period of time.
I suspect it will fit my needs quite nicely.
 

faiello

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Fits in my garage and easier to flat tow behind my motorhome.
 

TheLoneRider

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Living in the suburbs and frequently driving in the city, the utility of a truck is nice for Home Depot runs or trips the hills. Full size though can be tight and cause parking difficulties when in town though.

Bought a F-150 SuperCrew 2015, Frontier and Taco were just too small inside to be comfortable (I’m “husky”). Have had Dodge Dakota’s before, but they aren’t being made anymore so went the full size route.

Wife was fine driving the F-150 but was hell on it when it came to parking lots. Rear end/bumper vs. concrete light base. Passenger side mirror vs. concrete bollard outside door at Walmart. Other side rear end taillight lens vs. signpost.

Also having a 2017 Mustang GT and 2018 Escape Titanium, the F-150 XLT was feeling a little “ghetto”.

Towing isn’t an issue (actually same tow capacity as the F-150 we had), and smaller bed still handles our needs, plus as other have noted it is one nice looking truck.
 


Montana Ranger

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I also live in a community dominated by full-size trucks. I didn't want one for many of the same reasons above:

. I'm a "less is more" kind of guy. Paying for more capability than I'll almost never need is a waste on multiple levels.

. Easier to drive and park around town.

. My wife is comfortable driving it. It's not that much larger than our previous SUV. This truck replaces our Mercury Mountaineer, which was actually the same chassis as the previous generation Ranger.

. Will comfortably fit in my garage with my 2 other cars. A full-sized would be an uncomfortable squeeze. I keep my vehicles a very long time, so living in the garage is very important.

. Didn't want to pay >$50K for comparable features and comfort. Will be taking this thing on long trips with a trailer, so spousal comfort was important.

. The MPG wasn't a priority, but is a bonus.

And last, I simply don't need a full-sized. And yes, I try to exclude my genitals from involvement in large purchases.
 

Traneman

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I have no need for a full size F150, and if I did have it, as other mentioned, limited garage space, and mine, ceiling height!

Don't have any big to tow, good gas milage, and right size 6' box for hauling stuff. I woiuld of been fine if it was smaller like the older Ranger.
 

Todd Chapin

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Ever try parking a full size truck in washington dc streets or undeeground garages? Ranger for the win!

Fyi 5 time previous tundra tacoma owner here
 

RANGER_MARC

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I have driven trucks in the 150 series and loved the roominess inside and the ride, but they are really not practical when it comes to MPG, parking, etc. (I can get one in my garage, on condition of opening the garage door every time I want to move from one side of the garage to the other!) I should add that I do not really need a truck, as I am not in construction, do not haul anything of significance, and never tow, but I like them because they are rugged, riding high on the road gives you a great view, and, with an off-road package, you need not fear rough roads, the occasional obstacle, or bad weather. Plus, nothing is more enjoyable than hanging out on the tailgate, listening to music, and drinking (iced tea) after a hike in the park or the woods. So, with the Ranger, I can enjoy all of the benefits of truck ownership (as I define them) and hardly any of the inconveniences, as it is only slightly larger and heavier than my previous ride, the 2014 Explorer Limited. The B&O stereo system in the Lariat is a huge bonus, and the 2.3 Liter engine combined with the ten-speed transmission is killer on any road conditions!

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Deleted member 1634

Pretty much all the same reasons OP and others mentioned. My dad and 2 uncles have F-150's (we're a Ford family and get Z-plan pricing) and I'm hard pressed to figure out why they need such big trucks. My dad definitely would've gotten a Ranger if they were out a few years ago when he got his. He had to get a single cab regular box just to get it to fit in his garage. My one uncle might need it every once in awhile for the long trips they take (since they take so much stuff on trips), but certainly unnecessarily large (crew cab, long box) for daily driving. My other uncle falls into the category of "I want a big truck because they're cool". I drove my dad's F-150 for a week last year and it was not fun trying to just park in a parking spot at work, even with it being a short version of the truck. I also couldn't reach over to the passenger side and I have long arms. So in the end, size was a big factor. Mileage was also. Not that the F-150 gets horrible mileage, but the Ranger is better.
 

Roofhopper

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For me it boils down to the fact that a truck is a tool and driving around a full-size truck everyday is akin to hanging pictures with a 2Lb hammer. If I need to really haul stuff the 2500 HD comes out, but 98% of the time it’s just not necessary to have that much truck. I also feel like folks that choose smaller trucks will also be much more likely to do actual “truck stuff” than the posers out there running around in $50k plus daily drivers
 

DapperDean

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Hey guys, former F150 owner, in the process of finding my Ranger at this moment.

Everyone I work with drives trucks, full size trucks to be exact. Around here there's almost a stigma to buying anything smaller than a full size, crew cab, 4x4 behemoth like I used to own. I have a good group of friends, and as such, they're roasting the living bejeezus out of me for looking at Rangers/Colorados/Tacomas, etc..

Assuming I'm not alone, what led you to go for a mid-size truck vs the larger counterparts?

The reasons I give:

1. Simple enough, I don't need a full size truck.
2. Better fitment in garage, parking spots, small enough that the fiance can drive it if needed
3. Better suited for our 4x4 trails
4. Better MPG
5. My genitals are not in need of an automotive extension

Because they're sexy as hell and I love the feelin"!
 

DJS 60

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I went from a 2005 Ranger supercab 4.0 5 speed manual to a 2011 F150 super cab 3.5 ecoboost to a 2015 F150 supercab 2.7 ecoboost. I loved both trucks but decided that I want to downsize with a 2020 Ranger I have on order now. I don't need the bigger truck and they just barely fit in my garage. I only drive the truck on the weekends, l have a Ford Escape as my daily driver
 

Toytec

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I needed to keep up with the Joneses. And all y'all are the Joneses! However, it had to fit one criteria. I must be able to get to my beer fridge when it's in the garage. Yup, done deal. And look what I ended up with ? One bad ass little truck that's not so little. :beer:Stop on by. Beers cold.
 

ch47dmechanic

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Hey guys, former F150 owner, in the process of finding my Ranger at this moment.

Everyone I work with drives trucks, full size trucks to be exact. Around here there's almost a stigma to buying anything smaller than a full size, crew cab, 4x4 behemoth like I used to own. I have a good group of friends, and as such, they're roasting the living bejeezus out of me for looking at Rangers/Colorados/Tacomas, etc..

Assuming I'm not alone, what led you to go for a mid-size truck vs the larger counterparts?

The reasons I give:

1. Simple enough, I don't need a full size truck.
2. Better fitment in garage, parking spots, small enough that the fiance can drive it if needed
3. Better suited for our 4x4 trails
4. Better MPG
5. My genitals are not in need of an automotive extension
First of all, I come from the same world you do. I've had seven F-150's throughout my adult life. The reasoning is mostly due to the previous generation Ranger being too small to be practical for me. However, my industry is mostly filled with guys driving bro-dozers and such and no one would even consider owning something smaller than full-sized and even if they did buy a Tacoma (some have), they give it the bro treatment and jack the thing up in the air so as to make it completely unusable and impossible to practically park anywhere.

My last truck was a 2017 F-150 crew cab that I was happy to trade for my Ranger. Many of my peers and friends still don't get why I did it. Mostly, I did it because the Ranger is simply more practical for day-to-day use and because it fits in my garage. My last F-150 wasn't a 4X4 and that was a mistake on my part that I remedied with my Ranger, but I can't speak to capability differences between my current generation F-150 in a 4X4 capacity and my 2019 Ranger. I do know that everything I've needed the Ranger to do both off-road and in the snow it has been able to do without breaking a sweat.

I'm probably going to be lambasted for this, but my F-150 got better mileage than my Ranger does. It doesn't really matter how I drive the Ranger, it has never returned the same mileage my F-150 did. I had the 2.7TT in my F-150 and it was a peach of an engine. Even with the six-speed transmission that it had, it never felt like it was in the wrong gear and consistently returned excellent fuel mileage. I suspect part of the reason the mileage is so different is simply because my F-150 was a 4X2 and my Ranger is a 4X4 so obviously, your mileage may vary. Clearly there are plenty of threads on this forum where folks with crew cab 4X2 Rangers are talking about much higher mileage rates than I get on my Ranger. But, at the end of the day, I didn't buy my Ranger because I was trying to get a truck with better mileage so it wasn't something I really cared about from the beginning.
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