Why the interior hate?

Sashimi_Moto

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3 gripes that are not all that bad.
1) The manual "+ and -" buttons for changing the temperature are not backlit.
2) No Air Conditioned seat option. Women like warm butts, men like cooled balls.
3) The Infotainment start up time - holy shit that takes too long.

Kind of a 4th gripe but when I'm towing, I want to occasionally peak at the rearview camera without having to put it in reverse. I wish I could turn on the rearview camera while in motion. Or if this can be done please let me know.
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FunInTheSun

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It's not the worst, but it's also not the best: it's clearly what ford could pull out of the parts bin without investing extra effort. I disregard all auto reviewers complaints about "hard plastic" (they're loonies who for some reason want pillowy crap that's hard to clean in a truck), but most of the comments above are on point (lousy control layout, wasted space). Some obvious features are missing for no apparent reason (electronic recline/memory seats). You can brush it off as "what do you expect, it's a truck" except ford marketing told us it was "all-new" and there are a lot of features which are convenience/comfort related so it's reasonable to want that set of things to be complete. (One thing that car reviewers too often ignore that does bug the crap out of me is how many shiny things there are in the interior--the glare is blinding when the sun is at the wrong angle, and the only reason those surfaces aren't matte is for appearance [appealing to people with questionable taste].)
These comments are very on-point. I never got too upset about some of them, because I didn't pay extra for one of the higher trim levels. I did spring for the STX / Special Edition package, about which I will say more later. The XL dash parts that are silver are matte finish. The XL cluster is mostly monochrome, with blue vacuum fluorescent displays, and some additional color LEDs for the warning / status lights. I have not seen if it can accommodate some of the more advanced Off-Road related displays, like Trail Modes and Tilt angle displays, which is a little bit disappointing, but I like my dash appearance-wise, and my seats are great.

I do not like the Climate control system controls, and they are not really improved by the touch screen interface, because taking eyes off traffic conditions is dangerous, and tiny anonymous buttons and touch screens are exactly the same in this regard. Switches that work OK on the Development bench to prove functionality are awful in the real world. Don't deploy digital mockups into production. Making the buttons aesthetically pleasing does not improve the interface in the slightest. Give drivers physical knobs and sliders, even if under the hood they are digital switches.

I do have the STX Special Edition seats, which uses an upgraded fabric cover material. They are super comfortable. Best seat I've ever sat in, actually. Not power-adjustable though. Good basic functionality. I am not one of those who automatically finds hard plastic "cheap" or "Low-End". After all, very few "high-end" interiors are made with full-grain leather and full metal bezels, including Fords. They are all plastic too, with chrome plating and polyurethane / PVC simulated leather for the "high-touch" look. Even where the leather is actually animal hide, it is almost always clear-coated for durability, and except for a select few, is embossed with a fake leather grain for proper appearance. I prefer a nicely done synthetic material. All this because real leather is really not a great material for car seats. (Let the flame war begin...) And I HATE vinyl seats. I always go for fabric if available. Additionally, most aftermarket seat covers suck, unless you are forking over three digit numbers per seat, at least. Those Katzkin covers look pretty spiff, though (proving my previous point)...

These are just my Neanderthal opinions, and I don't mind (or get upset at all) if you disagree. Leather is OK for steering wheels (extremely high-touch) or low-touch surfaces, where it is not subject to staining or weather. Seats either get stained if you sweat on them, or they feel exactly like a vinyl seat, because they are heavily coated. If not coated, it requires a lot of exacting maintenance and care, or it ends up looking shabby and being uncomfortable.
 

Delirious

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For the most part I like the new interior. But the critics are correct in my opinion about the climate controls. Here's the prior version. It may look dated but everything could be done without ever taking your eyes off the road. Same for music & 4WD.

Then again, I do like the new bells & whistles, so...

1632155402695.png
That's why I use my sync 3 for climate controls. That's the window I leave open all the time and I hate having to do it but it's all because of the inconvenience of the current controls.
 

towpro

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my only complaint is the mirror controls are behind the steering wheel ... I don't use them much, so it's not a biggie
you get used to it. I need to dip the mirror to back into my driveway, right on the edge of grass so my wife has plenty of room. 560 miles and I am already used to it.

BUT once I get my dongle I will look into mirror dip in reverse.
 

ScrappyLaptop

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It's not the worst, but it's also not the best: it's clearly what ford could pull out of the parts bin without investing extra effort. I disregard all auto reviewers complaints about "hard plastic" (they're loonies who for some reason want pillowy crap that's hard to clean in a truck), but most of the comments above are on point (lousy control layout, wasted space). Some obvious features are missing for no apparent reason (electronic recline/memory seats). You can brush it off as "what do you expect, it's a truck" except ford marketing told us it was "all-new" and there are a lot of features which are convenience/comfort related so it's reasonable to want that set of things to be complete. (One thing that car reviewers too often ignore that does bug the crap out of me is how many shiny things there are in the interior--the glare is blinding when the sun is at the wrong angle, and the only reason those surfaces aren't matte is for appearance [appealing to people with questionable taste].)
I'm perfectly okay with "hard plastic". In my opinion, on a truck it's far better than the old vinyl-over-foam that would crack once the vinyl lost it's solvent. And both are far better than the "soft touch" plastic so many manufactures seem to want to put on everything that turns gummy and sticky after a handful of years.
 


FunInTheSun

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3 gripes that are not all that bad.
1) The manual "+ and -" buttons for changing the temperature are not backlit.
2) No Air Conditioned seat option. Women like warm butts, men like cooled balls.
3) The Infotainment start up time - holy shit that takes too long.

Kind of a 4th gripe but when I'm towing, I want to occasionally peak at the rearview camera without having to put it in reverse. I wish I could turn on the rearview camera while in motion. Or if this can be done please let me know.
I heard on the Internet that you can just put it in reverse while you're rolling, and the camera will come on. Oh, and the transmission will not shift into reverse. But I guess you have to be pretty brave (or driving someone else's truck) to confirm. I'm not gonna try it...

But here's a video of someone who did (and it's a Ford) ...


Please note: Try this at your own risk. For entertainment purposes only...
 

dtech

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What about the garage door buttons being on the sun visor - every previous auto I've owned had them on the rear view mirror - is this a Ford thing ? It's an extra step when the visor is down.
 

DukeCanBuildit

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I am pleased with everything inside except for two things:

1. The seats are too hard which was the same issue with my 2011 Ranger. Got some good quality seat cushions and now very comfortable.

2. Ford did a poor job of positioning the front seat belts...they rub against the seat back and can create a serious wear spot there.

Thanks to Sid @msfitoy for discovering this.
(1) Seat Quality...WTF???!!! | 2019+ Ford Ranger and Raptor Forum (5th Generation) - Ranger5G.com
The solution is to purchase belt pads which prevent additional wear. Got mine at Amazon.

Shoulder Belt pad 2.jpg
These remind of the dash in my dad’s “Chevy Van” from when I was a kid. ?

Anyone remember these?

F5E38D1F-A253-4FFE-94BD-B1C21258298E.jpeg


P.S. - Not my dad’s
 
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AzScorpion

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These remind of the dash in my dad’s “Chevy Van” from when I was a kid. ?

Anyone remember these?

F5E38D1F-A253-4FFE-94BD-B1C21258298E.jpeg


P.S. - Not my dad’s

This was your dads. ? This was at a local car show in Scottsdale a few years ago. Ive seen this at Mecum Auctions last year. I wonder if your dad bought it back?


IMG_1107-1.JPG
 

jblc

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For the most part I like the new interior. But the critics are correct in my opinion about the climate controls. Here's the prior version. It may look dated but everything could be done without ever taking your eyes off the road. Same for music & 4WD.

Then again, I do like the new bells & whistles, so...

1632155402695.png
I had that on my 97, and it was FAR superior to the buttons. I asked about getting my XLT with the XL knob options (instead of buttons), but it wasn't possible.

At the minimum, the buttons should be raised or have different texture. Having them all flat and smooth makes it impossible to tell what's being pressed.
 

Tracy Bowman

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I, of course, love everything about the interior of my Lariat. I’m sure there’s much nicer interiors on other vehicles, but I personally have never had it. You don’t miss what you’ve never had. My Ranger is perfect for me and my needs.
 

Jrel209

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I'm perfectly okay with "hard plastic". In my opinion, on a truck it's far better than the old vinyl-over-foam that would crack once the vinyl lost it's solvent. And both are far better than the "soft touch" plastic so many manufactures seem to want to put on everything that turns gummy and sticky after a handful of years.
Eh…. My 2009 jetta has soft touch plastic and still looks great. Guessing peoples miles may vary but it has 125k miles and my dashboard still looks new, no gummy sticky or tearing
 
 



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