Should Ford Import the Ranger or Further Develop Transit Connect?

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TrainTrac

TrainTrac

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Bring on the Ranger! I'd buy one!:driving:



Thread of the Day: Should Ford Import the Ranger or Further Develop Transit Connect?



Written by: Zach Gale [G+] on August 20 2012 4:30 PM



Our story on Ford Ranger owners buying new vehicles from other brands as much as from Ford struck quite a chord. While plenty of enthusiasts in the U.S. clamor for compact and midsize trucks sold overseas like the Ford Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok, the automakers often claim a business case for importing them to the U.S. just doesnt make sense. In Fords case, the automaker already offers a compact utilitarian vehicle, but its not a truck. With the Ford Transit Connect already establishing a presence in the U.S., were asking: Should Ford import the overseas Ranger or further develop the Transit Connect?



2012 Ford Transit Connect front view 300x187 imageFord may not think theres a market for the new Ranger, which would have to be certified for sale in the U.S. by the NHTSA and the EPA, but the Transit Connect has already passed those hurdles. A revised version of the Transit Connect possibly with a slight price drop and tweaked sheetmetal could pick up some of the volume left over by the Ranger.The comparison definitely requires an open mind, but we wonder whether a few former Ranger owners might find some of what they want in a Transit Connect. Its not a truck, but when the F-150 is simply too big, the Transit Connect may be the next best option. What do you think: Should Ford reconsider bringing the overseas Ranger to the U.S. or develop a Transit Connect trim thats a bit friendlier to those who want a small or compact truck?
Click to expand...
 
:argue: Trust me I work for Ford there is no comparison between a Ranger and a Transit connect...Maybe a Focus would be closer but I think not.. More euro style front wheel drive come on... Just have to keep my old Sport trac for a lot more years
 
I read that your now losing sales to toyota and nissan because you cannot buy a Ranger .I gotta say it FORD I TOLD YOU SO !! why did you think just because we couldn't buy a Ranger or sport trac we would buy an F-150... If we wanted a full size we would have bought one in the first place.

Bring on a new Ranger and it will sell itself just like it did from day one. Build it along side somthing else even if it's a "break even " vehicle just to keep your customers from going to the competition.
 
I already have a Sport Trac and I plan to keep it as it was always my goal to create a comfortable and capable off road/hunting vehicle out of it. My next vehicle will likely be an F250/350. Ford won't lose me. Especially since the mid-size truck segment has been moving more toward cars with beds anyway. Perhaps they're basing the lack of interest on the fact that the last version of the Sport Trac was essentially a Ford Ridgeline and was a flop (no offense to anyone here but let's be honest). At least the new Ranger does have a leaf sprung, real truck axle.



The new Ranger is 90% the size of the F150. If the F150 is too big for you, so is the new Ranger. I don't see the argument here. I agree with Ford on this one. There's a lot of whining about nothing, IMO. If you test drove a new Ranger home and an F150, you'd realistically buy the F150 since the differences between them are minimal other than one has more capability than the other at the same cost and essentially the same size.



If they actually built a compact pickup, with real payload capacity and durability, but didn't offer it here, it'd be a different story. They don't, though. The argument shouldn't be that they should bring this Ranger to the U.S. The argument should be that they just don't build a compact pickup any longer and they should. Offer a true compact pickup with an 8.8 rear solid axle, Ecoboost V6, somewhere close to a half ton capacity, 2 and 4 door availability and we'd have a great vehicle that would be worthy of talking about.



Ford has made the right decision (besides not building a true compact pickup) on this issue.



We are considering buying a TC, though, so I vote for further development of that platform.
 
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hugh,



i agree with much of your post but the gen 2 sport trac is far from a ridgline. while i still own and work with both generations of st i do feel more comfortable with the 1st gen as a work truck, especially off road. with that said the 2nd gen has been just as capable as the 1st gen in the working environment and has gone everywhere the 1st gen has gone. however, when is comes to everyday use, i hands down take my wifes v8 gen 2.



i really think the problem was the st had the explorer name attached to it. this moved the st above the ranger and therefore ford could charge substantially more than the ranger. i would bet if ford replaced the ranger with the st and kept the cost in par with the ranger, the st would still be on sale today or we would be getting the new global ranger as a replacement.
 
As I recall, the Transit Connect is shipped to Baltimore from its Turkish manufacturing plants in order to be revamped to avoid some outdated tariff. As a Maryland resident, I'd thus like to see the TC improved. I keep seeing more and more of them around here, which is nice if for no other reason that they're easier to see around than an E-series van or Sprinter when I'm in my Fusion :grin: I was never impressed with the Ranger, the thing was too small to be functional IMO. I got my foot wedged under the dash when I test drove one at Carmax. Great for making me feel like a giant (I'm not) but bad for driving comfort and practicality.



I never understood the shallow bed compared to the ST. Sure, it's longer, but is it as functional?



somewhere close to a half ton capacity
Click to expand...

Is there a truck that doesn't have a half-ton capacity? The Gen 1 ST is rated for 1,200 lbs of payload. Even the Fusion can carry 1,000 lbs. I'd hate to be merging with that much weight in it, since Ford didn't let me get in on that EcoBoost fun, but if a sedan can hold that much, could it be possible that a truck couldn't? I feel like I'm missing something...
 
For me f-150 is too big. If I want to go big. I would antti up to the base f-250 powerstroke. Side by side. The base f-250 is only a few inches larger.



If the TC sheet metal was tweeked to a 4 door short bed. I would have to see it, for looks and size. Also the only way I would buy it. Would be with the V6 eco-boost motor. Not the 4 banger eco-boost.



I have no need for a truck the size of and f-150 though. Even before they grew. I like the gen2 adrenlin. But most likely will not buy one. Too large for my needs.



I put off buying the ranger king cab many times. Nice but too small. When I noticed the gen1 trac around '02 or '03. 4 doors and the size was perfect. So my '04 will get the wheels worn off. Or Ford will loose my bussiness. When that replacment day comes. I suspect the forgien market is smarter and will offer, the 4 door size of the gen1 for years to come.



Ford has always been my first choice, but. I will go where my need is met.

If Ford doesnt change. I hope they drown in their bread and butter, f-150. IMO, with everything that is happening in the economy. Ford better be retooling. F-150's will become more for a work truck. As it was for trucks up until this last decade.

Despite I live in TX. Growing up people only bought trucks for utility. I see that hapening again, in the future. JMHO.........
 
I don't see where the Ranger and the Transit are even in the same class to be compared. They are both very different vehicles....Kind of like comparing apples to oranges?



...Rich
 
Ford has done some great things in recent years, but doing away with the Ranger and not offering the 4 door model in the states is just plain stupid! I don't want a full-size pickup truck. Even if got 40mpg, I don't want it. I used to live in Savannah, GA, ever try to navigate a fullsize truck around those streets and parallel park? A nightmare. Not to mention a fullsize truck won't even fit in garages for most new homes. Ford is NOT listening to the customers on this one. I bought a Ford Ranger in 1994 and drove it until 2007 and it had 197k miles on it, I would have bought a 4 door Ranger in a heartbeat, but they didn't offer it. So, I bought the Sport Trac. I gave that Ranger to my father and it is still on the road with 240k miles. When it comes time to get rid of the ST, I will be looking at the Tacoma!
 
Everyone keeps saying they don't need/want a full-size pickup but the new Ranger is the size of a full size pickup. Heck, put a Tacoma next to a 90s F150. The midsize trucks are what used to be considered full size...and aren't much smaller than what is being considered full size.



WC, my ST is perfect on the streets of Savannah. The Tahoe was scary, though.
 
My wife's work got a couple of Transits and loved them so much they just bought two more. She doesn't drive them but she is the accountant who cuts the checks. She said the owner left her Chrysler minivan at the office and drove one of them around for a few days before they got it bodywrapped and loved it to death.
 
At a restraunt I visit often. One patron just bought a 4 door, 4x2 tacoma sport. It is very close to the size of my '04. Same silver color also.



So that gave me some comparison. It was nice in and out. If I had to buy today. That is most likely what it would be.



If I bought a ridgeline. It woulld go straight to a custom body shop. For sheetmetal work. Cut the vanes off the cab, all the way to the tail gate. The grill and headlights would have to go also.
 
I don't think I could deal with another 4x2 truck, personally.



4x2 truck + rain/snow/mud = Russian Roulette, and I'm not much of a gambler.





 
Ditto Bob,



My nieghbor has a 5cyl colorado. That thing is like riding in a tin can.

sheetmetal, frame and interior, very cheap.
 
Just got back from a 8-day trip to the tropics and our rental was a 2011 Ford Everest. It is a 4wd 7-passanger SUV based on the Ranger. The 5-speed, 3.0L 4-cyl turbo-diesel was a load of fun to drive and great mileage. I used the 4wd a few times.

I saw a bunch of crew-cab Rangers that looked a lot like our STs and they were also 4-cyl turbo diesels.

I'll post some pics on another thread.
 

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