So Ford neglects another stalwart to death...

Topic: So Ford neglects another stalwart to death... (Read 5967 times) previous topic - next topic

So Ford neglects another stalwart to death...

November 26, 2007, 06:58:11 PM

...apparently the Ranger's done:
\http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/20/its-apparently-official-the-ford-ranger-is-dead-come-2009/

So Ford neglects another stalwart to death...

Reply #1 – November 26, 2007, 07:02:53 PM

wow

So Ford neglects another stalwart to death...

Reply #2 – November 26, 2007, 07:11:00 PM

That's depressing.

So Ford neglects another stalwart to death...

Reply #3 – November 26, 2007, 07:19:45 PM

How can they drop their only light truck?

So Ford neglects another stalwart to death...

Reply #4 – November 26, 2007, 07:42:30 PM

Well I can see it.
Any more the Rangers are big trucks. MUCH bigger than the Gen 1/2's used to be. While bigger than before, they are still considered "small" by full-size standards. They don't offer the power or capacity of the full-sized trucks and they really don't get any better gas mileage....so what's the point? If you want a "light" truck, get a V6 F150.
The light truck market is going to go the way of the Ridgeline most likely, a uni-body platform. They can be made lighter and "cuter" for the trendy crowd and still offer similar performance.

The Ute would be a good fill-in in that slot.....

So Ford neglects another stalwart to death...

Reply #5 – November 26, 2007, 07:46:25 PM

Figures...s.
Ford seriously needs to pull their head out of their collective asses.
And fast.
I'm not so much into the economics arena...but it would make sense to me to drop other products that made even less of a profit.
Crown Vic's for instance.

Surely as hell, Ranger trucks sell more than a 20 year old platform that is underpowered and only available to police fleets..?
:flame:

So Ford neglects another stalwart to death...

Reply #6 – November 26, 2007, 08:17:17 PM

You mean the one that still shares the frame and brakes with the 82 model? It's about time!!!

Where's their Tacoma/Frontier fighter? It sure as hell wasn't the underpowered, outdated, POS Ranger.

So Ford neglects another stalwart to death...

Reply #7 – November 26, 2007, 08:18:44 PM

Quote from: Chuck W;189779

Well I can see it.
Any more the Rangers are big trucks. MUCH bigger than the Gen 1/2's used to be. While bigger than before, they are still considered "small" by full-size standards. They don't offer the power or capacity of the full-sized trucks and they really don't get any better gas mileage....so what's the point? If you want a "light" truck, get a V6 F150.
The light truck market is going to go the way of the Ridgeline most likely, a uni-body platform. They can be made lighter and "cuter" for the trendy crowd and still offer similar performance.

The Ute would be a good fill-in in that slot.....

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FirstDrives/articleId=123602?tid=edmunds.il.home.photopanel..3.*

They're too late to try that without looking like a copycat now. Johnny-come-lately as usual.

So Ford neglects another stalwart to death...

Reply #8 – November 26, 2007, 08:23:18 PM

Quote from: Chuck W;189779

Well I can see it.
Any more the Rangers are big trucks. MUCH bigger than the Gen 1/2's used to be. While bigger than before, they are still considered "small" by full-size standards. They don't offer the power or capacity of the full-sized trucks and they really don't get any better gas mileage....so what's the point? If you want a "light" truck, get a V6 F150.
The light truck market is going to go the way of the Ridgeline most likely, a uni-body platform. They can be made lighter and "cuter" for the trendy crowd and still offer similar performance.

The Ute would be a good fill-in in that slot.....

your 100% correct in my opionion. It used to be small and good on gas affordable, now all small light trucks have gotten big, theres no point in buying something like that when you can take a small step up.

Also I would LOVE to see that Ute come over and take its spot. That i think would take on HUGELY over here!

So Ford neglects another stalwart to death...

Reply #9 – November 26, 2007, 08:40:58 PM

Heeeeey... I worked on that Twin Cities Assembly Plant closure project... I mean... what!?!? :D

I'm actually surprised they are closing (and selling off) that plant entirely... It has it's own friggin hydroelectric power running off the Mississip. But whatever. :rolleyes:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin_Cities_Assembly_Plant
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Way_Forward

Maybe they will use some of that money to make some snazzy new cars... maybe not.

So Ford neglects another stalwart to death...

Reply #10 – November 26, 2007, 09:24:41 PM

I'd love to see the Falcon-based ute come here, but this is Ford we're talking about. A ute would be too interesting.

As for the Ranger - I'm thinking that in this day of higher gas prices, calls for higher fuel economy standards, and slackening demand for large pickups, Ford is canceling the Ranger at exactly the wrong time. The fundamentals that brought about the Ranger in 1982 are falling back in place again.

Mike - the Ranger is outdated only because Ford let it happen. Ironically, the fact that Ford neglected the Ranger for so long has now provided it with one of its best (if not only) selling points (and it does still sell well): It's still small. If Ford would only update the body and drivetrains the little truck could stage a huge comeback. Give it a 2.4-ish version of the Zetec generating 175-200 horses for the base engine and a 3.5 or 3.7 Duratec delivering 260-280 horses as the top dog. Resist the urge to make it bigger and heavier. The other "compact" trucks have become unpopular because they've blurred the lines between large and small - hell, the Frontier and Titan are based on the same frickin' platform!

Sadly I think Chuck's right, though - small trucks will all become Ridgeline-esque car-based "trucks" offering all of the poor fuel economy of a full size truck with none of the utility.

So Ford neglects another stalwart to death...

Reply #11 – November 26, 2007, 10:15:47 PM

Good thing GM is bringing a Holden Ute over as a variant of the Pontiac G8 :D [I'm too lazy to find the source, but I'm pretty sure it was on Jalopnik at one point]

EDIT: Did a 20 second search and found it: http://jalopnik.com/cars/industry-news/there-is-a-god-automotive-news-reports-pontiac-to-get-g8-ute-wagon-324251.php Now I'm not so lazy :)

So Ford neglects another stalwart to death...

Reply #12 – November 26, 2007, 10:27:59 PM

sure would be nice if someone, anyone would make an "actual" small truck again
too bad about the ranger though since people are going to lose thier jobs over this

So Ford neglects another stalwart to death...

Reply #13 – November 26, 2007, 10:55:15 PM

I've read this thread a time or 3 now...
I notice that A. people in general want a small 4wd suv/small truck because it's well...4wd and small, yet, they want it to have 4,000 watt stereos, and handle like a wet dream.

I learned to drive in a Jeep nearly as old as I am...manual brakes? f'ckin hell no.

My point is this...because of Ford's complacency with what the market wants versus what Ford wants, well, we're on the losing side.
Taurus (somewhat), Tbird/Cougar, Ranger, and several others.

I know that the Rangers was outdated..but to me...reliability and simplicity far outweight the basically shiznit styling of this new crop of..."trucks".

Part of the reason I'll keep dumping money into my '92 F-150.
Cause it's been dead nuts reliable. That I think it's better looking than trucks half it's age is only secondary.
I predict that someday soon...Ford will be a division of Toyota.
Hopefully their aftermarket will be nice to us...

So Ford neglects another stalwart to death...

Reply #14 – November 26, 2007, 11:37:34 PM

Quote from: FordTruckFreeek;189780

Figures...s.
Ford seriously needs to pull their head out of their collective asses.
And fast.
I'm not so much into the economics arena...but it would make sense to me to drop other products that made even less of a profit.
Crown Vic's for instance.

Surely as hell, Ranger trucks sell more than a 20 year old platform that is underpowered and only available to police fleets..?
:flame:

Uh Ford did drop the Crown Vic from the civilian market. To get one now you have to be a cop or a taxi driver. The only RWD full frame cars you can get from Ford now are the Grand Marq and the Town Car.

As for the small truck thing. I hardly ever see small trucks by me. The only trucks I see are the big full size ones. The only places that have the small trucks are the parts stores like NAPA and Advance Auto Parts.