Just to beat the horse one more time

[mackinaw]

For someone who works in the Natural Resource field (me), and who drives a lot of miles driving down two-track woods roads, there is a real need for a compact-sized truck. Negotiating a full-sized pickup loaded with equipment, down a poor quality dirt road, and trying to turn the beast around, is a hassle the great majority of truck drivers never experience. No doubt the kind of driving I do is in the minority though.

[silvrsvt]

What makes it more desirable now, compared to then? The answer to me is obvious when you compare a Celica to a tC, but that is another matter.

 

 

Your letting someone else take the hit in depreciation (i.e. car is overpriced), then add in the fact that younger buyers buy used cars more often then new ones, and thats where your demand is.

[silvrsvt]

For someone who works in the Natural Resource field (me), and who drives a lot of miles driving down two-track woods roads, there is a real need for a compact-sized truck. Negotiating a full-sized pickup loaded with equipment, down a poor quality dirt road, and trying to turn the beast around, is a hassle the great majority of truck drivers never experience. No doubt the kind of driving I do is in the minority though.

 

 

Sounds like what the Military is running into....people complained that the Hummer was too big vs the old Jeep in tight areas, but now the Hummer is getting replaced (well in Iraq) by even larger trucks that are Armored against IED's and the like.

[RangerM]

Your letting someone else take the hit in depreciation (i.e. car is overpriced), then add in the fact that younger buyers buy used cars more often then new ones, and thats where your demand is.

 

Your point is certainly valid, but I'd like to counter that there may not be that much of a price advantage over a new tC.

Used Celica prices near where I live

[silvrsvt]

Your point is certainly valid, but I'd like to counter that there may not be that much of a price advantage over a new tC.

Used Celica prices near where I live

 

 

I'm speaking prior to the tC being on the market...

[WC-MAN]

The "little old man" market is often ignored. The fact is, retired men are the largest group of buyers for these trucks. They tend to buy the basic models, they get them because they are easier than a full-size to maneuver, and all they really want is a hall-the-garbage-off truck.

[Furious1Auto]

For someone who works in the Natural Resource field (me), and who drives a lot of miles driving down two-track woods roads, there is a real need for a compact-sized truck. Negotiating a full-sized pickup loaded with equipment, down a poor quality dirt road, and trying to turn the beast around, is a hassle the great majority of truck drivers never experience. No doubt the kind of driving I do is in the minority though.

Here is your answer!

[630land]

The original poster gave one answer to why no new Rangers and lower sales. Hasn't bought one in 15 model years, so why bother? They can't cater to people who buy every 10+ years or who demand some outdated product and get used ones.

 

Also, the Celica was replaced by the Scion tC, so Toyota still has a sporty FWD coupe. Just a newer name, Celica had a 'Mall Rat' image that needed to die.

[RangerM]

The original poster gave one answer to why no new Rangers and lower sales. Hasn't bought one in 15 model years, so why bother? They can't cater to people who buy every 10+ years or who demand some outdated product and get used ones.

 

Also, the Celica was replaced by the Scion tC, so Toyota still has a sporty FWD coupe. Just a newer name, Celica had a 'Mall Rat' image that needed to die.

 

You are correct. I haven't purchased a new vehicle for myself since 1993. But then again, I am in good company.

 

"the percentage of light vehicles in use that were 11 years of age and older increased one percentage point over last year to a new all-time high, representing 35.8 percent of the light vehicle population"

Source

 

It goes on to say the median age of light trucks is 6.8 years.

 

The reason they should cater to me is the same as why they should cater to anyone else.

 

The only thing that may (or may not) set me apart is that I usually buy new.

[old_fairmont_wagon]

Is this a chicken and egg argument, though? Is there a possibility that if the ranger had received a decent amount of upgrades that it might have been sold at a higher retail volume, been repurchased sooner or more often, and managed more conquest sales? There's no way to be sure. However, with the whole segment sinking, and with the fact that it was just recently that the ranger was not one of the top two selling vehicles in its segment, what have they really lost by leaving it to wither on the vine? Its hard to say, but, I do believe that their investment in the Sport-Trac has at least payed off decently, and that's arguably occupying a portion of the ranger market with a very capable vehicle.

[one2gamble]

They just made the Ranger last a bit to long, if the things would die every 5 years they would sell a lot more....lol

 

 

Though the old men = mini truck argument is a good one. My grandfathers last truck was an 86 Toyota mini truck.

[Furious1Auto]

They just made the Ranger last a bit to long, if the things would die every 5 years they would sell a lot more....lol

Though the old men = mini truck argument is a good one. My grandfathers last truck was an 86 Toyota mini truck.

Maybe, I do agree that continued refreshes are the ticket I don't agree on eliminating entire product lines every 5 years because of the investment it takes to build a new platform! The Ranger is and has been a good reliable truck, if it got 22/23 MPG we would not be losing ground with it! The fact is that they get nearly the same MPG as an F-150 and are less capable, that being said "why would you buy one"?