robertlane Posted April 4, 2006 Share Posted April 4, 2006 http://www.startribune.com/535/story/348803.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bec5150 Posted April 4, 2006 Share Posted April 4, 2006 (edited) I reread this before posting and noticed I am rambling more than making a point. It's been a long day, deal with it. In 2002 Ranger sales were pretty brisk, BUT they were offering rebates to move the metal because at that time they had to keep the plant in Edison going as well. These Ranger sales today are without the help of the massive incentives or any specials. Without that, the Ranger is just flat overpriced. When I bought my 2002 XL, they were selling them for $9999 everywhere. You wanna know what's really killing the Ranger though? It's the lowball prices on the FULLSIZED trucks. Both DCX and Chevy are selling their base model full sized trucks for less than $12,000. The base Ranger is stickering for around $15,000 and there are no incentives at all. Everyone says the Ranger is outdated and in need of a massive redesign, but honestly NONE of the little trucks are setting the world on fire. Another issue is the way the Ranger and F-150 are manufactured. Toyota and Nissan use quite a few common components between their small/mid truck and their big boys. But Ford? Separate engines, suspensions, etc; which drive the cost up. Just something to consider. Edited April 4, 2006 by bec5150 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgeoffroad04 Posted April 5, 2006 Share Posted April 5, 2006 Anybody know if Ford is gonna ramp up those incentives to keep the ranger sales up or will they probably keep them where they are to keep ranger profitable, rather than make the sales recod? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beavercreek Posted April 5, 2006 Share Posted April 5, 2006 What sales record? Um, the one they rarely advertised...18 years best selling compact pickup. Toyota finally dethroned em last year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lukemullen Posted April 5, 2006 Share Posted April 5, 2006 It should be pretty obvious the news of continued declines in sales of the Ranger with no response from Ford is the latest evidence of the eventual demise of the Ranger, at least as we know it. Anyone who points to pricing as the reason for this slide is kidding themselves, Ford has abandoned the Ranger, milking it for all its worth until the St. Paul plant closes. Besides, Ranger pricing (at least around here in Denver) has remained very competitive, with XLs starting at around $9k and XLT SuperCab 4x4s for less than $13k. Just like the Taurus and Freestar, Ford responds to tough competition by putting its tail between its legs and retreating. As a proud owner of a '97, Ford's actions regarding the Ranger make me sick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blksn8k2 Posted April 5, 2006 Share Posted April 5, 2006 Um, the one they rarely advertised...18 years best selling compact pickup. Toyota finally dethroned em last year. The basic Ranger platform hasn't changed since 1993. What's it cost to slap on a new grill every couple of years? I would think they are making a decent profit since there has been very little development over that time period. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
630land Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 No, Ford responds by making the F-150 a continued success. With a new Tundra coming, for every 10 possible all new Ranger sales, one F-10 will bring in more $$$. GM updated their 'little trucks, and look where they are, and the Dakota is no where. SO bad, that Mitsu is giving up on their Raider after on year! It's like the big 2 door coupe market. Passe' and history Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2005Explorer Posted April 8, 2006 Share Posted April 8, 2006 No, Ford responds by making the F-150 a continued success. With a new Tundra coming, for every 10 possible all new Ranger sales, one F-10 will bring in more $$$. GM updated their 'little trucks, and look where they are, and the Dakota is no where. SO bad, that Mitsu is giving up on their Raider after on year! It's like the big 2 door coupe market. Passe' and history No kidding. Toyota is the only one ahead of the Ranger for sales right now this year. If you need proof I can dig up the YTD sales of each of the models, but I looked at all the sales data and the Ranger is outpacing all of it's competitors by several thousand units. The Ranger is again outselling the Colorado, Dakota and Frontier. It is funny when they say Ranger sales are down they don't take time to look at how far the other sales have went down. If I remember right the Ranger ended up behind the Colorado, Dakota and possibly the Frontier for 2005 and this year so far it is ahead of them. Not bad for a little pickup that has a frame that dates to 1982, body to 1993, and suspension and interior to 1998. Seeing what is happening in the small pickup market right now I think Ford might end up being the smart one in the end. If they would have plowed billions into a total makeover of the Ranger at this point they would have lost their butt on the project. Now I would agree that it is time to give the little truck a decent facelift, but at this pace the small truck market does not warrant a brand new from the ground up entry. I saw a 2006 Ranger and the small facelift really spruced it up for what little it cost Ford. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveLaw Posted April 10, 2006 Share Posted April 10, 2006 No kidding. Toyota is the only one ahead of the Ranger for sales right now this year. If you need proof I can dig up the YTD sales of each of the models, but I looked at all the sales data and the Ranger is outpacing all of it's competitors by several thousand units. The Ranger is again outselling the Colorado, Dakota and Frontier. It is funny when they say Ranger sales are down they don't take time to look at how far the other sales have went down. If I remember right the Ranger ended up behind the Colorado, Dakota and possibly the Frontier for 2005 and this year so far it is ahead of them. Not bad for a little pickup that has a frame that dates to 1982, body to 1993, and suspension and interior to 1998. Seeing what is happening in the small pickup market right now I think Ford might end up being the smart one in the end. If they would have plowed billions into a total makeover of the Ranger at this point they would have lost their butt on the project. Now I would agree that it is time to give the little truck a decent facelift, but at this pace the small truck market does not warrant a brand new from the ground up entry. I saw a 2006 Ranger and the small facelift really spruced it up for what little it cost Ford. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveLaw Posted April 10, 2006 Share Posted April 10, 2006 No kidding. Toyota is the only one ahead of the Ranger for sales right now this year. If you need proof I can dig up the YTD sales of each of the models, but I looked at all the sales data and the Ranger is outpacing all of it's competitors by several thousand units. The Ranger is again outselling the Colorado, Dakota and Frontier. It is funny when they say Ranger sales are down they don't take time to look at how far the other sales have went down. If I remember right the Ranger ended up behind the Colorado, Dakota and possibly the Frontier for 2005 and this year so far it is ahead of them. Not bad for a little pickup that has a frame that dates to 1982, body to 1993, and suspension and interior to 1998. Seeing what is happening in the small pickup market right now I think Ford might end up being the smart one in the end. If they would have plowed billions into a total makeover of the Ranger at this point they would have lost their butt on the project. Now I would agree that it is time to give the little truck a decent facelift, but at this pace the small truck market does not warrant a brand new from the ground up entry. I saw a 2006 Ranger and the small facelift reall When I first saw the Ranger in 1983 at the Detroit Auto Show, Henry Ford II himself labeled it "Recovery Determinative" from the last Ford sales crisis funk. The Eighties-series Rangers kept Ford from the Chrysler/Goverment bailout ditch. Ford needs to put the heat on the Ranger, it's a cash-cow, and due to it's almost identical running gear with the Pinto (Yes the Pinto!), it's one of the few small vehicles that can turn a large marginal proift (Hello Mc.Fly!, -$3 bucks per gallon!). Either lower the price to crush Toyota, or re-engineer it, but always remember it's not a car, it is a truck(no Anti-Lock, no CVT, no Traction controll, no Ride-Stabilization, or any of the other profit-killing, and term-quality/problematic Audi-fads!). The reason Rangers have slowed in sales is that they were so simple they never wore out, only rust prompts new purchases. But those people are now shopping, and the Chevy Colorado gets really bad gas mileage (but is still way cheaper and redesigned), Will the Ranger price them out?(it is now!). Plus Ford needs to get a handle on its Southern Dealers(the core market), they price fix and collude rampantly, so the sticker price is a starting place, then goes up.(They get rich eating the rebates while market share goes elswhere). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bec5150 Posted April 10, 2006 Share Posted April 10, 2006 While I appreciate your enthusiasm, you are a bit inaccurate in your statements. First of all, the drivetrain has NOTHING to do with the Pinto and hasn't since 2001. The 2.3L engine used in the Ranger nowadays is an extremely MODERN piece, DOHC, 4 valve/cyl, all aluminum 140+HP. It an outstanding modern engine. Second, don't be saying no ABS because right now the bottom of the barrel Ranger comes standard with 4 wheel ABS already. In fact, that's the point I have always tried to make. The only thing on the Ranger that is old is the body. The cab was extended in the min 90's, the engines are up to date, and they even took the twin I beam suspension out in favor of an independent control arm setup. The truck is modern underneath the "dated" appearance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chiefdawg98 Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 (edited) The only thing in the Ranger's favor is if gas prices continue to go as high as they already are and no one will be buying the bigger trucks and they'll resort to buying Rangers. Edited April 11, 2006 by RangerCrazy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Star Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 Ford recently introduced really cool Ranger for Thailand. They should sell that truck in the USA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kris Kolman Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 We've been over this... The segment as a whole has been bleeding badly for multiple yrs. I believe at this time it is nearing 1/3 of what it was in it's peak in the late-80s/early-90s. There are multiple reasons for this, but the vast majority is other segments canabilizing sales. From the surge of compact to SUVs offering similar prices and utility but more creature comforts, to entry-level full-sized trucks being far too close in price point to their smaller brothers... But basically it all amounts to the segment being in such a shape that an all new model would be challenged to sell the 200,000+ neccessary to keep a plant healthy. Any update is going to have to deal with the buissness realitites that 120,000-140,000 sales is all that can be expected. And with an average transaction in the teens it makes it difficult to recoup the costs for a complete redesign. Perhaps higher gas prices help things... But I'm sceptical because to this point it hasn't slowed sales of full-sized trucks or compact SUVs, the major source of canibilization. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ford4v429 Posted April 13, 2006 Share Posted April 13, 2006 We've been over this... The segment as a whole has been bleeding badly for multiple yrs. I believe at this time it is nearing 1/3 of what it was in it's peak in the late-80s/early-90s. There are multiple reasons for this, but the vast majority is other segments canabilizing sales. From the surge of compact to SUVs offering similar prices and utility but more creature comforts, to entry-level full-sized trucks being far too close in price point to their smaller brothers... But basically it all amounts to the segment being in such a shape that an all new model would be challenged to sell the 200,000+ neccessary to keep a plant healthy. Any update is going to have to deal with the buissness realitites that 120,000-140,000 sales is all that can be expected. And with an average transaction in the teens it makes it difficult to recoup the costs for a complete redesign. Perhaps higher gas prices help things... But I'm sceptical because to this point it hasn't slowed sales of full-sized trucks or compact SUVs, the major source of canibilization. However...if not just 'any update' but a '56 f100-ish' update were offered, I dont think 200k would be a problem at all. It was argueably one of the best looking trucks of all time, and right now 'retro is hot' although I hate the term retro...make it low/wide and sexy, it will be another mustang. keep 90% of the chassis to keep cost low- maybe wider stance via control arms/axle, put new tin on it with something like std mustang gt wheels, and start taking orders. once it starts moving, making money, release a 4 seat 'panel truck' version (logical evolution- not a pt wannabe) and watch the PT cruiser sales disappear with no 'copycat' name calling. Opportunitys knocking really loud in my opinion...reskinning the ranger/renaming f100, and putting a fastback roofline on the crown vic would really kick sales up for cheep- and everyone knows both are tried and true designs to keep the 'first model year naysayers' quiet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lukemullen Posted April 18, 2006 Share Posted April 18, 2006 Be careful what you wish for. No kidding, check this out http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti...ID=200660308002 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PolarBear Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 Well- for better or worse, we replaced the best vehicle we've ever owned (our beloved '93 F150) with a new Ranger- and the kid loves it. I'm impressed- a lot of bang for the buck, good power, feels rock solid. And- one last pic of old faithful- over 220K miles on the clock when this pic was taken. If memories were worth $$$'s, it'd be worth many times more than the new one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larson Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 (edited) I agree, the Market is dieing, and Ford seems to be the smart one, not spending a bunch of money that they'll struggle to get back, and just keep reeling in the profits from the Ranger, as it has payed for itself plenty of times over. It's a good truck that can take a beating. The 3.0L is a dated engine, but it's not so bad. EDIT: The Ranger place 3rd last year in sales, and is currently 2nd for this year. There are some new features for the Ranger for the 2007 Model and they are: Ford is rippin’ up the trails in ’07, stocking all models of the Ranger with new updates. Here are a few new key features to look out for (standard unless noted): The Personal Safety System® with Front Passenger Sensing System (FPSS), dual front airbags Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) 16” twin-spoke and 16” Y-spoke cast aluminum wheels (standard on 4x4 SuperCab XLT, Sport TREMOR 4x4 and FX4 Off-Road) MP3 audio accessory input jack (option available summer ’06 for XL and STX) Factory-installed SIRIUS® Satellite Radio (option available summer ’06). SIRIUS is a registered trademark of SIRIUS Satellite Radio, Inc. New color options, Vista Blue and Pueblo Gold Fuel-efficient 2.3L DOHC I4, aluminum block (standard in STX 4x2 Regular Cab and 2 dr. SuperCab) Available 4:10 rear axle gear ratio on 4x4 Regular Cab and SuperCab Edited July 3, 2006 by Larson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bec5150 Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 The 2.3 is back in the SuperCAB! YIPPIE! The took it out after 2002 and made the 3.0 AKA "boatanchor" standard. Give me a 2.3 in the supercab and I would be set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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