Ford to replace Ranger with F-100

[ifcar]

A well equipped Ranger is not under $10K and you know that.  A basic truck with no options but A/C and a V6 go for under $10K to fleet sales.

And that's where the Ranger's sales are coming from. But fine, if Nissan sold ANY Frontier at that price they would easily outsell the Ranger.

Virtual collapse?  The sales aren't what they used to be, but virtual collapse is such a gross overstatement it's not even funny.

Is it? We can look at the last few years of Ranger sales, as far back as Ford's press releases are archived:

April 2000: 30,278
April 2001: 26,491
April 2002: 19,374
April 2003: 17,862
April 2004: 14,952
April 2005: 11,793
April 2006: 9,070
April 2007: 7,499
April 2008: 7,585

"Sales aren't what they used to be" is such a gross understatement it isn't even funny. Sales aren't a third of what they used to be.

[Eye of the Tiger]

I guarantee that within 10 years all the pickup manufacturers will have Ranger size trucks running around because of fuel costs. 

I hope so, I love little trucks. The Ranger is the last one
After it grows up, I hope they come out with a Fiesta Ute.

[2o6]

I hope so, I love little trucks. The Ranger is the last one
After it grows up, I hope they come out with a Fiesta Ute.

There's a Corsa Ute.....

[The Pirate]

I hope so, I love little trucks. The Ranger is the last one
After it grows up, I hope they come out with a Fiesta Ute.

Ditto.  I find myself wanting a 4-cylinder extended cab 2WD Ranger (preferably a mid-2001 or later model, to get the Duratec 2.3L motor).  I can't afford the Tacoma I want, and a Ranger is my second choice for a small truck.

[ChrisV]

The problem is not that the Ranger is "wimpy", it simply lacks the refinement of newer trucks.

I still loved mine. In the same era that I had a Toyota mini truck, the Ranger was very carlike inside (no exposed metal), well finished, with excellent Lear Seigler adjustible buckets. Great for those long road trips weekly from Seattle to Portland. And the 2.3 was peppy enough with the 5 speed gearbox, though it ran out of steam above 70 mph. Simple solution, don't drive over 70.

Mine was almost identical to this one, except without the stripe and the ventvisors.



A little truck needs to be no more refined than this one was.

[FoMoJo]

Ditto.  I find myself wanting a 4-cylinder extended cab 2WD Ranger (preferably a mid-2001 or later model, to get the Duratec 2.3L motor).  I can't afford the Tacoma I want, and a Ranger is my second choice for a small truck.

I'm not sure that they made an extended cab 4 cyl.  A few months ago I was looking to buy a new one and wanted a 4 cyl. extended cab but found out it was not available.  I don't know if they stopped making it or never made it.  My choice would be a 4 cyl., 5 spd, extended cab, no aircon with the power group.  When I looked at the options, a 4 cyl. wasn't available in an extended cab.

[GoCougs]

And that's where the Ranger's sales are coming from. But fine, if Nissan sold ANY Frontier at that price they would easily outsell the Ranger.

Is it? We can look at the last few years of Ranger sales, as far back as Ford's press releases are archived:

April 2000: 30,278
April 2001: 26,491
April 2002: 19,374
April 2003: 17,862
April 2004: 14,952
April 2005: 11,793
April 2006: 9,070
April 2007: 7,499
April 2008: 7,585

"Sales aren't what they used to be" is such a gross understatement it isn't even funny. Sales aren't a third of what they used to be.

What a embarassing disaster - I didn't know that it was that bad. Now I'm doubly convinced that  Ford is not making money on the Ranger - look at all that idle capacity.

[Rupert]

I wonder how sales would improve if they kept it small and cheap, but redesigned it. That is, I wonder how much of that loss is due to the old-ness of the design.

[280Z Turbo]

You can't even find a Ranger on the lot anymore. You'd have to special order it.

[ifcar]

You can't even find a Ranger on the lot anymore. You'd have to special order it.

That I don't believe. They're not selling 90,000 trucks a year through special orders.

[Onslaught]

What will Mazda be up to with the B-series?

Hopefully it will be gone and never come back. I always felt it was a mistake replacing the original B truck with the Ford one. They never sold well and now we can't give one away.

[Rupert]

They could make their own better truck...

[SVT666]

Ford has announced the Ranger will live on because sales are increasing due to the rising price of fuel.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Ford has announced the Ranger will live on because sales are increasing due to the rising price of fuel.

Cool. I hope they ned up putting a 300hp direct injection turbo V6 in it once they stop making the old engines. That would be scary.

[Onslaught]

Ford has announced the Ranger will live on because sales are increasing due to the rising price of fuel.

Perhaps they could take off that 15 pound 6" long blue oval badge they put on the tailgate to help even more with the gas millage. It just looks "off" when they put that thing on such a small truck.

[280Z Turbo]

Perhaps they could take off that 15 pound 6" long blue oval badge they put on the tailgate to help even more with the gas millage. It just looks "off" when they put that thing on such a small truck.

Toby Keith made Ford put that on because he's a "Ford Truck Man" with a tiny penis.

[280Z Turbo]

That I don't believe. They're not selling 90,000 trucks a year through special orders.

I exagerate, but the last time my dad and I were at the local Ford dealer they only had one Ranger work truck on the lot.

[ifcar]

I exagerate, but the last time my dad and I were at the local Ford dealer they only had one Ranger work truck on the lot.

That's possible, that one dealer at one time had a small inventory. But that's very different from what you said.

90,000 is just a very high volume of vehicles. There are Rangers out there somewhere, even if they aren't at your dealership.

[280Z Turbo]

That's possible, that one dealer at one time had a small inventory. But that's very different from what you said.

90,000 is just a very high volume of vehicles. There are Rangers out there somewhere, even if they aren't at your dealership.

How much is fleet sales?

They must be selling big markup 4x4 V6 power everything models because the 4 bangers are pretty hard to find.

[Onslaught]

To be honest we don't sell many anymore too. But you can still find one if you want one.

[MX793]

How much is fleet sales?

They must be selling big markup 4x4 V6 power everything models because the 4 bangers are pretty hard to find.

I believe the fleet model of choice is actually the 2WD 3.0L V6 model.  A bit more guts than the 4-banger (at least with the auto-box, it's still a pretty wimpy motor) but cheaper than the 4.0L.

[GoCougs]

Ford has announced the Ranger will live on because sales are increasing due to the rising price of fuel.

Perhaps hoping that sales increase?

At least in the US, the Ranger is down 3% on the year, and down 34% on the month (June '07 vs. June '08).