Requiem for another pickup

[Sludgy]

http://www.freep.com/article/2010092...erica-after-11

Ford is giving up on its Ranger pickup. I drive a full size diesel Ford, but often considered buying a Ranger. I never pulled the trigger on one because the mileage of its 4x4 versions sucked, not much better than the F150.

The 2wd 4 cylinder versions got as high as 29 mpg highway. For the 4wd they used a 4.0 liter 6 cylinder dog of an engine that got about 20 mpg. I think Ford lost a big opportunity to make a high mpg 4x4.

A properly geared Ranger 4wd 4 cylinder 2.5 with a six speed could have gotten highway mileage in the high 20's. They would have cleaned up versus the Chevy Colorado and Toyota Tacoma.

[theholycow]

With everyone else abandoning the compact pickup segment, the writing was on the wall...if consumers didn't ante up then the Ranger would disappear.

Even the Toyota Tacoma has grown. What's left? Is Nissan still offering a compact pickup?

It's too bad. A base model compact pickup is lightweight, efficient, utilitarian, and inexpensive. The Ranger is known for lasting forever, too. Maybe that's why they can't sell new ones, the old ones won't die.

[Jay2TheRescue]

I looked at the S-10, Colorado/Canyon, and Sierra when I bought The Beast. The S-10 was too small for me, and it was cheaper for me to get the Sierra than buy the Colorado/Canyon and both trucks got pretty much the same EPA mileage rating, so I went for the Sierra.

[trollbait]

This is a shame. I loved my Ranger.
I never understood why the 4cyl. wasn't offered with 4x4.
On the EPA site, the only compact pickup left was the Ranger and its Mazda twin. With size bloat being nearly universally with model updates, it may not have remained so. Sounds like it from the article. I swear, the new Tacoma is as big as the first gen Tundra.

But newer regulations set a higher bar on fuel economy for smaller footprint trucks. It's easier for Ford to offer more fuel efficient V6 models of the F150 than redesign a new, small Ranger. The cries of "no unibody" from the fan base probably didn't help the truck's future.

[theholycow]

I wouldn't be surprised if the Tacoma is actually as big as the T100 was.

Ok, I went ahead and looked it up...the Nissan Frontier is considered a mid-size now. Yup, this isn't merely requiem for another pickup, but for a whole class.

The whole class was full of practical, inexpensive, efficient workhorses that wouldn't die but just weren't sexy, so out they go.

[Jay2TheRescue]

Does this mean Mazda is getting out of the small truck market too?

EDIT: After looking at their website, there are no trucks there, just cars, SUV's and a minivan they're calling a crossover.

[BamZipPow]

Originally Posted by theholycow

I wouldn't be surprised if the Tacoma is actually as big as the T100 was.

Here's the numbers fer yah...since I'm a T-100 owner.

2010 Tacoma
height 65.7/69.9
width 72.2/74.6
length 190.4
wheel base 109.4/110
bed length 73.5
bed height 18
bed width/between wheels 56.7/41.5
track 61/61 63/63.4


t100 (long bed and short bed)
height 67.2/68.2/71.6/72.6
width 75.2
length 209.1
wheel base 121.8
bed length 97.6/76.1
bed width/between wheels 61.4/49.2
tread width 61.8/64 65/65.4

[theholycow]

Originally Posted by Jay2TheRescue

Does this mean Mazda is getting out of the small truck market too?

EDIT: After looking at their website, there are no trucks there, just cars, SUV's and a minivan they're calling a crossover.

The B-series was a badge-engineered Ford Ranger after the early 1990s.

Also, the Isuzu Hombre was a badge-engineered GM S10/Sonoma.

[Jay2TheRescue]

I know, that's why I asked the question. Mazda also had an SUV that was a rebadged explorer. I don't remember what they called it though.

[GasSavers_BEEF]

I think you are talking about the mazda tribute.

it at least looks right on a google search