So I think the title says it all. I am thinking about trading in my 04 F-150 to get a Ranger. I love my 04, but I am feeling like it is more truck than I need. I'd like a little better gas mileage since I commute 65 miles round trip each day. I haul stuff, but no where near the limits of the 04 and not more than a Ranger could handle. I can't say it enough, I love my 04 F-150, but do I really need leather in my pickup truck? Any thoughts on a Ranger? Anyone care to talk me out of this (please do)? Even with 8800 miles on it, I think I'd get some nice cash back by going to a Ranger too...

 

I can't believe I just read that!
I must be in the middle of a bad dream, somebody wake me up

 

I like the Ranger "Edge" 4X4's. If you get one, get the 4.0L engine. They've got plenty of power for a smaller truck, and get pretty decent gas milage. Plus, you can literally beat the dog ***** out of a Ranger, and they just keep going, and going, and going....their tough little trucks. Just my two cents.

 

btw, one thing I am longing for is a manual transmission. i keep holding on the (cheap plastic) floor shifter wanting to shift, but alas, only an automatic is there with me in the cab...

 

you would get some cash back, but you would still be taking a huge hit. The worst part about buying a car is the so called "instant depreciation" it provides. Think about it, you buy a new car, and 2 months later it is already only worth 90% of what you paid. If you trade in your truck now, you will suffer this depreciation twice (since you have almost 9000 miles on the truck, it is probably worth close to 80% of what you paid). Once on the 150, and once on the Ranger. That being said, what you will lose in the transaction will more than likely exceed what increased fuel cost you are paying.

Rangers are nice trucks - my first vehicle was a Ranger. I liked it, but would never get another one. No matter how big you can get the Ranger, you cannot use the back seat for anything other than storage. I am probably going to catch hell for this on the Ford forum, but I dont even think the Ranger is the nicest looking compact / midsize on the market (love the Dakota, and like the looks of the Colorado).

I say keep the truck - you are driving the nicest vehicle on the road today - I see no point in downgrading just to bump up your fuel economy 2-4 MPG at the most. But hey, that is your call, and I am happy to help you out either way

WOLF

PS: I definitely hear what you are saying about the manual transmission - I definitely miss that

 

Wolfman064, thank you for being a voice of reason. I needed that. I agree with pretty much everything you said.

 

My pleasure - I am glad to help out. I think the second thoughts you have about the 150 being overly "big" can work two ways - the Ranger may be too "small" in two or three months, too. I definitely understand the size aspect - I live in Washington, and most of the time, I cant even drive my truck into the city if I wanted to because there is nowhere to park. My truck doesnt fit into 99% of the parking garages downtown, and open air lots are few and far between. Would I like a smaller car sometimes? Absolutely. Sometimes it is frustrating, as when my fiancee's parents came down to visit, and I had to drive them around in THEIR car. But, when I hop in the truck to go somewhere, I am all smiles. There is always good with bad, it just depends on the ratio between

Let me know if I can help

WOLF

 

Yeah, the fact that it does not fit in my garage at home is frustrating. I think what I really need is to take my truck back out to the desert so I can really appreciate how much *** it kicks off road.

This will probably be the nicest vehicle I ever own since I am getting married next year, so I will hold on to it and appreciate what I have while I still have it. Maybe my next truck in however many years will be a compact pickup. There's no way she'll ever want to buy a full size pickup with our money, but until then, it's my money and I'll do whatever I want with it.

 

Which is exactly why I bought myself a new 04 before my wedding (6 months away). Better to have loved and lost, then to never have loved at all........ The truck, that is............


Anyways, congratulations on the upcoming wedding. Presently going through the planning, etc. that you soon will be, I can't say it's fun to be engaged, but when this is all over I will be one happy man, as will you.

WOLF

 

ESPECIALLY if you're headed for the married life. It's a wonderful thing, getting married, but it's gonna involve giving up some things to get some other things. First comes the wedding, and basically you're STARTING life in big debt.Then all of a sudden the apartment's too small and you need the house. And of course if she's couped up in one place all year without romantic vacations you will hear about it. And then eventually kids will come and for about a 20 year stretch there will be a whole long list of priorities for your money, and your own personal enjoyment of a nice brand new truck will be very low on it. Better to do it now than to wish you had later on.

I had concerns about things like gas mileage and other expenses too. And then I realized I am in a better situation to handle it all and still live comfortably now than I will be later when I have other worries.

 

What about just trying to find a decent beater to get around in when you don’t feel like using the truck? You could have the best of both worlds, nice new big 04 and a beater that gets better mileage for errands. That would be better then taking a hit trading in your 04 and plus you would not put as many miles on your 04.

Just a thought…

 

Actually "she" wants me to get a Ford. I let her look at our kid sleeping in my current truck when I got home one day and her little head was hunched forward. I explained that the back seat is to upright. She agreed and said go get a Ford with more room!! I too drive 80 miles a day for work and am also thinking of buying a beater for work. Keep the truck, you will regret it later. At least give it a year. Good luck.

 

i actually sold my 03 ranger for my f-150. i had an x-cab, 4x4, 4.0L engine with an auto. it was a nice truck but as others have said the back seat is useless. i took out the seats, and made a false floor and installed two subs on it. it was a fun truck but was rather small, but on the other side it sure was a breeze to park. as for gas mileage, i was getting around 16 on average and it had a 20ish gallon tank. i have about a 50 mile round trip commute a day and i would fill the tank up sometimes twice a week. if your looking for something with better mpg, the ranger may not be what your looking for.

 

And I sincerely loved mine. But it was not that great of a VEHICLE. Comparing them to the new full sized trucks makes you realize how far pickups of all kinds have come since come since this 15 plus year old compact pickup platform was first created. There's trucks out there now that weigh 500-1000 miles more than a Ranger with a higher center of gravity and much more load capacity that still ride AND handle better than the Ranger or many other smaller compacts.

When I started shopping new trucks I was actually amazed to learn that not all trucks try to bounce their way into the weeds every time you take a bumpy curve at more than 10 mph.

 

I had a Mazda B3000, identical to the Ranger. My ex now owns that truck, and she's a real fiend with machinery, doesn't take care of things, drives the livin' **** out of them, but that B3000 is still ticking with nearly 100k on it, and still has the original clutch. They're great little trucks. Emphasis on little. If you load a sportbike into the bed, that truck is overloaded. Not so my F-150, which can handle a load like that with aplomb.

Good luck on your decision.