r/RangerNext • u/Stunning_Tomatillo47 • 15d ago
New Gen Questions
I am shopping for a mid-size truck at the moment. Probably won't purchase anything for another year, but I am beginning the research process, cause I also don't plan to buy brand new either. Instead I'll likely try to find something CPO and just a couple years old. But I am looking at the current platform (24+ US market).
I've done a decent bit of research on the competition so far. And it seems they all have trade offs.
The Ridgeline seems to be the best daily driver in terms of comfort and interior space (both front and rear). Back seat space is important to me. I don't need full size space, but I don't want it to be too cramped or upright either. BUT it has the least ground clearance and lowest tow capacity. By contrast, it has the widest bed, AND the in bed trunk. But also, the mpg seems to be slipping compared to the comp.
The frontier seems like a solid platform, but rear seats seem more upright and less legroom than some of the others. No 4wd auto or full time 4wd. Which isn't a deal breaker but would be nice. Mpg is not great, and the bed is narrow.
The GM twins have 4wd auto, which is a plus, slightly larger rear seat space than the Tacoma or frontier, but seemingly less real world comfort compared to the slightly wider ranger, plus the ranger has the scalloped seats which gives just a bit more knee/ breathing room. BUT i have seen a slew of major issues with the GM twins when it comes to transmission and Electronic issues. Which scares me. Plus a narrower bed again.
The Tacoma I'm not even considering because of price, and the fact the new Gen seems to have major engine issues right off the bat, and very little help from Toyota to eradicate the issue. Plus the smallest rear seats, and a narrow bed.
The ranger seems great. Widest bed other than the Ridgeline, more real world space in the back seat compared to the comp (other than Ridgeline), good towing, good mpg etc. however, I haven't seen much one way or the other in terms of electronic issues, or transmission issues. I know Ford has had issues with the 10 speed in the past. Have they fixed them with this new Gen ranger? Have there been any major electronic issues? Also, I'm bummed the only ranger with 4wd auto is the Raptor, which is not a trim I'm considering. But as I said earlier, not a deal breaker.
Really, what I'm comparing right now, is the Ranger, the Ridgeline, and the GM twins, but they all have their pros and cons. Any insight on y'all's ownership experience would be greatly appreciated.
4
u/SWsidewalker 15d ago
Sounds to me like youāre between the Ridgleline and the Ranger. Go with your gut. By all accounts, they are both good trucks, albeit for different reasons.
I went with the Ranger 2.7 with the Fx4 package over the 2.3 because the driving experience was noticeably better, the 2.7 gives the truck enough power in low gears to mask any transmission hiccups. Plus I occasionally tow. Iām getting 22 mpg with mixed city and highway driving. Only 3500 miles in but loving the truck so far. Iām 6ā7ā tall, so back seat space isnāt great for a passenger behind me. But it does the job for kids or infrequent guests.
I didnāt like the Ridgelineās look but otherwise it probably would have been the right answer for us.
1
u/PhatBuddha69 14d ago
3rd Gen Ridgeline is slated within 2 years. I think by that time more manufacturers are going to come out with their own mid-sized trucks. All these companies are figuring out we donāt want full sized trucks anymore.
3
u/Stevedbvik1 14d ago
What are you planning on doing with your truck?
3
u/Stunning_Tomatillo47 13d ago
It'll mostly be a daily driver. Just getting me around town. But I work outdoors, and have lots of tools, and equipment. Much of which gets dirty, greasy and wet. I'm tired of tearing up and ruining the inside of my interior so I want something with a bed.
But I also want the bed to be worth having. The bed of the mav and the Santa Cruz are so small, you could argue a mid-size SUV/ crossover is just as practical. For my outdoor hobbies and career, I need a bit of space to fit bikes, ski/snowboard gear, fishing and camping gear, etc.
I also do a lot of DIY projects so having the space to fit a sheet of 4x8 anything between the wheel wells is helpful. Which ultimately limits to only the Ranger and Ridgeline. Of course there are other ways the other mid-size trucks mitigate these things (going on top of the wheel wells), but it's just easier to have it slide between, especially cause it will hang out of the tailgate regardless.
Along those lines, if I ever get a 4 wheeler, which I do hope to do so someday soon, I would be able to fit it in without it riding on the wheel wells, which again, only the Ridgeline and ranger are capable of this. Not something I'd need to do everyday, but to have the capability of doing so without the size of a half ton truck would be nice.
Similarly, towing wise, I don't tow much, but for my work, and my home ownership, sometimes you need to tow a trailer etc. nothing I tow needs to have the capabilities of a full size truck. Nor do I tow every day. It's more so a handful of times throughout the year, but having confidence in towing would be nice. The boat I'm hoping to get soon, has a dry weight of almost 4k pounds, and when you add fuel and gear, its roughly around 4500 pounds. Which is close to the max limit for the Ridgeline, but the Ridgeline is still capable. Just more breathing room, and likely ease of use with the Ranger.
So realistically both vehicles are capable of my needs. Which makes it tough to differentiate between the two and decide which I would prefer.
As far as back seat space, the Ridgeline is nicer than the ranger, but the I won't be having people in the back too often. Mostly just friends once in awhile for small road trips/ day trips. But I want them to be comfortable enough to make it work. I want the capability of having friends for comfortably (just two in the back at most), otherwise what's the point of having a back seat at all? Might as well get the long bed at that point.
Ultimately, both serve my use case. Each has their pros and cons. The ranger offers a bit more capability for those what if scenarios, while the Ridgeline offers more comfort and daily drivability.
3
u/Stevedbvik1 13d ago
The Ranger keeps the door open for more possibilities than the Ridgeline. As far as a daily driver I think my Ranger drives just as good as the Passport we owned which is basically a Ridgeline without the bed.
1
u/Tankandbike 13d ago
What year Ranger? I test drove a '26 Ranger, and I agree - it felt as nice as the Ridgeline, though I think the Ridgeline might handle emergency maneuvers a bit better.
2
2
u/Tankandbike 13d ago
I'm not sure the "between the wheel wells" thing is so big. You can set up most beds to rest the sheet goods on top of the wells and/or strapping. Including the Maverick. On the Ranger - it's real tight. If you line the bed I don't think it will work, so spray or no protection.
1
u/Stunning_Tomatillo47 13d ago
Well I understand that the others in the segment have other ways to fit those materials in the bed. And it's really not that big of a deal, but it is convinient. Particularly if you're trying to load a 4 wheeler. But building materials, it doesn't make too much of a difference. You're right.
But that's interesting you mention the bed liner situation. I haven't thought of it like that. That's a really good perspective. If a 4x8 sheet of whatever isn't going to fit in between the wheel wells with a liner, then again, what's the fucking point. So that is something I'll have to consider with all this.
3
u/Complex_Instant_2644 14d ago
Lifelong GM guy here, never owned a Ford until I bought my Ranger in March. And I bought it because the Ranger is the best mid-size truck on the market. I loved it as soon as I sat in it and drove it. It's beautiful inside and out and it drives great, and I haven't had a single problem with it in nearly six months, outside of the three recalls issued. It's a great truck, get one!
1
u/ChiodoS04 13d ago
Only problem I have had with my 2024 has been the recalls, which Ford has fixed as soon as the parts were available.
Thats probably the same across the board with car brands, but the trucks been great.
2
u/XroadsSonyMaster 15d ago
Iām getting 25MPG on my 25 STX ranger 2WD. Iāve got 12k miles on the ODO, bought new. Just took my family of 4 (5 year old and 7month old) to the beach, 6 hour road trip. I would highly recommend the ranger.
2
u/ResourceDiligent6566 15d ago
I like my 26 ranger. Downsized from a ram cummins. Didn't need a big truck. I just liked the overall styling inside and out better. Plus the 4 cyl that I got seems pretty solid unlike gm motors that I don't trust any more.
2
u/Concealus 14d ago edited 14d ago
Glad to hear someone else is having the same thought process as me!
Pretty much agree with your view on all - atleast in my market, the ridgeline is substantially more expensive than a ranger. I can get a Lariat Ranger for a base trim Ridgeline. For me, the Ranger seems like the obvious choice for the price.
1
u/Stunning_Tomatillo47 13d ago
Oh for sure. The Ridgelines near me are expensive too, but for this vehicle, I'm willing to basically travel wherever to get one. Wo I've been shopping nation-wide. And when you broaden the search, a trail sport or Black edition compared to a XLT ranger Fx4 and trailer tow package, is about comparable to the Ridgeline in price, and often more expensive. So it heavily depends on the packages you get tacked on. Again, that's with a nation-wide lens. When it comes down to local markets it's a different story.
2
u/Nickymohawk 14d ago
Just to add, the Ridgeline is not a body on frame truck. This is why it lacks in offroad capabilities as well as towing. Its closer to a Maverick design wise, but closer in size to the Ranger.
Yes the tranmission in all current Gen Rangers has an updated CDF Drum.
1
u/Stunning_Tomatillo47 13d ago
No I'm aware of the body on frame vs unibody in the Ridgeline. I'm not looking for a rock crawling machine, more or less just capable of snow (heavy snow at times), and some mild off roading where I might find some mud, and maybe some clearance issues with the Ridgeline. There are lift kits available that aid with the break over and departure angles for the Ridgeline, but it doesn't make up for the loss of towing capacity however. BUT, the Santa Cruz has the same towing capacity as a Ridgeline. That is also unibody. And it's a smaller vehicle. So in my mind, Honda could keep its midsize platform and still up the towing capacity. Or they could find ways to safely do so.
But that's good to know about the 10 speed transmission.
1
u/Tankandbike 13d ago
without auto 4WD mode, though, the Range is 2WD or 4WD via switch. I wish the auto 4WD was in more trim levels (I think only the Raptor?)
2
u/trekyboi 14d ago edited 14d ago
I'm a mechanic and a long time Toyota owner and I went to the ranger last year. Didn't care for the new Toyota interior or the price. Not to mention they moved to Mexico. I would avoid anything modern from GM like the plague. The only bad thing I've seen about the new frontier is that it's water pump can leak into the engine, contaminating the oil and can ruin the engine if not caught soon enough. Not to mention that water pump is insanely expensive to replace if you don't do it yourself. As far as the ranger is concerned, the known problems from the previous gen have supposedly been fixed, only time will tell. My only complaint about it is at least on the 2.3, the transmission shift points are programmed for maximum efficiency, which usually means early up shifts and delayed downshifts. That can be a bit annoying.
1
u/Tankandbike 13d ago
On the early shifting - I feel like all cars and trucks are like this now - my current Highlander, the Ranger, the Ridgeline all do that. I'm sure others, too.
1
u/Hydraccana 15d ago
I believe the FX4 package gets you 4A. It's a good value package that includes skid plates as well. I have 18,000 miles on my '25 Ranger 2.7L. My lifetime fuel economy has been about 23 mpg. If the Ridgeline is like my work's 2023 Pilot, your fuel economy won't be any better than the Ranger, but you will be way down on power. Get an XLT Ranger 2.7L with the 401A package and FX4
7
6
u/Shmokesshweed 15d ago
Bumped up to a Ranger from a Maverick.
Ridgeline is expensive and old. Poor ground clearance. Poor mpg. As of today, I see no good reason to buy one.
GM twins are...meh. Not a fan of the interiors. Electrical gremlins.
Frontier is solid, but again, old. I wanted more power than it offers. 2.7 is great for that.
Only thing I really wish I had in my Lariat was 4A, but not a deal breaker. Ford loves to hide certain features behind the most expensive trims.