Requiem for another pickup
 

https://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.

Re: Requiem for another pickup
 

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.

Re: Requiem for another pickup
 

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.

Re: Requiem for another pickup
 

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.

Re: Requiem for another pickup
 

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. :mad:

Re: Requiem for another pickup
 

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.

Re: Requiem for another pickup
 

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

:D

Re: Requiem for another pickup
 

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

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

Re: Requiem for another pickup
 

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.

Re: Requiem for another pickup
 

I think you are talking about the mazda tribute.

it at least looks right on a google search

Re: Requiem for another pickup
 

I thought it was the Navajo. The Tribute was based on (or badge-engineered from) the Escape.

Re: Requiem for another pickup
 

I've never even seen a navajo (I had to google search it)

thought of the tribute because it is the only mazda SUV that I ever remember seeing.

after google searching it, you are probably right.

Re: Requiem for another pickup
 

Close enough that they'd appear the same when viewed seperately. The the first gen Tundra probably wasn't much bigger than the T100. Which explains why the new one became a beast, Toyota didn't want it competing with the Tacoma.

Been competing loose tabs on the Mahindra truck.
height 71.77
width 69.68 excluding mirrors
length 206.73
wheel base 119.68
bed length 91.92
bed width/between wheels 53.07/44.01
bed height 21.65

We'll be getting a small diesel truck, but it won't be a compact.

The Ranger may have been a victim of it's own success. It is an old design that was economical and dependable. Ford didn't have to put much into it to keep up steady sales. Unfortunetly, with upcoming regulations, Tweaks and add-ons aren't going to be enough, and a redesign and retooling aren't in the budget. Perhaps Ford will bring back a compact truck in the future. It will likely be based on the Escape, Transit Connect, or even Focus platform. Something the diehards won't consider a real truck. Ina sense they'll be right.

Re: Requiem for another pickup
 

Actually, I believe that happened because they needed to stop having the smallest full-size on the market during the pickup truck size arms race.

Re: Requiem for another pickup
 

Sorry to see the Ranger go...guess people still want the big pick-ups.

Had a '77 Chevy LUV during the early '90s. Perfectly adequate truck for my needs...too bad it kept blowing head gaskets.

Re: Requiem for another pickup
 

I know one guy who has an 03 ranger that he loves said he'd buy a new one if it were any different than the one he has. which is true. Other than bigger engines the truck didn't get any changes (other than minor interior and front facia) till 99 or so when they went from the idiotic twin I-beam front suspension to lasa like normal trucks, and nothing since then. not even a body-style change since the early 90s.

AFAIK the T100 was the heavier duty intermediary between the toyota pickup of the early 90s and the tacoma later on, not a parallel line-up. the tundra was a larger parallel line

I've always been a fan of tiny light 4 cylinder 5 speed pickups. I have the S10 that sucks (just cause it's a chevy) but nothings stopped it yet (still trying to sell) and my 91 toyota pickup that pulled almost twice it's weight 350 miles at 60 mph and a leaking radiator. both weigh in at 2700lbs with everything but me.

Re: Requiem for another pickup
 

The T100 was definitely a parallel line, Toyota's first foray into the full-size pickup segment (and criticized for being too small). The Hilux (and then the Tacoma) was sold alongside it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_T100

Re: Requiem for another pickup
 

not to be difficult, but it does use the same engine, ball joints and brakes (at least in the 1/2 ton version) according to rockauto parts cross reference. I'm pretty sure it's a beefed up version with slightly different panels. not a new line per se but the beefier reworking. (like chevy normal and HD 2500 and 3500)

Re: Requiem for another pickup
 

I don't disagree that it's small and light-duty. I was merely talking about market classification. It's not a big truck, but it is full size.

GM certainly thought it was made to compete with their best-selling full size pickup line: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwBq38Ne7Lc

The Tundra didn't come out until it replaced the T100. They were not sold side-by-side.

Re: Requiem for another pickup
 

True, but being smaller was a plus in my eyes, since most trucks sold are oversized for the duties they perform. It may not have sold well, but it was niche most truck makers were ignoring. However, Toyota wanted the biggest, baddest truck on the market.

They got it. For a higher price than their competitors. At a high time of record gas prices, and said competitors had caught up to the Tundra's fuel economy. You'll always see praise at fan sites on how forward looking Toyota is with their hybrids, but they definitely read things wrong with the Tundra.

Re: Requiem for another pickup
 

perception is key. look at honda's ridgeline...it makes me believe that they're selling to people that want the look of a truck, but not the true and full function of one.

Re: Requiem for another pickup
 

I think the Ridgeline is part of the reason why the truck crowd is against unibodies and independent rear suspensions for pick ups. Aside from hauling people, the Ranger is as, or more, capable than it, while being cheaper.

It is the future of small, consumer pick ups. A report came out that Toyota is looking into taking their hybrid A-bat concept to production.

Re: Requiem for another pickup
 

HC: yes, the T100 was marketed as competition for full sizes. sad competition, but competition

perception is why most Americans think they need a 400 hp 8k lb truck to tow their 15 foot aluminum fishing boat. Wouldn't want to actually feel like you're towing anything. Or like a friend of mines family, have the huge truck as a DD so they can tow the 50 ft speedboat they actually need the truck for....twice a year. once to the water, once from it to storage.

wheras I'm on the other extreme towing 5500 lbs of trailer and cargo with my 2700lb 4cyl toyota pickup. I wouldn't have minded something a little bigger when the trailer started swaying and I had to get out and re-load it to balance the weight better, but it was OK.