So Ford...Tell me again why are you killing off the Ranger. All Ford needs to do is some power train upgrades and the Ranger is revived and could be a real competitor to the Tacoma.

Killing off the Ranger seems like a move the old stupid Ford, the Ford that was loosing billions each year, would make. Don't fall back to your old ways Ford, smaller more Fuel Efficient vehicles is what America wants.

PLEASE SAVE THE RANGER!

hey mike what update did they have in 2001 besides going to a locked front axle? i thought the last big update was 98 when they went to ifs from ttb, and i believe it was 93 or 94 was when they changed the frame which was heavily borrowed from the first ranger... either way its a shame ford cant see that people dont want a full size sometimes

Other than maybe an engine/transmission upgrade and adding Sync support, I'd almost leave the truck alone. I like the fact that it doesn't have many of the electronic "helpers" and nannies that so many new machines have today.

@Tim: Ford introduced a new 4.0-liter V-6 in 2001. Not as significant as the 1998 frame changes but I thought it important enough to peg the last major update to that model year.

Ford: Get the 2 extra doors and the back seat in and watch 'em fly off the lots.

And Ford: It won't hurt the F150 - it will hurt the Tacoma. OK?

O.K I am a Dodge guy,but why is Ford dumping the Ranger ? Why not just fix it up a bit,update it....seems to be a good seller....in South America they have a 4 door Ranger..looks like the U.S model ...

http://www.nexoautos.com.ar/FotoVehiculo/e40f77f44c8eb6e040ec41cd13a559b7.jpg

The Ford Transit Connect is a flop...people dont want strange looking European type vans here..the Sprinter is a piece of junk !! Dodge replaced their good selling b-series full size Ram Van for a non selling Sprinter...at least the Connect didnt replace a Ford model !!

I say leave it alone except stick the new 3.7 in from the stang as well as the 6spd auto, maybe add a rear locker for the fx4 package. people that buy these dont care about interior space.

The Ranger has been a great mid-sized truck since its inception. I have owned 2 of them. Make a crew cab option or bring back the FX4 Level II and these trucks would start out selling the F-150. I'd love to see Ford give the Ranger as many trim options as the F-150!! Save the Ranger! Ford you are not listening to the market...

A few years ago Alan Mulally questioned why Ford was dropping the Taurus name when so much equity had been built in to the brand, and subsequently spearheaded the effort to bring the Taurus name back. It was a logical question and a smart decision. So why hasn't Mulally done the same with the Ranger? The accountants will point to the undoubtedly low profit margin of the current Ranger. But when absolutely no money is spent on marketing or R&D, yet the truck continues to sell well, it seems like the market is trying to tell Ford something. Ford must be making some profit off the Ranger, and considering the debt position Ford is in right now, any profit is better than no profit. If Ford thinks the current Ranger buyers will just purchase F-150s after the Ranger is gone, they're kidding themselves; they'll head over to Toyota or Nissan. It seems to make more sense to just keep it in production with minimal investment for the next few years until an agreeable financial situation can be found to get the US Ranger and global Ranger on the same platform. Like Ben said earlier, abandoning a market seems like what the old Ford would've done.

Kill off the Ranger if you must Ford, but i won't be buying a more fuel efficient f-150 either. The truck is way too large. Probably be heading Toyota's direction. Will be forced to check out the Tacoma even though I will have to eat my words now, as i harass my brother in law all the time about his rice burner truck. The Ranger was great while it lasted.

Ford...Listen to me! I've owned 2 rangers and and F-150. Because of your lack of love for the Ranger we are now the proud owner of a Tacoma Double Cab. All we wanted was a 4 door Ranger. It's sad that we've bought 3 Fords in the past and you've finally lost us as customers. We didn't want another full size pickup and even if it was economical we wouldn't buy one.

I don't see why this is relevant except for the Dakota. Is it important that it outsold a Mercedes C class or a Mustang? I bet the Ranger last month outsold Ferrari for the year too.

I've owned 2 Rangers. A regular cab and an extended cab.I think they should make a crewcab truck. That's what I need to pack my kids, and that is why I traded my extended cab 4x4 on a van(yuck). My van might hold out until the new F150 comes out with their new engines. I haven't ruled out a GM full size truck either. I may end up doing what @mldrieling did and purchase a Toyota. I'm undecided as to what my next vehicle will be.

Why not downsize a full size F150? Shorter WB,narrower,not as tall.....honking 4 cylinder,or full size V6 engine...maybe even a V8 option.If Ford is that cheap not to create an all new Ranger,why not just use parts bin engineering....like Toyota did with HiLux to create T100...only this time,going smaller instead of bigger.

Ford you are retarded as hell if you cancel the Ranger.... Its the only American small-truck that is relevant. Its too bad GM never put any effort into the Colorado and Canyon. They are easily the best looking small trucks on the market IMO

@Paul

Why not just buy a Ranger or Sport-Trac

You guys have got to stop asking for a 4 door ranger. Do y'all have friends you hate that much you want to stuff them in the back? And the doors would be too small to load anything in other than your man purse. I think if you are asking ford to bring a four door ranger here then you really need to ask the question " do I really need a pickup".

If it must be a ford, then there is a perfectly good used Freestar or Freestyle with your name on it.

Keep the Ranger!!! Ford will have the market cornered...

They should kill this truck off and bring the f100 with the twin turbo v6 and turbo 4 banger as engine options i love ford i only will drive them but the ranger is a done deal already lets face it they need to tag in the f100 asap

@FW, What's so wrong with these guys wanting a four door Ranger? Basically these guys are asking for is to have Ford offer a four door crewcab to make it more competitive. Of all the trucks in the midsize (or compact) truck segment, the Ranger is the only pickup that doesn't offer a true four door crewcab. I think if Ford added a new crewcab model to the lineup and a new V6 to haul around that added weight, they would have an even better truck.

I love my 95 Ranger Splash Reg cab 4-banger 5 speed... but it's getting tired at 225k miles. Plus, I bought the truck before kids. Now I have three of them and no place to put them.

Give me the sport trac or world-ranger 4 door with the new 3.7L V6 and a 6 speed manual tranny!

Ford should definitely keep the Ranger. I drive an F-150 Crew Cab and wouldn't go to a smaller truck, but keeping the Ranger and adding a Crew Cab would be "icing on the cake" for Ford trucks. You can only go so far in putting smaller engines in the F-150. That idea is like squeezing a dry rag to get more water out of it. Many people only use a pickup to haul a few bags of fertilize, or carry a motorbike, etc. and don't have the need for a full size pickup. Would someone please light a fire under Mulally's butt to keep the Ranger?

Who cares how many Rangers Ford sold!
Kill it if you have too.

I'd rather see a redesign Colorado, although I think that current Colorado's are more up to date and better truck all around then a Ranger. I've owned both.

the reason is the ranger is cheap,quality,so,so,and they make profit because is a old model...and ugly,but cheap...

@miath,

It seems like "an old design" sells better than a new design. Ranger trounces the Colorado in sales.

Need I say more?

That's pretty fantastic that it's outselling all those vehicles. I really do wish that they weren't canceling it. I think it's a very handsome and very capable truck. And it's just right for the younger generation that doesn't quite yet have a use for a full size truck but still wants to be a part of the truck market. (I kinda wish my Hombré would die so I can snag one before the line stops. Darn my good maintenance!!) But with ~7,000,000 Rangers out there, it's going to be a LONG time before this truck really dies.

Ranger is dead. Can't be updated to meet upcoming crash standards. Not a profitable market segment, and Ranger profits will not support a redesign or 'federalization' of the T6 Ranger. Colorado/Canyon to be gone soon too. Want a small truck buy a Toyota or Nissan. Superior in all respects to the 'antique' Ranger.

@Ford - they are killing the Sport Trac as well. The Sport Trac bed, if you can call it that, is pathetically small. It is also worse on fuel than an F150. If you look at the April sales figures - all of the small trucks with the exception of the Colorado/Canyon have shown growth. It is not a dying market. Wait until the next spike in fuel prices.
Ford may have an "ace in the hole" with their up and coming EB engine line, but they better deliver huge savings to sway the small truck crowd. A F100 or F150 lite may help, but not everyone needs a "manly man's" full size truck.

@Big Bob,

I agree with you're comment. That is one of the reasons it is being discontinued.

I thought I read on this page a few months back that ford had decided that they were not going to kill of the ranger now.I thought that they were going to make or add different packages for it like they have for the F150. I would love to see a four door version of the ranger and some new updates to styling.

I think that the real story here is that 17,000 + people parted with thier hard earned cash for that hideous Toyota Venza. Seriously though a crew cab Ranger would make the box uselessly small (think Sport Trac) or push it into larger territory (think Tacoma crew cab long box). It seems like people want to have their cake and eat it to. Compact manuverability, midsize interior. Can`t have it both ways.

And the point of this article is? Apples and oranges!

I am a owner of a 2010 Tacoma access cab. I do not need a 4-door, just enough room to place extra gear behind the seats and the suicide doors fit the bill...

So the Tacoma has the room, I am pass compacts and do not want a full size so the mid-sized trucks are what I am interested in...

And really, what does the competition have out there? Nobody can offer what Toyota does in this class. It is no suprise they dominate small truck sales!

I want the room of the access cab, a taller stance with solid ground clearance to work with and decent tires to work with. The Tacoma fits the bill for me, I simply install the 5100 Bilsteins to level the truck out and place 265/75's on and I have over 12 inches of front ground clearance to go with the solid 2.7 liter 4-cylinder engine, 5-speed manual and 4.10's in the rear from the factory...

Ford cannot offer this with their Ranger and I do not want to spend thousands of dollars just to get to the level of what a stock Tacoma is!

The Ranger is fine but it just does not fit what I seek...

Ford makes a 4 real door diesel ranger in south america I would buy but you cannot get them here. Here is the link

http://www.ford.com.mx/vehicles/gallery/gallery.asp?idModel=RAN&section=EXT

All the people who want this thing to live another seveal years should write letters to ford, this worked for the mustang about 20 years ago, it may work for the ranger now. IMO it is the BEST small truck out there, simply because it is the ONLY small truck out there that can have a base 4 banger, get decent economy, and do the work of an average suburban homeowner for a low price *base model* they should offer updated engines and transmissions on the high end to make it competetive w/ midsized trucks while still retaining the advantages of small trucks on base models

Dear Ford:

I've bought 3 Rangers - the last a 2002 I've had for 8 years. Since you plan on 'replacing' the Ranger with a more fuel efficient F150 instead of the Global Ranger last month I traded in my Ranger for a new Nissan Frontier.

People who prefer small trucks won't be forced to buy larger ones.

If Ford offered the 305hp/3.7 and 6 speed auto, I would buy one to commute to work. A fresh instrument cluster would be nice.

I had a '99 Ranger super-cab a few years back and I loved it. It was just a little small.I wanted more room so I test drove a 4 door Chevy Colorado and couldn't believe how much room that thing had. long story short, I still have the Colorado, and I really like this truck also. But if Ford would make a new bigger, Ranger I would definitely be interested.

Without a small truck from Ford I'll have to buy a Jeep.

I want a vehicle that can take me fishing. Ranger can do it. Bronco could do it. Explorer before IRS could do it. Frontier and Tacoma can all do it.

Not everybody needs a fullsize truck to fish for rainbow trout. I'm not saying the Ranger is the penultimate fishing/hunting vehicle, but yeah, I'm saying it. F-150 guys can't get their trucks down the narrow rutted trails Ranger guys can. How's that for a reason to buy a small truck? Bigger isn't always better.

I ordered my 2010 XLT in April, and the dealer told me that production was maxed out at the Twin Cities plant. They could not find a manual transmission any where in the U.S. in the color I wanted so it had to be ordered. Now if they would just give us that 2.5L Duratorq diesel engine.

@oxi, great points and your mention that a stock Tacoma is far above what the other compact/midsize trucks offer on high-line options or not at all!

I bought my Double-Cab PreRunner SR5 just after Thanksgiving and have been loving it since. I've installed a K&N air intake system and a TonnoPro tonneau cover, and i'm gettin anywhere from 20-21mpg on daily driving. If i baby it i've got up to 22mpg on a tank just to see what i can stretch it to.

The only gripe i have is with the dealer who wants $66 for the every 5K mile oil change/rotate tires. WTF? Hello JiffyLube! For $50 they'll do the same, top off any fluids if needed (and in-between changes as well!) and clean the inside of my Taco, none of which the local Toyo dealer will do.

Unless you're doing some serious towing, this 4.0V6 is all the torque you'll need to haul and move things inside and outside the cab...performance and efficiency, Oh What A Feeling!

I honestly don't see Ford dropping out of the mid-size segment for good. I wouldn't be surprised to see a 2-3 year hiatus, but gone for good? Nah. In terms of actual performance the Ranger is the worst truck in the class. In my opinion the Fronteir is the best truck in the class, particlularly in Pro4x form. It has better off-road abilities (I'll provide a link if you don't believe me), much better interior and a clean exterior. The Colorado Z71 with the 5.3 is a good choice, too. The Taco' is alright but I don't care for the styling, inside and out. I also see them everywhere and, forgive me for this, but see them as a poser truck. They all have bed covers, dubs and giant 'Tapout' stickers on them which don't equal real truck duties.

@Hoodman

Exactly, if you own a Ranger, Dakota, Nissan or Colorado, you would have to spend thousands of dollars just to get where the Tacoma is stock!

I love the ride height and ground clearance of the Tacoma! I am an avid off-roader so I hit the trails all the time camping, etc... heck I competed in 7 desert off-road races in the past so I know how to off-road.

Soon I will put on my 265/75's and with that I will slightly higher than stock full-size trucks yet I will have more running ground clearance...

And all I really did was add the Bilstein 5100 leveling kit. You cannot do that with a Ranger, Dakota, Colorado or a Nissan!

@G-street

Good points but the Nissan lacks ride height, ground clearance and proper wheel well openings to mount larger tires like the Tacoma has...

Yes I do not like to see that many Tacoma's on the road but where I live that is not an issue, thankfully...

Yes many posers out there but there are a few like myself that are not. I have custom front bumpers being built, the Budbuilt skid plate system going on underneath soon and a custom rear bumper with swing out tire carrier/ high-lift jack bumper aft of the tailgate...

The Tacoma is a better off-roader than what is in class and certainly better than those heavy full-size trucks!

Oxi- Nothing against your truck, it's a fine speciman and much MUCH better than the Tundra. But a few months ago this very site rated the Pro 4x as the better truck. What the Nissan lacked in articulation it made up for with an excellant interior, great on-road ride, great erganomics, 30 more horses, 20 more pound feet, an extra gear, more interior space, Dana locking rear diff, fully boxed frame. The list goes on. If it were me, I would buy the Fronteir over the Tacoma everytime because I prefer the interior (which is were I spend my time) by a large margin over the Tacoma. However, your priorities lie in a different avenue than mine and I respect that.

Also, don't diss' a full-sizer. My 99 Silverado Z71 regular cab shortbed (weighing just over 4500lbs) will go anywhere your Tacoma will. Between a 4inch fabtech lift, 33" Hancook MT's and a K&N intake it can, and will, go most anywhere.

Ranger is a money maker for Ford. Whenever I see a new Ranger , I think of Pink Floyd "Money" with a blue oval. I agree with all of you all that think the Ranger should be upgraded, as a totally new truck from the ground up. Well, so much for the TRUE compact truck market.-- and to think gas price has only one place to go- Up, "ready for that summer blend?" Another great Ford Product to be cut, and replaced-I do not like that Transit Connect van. What a rip-off of all the other mommy mini vans out there.
The Ranger was a sipper, at the pump and on the wallet.
"New Car, Caviar" ....."Money"

I agree with the Luigiian on his comment. One of the things my Ranger is very good at is getting around on the small trails in southern NH. I get to those trout fishing holes and sometimes haul firewood etc..and the truck has not failed me yet. Rugged as hell. An F-150 would have no real way of getting to the small trails and turn arounds I use out there. It would get dented and scratched up big time. The truck is enormous. Maybe its now too large? Anyway, If the Ranger goes away A Toyota or Nissan Frontier will be my new ride. It would be sad to see the Ranger go but if Ford is that hellbent to get rid of it, its good to know there are other high quality options.

@G-street

Good points but that is for a stock Nissan. I typically want to add better and slightly larger off-road tires to my trucks and the Nissan has too tight of wheel wells. All I needed to do with my 2010 Taco is add the Bilstein 5100 adjusted to the 1.75 inch setting, leave the rear alone and I can run up to a 32 inch tire or 265/75 thus gaining more ground clearance. You cannot do that with any other pickup in class...

Fully-boxed frame does nothing for me, I want my frame to flex carry a load off-road and a fully boxed frame will not give as much as a c-channel in the rear...

I build medium and heavy tactical military trucks and they are c-channle throughout!

So the current ranger wont safetly take a car seat. What a shame. I have looked at the colorado, frontier, and tacoma 4 door pickups. Got out of a ranger before I had kids because when it was trade in time there was a great rebate on F150's. got out of an f150 when gas prices spiked and have now stayed up. Traded f150 for a mazda tribute for my wife and I drive her old car. If ford would bring a 4 door ranger with a bench back seat to the us market that I can actually put little guy's car seat in, Ill buy it new. Its a shame to rent a pickup just to get mulch for the yard and lumber for around the house projects.