Interesting comment on Ranger. As a former Ranger owner I watched the small changes in the truck and the shocking changes in the sticker.

 

I agree. The Ranger was/is still the best quality small pickup made. The Ford dealer in Tucson, where cars tend to be much less expensive, had base, stripper 4 cyl. Rangers for $18k. I hadn't priced them since the early 00's, so I was absolutely shocked! Last time I had looked at them was about 2002 and they had 20 or so strippers in Tucson for $8800. Ford and Chrysler don't want the "cheap" customers anymore. No more of those "Buy a new Escort or a new Ranger, your choice $7999" deals-I last saw it in the early 00's. No more "Buy a new Neon or Dakota for $8800". Now, I know this was 6-8 years ago, but it isn't that much more expensive to produce cars and trucks and they don't even have real "value" models anymore. Now a "value model" Hunchback er Caliber is one they throw a couple minor upgrades in and charge $17k for and the Dakotas? Forget touching one for under $18k and that would be a total stripper single cab and rubber on the floor but 25 other options to jack up the price. Pickups will be around as long as there are internal combustion engines. But they are now being marketed as luxury and commercial vehicles and finding any simple, cheap trucks that you can work with and actually afford is gone.

 

Wow I should have gone west for a ranger. My 99 4 wheel drive 3.0 v-6 automatic and air without back doors cost 19500 then. I agree you used to be able to buy a work truck, too bad the manufacturers have realized if they dont offer cheaper trucks then we have to buy the higher priced ones!

 

when it was time for me to get my first car I had been looking at early 90's daks because of the 4 cyl. My grandfather bought a brand new 04 ranger for 13K...Eventually i bout my ram for just under 8k. still have it 5 years and almost 100k miles later. But I drove the ranger for quite awhile and i liked it (other than the 4cyl and stepside bed, and no a/c). what ever size it is that little 4 banger's got some pep in first and second gear. I went to price one when gas was going way up and was thinkin about downsizing and for basically the same truck it was rediculous...even used (the only difference was fleet side bed and a/c, he's in PA and I'm in FL...A/C wasnt a choice) also looked at toyotas they were much better priced and looked almost exactly like the ranger and better equipped except the tundra those are overpriced, overrated and underpowered. I think if Fiat wants to keeps the "RAM" brand competative they need to be able to compete with the best selling midsized pickup, the TACO...or Hilux. and tune the 1500 a little better we should be getting more than 390 hp out of a 5.7L. european cars have huge HP numbers compared to displacement. and they have stricter emissions laws. I understand that truck engines are more about torque, but theres room for improvement there too. they should stop advertizing the HP #'s and just advertize the Ft.lbs.

 

If they bring out a smaller truck that will be good. Build em better, to make them last. Dakotas were first built with metal coated to fight the chemicals used in the north. We were amaized when we moved back to Pa with the lack of older vehicles because rust ate them. LOL Talk about the Toyota, Ha ha ha, Toyota has not divulged the nomber of Tacomas they have taken back because of ruster out frames and these are newer trucks. Have a friend that towed a customers Tacoma to the lot for rusted trucks and he couldnt believe the number that there wereand that was only on lot.