Help me not buy a Ranger Tremor

[jtimbrook]

Ok, so let's have this discussion. Here's my friend's Ranger: Matt's Ranger for Driving Line

It was "stock" and now it's probably an $80K Ranger to get it to a point he feels is off road worthy, and yes we had a good conversation about it.

Just because it's right for the moment now does not equate to being right for the moment later...

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[RalphTuttle]

I have been following this thread with some amount of interest the last couple of days - so since everyone else is commenting, I thought I would too!

I am in my late 60's and over the years have owned a LOT of vehicles. Sports Cars ('68 Z-28, '71 240Z, '84 300ZX Turbo, just to name a few), Vans (Dodge, Ford, Nissan), Sedans (Audi, Oldsmobile, Chevy, Buick), SUV's (Ford and GMC), 5 different motorcycles, and 4 Jeeps.

And several trucks... Nissan Frontier, Ford Ranger, Toyota Tacoma.

I look at all the pickups driving down the road these days, the Fords, Chevys, Toyotas, Hondas - they all look the same to me. Cookie cutter trucks. What do I think:
B - O - R - I - N - G

But - from the very first time I saw the Gladiator I told my wife, "We HAVE to get one of those". I first bought a JTO in early '20. But when the Mojave trim level came out, I traded up for it. We loved the Overland, we REALLY love the Mojave. The capability, the styling, the ride, the top and door removal... everything.

Ultimately the Gladiator has one thing NONE of the other trucks can match - the coolness factor. I have had more comments about the Gladiator in a little over a year than I had with all my other cars combined.

Simply put... IT IS FUN!

 

[NachoRuby]

The Ranger will drive better on the freeway, has more torque and will be a smoother, quieter ride. It will tow nearly as much as a JT Max Tow, AND it has significantly higher payload, which means you can have tongue weight and cargo at the same time.

For regular truck like stuff, the Ranger is a better truck than the Gladiator. If you can live with the transmission, which Ford MUST have revised the software by now, it's got even more gears and a WIDE power band, and a motor you can add 35 HP to for $500!

If you want Jeep stuff in a truck, that's different, but you aren't DOING Jeep stuff by your own statements. Running down a fire road doesn't need a Jeep, I spent years flying down unmaintained roads and over dunes in a 97 Ranger. Destroying rocker panels crawling rocks was why I realized it was time for a Wrangler, but I sure missed having a truck! Still miss my Ranger as a Ranger, though.

Payload and towing capacity are about the same for the Gladiator and Ranger. Max tow Gladiator payload is 1550 lbs, ranger tremor payload is 1430. Max tow Gladiator towing capacity is 7650 lbs, Tremor towing capacity is 7500. Actually, the gladiator has a little more capability in both of those "truck stuff" categories. It's close enough that unless you're going to be at the edge of capacity, that shouldn't be the deciding factor, though.

The Ranger will likely handle better, based on the IFS, but otherwise, the gladiator is very competitive in the mid-size truck class. And it just looks bad-a**

 

[Willpower1]

So, I thought I’d just offer an opinion or two, and of course, your mileage may vary. Either myself or my son have owned a couple of Fords and a few Jeeps recently or currently. They’ll all have their problems, but our Fords were exceptional. My son had a 2017 Focus RS, and together in our business we owned a 2017 F350, loaded. That F350 was hands down the most comfortable vehicle we’ve ever owned. For luxury, it couldn’t be beat. But wow did it have issues, from seatbelt problems to wheels that constantly lost air and Ford wouldn’t replace, to 17 active recalls when we let it go. It was also like piloting it instead of driving. It was cruise ship size. Yes we knew this going in but it wasn’t bad at first. Man did it get old though. The RS was a phenomenal driving machine, but an unsolvable oil leak again made it old fast. Ford has some cool products but our experience with their reliability and service just sucked. On the other hand, and knock on wood, our Jeep products have been great. I drive a Mojave, my son a JLUR. We’ve had nothing so far but good things with them, and I have to say I LOVE this Mojave, and I’m a muscle car, sports car guy at heart. The Mojave is great on the road, very smooth, a blast on dirt roads like you describe, and is just so cool to look at, personally. I have a buddy with a Ridgeline, and it’s very nice, but i don’t think it’s a bit nicer than my Mojave in any way except two, that tailgate and the insulated, under bed storage. Man those two things are cool!! You mention the Mojave several times. If I were you I’d go drive one. I think you‘ll love it! If not though, my second choice would definitely be a Tacoma. I’ve had two Toyota FJs abd the suckers were bullet proof. Tacomas are also. But just FYI, driving an FJ and the Mojave back to back, the Mojave feels light years ahead of the FJ in every way. I still do love the FJ though. Special place in my heart for it.

 

[lppd45]

Look at it like this. The Gladiator is like the prom queen. You want everyone to see you with her. A Ridgeline or Ranger are like some of the less attractive girls. They'll get you where you want to go but you sure don't want to have anyone see you driving them

 

[RacerX00]

Look at it like this. The Gladiator is like the prom queen. You want everyone to see you with her. A Ridgeline or Ranger are like some of the less attractive girls. They'll get you where you want to go but you sure don't want to have anyone see you driving them

So, you shop for women by, "would I look ok driving this if other people watched me?"

This is taking a strange turn. Jeep Gladiator Cuckhold Edition

 

[Moe_Fugga]

Look at it like this. The Gladiator is like the prom queen. You want everyone to see you with her. A Ridgeline or Ranger are like some of the less attractive girls. They'll get you where you want to go but you sure don't want to have anyone see you driving them

Like fat girls and scooters. They’re both fun to ride, but you better not let your friends catch you on one lol

 

[RacerX00]

For the record, anyone who conflates the Ford Ranger XLT/Lariat + Tremor with a Honda Ridgeline has shown their true level of fan boyism. The Honda Ridgeline has more in common with a Civic than a truck and the Ranger is a real truck through and through, it's the one thing we take for granted that it's Ford, and it's a truck and does all the things one would expect a truck to do.

At a certain point opinions become irrational

 

[XJADDICTION]

For the record, anyone who conflates the Ford Ranger XLT/Lariat + Tremor with a Honda Ridgeline has shown their true level of fan boyism. The Honda Ridgeline has more in common with a Civic than a truck and the Ranger is a real truck through and through, it's the one thing we take for granted that it's Ford, and it's a truck and does all the things one would expect a truck to do.

At a certain point opinions become irrational

This original forum question by OP shows his fan boy attitude for the Ford ( I know, you said your a Jeep fan). Why is this still a relevant topic for you OP? You have your answer from us on this forum.

From here on (well for the majority of your posts as of late) you have become a troll.

So please move along and troll the Chevy Bison forum.

Thank you
The management

 

[RacerX00]

This original forum question by OP shows his fan boy attitude for the Ford ( I know, you said your a Jeep fan). Why is this still a relevant topic for you OP? You have your answer from us on this forum.

From here on (well for the majority of your posts as of late) you have become a troll.

So please move along and troll the Chevy Bison forum.

Thank you
The management

I'm a pretty avid forum user, I can discuss all sides of everything ad nauseum and this level of mob combined with prolonged downtime at work was rocket fuel.

I guess I'm just not loyal to makes. The only thing from keeping me from being a "Chevy guy" is owning a Chevy. That'll probably happen some day, I'm sure they'll have some fun compelling little put around town electric car ahead of everyone I'll probably purchase on the horizon.

I'm less surprised at my capacity to respond to it all than I am at the rapid fire onslaught. If you want my honest opinion on the difference between here and other truck forums? They'd all have similar opinions on where to rank the Ranger Tremor but they would also recognize its strengths whereas like maybe 1 out of 5 people here have been like "Yeah so Ranger is interesting, this is why I think it's last place." Everyone else is like, "omg I can't believe you'd compare this" and psycho-analyzing, projecting into my needs, etc. Kind of equally crazy to the amount of attention I've given.

I actually like the Chevy Bison and it's been/being considered but I'm not exactly going to add into this cluster another vehicle. I toss in the Ridgeline as an, "lol if I'm honest by needs" and that itself created endless rabbit holes lol.

What did I really get out of this thread? Some people who owned both or has a parent who owns one, people who actually have experience with both vehicles. Those people let me know that it's actually the decent truck I thought it was that I would totally enjoy but in the end I'd probably be way happier with a JT. Affirmed that the little bit of me that liked the Ranger should be put back into its appropriate place.

So I know why I was here for 10 pages, why everyone else? LOL!

 

[J.J. Slim]

It's a Ford........

 

[NachoRuby]

Nothing wrong with a Ford. I wouldn't mind having a raptor, a Shelby mustang, a 2008-ish Ranger Edge, an F-150 lightning from the late 90s, or the new electric one that's about to come out. Focus RS's were also pretty good.

 

[Xwelder]

I’ve always bought cars based on what I liked first, and pragmatic reasons second. It’s served me well. When the Ford Raptor first came out, I wanted one just because it was so damn cool. I finally got one and LOVED it but after a couple of years, my mind kept telling me it was ridiculous and I really only “needed” a Tacoma. So, got rid of the Raptor and got a Tacoma. By every measure, the Tacoma made more sense, but I hated that thing because it had no soul. So two years later, I made a bad financial decision and traded it in in my JT. It may end up proving to be less reliable, makes absolutely no sense to drive back and forth to work, rides rough, and is loud. But I love it, and that’s what ultimately matters. Life is too short to drive boring cars/trucks. Buy what feels right, not what makes sense

 

[Professor_Chaos]

Its funny. If I got a ranger tremor I'd have to mod it to hell and back to even like it. My willys jt on the other hand I have to think of ways I want to change it from stock because I like to make it "mine".

Just do what you do. Ultimately these threads are always just a waste of time. Seriously. Dumb. Just buy the truck you want to buy. All of these opinions were already available all over this forum.

 

[MNWillys]

Well, i think the next tread should be "Help me not buy a Prius"

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