Next Gen 2023 Ford Ranger Spied in First Look! [Updated with closeup pics]

[jedmisten]

As a fellow '19 Ranger owner, i'm curious if you're planning on either sticking with the 10 speed AT trans or 2.3 for Bronco? (will withhold my opinions on those two in order to gather your genuine response.... Most on here already know my leanings on these two important factors)

Lightning Blue is BLUEtiful! Those lucky First Edition Bronco folks better order their rig in Lightning Blue!!!! PS: The 6' bed is where it's at, it fits my custom stretched drift-quad perfectly even with the Retract Pro bed cover.

I was looking at the BL 2.3L manual because I had a 2000 Mustang GT manual. I kind of missed it, but the wife wants to drive the Bronco. She is not a fan of manual, and doesn't want to learn how to drive one. Happy wife, happy life.

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[atonge40]

I'm genuinely surprised by the low number of people complaining about the 10-speed in the Ranger. (Full disclosure: the GF loves it and doesn't find anything wrong with the transmission either)

I've driven the 10-speed in the F150, SuperDuty, Expedition, Navigator, Explorer, Aviator, Ranger, Mustang, and Camaro. It is unequivocally a great automatic transmission.

 

[Rick Astley]

I was looking at the BL 2.3L manual because I had a 2000 Mustang GT manual. I kind of missed it, but the wife wants to drive the Bronco. She is not a fan on manual, and doesn't want to learn how to drive one. Happy wife, happy life.

Guess you're not the guy on here with two wives... I think one of his knew how to drive a MT? (Okay, that person's thread went downhill quick! Lets stay on topic)

6g Ranger will absolutely need the 2.7 so that they can raise the towing rating up to 10K and capture the disenfranchised F150 customers who don't have tugboat captains to guide them into berths away from home.

 

[jedmisten]

Guess you're not the guy on here with two wives... I think one of his knew how to drive a MT? (Okay, that person's thread went downhill quick! Lets stay on topic)

6g Ranger will absolutely need the 2.7 so that they can raise the towing rating up to 10K and capture the disenfranchised F150 customers who don't have tugboat captains to guide them into berths away from home.

Yeah, not me. Just the one wife.

 

[carrellslake]

As a fellow '19 Ranger owner, i'm curious if you're planning on either sticking with the 10 speed AT trans or 2.3 for Bronco? (will withhold my opinions on those two in order to gather your genuine response.... Most on here already know my leanings on these two important factors)

Lightning Blue is BLUEtiful! Those lucky First Edition Bronco folks better order their rig in Lightning Blue!!!! PS: The 6' bed is where it's at, it fits my custom stretched drift-quad perfectly even with the Retract Pro bed cover.

Whaaaattt? Drift quad?! Tell me more! This is almost as exciting as the day I learned grass drags are a thing.

 

[Bertbronco]

I skipped out on getting a Ranger in order to wait on the Bronco. Am I regretting that decision? No.

For what it's worth, I may try to find myself a 2012 Ranger to tinker with while I wait for the Bronco rollout. These new Rangers are literally the size of a 2012 F150. I know it's due to regulations, but I really think the world wants a smaller workhorse type truck.

Hell, I'd event take a remake of the El Camino or Ranchero at this point, just to get a small size pick-up.

It's called the MAVERICK

 

[Bertbronco]

Maybe slightly OT but could someone fill me in on why the new Rangers are so big? I know CAFE regs play a part here but I don’t really understand it.

Is there really that much of a demand in the truck market that Ford is selling the F150, the only slightly smaller Ranger and soon the much smaller Maverick? Why not make the Ranger the small truck?

Or did Ford bring back the Ranger in a CAFE-beneficial size to eek out the extra volume of large trucks so they can sell the much smaller Maverick and still increase net profit?

They are so big because Ford is ditching cars for SUV and Trucks. You can't do that without multiple models. Maverick, Ranger, Fseries

 

[DHH]

Maybe slightly OT but could someone fill me in on why the new Rangers are so big? I know CAFE regs play a part here but I don’t really understand it.

Is there really that much of a demand in the truck market that Ford is selling the F150, the only slightly smaller Ranger and soon the much smaller Maverick? Why not make the Ranger the small truck?

Or did Ford bring back the Ranger in a CAFE-beneficial size to eek out the extra volume of large trucks so they can sell the much smaller Maverick and still increase net profit?

As a 2019 Ranger owner, coming from a 2014 Sierra, I can tell you that it is definitely smaller. I'm liking it more and more as I drive it. Soooo much easier to drive. I would not buy it though, if it was smaller. I need to tow, but don't want a full-size. My only complaint (other than the reduced options) is there are no stake pockets in the box. A box that small, needs all the help it can get.

Ford blew it on the new Ranger with that car-like front end. Ford seems to always have trouble with the looks from the front on their pickups.

Boxier, big, truck-like front ends, please. Like RAM and GM...

Everything else the seem to do fine with, but the plastic-aluminum robot interior also has to go (for F150/Expedition).

I do have to agree. Not a fan of the mouse-nosed grill. It is growing on me though. Doesn't bother me as much as it did at first. A boxier front end would be appreciated. I think GMC has the best grills on the market.
What I can't get use to, and absolutely hate, is the little "upturn" they do on the back of the rear door windows....but all manufactures seem to do this in the mid-size. I like a straight line from front to back, like the new Ram.

 

[Administrator]

Additional close ups of the 2023 Ranger were just posted:

https://www.ranger6g.com/forum/thre...otted-updated-with-more-close-up-photos.6883/

 

[BroncoTX]

The Ranger is as large as an F-150 should be. Meanwhile, I have repeatedly mistaken 2020+ F-150s as F-250s for how gigantic they are, especially with any kind of lift.

I could easily crawl between the seats front and back of a 96 F-150.

I know it's CAFE and safety regs, but truck sizes and interiors suck these days. If I won the lottery I'd get a 1996 Bronco resto-modded with a 3.5 ecoboost and modern instrument panels, reinforced roll cage and call it a day.

 

[CanadianFord]

If your waiting for a 2023 ranger you may as will wait one more year for the 2024 bronco pickup. I would wait.
For people who can't wait and need a truck now, there are some deals on rangers out there.

I'm sort of hoping this is the Bronco pickup, and not a Gladiator replica. This is a shot of Brad Lovell in early Bronco testing.

 

[BigBend1]

My hope is that Ford will offer the nextGen Ranger with the choice of shortbed or longbed lengths in the Crew Cab configuration like Chevrolet and GMC does with their midsize pickups. Also will be following the Dodge Ram Dakota closely.