Maverick vs OG Ranger with pics...so now I get why I like this thing.

[Backin15]

Well...driving down a highway at 6:40am, going 60 in a 70 because old Ranger, and there's a lovely super-large hill/greenspace separating the north and southbound lanes so that you can't see anything on the other side.

Just happily driving along, and then out of the corner of my eye to the left...something launches itself full-steam ahead from overtop of the dividing hill. It must have almost been hit on the opposite south-bound side, scared, and just bolted...somehow managed to launch itself full-power right into the rear corner of my truck behind the wheel well. I had no clue what happened, looked into my mirror and saw something red go flying straight upward...thought I had decapitated the poor thing...but no, that was just my Fender flare. The deer actually got up and ran off into the woods.

So...decent cosmetic damage, some structural damage to the body and support points to the frame(it's a rust bucket underneith), and my insurance company is giving me $10k for some reason to total it...tempted to patch it back up/do a buy back, but I'm not sure if it would pass the stricter inspection due to cab mount and frame areas rusting out...so R.I.P. and now I own a Maverick. I daily drove a 2015 Mustang for years minus winter and wanted to garage it/prolong it anyway. Couldn't find a cash truck replacement, used was a crap show; so Maverick and a vehicle payment for the first time since 2019 it is.

Pics incoming in a bit...let's just make this a shrine to my Ranger, R.I.P. Here's some damage shots and a couple of photos from better days at the end, lol.

Amazing that you got $10,000 from insurance! The first vehicle I bought new was a 1984 Ranger Supercab XLT and the sticker was $12,000.

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[KO Stradivarius]

It's goofy...but it wouldn't shock me if the OG Maverick is more likeable than the Gen 2/electric truck project. I can see Ford calling the EV truck "Maverick" to establish a family like what they've done with Mustang/Bronco, and then it just gets a giant wraparound screen with boring monocolor CUV interior and oddball exterior, becomes even more "creature comfort" and tech centered, an ICE version of that hits as the gen 1 Maverick replacement a year after...or not, etc.

Yup...I do love the name Maverick though. Ford is locked into Mustang and Bronco everything...stupidly...but they really should bring back some of their better old namesakes like Falcon, Ranchero, and Galaxie. Maverick is such a great name though; glad they used it here and not on yet another CUV.

Rumor has it that Ford is going to name the new upcoming small EV truck the Ranchero.

The new Owner's Forum is even named "The Ranchero Forum".

https://www.mavericktruckclub.com/forum/threads/ford-ranchero-midsize-ev-pickup-news-info.81847/

 

[Bob The Builder]

Wow, that was one rusty Ranger!!! A $30 Schutz sprayer and a couple gallons of el cheapo bar and chain oil heated on the gas grille (unless your wife lets you use the kitchen range, mine did not.) works brilliantly. Popping the tail lights and shooting oil inside the double wall quarter works brilliantly too.

 

[tiktokbrainrot]

YES!!
Ditto!!

Jerry

Nah, it should have been the Ranchero.

Both were pseudo trucks, both were built on car platforms, and the Mav is even built in Mexico. Would have been a perfect fit.

Or at the least a ranchero package that gives us luxury seats with the old style cloth. I'd pay for that.

 

[OneAlienBoi]

I've said it many times but they should've called the Maverick the Ranger! It would make a lot more sense.

I've had two older Danger Rangers, they're excellent trucks!!

The current ranger is gonna be replaced with a bronco pickup. They already use the same chassis and have a ton of overlap as is so that makes sense. So that clears up the ranger name. I'd love to see the next gen maverick called ranger. Then again, I love the maverick name.

It would be really neat if the maverick name because it's already moved from car to truck became a name bestowed on vehicle concepts that were really unique and special. Like the maverick name is assigned to whatever the most influential and unique product approach is.

But that would confuse consumers lol.

 

[Dad]

My 05 Ranger Edge is being totaled due to a deer torpedoing its rear on the highway...yes, that is a true story.

As sad as I am to let it go...it was time. I love small trucks, and something about the Maverick just felt familiar...and shockingly, now I know why. Check the pictures, the OG regular cab Ranger is hilariously similar in dimensions/wheel base to the Maverick. The Ranger is sitting on .31s, the Maverick is a Tremor with 235/65/17s.

You chose wisely.

 

[tiktokbrainrot]

The current ranger is gonna be replaced with a bronco pickup. They already use the same chassis and have a ton of overlap as is so that makes sense. So that clears up the ranger name. I'd love to see the next gen maverick called ranger. Then again, I love the maverick name.

It would be really neat if the maverick name because it's already moved from car to truck became a name bestowed on vehicle concepts that were really unique and special. Like the maverick name is assigned to whatever the most influential and unique product approach is.

But that would confuse consumers lol.

I doubt they will do this. The Ranger is a global product, it is the big truck outside the US/canada. It would cost significantly more to develop a Bronco truck specifically for the US market, and the Ranger just doesnt sell enough to justify this. It's much cheaper to bring over the global ranger and swap out the powertrain and springs.

Now the Everest? I could see them bringing that here. That would be a somewhat unique segment today. And it could be built on the same assembly line as the ranger.

 

[EJK33]

I doubt they will do this. The Ranger is a global product, it is the big truck outside the US/canada. It would cost significantly more to develop a Bronco truck specifically for the US market, and the Ranger just doesnt sell enough to justify this. It's much cheaper to bring over the global ranger and swap out the powertrain and springs.

Now the Everest? I could see them bringing that here. That would be a somewhat unique segment today. And it could be built on the same assembly line as the ranger.

Ford actually had a Bronco truck ready to go alongside the two and four door Broncos back when they were launched...yes, it existed and was shown behind closed doors as a part of the lineup, and then they got cold feet at the last second and pulled the plug. Adding a truck to the Bronco lineup is one of those things that is SO close and always talked about all over...I can't see it until the next gen hits at the earliest, and the vehicle that would have been based on the current two door Bronco is dead forever. It's a shame; I would have bought one, lol.

 

[Maverick_Dave]

I kinda miss my 94 now. My left knee does not

 

[OneAlienBoi]

I doubt they will do this. The Ranger is a global product, it is the big truck outside the US/canada. It would cost significantly more to develop a Bronco truck specifically for the US market, and the Ranger just doesnt sell enough to justify this. It's much cheaper to bring over the global ranger and swap out the powertrain and springs.

Now the Everest? I could see them bringing that here. That would be a somewhat unique segment today. And it could be built on the same assembly line as the ranger.

What if the bronco truck just is the global truck with different branding depending on region? Ford's done this before the fusion is called mondeo in Europe for instance. The ranger name, at least when applied to a midsized truck, doesn't seem to carry any weight or significance in the US market, but bronco is a massive hit with insanely strong branding here.

Whereas the ranger name is beloved in a lot of regions outside of the US and still carries some weight, like Australia for instance. The current ranger already uses the bronco chassis, and because the current gen design adopted a much more boxy and rugged look, already looks kinda like a bronco truck, it makes a lot of sense.

Just keep going down that route. Make the next gen ranger even boxier and more rugged looking, more capable, probably reusing body panels from the bronco suv to keep costs down. Call it some variation of bronco for the US, but keep the ranger name for the rest of the market, same truck, different name.

 

[NIKwithoutaC]

What if the bronco truck just is the global truck with different branding depending on region? Ford's done this before the fusion is called mondeo in Europe for instance. The ranger name, at least when applied to a midsized truck, doesn't seem to carry any weight or significance in the US market, but bronco is a massive hit with insanely strong branding here.

Whereas the ranger name is beloved in a lot of regions outside of the US and still carries some weight, like Australia for instance. The current ranger already uses the bronco chassis, and because the current gen design adopted a much more boxy and rugged look, already looks kinda like a bronco truck, it makes a lot of sense.

Just keep going down that route. Make the next gen ranger even boxier and more rugged looking, more capable, probably reusing body panels from the bronco suv to keep costs down. Call it some variation of bronco for the US, but keep the ranger name for the rest of the market, same truck, different name.

I don't think it's that American buyers are uninterested in the Ranger, I think it's that Ford's current truck lineup is crowded and the Ranger has been marketed poorly in the US. Ford truck buyers seem to either want the Maverick or the F150 and nothing in-between. It's a shame because the current Ranger is actually a really great truck.

This is all gonna get so much worse when Ford finally rolls out this new electric Ranchero thing, haha.

 

[OneAlienBoi]

I don't think it's that American buyers are uninterested in the Ranger, I think it's that Ford's current truck lineup is crowded and the Ranger has been marketed poorly in the US. Ford truck buyers seem to either want the Maverick or the F150 and nothing in-between. It's a shame because the current Ranger is actually a really great truck.

This is all gonna get so much worse when Ford finally rolls out this new electric Ranchero thing, haha.

I don't disagree. I love Ford, but I feel like one of the best things about their brand is something they've walked away from in recent years, diversity. The thing that made Ford my fav car brand was how diverse their lineup was. You have trucks, a muscle car, sporty hatchbacks, sedans, a mid-engine exotic, vans, and SUVs.

I wanna see Ford return to this. Instead of making 300 different truck variations, give me a hatchback again. Now apparently Ford is planning to use the affordable EV platform to make multiple car body styles again, and they're taking a new approach with upcoming hatchbacks, making them rally inspired which is awesome. So there's so promising stuff, they just need to execute.

I'm trucked out. The only new type of Ford truck I really wanna see is a ute with sports car styling or something different.

 

[Mr Clarity]

Exactly...F150s are too big, the current Ranger is an F150 in size, and the Maverick just fits like a glove. I'm not a fan of all the tech/nannies/digital crap, etc...but it's my choice of truck by far right now. Most importantly...it's fun, when most vehicles are absolutely not these days.

I love the old Ranger...THAT along with the OG Tacoma have been my favorite trucks for quite a while. I'm not happy about losing my Ranger, but it likely had one or two more winters in it anyway as a second vehicle. That thing was amazingly simple, reliable, yet a total dog of a thing all at the same time...never did have any sort of luck with gas mileage, but it was so fun to drive.

Exactly, Ford made the Ranger so big it became a hassle for parking garages.

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