Comments: 1-15, 16-30, 31-45, 46-60, 61
<<Cruising the "office parks" for fleet vehicles---what a really scientific way to collect data on vehicle reliability. So now we're down to looking at pizza delivery vehicles? Quit wasting our time.>>
Sorry, best way to accurately disprove what the original poster said. Or do you think "well, they all use Ford Rangers because my uncle uses them" is good enough evidence.
And LOTS of office parks around here have company vehicles sitting in their lots. Heck, a blood delivery service has ten clearly marked company cars sitting outside near my gym everyday. Then there are all the Hewlett Packard cars (or did you really think EVERY HP employee decided to buy the SAME car, but in different colors) and so on. many many many office parks.
Sorry, in your town they hide their company cars. They don't around here, mainly because the EMPLOYEES are the ones GIVEN the cars so they can DRIVE them to WORK.
But don't let the facts get in the way when you have hearsay as your main evidence.
<<Pizza delivery vehicles are virtually ALWAYS the cars owned by the employees, not company vehicles. We live in a very affluent suburb and the last time we ordered a pizza it was delivered by a high school kid driving a CLK-320 Mercedes. I hardly think the pizza company furnished THAT!!>>
Depends on the company. I've seen pizzas delivered in Lincoln Continentals (can't imagine that driver is making a profit) and then there are other pizza chains that have their OWN pickups (NOT Rangers) that are branded with their logo.
And it's funny the poster who knows "everything" about company cars still cannot recognize that they are bought on what's CHEAPEST not what is most reliable. Case in point is the Ford Taurus which is hardly a paragon of quality, yet it is one of the most common company vehicles. Now, why would that be...
This is the same world over. The "local" auto makers are the ones who offer the best deals and therefore companies use them most.
"And LOTS of office parks around here have company vehicles sitting in their lots. Heck, a blood delivery service has ten clearly marked company cars sitting outside near my gym everyday. Then there are all the Hewlett Packard cars (or did you really think EVERY HP employee decided to buy the SAME car, but in different colors) and so on. many many many office parks."
I see, so you believe that glancing at a few delivery vans parked in the vicinity of your gym is a representative sampling of the population of fleet vehicles used throughout the entire country. These are your facts, are they? This is your irrefutable evidence?
People talking about their personal experience with Rangers (which is, after all, the point of this website) make a much more compelling case than you. Sorry.
Countless (like, TENS OF THOUSANDS) of companies that use, and have used, domestic trucks for DECADES is hardly "hearsay". It's FACT... pure and simple.
It makes no sense for a company to put 20% MORE into purchasing import vehicles that will also cost 30% MORE to maintain over a 5-year period.
I actually took a course in Practical Economics in college and one of the things we studied was automobiles. Statistics clearly showed that the BEST VALUE in a vehicle was a 4-year-old DOMESTIC vehicle.
<<"And LOTS of office parks around here have company vehicles sitting in their lots. Heck, a blood delivery service has ten clearly marked company cars sitting outside near my gym everyday. Then there are all the Hewlett Packard cars (or did you really think EVERY HP employee decided to buy the SAME car, but in different colors) and so on. many many many office parks."
I see, so you believe that glancing at a few delivery vans parked in the vicinity of your gym is a representative sampling of the population of fleet vehicles used throughout the entire country. These are your facts, are they? This is your irrefutable evidence?
People talking about their personal experience with Rangers (which is, after all, the point of this website) make a much more compelling case than you. Sorry.>>
Nevermind, this is my last post on this topic. My gym example was ONE of MANY that I have seen, and it 100% disproves this theory that all company cars are hidden. Plus, you need only go to the Hewlett Packard parking lot, among MANY other firms around here, to see the sea of Tauruses - ALL of them company cars.
I bet Hewlett Packards company cars are not a parking lot full of Toyotas... most likely being GM or Ford sedans... I will drive by their large headquarters/mfr facility on Centerville Rd Wilmington Delaware and try to get everyone an update. I have sold there as a factory rep in the past. They are also are one entity not an office park. I will try to get an accurate Toyota count for everyone. Are the blood vehicles Land Cruisers or Sequoias by the way?
I see a lot of auto repair stores or triple A sort of businesses with ford rangers. One of my friends also runs a regional tool business similiar to NAPA in the Southeast and he has only used rangers and they've served him fine. Any delivery vans are usually ecoline fords or chevy 1500s. The only non domsetic cars in my town used for business purposes would be the small toyota tacoma used by a private medical store and the VW Bugs used by Best Buy.
That's what I've seen around here up in New England.
Personal testimony from a large number of actual company owners who use Rangers and other domestic vehicles clearly refutes the arguments that the vehicles are purchased only because they are inexpensive to buy. When countless people who actually own Rangers or use them in their businesses (like I do) clearly state OVER AND OVER that they drive 200,000+ miles with virtually zero problems, it is not logical to continue to state that they are not reliable. You've been reading too much Japanese propaganda.
Ford Taurus were not bought because they were cheaper. I had the choice of that or a Cirrus or a Mini Van at that time. Selecting a company car in my opinion is even more of a consideration than buying a car of your own. When you are gone a couple nights a week driving, stopping, starting and working out of a vehicle it's a totally different set of parimeters. No matter what vehicle it was always at least a V6 never a 4 cyl due to the heavy daily driving and no imports mainly not to risk offending a customer in my field... Theres more weight especially with a full trunk full of equipment, items that have to be hidden from view, carrying customers and yes golf clubs. I do not see what driving by office parks will tell you... unless its got a logo as a delivery vehicle I do not know how you would distinquish what is or isn't.
I have a small business and wanted the most reliable small truck I could find. After talking with several other business owners I opted for the ultra-reliable Ford Ranger. I bought my first one in 1992 and have never regretted the decision to use the Ranger. My repair costs to date are exactly ZERO!!
Searching the Web, I came across this site and felt compelled to put in my two cents worth. I too own a '95 Ranger XLT 3.0 extended cab automatic. No, it's not perfect, but this by far, has been the most reliable vehicle I have ever owned. I am 61, so needless to say, I have owned several cars (including Japanese) and trucks throughout my life. I bought the Ranger used in '97 with 40K miles. I bought it because I liked the looks and because, for several years in the 90's, Consumer Reports recommended the Ranger over the Tacoma in every aspect, except for reliability where they rated both the same, better than average. Though, today I would not own one, I have nothing against the Japanese cars. It is a fact that they consistently excel in reliability, something Detroit seemed to have ignored for many years and, in my humble opinion, the reason why the Big Three are now in trouble. Ford, though, did something right with my model year Ranger, as 190,300 miles on the odometer proves it.
I cannot tell you what failed in the first 40K miles of this Ranger's life, but in the next 150K miles that I owned this truck, here's what has failed:
1 - Wipers would come on intermittently. Windshield wiper module was replaced under extended warranty by dealer at 60K miles.
2 - Heater valved leaked at 100K miles. Since it was very simple to get to, I replaced it myself. The part was $14.
3 - Except for the gas gauge, all the other gauge lights have gone out. This is difficult to fix, so I installed a small set of three-led spot lights for night driving. This is annoying, since no other car I have owned ever had this problem.
4 - The Mass Airflow Sensor failed at 189K. Again, since it was simple to replace, I did it myself. The part was $107 from Auto Zone. This failure caused the Check Engine light to come on and the transmission to shift hard, also the exhaust smelled bad. I thought for sure it was the end of my truck, but once replaced all is back to normal again.
The battery, serpentine belt and spark plugs were replaced 5 years ago. But I consider this normal maintenance, as brakes and tires. NOTHING else has been replaced under the hood. Not even the hoses. The transmission and rear axle are original and working fine. Total for unexpected repairs in 11 years and 190.000 miles is $121. Kind of incredible, isn't it? Not bad for a so called "Fix-Or-Repair-Daily" product.
To summarize, I have been very pleased and impressed with my Ranger's reliability and the low cost of maintenance. It continues to run like the first day I bought it. It is still quiet, has no rattles and feels solid. People can't believe it is 11 years old until they look at the odometer, then their usual comment is that it was probably made in Japan or with Japanese components. They can't believe that it was made by Ford.
(Before I start, I'm the owner of a 1995 Ford Ranger. 2.3L, 5-speed manual. Had the truck since it was 2 years old. Truck currently has 140,000KM about 88,000 miles)
I love my '95 Ranger. It's by far the best vehicle I have ever owned. It has been extremely reliable, and has never left me stranded anywhere at all. The paint is still original, driven in every Canadian winter in the 10 years I have owned it.
The original battery lasted until 2003.
The original alternator lasted until 2005.
The original paint still shines, and has no rust, not even under the doors, or under the floor.
The original back brakes lasted until 2006.
I'm still on the original clutch.
I'm still on the original exhaust, although replaced one donut gasket in 2005, a little soot was around it, minor leak I guess... easy fix.
Replaced all the shocks in 2006. They still rode fine, but were looking rusty.
(Here are the very few bad things)
I had the "classic" door chime stays on bug, but for nine years, have cleaned the door latch with degreaser every two years, then lubricated it with lock lubricant, and it has never bothered me again.
The clutch pedal became loose (side to side motion) a month ago. Still works great. I have heard other people with this problem, and who have fixed it with a new bolt, etc, but am waiting for warmer weather to fix it.
Is it just me or does everyone here seem to own a company?
All Toyota boys need to get over themselves.. I'm going out to buy a Cheaper and more reliable Ranger this weekend... For the price you pay for a ranger and how long it lasts is unbeatable..
I own one, and the only things that have gone wrong are the headliner and fuel pump. It has been a good solid truck and I would have no reservations buying another one. Is it perfect? No. It is a compact pickup. It suffers from the small cabin, but it fits me well. My next pickup will be a Ford. Preferably a 150 with a manual. But this little Ranger will be in my driveway for a long long long time to come.