Ford has seen the writing on the wall which simply states they need to get back into the midsized truck market.  They have already announced the Ranger will be back for 2018 and we as a consumer base get the fun of anticipating this arrival with great anticipation.  Even though the Ranger has been a huge success in a variety of other countries the challenge of pleasing the American public can be a daunting one.  What Ford has seen for the F-150 may not be true for the new Ranger and vice versa because the Ranger is a different type of truck.

Those of us who purchase midsized trucks typically are doing so because we don’t need the advanced size and power a full sized truck gives us.  The need instead is having a versatile vehicle at a much lower price that will give us the performance, capabilities and even payload we need.  This group is typically referred to as weekend warriors and whatever the desire for the midsized truck is, fuel mileage and a lower price tag are two main concerns with this group of shoppers.

Where am I going with this?  The question that should be asked and one that Ford is toying with right now is whether or not to offer the manual transmission with their new Ranger.  It appears all the other manufacturers have a manual in the lineup for those buyers who really want to row their own gears and don’t want to add the extra price of the automatic.  In addition to this fact, a manual gives you more versatility when off roading, which many of the midsized trucks get used for on the weekends, making the decision and even tougher one for Ford.

If they look to their F-150 for advice the manual will be gone, but then the question is why do all the other brands have a manual, do they know something Ford doesn’t?  Like I said, this crowd is a completely different kind of truck buyer than the ones that look to the F150, Silverado, Sierra or other full size pickup.  The larger pickups are built and bought typically for heavy duty work and need where these smaller version are meant for fun and light duty jobs which makes them the right choice for this group of buyers.

Whether or not the Ranger comes with a manual transmission is not going to break the bank on us choosing this truck over others, but it certainly will offer a limited choice.  When presented possibly the Ranger should not have the manual just to get its feet wet again, but if Ford wants to dive in headfirst and take the plunge the manual should be offered along with possibly a hybrid variation to show a way to lead trucks into the market with a green vehicle that is still full of power, although this is just talk and not necessarily what we will see in 2018 when the Ranger finally returns.