MJE
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- Mike
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2023
- Threads
- 6
- Messages
- 316
- Reaction score
- 218
- Location
- Calgary, AB
- Vehicle(s)
- 2022 Ford Bronco Sport
- Thread starter
- #1
I’m always fascinated by these threads on other forums, but don’t see one here, save the ‘show us your garage’ thread which is more current state. So just as the title says, what have you owned before as a lead in to what brought you here? Here’s mine. By the time you scroll to the end it should be pretty obvious why I’m considering a Ranger (along with Toyota’s TNGA-F offerings) at the top of my list. Of course I’m open to any feedback as I consider what’s next. Otherwise feel free to scroll through the pics if this is all TL;DR.
1998-2007: 1998 GMC Sierra. The first vehicle I bought myself & for myself. I used the internet, shocking at the time I know, scouring inventory on lots in every town around to find a leftover 98 at a fire sale price when everyone was interested in the then new GMT800. I then proceeded to use it for work & personal, making sure it paid for itself. This was a pretty good truck overall, but trucks advanced a lot from the 80s to the 2000s, most apparent in interiors. I was doing relatively well at the time, or so I thought an upgrade should be in order. It was pretty well miled & aged out. Sold it to a guy I worked with who used it as a junker truck until it caught fire in the driveway & is no more today.
2007-2016: 2007 Ford F150. I’d advanced to a good role where I had work trucks for the field, but still kept one for personal use. The interior on these was light years ahead of the 90s crap the Sierra had & even far ahead of 2000s GM. I road tripped over most of the western half of the continent in this. Not to mention field commuting as my roles changed yet again. Even as it aged, I’d ordered it with the then ridiculously expensive navigation option (new for 07) & added a factory Sirius module with an antenna install that looked factory (not available in Canada in 07). To this day I love this truck, wish I hadn’t sold it but it was getting up there & seemed big for the city. Thought a downsize might be a good idea so sold it before I had another winter vehicle. I’d still be driving it I’m sure, had I kept it. The best vehicle I’ve owned, though the Acura was up there too.
Dad tells me this was the best Iv’e had too & I should just buy another one as they make more every day. Moving to a bigger city now though I’m really not sure another full size is right, though I’d love a redo of this truck. I also wish I’d kept the vin (maybe the dealer has records still if I make an inquiry) just so I can google it & find out what may have happened to it. Honorable mention to a 2014 F150 I had provided for my personal use by my work at the time (2014-17). My plan was to buy it used once miled out but I didn’t get the chance. A company asset sale & turbulent employment threw me into a turbulent automotive state as well.
2012-2017: 1989 Mustang. GT vert, great 3 season 2nd car. These had pretty much it the bottom of the depreciation curve then, & this one split the difference pretty well as a reasonably well kept original car that had been used enough to be relatively cheap. So the first used car I’d bought for myself. Always wanted one & now could afford the insurance. I’d moved to a small city in a newer home with a 2 car garage. Had a lot of fun with it, even tried a car show once, but I’m not really a car show guy. It did get a lot of attention on the street. Sold though once I needed a 2nd 4 season car. While I drove this in a snowstorm once, it wasn’t exactly fun. The guy that bought it turned it into a complete modification project with his daughter.
2016-2022: 2007 Acura MDX. Awesome find when heading into winter with the mustang after selling the F150. My Dad’s favorite car as this was the 2nd of 3 of them he’s had/has. While I had a short lived marriage, this poor car hauled around everybody & everything. All while being quite comfortable. Sold to my neighbor whose kids are still driving it when I no longer needed to keep 2 cars when I’m no longer married. Again, should’ve just kept it, but a 2000s car in the 2020s seems pretty outdated.
2017-2020: 1993 Explorer. Good 4 season 2nd car after the Mustang. Roles had changed yet again at work so I didn't’ really need a car often but when I did need one, I had to go in all conditions. Cheap cash purchase & did what I needed while I had it. As outdated as it seems at the time, you can sure tell how even in the 90s Fords interiors were better with better materials. Died despite low miles & being well cared for. Still, that’s >25 years old, so I have no right to complain about service life out of it. It was 2020 though & replacing the transmission didn’t seem worthwhile.
2020-2022: 2020 Explorer. Maybe another one I should’ve just kept, but it never felt like mine being bought mostly for my ex. Not exactly the most reliable car I’ve ever had, but I also stopped bugging the dealer to fix things when I’d decided I wasn’t going to keep it. Covid panic purchase when nobody felt safe to get on a plane (I used to fly for work) & the old explorer died. We needed at the time a reliable 7 passenger vehicle. These drove nicer & felt than the Durango we tried. Had I bought what I wanted (ST) in a color I chose (though nobody complains about a nice blue on a Ford), I’d still be driving it & happy about it. It just wasn’t really bought for me.
2022-2025?: 2022 Bronco Sport. Big downgrade I wasn’t expecting. My expectations for an $40K car were set by the F150 Lariat, & this is not it. It’s small & maneuverable for the city, but an incredible dinky car. THe seats are too small, the car is too small to go outside the city (but small enough to fit into every city parking lot I need). Overall the Explorer was a much better car though. I’m impressed with the off-road capabilities they managed to put into an Escape I will admit. I’m researching getting into a car I’ll want to keep long term again. Possibly going back to a truck, though it seems mostly I’d just be hauling a box of air nowadays.
So what should I be considering? Not really budget limited, I want to get a car paid for that I’m willing to take into retirement. Suitable for highway travel, but also recognizing that once I get to my destination I have to fit in a city. Ranger is about tops on my list. I want a redo of the Lariat F150 really, & hoping the Ranger could provide it in a slightly more city friendly package. For that matter, maybe I need to just go buy another F150. For size & dog hauling, maybe a refreshed explorer, though I’m waiting to see if they do a more off road styled ’tremor’ one. That would be enough for the logging roads I’d like to explore again. I love a lot of the little technology things on fords from the keypad to the appt hat doesn’t need a subscription fee. From the fact that I can choose the display units as I see fit, to taking the fob with me & locking the doors with the vehicle running. Just in case I need to take the dog with me on errands.
The only other offerings that hold a lot of appeal to me are the Toyota TNGA-F ones. I’m not sure a Tundra would be a better choice than an F150, nor perhaps a Taco over the Ranger. But If I go SUV, only Toyota has fixed roof midsize offerings with Land Cruiser & 4 Runner. The shorter length of an SUV should help with city maneuvering & is more flexible with space for the dog. Sat in a LC in the showroom & it was sure nice! Sure also expensive & perhaps not as large as I might’ve thought. I think it might hit the sweet spot of what I’m looking for though. Other than Toyota, maybe a Honda Passport once it’s out, given my positive experience with Honda’s large platform in the MDX.
1998-2007: 1998 GMC Sierra. The first vehicle I bought myself & for myself. I used the internet, shocking at the time I know, scouring inventory on lots in every town around to find a leftover 98 at a fire sale price when everyone was interested in the then new GMT800. I then proceeded to use it for work & personal, making sure it paid for itself. This was a pretty good truck overall, but trucks advanced a lot from the 80s to the 2000s, most apparent in interiors. I was doing relatively well at the time, or so I thought an upgrade should be in order. It was pretty well miled & aged out. Sold it to a guy I worked with who used it as a junker truck until it caught fire in the driveway & is no more today.
2007-2016: 2007 Ford F150. I’d advanced to a good role where I had work trucks for the field, but still kept one for personal use. The interior on these was light years ahead of the 90s crap the Sierra had & even far ahead of 2000s GM. I road tripped over most of the western half of the continent in this. Not to mention field commuting as my roles changed yet again. Even as it aged, I’d ordered it with the then ridiculously expensive navigation option (new for 07) & added a factory Sirius module with an antenna install that looked factory (not available in Canada in 07). To this day I love this truck, wish I hadn’t sold it but it was getting up there & seemed big for the city. Thought a downsize might be a good idea so sold it before I had another winter vehicle. I’d still be driving it I’m sure, had I kept it. The best vehicle I’ve owned, though the Acura was up there too.
Dad tells me this was the best Iv’e had too & I should just buy another one as they make more every day. Moving to a bigger city now though I’m really not sure another full size is right, though I’d love a redo of this truck. I also wish I’d kept the vin (maybe the dealer has records still if I make an inquiry) just so I can google it & find out what may have happened to it. Honorable mention to a 2014 F150 I had provided for my personal use by my work at the time (2014-17). My plan was to buy it used once miled out but I didn’t get the chance. A company asset sale & turbulent employment threw me into a turbulent automotive state as well.
2012-2017: 1989 Mustang. GT vert, great 3 season 2nd car. These had pretty much it the bottom of the depreciation curve then, & this one split the difference pretty well as a reasonably well kept original car that had been used enough to be relatively cheap. So the first used car I’d bought for myself. Always wanted one & now could afford the insurance. I’d moved to a small city in a newer home with a 2 car garage. Had a lot of fun with it, even tried a car show once, but I’m not really a car show guy. It did get a lot of attention on the street. Sold though once I needed a 2nd 4 season car. While I drove this in a snowstorm once, it wasn’t exactly fun. The guy that bought it turned it into a complete modification project with his daughter.
2016-2022: 2007 Acura MDX. Awesome find when heading into winter with the mustang after selling the F150. My Dad’s favorite car as this was the 2nd of 3 of them he’s had/has. While I had a short lived marriage, this poor car hauled around everybody & everything. All while being quite comfortable. Sold to my neighbor whose kids are still driving it when I no longer needed to keep 2 cars when I’m no longer married. Again, should’ve just kept it, but a 2000s car in the 2020s seems pretty outdated.
2017-2020: 1993 Explorer. Good 4 season 2nd car after the Mustang. Roles had changed yet again at work so I didn't’ really need a car often but when I did need one, I had to go in all conditions. Cheap cash purchase & did what I needed while I had it. As outdated as it seems at the time, you can sure tell how even in the 90s Fords interiors were better with better materials. Died despite low miles & being well cared for. Still, that’s >25 years old, so I have no right to complain about service life out of it. It was 2020 though & replacing the transmission didn’t seem worthwhile.
2020-2022: 2020 Explorer. Maybe another one I should’ve just kept, but it never felt like mine being bought mostly for my ex. Not exactly the most reliable car I’ve ever had, but I also stopped bugging the dealer to fix things when I’d decided I wasn’t going to keep it. Covid panic purchase when nobody felt safe to get on a plane (I used to fly for work) & the old explorer died. We needed at the time a reliable 7 passenger vehicle. These drove nicer & felt than the Durango we tried. Had I bought what I wanted (ST) in a color I chose (though nobody complains about a nice blue on a Ford), I’d still be driving it & happy about it. It just wasn’t really bought for me.
2022-2025?: 2022 Bronco Sport. Big downgrade I wasn’t expecting. My expectations for an $40K car were set by the F150 Lariat, & this is not it. It’s small & maneuverable for the city, but an incredible dinky car. THe seats are too small, the car is too small to go outside the city (but small enough to fit into every city parking lot I need). Overall the Explorer was a much better car though. I’m impressed with the off-road capabilities they managed to put into an Escape I will admit. I’m researching getting into a car I’ll want to keep long term again. Possibly going back to a truck, though it seems mostly I’d just be hauling a box of air nowadays.
So what should I be considering? Not really budget limited, I want to get a car paid for that I’m willing to take into retirement. Suitable for highway travel, but also recognizing that once I get to my destination I have to fit in a city. Ranger is about tops on my list. I want a redo of the Lariat F150 really, & hoping the Ranger could provide it in a slightly more city friendly package. For that matter, maybe I need to just go buy another F150. For size & dog hauling, maybe a refreshed explorer, though I’m waiting to see if they do a more off road styled ’tremor’ one. That would be enough for the logging roads I’d like to explore again. I love a lot of the little technology things on fords from the keypad to the appt hat doesn’t need a subscription fee. From the fact that I can choose the display units as I see fit, to taking the fob with me & locking the doors with the vehicle running. Just in case I need to take the dog with me on errands.
The only other offerings that hold a lot of appeal to me are the Toyota TNGA-F ones. I’m not sure a Tundra would be a better choice than an F150, nor perhaps a Taco over the Ranger. But If I go SUV, only Toyota has fixed roof midsize offerings with Land Cruiser & 4 Runner. The shorter length of an SUV should help with city maneuvering & is more flexible with space for the dog. Sat in a LC in the showroom & it was sure nice! Sure also expensive & perhaps not as large as I might’ve thought. I think it might hit the sweet spot of what I’m looking for though. Other than Toyota, maybe a Honda Passport once it’s out, given my positive experience with Honda’s large platform in the MDX.
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