Ford ranger

[DCIV]

What’s everyone thoughts on the new ford ranger? Seems like you can tow 7,000 with the top one. That might make it so I could get rid of the avalanche. I really like the 2019 f150 v6 though. Can tow a lot more. But dang they are big. I think I would have trouble getting it in my garage given the hill. The ranger inside looks smaller than my escape and it’s hard hauling two kids in that as is.

Originally I thought about the bronco sport. As it’s an escape with a diff outside. But it would leave me in the same spot. Good transportation but that’s all it is. Maybe that’s all I need though.

Just keeping an eye on things and know some of you really keep up with how things are working real world.


Coop

[alienviking]

Ok so this makes me curious - what is difficult about two kids in the Escape? I know things are done different here than back home, but we always went on road trips and drove to week long cabin trips in a Volvo 240 sedan with 2 kids and a dog in the back seat.. I guess because of that I always struggle with how people say they always need more space.

I really am curious btw.

I was truck shopping before I got the Jeep. Made me realize just how huge the half tons are now. I park frequently in parking garages (daily for the gym and frequently downtown for events) and I think I would hate using one for that. I see them at the gym parked and they stick way out into the driving lane of the garage.

[Duck Vader]

New rangers are small inside. At least for me. Been a couple of years since I was in one but it was cramped and very uncomfortable for me. No way I'd be able to handle kids in it.

Then again I feel cramped in my outback at times and it's huge inside really. Doesn't help I'm huge but I only ever truly feel really comfortable in American full size trucks and suvs. That and I'm claustrophobic.

[DCIV]

Ok so this makes me curious - what is difficult about two kids in the Escape? I know things are done different here than back home, but we always went on road trips and drove to week long cabin trips in a Volvo 240 sedan with 2 kids and a dog in the back seat.. I guess because of that I always struggle with how people say they always need more space.

I really am curious btw.

I was truck shopping before I got the Jeep. Made me realize just how huge the half tons are now. I park frequently in parking garages (daily for the gym and frequently downtown for events) and I think I would hate using one for that. I see them at the gym parked and they stick way out into the driving lane of the garage.

I think it’s car seats honestly. So even in the avalanche my 5yr old in her car seat can’t can move her legs without it hitting my seat. I’m 5’10’’. I don’t have the seat all the way back. That’s a full size. So it’s gotta be car seats. If they were out of them they would have a lot more room. My escape is barely big enough right now.


Coop

[aaronatstate]

Ok so this makes me curious - what is difficult about two kids in the Escape? I know things are done different here than back home, but we always went on road trips and drove to week long cabin trips in a Volvo 240 sedan with 2 kids and a dog in the back seat.. I guess because of that I always struggle with how people say they always need more space.

I really am curious btw.

I was truck shopping before I got the Jeep. Made me realize just how huge the half tons are now. I park frequently in parking garages (daily for the gym and frequently downtown for events) and I think I would hate using one for that. I see them at the gym parked and they stick way out into the driving lane of the garage.

I mean I think a big part of it in the unibody crossovers (like the Bronco Sport and Escape), the doors are extra thick for safety, and it really eats into the interior space.

Also, Americans do really take a lot more (read too much) stuff on road trips. I've had both kids in my RS a few times, and it's tight for sure. The rear facing car seat is right up against the front seat in my seating position, and the forward facing car seat has to have the passenger seat moved up some for the kid to have leg room. Car seats have gotten bigger too, again for safety, so they are tighter fits in smaller cars now too.

I would not want to deal with 2 kids in an Escape on a daily basis (since it's similar interior size to a Focus), and definitely not on a road trip unless I absolutely had to. The Explorer is a good size for 2 kids though in my opinion. And I drove my buddies 2020 F150 3.5 EcoBoost again this weekend, and man it's massive compared to my Focus. Goes like hell with the tune he has on it though

[DCIV]

Yeah. I’m dealing with two kids in an escape daily and it’s not fun.


Coop

[Chris GTO TT]

Yeah I'll agree with Aaron and Coop car seats have gotten huge and interiors have shrunk. The 3 in 1 seat we have from Costco when in it's rear facing mode takes a huge amount of room. It fits in my parents 2014 Expedition, but it's on the snug side. The outback has a bit more distance between the seats so it fits a little better. Once we move our youngest to forward facing in a few months car options get a lot better.

[DCIV]

Outback is on the list of vehicles to look and drive. Is it sporty at all? I consider the escape to be fun to drive and I really don’t want to go back from that. My crv was not sporty….at all. Nice to hear about the room.


Coop

[Chris GTO TT]

I feel like the outback strikes a good balance between comfort and fun driving dynamics, but the non-turbo version isn't quick or fast by any shakes of the imagination. One of the things I like about Subaru is their flat engine configuration gives them a more planted feeling than other non-sport version of other SUVs

[Duck Vader]

Look at either the xt or wilderness if you go with subaru outback. First drive a NA then get in a turbo. See what you think. Once I drove the wilderness with the turbo I was sold.

[alienviking]

Interesting to hear about the car seats and interiors. I have seen what some friends pack for even short trips with kids and I just can't help but laugh at it a bit haha.

[aaronatstate]

Interesting to hear about the car seats and interiors. I have seen what some friends pack for even short trips with kids and I just can't help but laugh at it a bit haha.

I will say we definitely overpacked all the time, but car seats are HUGE now compared to what they used to be, all in the name of safety and for good reasons. But it makes trying to get them into smaller interior cars a challenge. Heck even in the Explorer, Austin's forward facing car seat is in the 3rd row, and the 2nd row captains chair has to be moved slightly forward to give him the leg room. Addison's rear facing car seat is behind the drivers seat in the Explorer, and if you move the driver seat all the way back, it hits the car seat, and the captains chair it is in, is slid all the way back.

So 2 of the rear 3 seats in the Explorer (other seat in 3rd roll is folded down) have these extra large car seats in them and eat into the interior space a lot. When we go to Michigan next (probably end of July sometime), we'll move Austin to the middle row with Addison, and we'll see how that does (he rides in the 3rd row so Ashley's mom can ride around with us easily).

[DCIV]

Interesting to hear about the car seats and interiors. I have seen what some friends pack for even short trips with kids and I just can't help but laugh at it a bit haha.

Yes, we do over pack. I’m always like….really? All of this? But you use it once and are like…well, I’m glad I brought it.


Coop

[ChargerX3]

Thats why everyone is buying full size trucks with king cabs. Everything fits.

[alienviking]

And none of them have any f'ings idea of how to drive those huge monsters. Saw yet another idiot in one today - the typical 4 door half ton with huge chrome wheels that has never seen a load in the back or pulled anything in its life. Driver had no clue how to drive it.

[DCIV]

You know. I’ve been one other place outside of the US, they drove way worse. It was two lanes, marked….they didn’t care. 3 wide. No one cared about signals or stop signs. It was just everyone for themselves.

So yes, we have a ton of bad drivers….but I would still say better than at least Italy.


Coop

[alienviking]

I've driven on 3 continents (in places like Auckland, Sydney, Rome, Paris, Amalfi Coast, Budapest etc) and I have never been more nervous than I am in Richmond. Beth noticed the same thing when we moved here. The reason is that in places like Rome and Paris you KNOW everyone drive a certain way. Here you have two kinds of drivers: The overly cautious ones who merge onto a highway going 45 and create so many dangerous situations from how careful they are - and the idiots who treat every road like a Nascar track. There is nothing in between and you never know what kind of driver pulls out in front of you. And I have NEVER seen as many people run red lights like they do here. I warn everyone who has come to visit us (American or tourist) and they all agree with me after having driven here. Red lights means accelerate here and not a day goes by even on my short commute where I don't see an accident caused by it. Pure stupidity.

Large trucks owned by suburbia middle aged male dwellers is a pet peeve of mine. They have no clue where the corners of the truck are or how to drive it. I've been hit by one on the bike before because he was clueless about how wide it was and just watching them drive around is pathetic.

Don't even get me started on the driving education and tests here.. Norway can improve in a lot of areas but in that area we got it nailed.

[aaronatstate]

Driving in Richmond sounds like driving in Arkansas. I'm astonished by the amount of people who run red lights here as well. When I was in Michigan last week to visit my mom, no one really runs red lights up there.

Interesting thing about Michigan though, you have to go through drivers ed. 1, which involves classroom and on road instruction before you get your learners permit. Then with your stage 1 learners permit you can only drive by yourself during the daytime. If you want to drive at night or with other people in the car, an adult needs to be with you in the front seat. After a period of time (mine was from summer to fall) you take drivers ed. 2, which is just additional classroom instruction. Then you get your second level learners permit, where you can drive by yourself at any time, and have up to 1 other person in the car that is not an adult (if I remember right). Finally before you get your license you need to take an on road driving test. Once you pass this, then you can finally get your license.

In Arkansas, you get your learners permit at 15 and can drive with your parents until your 16. You take some joke of a written and driving test and then you can get your license, that's it. And it really shows as drivers down here are way worse then they are in Michigan.

[alienviking]

I was in shock when I moved to TX and took the written and driving tests there. Took me literally a couple of minutes to do the multiple choice written test and the driving test was one tiny 5-8 minutes loop around the neighborhood. Or when I added on the motorcycle license and since I spent a weekend doing a safety class I didn't even have to do a driving test. Wtf.

[Chris GTO TT]

Oh my particularly favorite bad driver is the one who merges on the freeway at 45 and then accelerates to 85.