Lucas Bell 
The Ford Ranger may have just returned to the U.S. market in 2019, but the truck we see on dealer lots has been sold in other markets for a while now. Despite receiving what is essentially a recycled product, American buyers have fallen in love with the mid-size pickup. The Ranger has managed to outsell GM’s Colorado and Canyon twins, as well as the Jeep Gladiator, during Q2 2020. Ford Ranger buyers aren’t just ordering trucks however, they’re optioning them up as well.
“Ranger customers love appearance packages,” Ranger Marketing Manager Chad Callander told MC&T in an interview. “ We have the Black Appearance Package, Sport Pack, Chrome Pack… those different appearance packages make up 75 percent of our sales… customers really gravitate to accessories as well. The other feature that sells well in the Ranger space is the existing FX packages. Nearly a third of sales are those packages.”
Ford has rolled out a suite of options and packages for their mid-size offering, and it appears their customers just can’t help themselves. Perhaps this isn’t the most surprising revelation in the world, as pickup trucks and customization have always gone hand in hand. However, the segment-leading Toyota Tacoma only comes with a single optional appearance package from the dealer, and yet it manages to outsell the Ford nearly 2:1. Maybe the Ranger’s relatively new customer base were unsatisfied with the lack of customizability on offer from Toyota.
Whatever the reason behind it may be, it is a little odd that only 25 percent of Rangers sold comes without one of the optional appearance packages. One could make the argument that a stock Ford Ranger is truly the most unique option in the lineup at this point. Or maybe that the Ranger just looks a bit too plain in stock form.
