Ford Ranger or Mazda BT50

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › Ford Ranger or Mazda BT50 - annual sales?

slashdog

11 posts

Geek

#281581 27-Feb-2021 08:55

Hi people,

We are looking to get a very vanilla Ranger or BT50 in the next 18 months or so. Basically we are after the lowest cost 4WD, double cab, auto, 3.2L possible.

We are looking at towing a 2.5T caravan (dry)for 12-18 months. From what I have read these trucks seem like the best bet. I have considered the other types (LDV, Triton, Hilux, old Q7, M3, Jeeps), for this specific purpose the fords/Mazda’s seem like the money shot.

I’m comparing used cars and the depreciation is very mild on these trucks so I’m interested in exploring new options. We would only have the truck for 2 years and then sell up.

Do Ford or Mazda have annual sales / run outs / field day deals that I should look forward to? If so what kind of discounts are possible? When do the demos typically go on sale?

We are in Wellington - happy to pick one up where ever.

shanes

258 posts

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Lifetime subscriber

#2663299 27-Feb-2021 09:27

I've just been through a search for a new car, one of my options was a Ford Escape, I found that having a Farmlands card was worth a 9% discount. It does cost ~$500 to get a card, but seems worth it.

In the past I have also had a Ford salesman "slip" a comment that they had $5k "marketing money available for extras.

Not sure if the marketing money is still available, but it would be worth discussing the Farmlands discount along with extras.

I'm fairly sure that this time of year is the time for the runouts on the Ranger, didn't see any last year, fingers crossed for this year...

I have heard that Ford and VW are partnering up, and the new Ranger may have some form of V6 (VW) engine, I'm betting that is going to trigger a bit of a runout of old models, guess it depends on the Covid effect.

k1w1k1d

1524 posts

Uber Geek

#2663318 27-Feb-2021 11:38

BT50 is now an Isuzu DMAX.

Fred99

13684 posts

Uber Geek

#2663319 27-Feb-2021 11:55

One reason that depreciation may seem light, many of the used ones for sales have "upgrades" that weren't standard features on the base models. Ie running boards (kind of essential IMO to get in and out of the things), tray liners (also probably essential IMO), lids (very expensive) and canopies (even more expensive), tow bars (incl wiring). The total adds up to many thousands of $, probably cost much more to accessorise than buy an higher specced model to start with.

MartinGZ

359 posts

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#2663533 27-Feb-2021 22:28

I tow a 2.5 tonne caravan with the 3.2 Ranger - a great combination. Generally get 9.5-10.5 l/100 km running around, 17 l/100 km when towing the van.
In the past, I've gone for ex-demonstrators, but when I bought this one new 2.5 years ago, I got it cheaper (including options) than an ex-demonstrator. Speaking to sales a few months ago, I got the impression discounts aren't quite as forthcoming at the moment, but there's no harm in asking.
BTW, although I've not met anyone using them for towing, the 2.2 bi-turbo is well thought of.

Nokia 6110, 6210, 6234, Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1, Huawei Ideos X5 (Windows Mobile), Samsung Galaxy SIII, LG G4, OnePlus 5, iPhone Xs Max (briefly), S21 Ultra. And I thought I hadn't had many phones - but the first one around 1997.

Linux

11428 posts

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#2663655 28-Feb-2021 10:39

Get a Mazda BT50 Ford Ranger drivers are the biggest A holes on the road

Scott3

3970 posts

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#2665673 28-Feb-2021 12:59

The ranger is expected to get an mid cycle refresh soon. (launched late 2021, available for purchase late 2022 - May be delayed somewhat).

https://www.carsguide.com.au/car-news/2022-ford-ranger-what-we-know-so-far-about-the-new-toyota-hilux-rival-and-volkswagen-amarok

3.2 Diesel is expected to be dropped from the lineup, So if you specifically want that, you will need to buy before that, or pick up a run out vehicle.

Regarding people suggesting other utes, The ranger has an approximately 100mm longer wheelbase than the rest of the thai built utes (rear axle further back), which is good for towing stability, and distributing weight between the two axles. This makes it an obvious pick for this application. Main downside of using the thai built utes for heavy towing is the long rear overhang, and the ranger is best in class in this regard.

Should note that the cab+ version of the ranger has 100mm less rear overhang than the double cab, so would be better if OP could get away with it.

Should be aware that in the ranger top gear(s)? Can't be used while towing heavy stuff. (Always use S mode while towing heavy).

And with, as with all the thai built utes the GCM is 6000kg, so despite being rated for 3,500kg towing, this amount is only accessible with the tow vehicle pritty much empty, so in most use cases, 3000kg is the real world limit.

OP's 2000kg dry caravan, could well be something like 2500kg with tank's full & loaded for touring. Well within the limits above, but close enough to treat the situation with respect.

Obviously something bigger like a (now sold out) Landcruiser 200 would be a better tow vehicle than a ranger, but it comes in at over double the cost.

In general double cab utes are designed to have roughly half their payload (five adults) in the cab. Tow-bar is well behind the rear axle so Hitching up a trailer with something like a 250kg nose weight, and putting a bunch of stuff in the tray can have the rear axle near it's limit, while reduce the load on the front axle. Moving weight in the ute forward in this situation is very desirable.

Also a rear suspension upgrade could be considered to manage rear sag. Terrain tamer parabolic leaf springs are available for this model and may well be worth a look, along with upgraded shock's.

Scott3

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#2665735 28-Feb-2021 13:59

To answer the initial question, Both ford and mazda are known for giving out substantial discounts on list price.

As somebody else has mentioned Ford have a partnership with farmlands, and offer farmlands shareholders a very substantial discount.

Ford typically they have a very well hyped farmlands sale annual.

Just about every car brand has run-out deals if they have excessive stock on hand to clear when a updated version is released. Often this will cheery pick particular model variants. Should note that in some circumstances they will decide it is best just to store the new arrivals and not release them for sale until most of the units have moved at normal pricing. If you don't like the updated product, there is a risk that the vehicle will sell out prior to hitting run out sales (the Land cruiser 200 would be an example of this. All sold out in NZ with no more expected in NZ. Release of the 300 series still months away)

This is an example of a 2019 ranger run-out deal. I don't think 2019 even had a refresh...: http://www.ponsonbyrugby.co.nz/newsarticle/85154

As a closing comment, Covid-19 had really shaken up the vehicle market.

Used cars out of japan are more expensive (despite our high currency)
Supply chain issues (car computer chips being the latest issue) and freight / port issues mean less new cars are turning up.
Inability to travel internationally has left money in the pockets of people, some of which have chosen to spend it on a car upgrade. - Brands with a high portion of sales to private individuals like Mazda had moved a lot of product.
No international tourists means that rental companies are selling down fleets & getting less or no new cars.
Higher end lifestyle vehicles have gone gangbusters, especially in the used market. Things like used landcruiser 70 / 80 /100 / 105 /200 series are commanding big money in the used market compared to a couple of years back. I imagine the nicer Thai built utes are in a similar spot. In terms of new lifestyle vehicles it is widely reported that the brands have less stock on hand than normal and as such are less willing to discount. Something like the new shape Suzuki Jimny still has a long wait list despite having been out for roughly 2 years.

It is unclear how the market is going to react as we come out of the pandemic, but it is looking to still be at least a year before we open up international tourism.

When you have decided it is a good time to proceed, phone a whole bunch of different dealer's to check their offerings. A family member brought a new Mazda early last year. Local dealer offered a substantial discount off list price, and he phoned an Auckland dealer to price check. Auckland dealer offered a more recent model (few extra features) for something like $2k less, which the local dealer ultimately matched. Very much worth the time to make that phone-call.