You're shopping two completely different trucks under one badge. The old compact Rangers (1990s-2011) earned their reputation the hard way, owners routinely push them past 300k miles on original drivetrains, fix them with junkyard parts for pocket change, and replace them with another Ranger when rust finally wins. The current midsize version (2019+) tows 7,500 pounds, rides like a car, and packs a punchy turbo four, but it's grown to F-150 dimensions at near-F-150 money, and 2021-2023 models are showing up with oil leaks and transmission hiccups while still under warranty. Buy a clean old one if you want a proven workhorse that'll outlast your career. Skip the new one unless you need modern towing and safety, and even then, you're betting on Ford ironing out first-generation kinks.
The R1T is the electric truck that drives like a sports car and rides like a luxury SUV, genuinely class-leading dynamics wrapped in a genuinely useful gear tunnel. The catch is you're buying into a startup still finding its footing: Gen 1 trucks suffer systematic 12V battery failures (some owners on their fifth replacement), service centers are scarce and slow, and Gen 2's rear door release is so poorly designed it requires panel removal in an emergency. If you love the truck enough to tolerate growing pains and can live near decent service, it's a thrilling machine; if you need Toyota-grade reliability or can't afford downtime, walk.