Overview & Reviews

They say that in the event of Armageddon, the only thing to survive will be cockroaches. Well, there's a good chance you'd see some old Ford Rangers cruising around, too. This compact pickup truck soldiered on with relatively few revisions for nearly three decades. Of course, there were styling and interior overhauls over the decades, but the platform and most mechanicals underneath it all were practically Jurassic. Even those styling and interior updates dated back to the 1990s.

Older Rangers aren't quite as out of date compared to competitors of similar age. And given its wide choice of trim styles and lower pricing than comparable Japanese rivals, a well-maintained late-model Ford Ranger could be a good choice for a used pickup, provided you don't need a lot of passenger capacity or horsepower. But if you're looking for a relatively new used compact or midsize pickup, the Ford Ranger pales in comparison to other trucks with their more powerful engines, roomier crew-cab body styles and greater overall refinement.

Used Ford Ranger Models
The most recent generation of the Ford Ranger was produced from 2001 through 2011 and typically came in four different flavors: XL, XLT, Sport, and the off-road-oriented FX4. Depending on the year, there were also the monochromatic Edge, sporty STX and sound system-centered Tremor. Only standard and extended cab body styles were offered, as there was still no crew cab version.

Engine selection consisted of a 2.3-liter four-cylinder, a 3.0-liter V6 (until 2009) and a 4.0-liter V6. Output of the smaller engines varied slightly depending on year, with the 2.3 making 135-143 horsepower and the 3.0 making 148-154 hp. The 4.0 made 207 hp. Transmission choices included a five-speed manual and a five-speed automatic for all engines, though initially the 4.0-liter V6 came only with the automatic.

Although nimble on- and off-road due to its true compact size, even this latest version of the Ranger was seriously dated in terms of features and available body styles. While its midsize rivals offered roomy crew-cab (four-door) models, more modern features and much more powerful V6 engines, the Ranger made do with standard and extended-cab configurations only, and relatively low-tech power plants.

The second generation of the Ranger ran from 1993 through 2000. Styling was less blocky than the first-gen truck and the cabin was likewise updated with less angular forms. Standard and extended cab body styles were offered, but they were joined by a stylish, flareside bed version dubbed the Splash. Under the hood was the expected choice of a four- or six-cylinder engine. Notable changes throughout this generation are the availability of four-wheel antilock brakes in 1995, a five-speed automatic transmission (versus four-speed) for V6 models in '97 and freshened styling for '98.

Introduced for 1983, the Ford Ranger started life as a standard-cab, four-cylinder compact pickup truck with a choice of two bed lengths. The mid-'80s saw the introduction of the extended-cab body style known as the "SuperCab," which offered jump seats that were best left to kids. The Ranger continued through the early '90s with minor upgrades to the powertrains and small cosmetic changes.

User Reviews:

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  Gas Mileage - 2001 Ford Ranger
  By Adam - November 22 - 1:38 pm

  This is overall a pretty good truck, a little underpowered with the 3.0L but still pretty dependable. The only shortfall is the gas mileage. Stop and go eats gas, and if going 70 on the interstate it gets about 16.5 mpg. A little more room in the cab would help, backseat for kids only. Ride is a little stiff, but put a load on it and it rides great, of course. Just a smaller version of the F-150 with a 3.0L.

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  Traded in the Toyota Tacoma - 2006 Ford Ranger
  By Dean - November 19 - 10:46 pm

  I purchased a 2006 Toyota Tacoma because of all the rave expert reviews. I traded it in less than a year for the much lower rated Ford Ranger 2006. Why? The Ranger is the best market value - simply put you get more truck for the money. Another reason, cosmetic toughness - breath on Tacoma and it scuffs. Everything feels cheap. 18 years of engineering refinement in my opinion has made the Ranger rock solid. Don’t pay attention to the experts. They most likely don’t own the vehicles they recommend.

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  Best value & great seat comfort - 2005 Ford Ranger
  By mikesurf - November 18 - 10:47 am

  Yes, the Ranger is an old design, but its also a good design. This is a truck, not a luxury car, and it is not meant to be a luxury car. However, it does have the most comfortable seats I have ever experienced--they actually support a guys shoulders, which almost no other vehicles seats do. I like the style, particularly the two tone cloth seats which give the truck a sporty look. Engine performance is adequate, and seems very quiet at cruise. A fine truck, and thousands less w/ Ford incentives than any Japanese brand truck.

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  Quality and Value come together - 2004 Ford Ranger
  By SuperMegStar - November 10 - 11:06 pm

  I was looking for just a simple truck to haul stuff with-nothing fancy. I saw an ad for a Ranger, and thought I would check it out. The price was right, and I got more features than I could have imagined. It is a simple car with lots of guts. It sits nicely and is really fun to drive. It looks like 4WD. Gas mileage is surprisingly good!

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  The perfect Midsize pickup - Fun truck - 2006 Ford Ranger
  By Len Durst - November 7 - 8:53 am

  I bought the yellow Ford Ranger with the super cab. It is my retirement present. It is so much fun to drive and has plenty of power. It is a solid midsize pickup truck. Great body and great engine. I had a Toyota truck before, but this is a real truck with great engineering and great lines. My wife loves the truck also. The Ford Ranger 4x is the perfect truck for man or woman drivers.

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  Reliable - 1994 Ford Ranger
  By Tim - November 6 - 4:46 pm

  It is a reliable truck. 2.3L great gas mileage. I get 28 to 30 mpg! But it goes from 0-60 in a like 3 minutes. No power what so ever even though it is a 2wd. I cant figure out why it needs 8 spark plugs in a 4cylinder? It only has 98hp.

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  fx4 II - 2003 Ford Ranger
  By russ123 - November 6 - 2:00 am

  Beat it up it can take it

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  Nice Truck - 2004 Ford Ranger
  By Green - November 4 - 3:46 pm

  After owning this truck for just over two years, I am loyal to Ford. I really like the performance and handling of the truck. It is a sharp looking vehicle, as well. I would buy again, except I plan on upgrading to an F-150 or better.

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  Could be better - 2006 Ford Ranger
  By Harper - November 2 - 2:02 pm

  Nice truck for small tasks. Rides decent on the road and has enough power to romp on it when you need it. The interior lacks any kind of impressive style as well as getting anything in or out of the super cab is a pain since the seat only comes up so far and there is no suicide door. Also stereo could use a little work.

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  Never again! - 2001 Ford Ranger
  By tetread_99 - November 1 - 11:27 am

  Owned this Ranger a little over 2 yrs. 76 K miles when purchased. Terrible build quality and reliability. Currently 100K miles and the transmission is shifting hard and O/D Off light is flashing. Power locks work intermittently, were fixed 1 year ago and started happening again. Wipers only complete half cycle and stop in middle of window. They were fixed a year ago and problem is happening again. Ford should be liable for putting out this kind of product. I will never buy another Ford again. Vehicle is expensive to own, 3.0 litre engine is terrible on gas (16 mpg) and extremely sluggish.