int/exterrior looks good, manual/stick shifts nice,good low hp,four doors A+, compact truck +, tach-has one, seat

not very good exeleration, BAD milage, it died on me while driving today (4 times ),antenna sucks,noisy seal on drivers side door.

4.0l v6 is smooth though it twitches at idle why?- and the air conditioner wasn't on.poor accelerration, mostly in higher gears, and at higher altatudes( fuel inj.?) just over 1000. mi and today it died on me four times while driving . pretty sure it's not bad gas either!! just cut off. Once on an offramp, - wow!
4wd it very tight esp. in low. Nice truck, tight all around,so nice it doesn't seem American!over passes 5000. ft+ sucks, but a pathfinder(93') didn't do any better, maybe a little worse.
As I listed,my buying price was just under $16,000. for a 2001'Ranger, 4x4, four door, v6 4.0 L , cd,air,foglights,4.10 gears,and they are adding rear slidding window, and cruise control AT NO COST. I did lease in case you're wondering after 24 mo. payoff is under 12,000. and love the $98. payments since i need it for ga$$! overall rating is more like a 3.3 stars.

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Good looks, reliable, nice ride on decent surface, split bench seat very comfortable on long trips.

4.0 needs more power (like the new ones). Poor power to gas mileage ratio. Avg 15-16 mph around town. 17-21 hwy. Wouldn't be able to tow anything bigger than an aluminum fishing boat. Auto trans has ALWAYS had a shifing problem at low speeds, causing driveline whiplash. A/C kind of weak since new.

At 235,000 miles I've had very few problems. Change the oil every 5000, always have the tranny and boxes serviced regularly. Never expected to own it this long, but it just keeps on ticking. Looks and drives like new. Thought the tranny would fall out by now in light of the wierd shifting habits it has. Never minded the gas milage but now that regular is heading back up to $2 (or maybe a lot higher) it's starting to hurt. Always get about 60,000 miles to a set of tires. Have NEVER had the front end aligned.....still drives true, no odd tire wear.
Bottom line........for a midsize pick up, I'd buy another one just like it. BUT.....why can't they put a little diesel engine in them which would make as much or more useful power and get twice the fuel mileage? They could, they just don't.

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Toyota 2 wd. It was bulletproof, but so seems to be the Ranger. Go figure!!!!

Not bad little sound system. Great gas mileage. Handles great.

Not enough horse power! At high speeds it vibrates. Driveshaft made out of aluminum. Gear ratio is not good between 3rd and 4th. No tach. Has NO get up and go in 4th or 5th, or any gear.

Trying to climb a West Virgina mountian, you have to down shift about two gears. I had my truck for less than a year and twisted the drive shaft. I was trying to go up this little hill to go hunting, and the driveshaft just twisted and broke into two pieces. If you live in the city, or just like to drive on flat roads than this is the truck for you. If you live in the country and have hills around, look for a Chevy Z71!

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To a volkswagon, its not a bad little truck.

Powerful motor, good looks, comfortable on longer highway trips, lower interior noise at cruising speeds when compared to other small trucks

Gas mileage, inaccurate fuel guage, some miniature radio controls are hard to find while trying to watch the road, noisy engine at idle

Overall, a good truck so far (just passed 1,000 miles). The new 4.0 liter has sufficient power, but is a bit noisy at idle and could deliver a bit better mileage, in my opinion. The automatic is very smooth upon steady acceleration but is a bit harsh at lower speeds requiring frequent up/downshifting. The biggest problem is the inaccurate fuel guage. It shows nearly empty when there is actually about 5 gallons left in the tank. Apparently, from reading other reviews, this is a common problem. I have not done any towing or off-roading yet, so I can't report on those areas. Bottom line is it is a good looking small truck that I feel is sturdy and, if like my '97 Ranger, very durable. Test drive a Ranger 4.0 liter before you buy the S-10, Tacoma or Frontier.

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1997 Ranger

this truck ran like a rolex until a rollover killed it off

2.3l engine ok for the flats and around town but not enought umph for mountain driving

my son and a friend survived a multiple rollover at 70 mph and came out without a scratch! every body panel was destroyed but the cab stayed in tact and the doors with the steel i-beams held the doors shut. the safety design of the truck was evident. the cab had only minor deflection and the ranger is rated as one of the safest small trucks on the road. i own two of them now and love driving them for their great fuel economy. i get 24mpg with a 2000 base model and 20 with a 1999 extended cab with the 3.0 engine. the only complaint i have is that the rear doors will squeak when the cab is twisted going into driveways. if you want dependable transortation at a reasonable cost go for the base model. you can get them for around $10600 out the door if you are willing to shop around for a deal.

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i also have a 1999 extended cab xlt and the doors on the extended cab squeak at times the standard cab is tight as a drum

Great look.
The inside looks nice and good space for not being extanded cap
Great with gas, due to the 8 sparkplgs.

Not steady on the road when taking a turn, even just goes oevr something, trucks' his a#$ is all over the place, very dangerous.
When driving in the rain, also very dangerous.
Bearings need to be change!

I like the truck, but not the way it drives some times, gives you that strange feeling of "what is will happen now?"

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First truck

Reliable, 94,000 miles & I have only had to do the normal maintenance: new tires, brakes, battery, and change the oil & air filter. I wish I had bought the 4.0L V6 engine.

The center console latch broke, the instrument panel lights burned out. 4 cyl. engine could use more torque (but gets good gas mileage).

This is a good truck for hauling light loads. I am a bicyclist & they are the most common cargo. Get the 4.0L V6 engine if you want more power. I understand that the gas milage is not much lower. I find that I have the pedal to the floor most of the time with the 4 cylinder (Texas is big), so I can imagine my mileage is not typical for this engine.

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Dodge Ram

reliable, good gas mileage, sharp looking truck when cleaned up.

lathargic engine(2.3L) interior room, strange electrical design

Could use a more powerful engine, and a few more inches of interior space. Despite the weak 2.3L engine, my truck pulled a trailer weighing about 3500lbs 50 miles (granted the engine and clutch strained heavily) none to less it pulled it and asked for more. Only 3 major problems with my truck, blown clutch at 65k, steering column locked up at 77k and oil pump went at 88k. with routine matience and never missing an oil change, the ford ranger is by far and away the best small pickup out there. compared to the s-10 the ranger is a better seller, more reliable and in my opinion looks better.

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Chevrolet s-10

has good pick up i can keep up to those V8 chevys, good on gas, handles good.

That problem with the dome light staying on isn't a problem for me, i also have an alarm with the dome light supervision so when i turn the key off the light comes on because of the alarm.

I love my truck the ont thing that is pissing me off is it is so hard to lower the ranger, (fords bright idea of I-BEAMS )

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beats my old 91 plymouth sundance with the 2.2L on gas

Nice riding truck even on longer trips. A lot better in the mud with Kelly Safari tires on it. Good stero with c/d and tape player. Overall it has a nice 4x4 look to it. Held up well in a high speed wreak into a tree. it's been repaired and is better then new. It had a posi-traction rear end put in it.

Factory tires were awful (firestone) They had poor traction, which was the major cause of wreaking it. Gas mileage is poor for the most part. 4.0 is alright but bigger engine would be a nice option. Water dripping in the rear sliding window is a down fall. (when its open) The sport bucket seat is weak its been replaced twice and its broke again.

I would buy another Ranger xlt. The off road and towing package along with the 4.0 and 4.10 gears make it a strong runner for its class. Few minor problems but it has taken a good beating in the first 36,000 miles. Does well in the mud as long as the firestone tires have been replaced.

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