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Posted: 6/15/2009 5:40:39 AM EDT
Looks like i'm probably gonna be buying a new car between now and September. I'd like to get a small pickup truck. I'm also looking at buying a late model used vhicle. I've been looking at Tacomas, Frontiers, and Rangers. I know that the Tacoma's are nice, but they also have a nice price tag. Unfortunatly i'm having to purchase the vehicle sooner than i planned to and wont have as much to put down as i thought i would. So unless i can get a sweet deal on one, thats gonna be out. I've seen a couple Ford rangers that are a little More in my price range, but i have to admit i havnt done alot of research onto the newer fords reliability and such.
Do any Arfcommers own late model Ford Rangers? How do you like them? Lets also get some discussion going on the other models too, and should i be considering any other models? |
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What is "late model?" I don't think the basic ranger design has changed too much over the years...I just went over 300,000 with my 1995 model––it might be the best value I ever have in a vehicle. It (500 miles after the 300,000) just started to run badly...I may have to buy another used one soon as well. (can't ask for much more than 300,000 out of a gas car.
I bought it for $5000 in 1999, and it had 60,000 mi on it then. So I got 10 years and 240,000 miles for $5000. Minimal maintenance, too. (And I don't do much preventative––I wait for something to go noticeably bad, then fix it ) |
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What is "late model?" I don't think the basic ranger design has changed too much over the years...I just went over 300,000 with my 1995 model––it might be the best value I ever have in a vehicle. It (500 miles after the 300,000) just started to run badly...I may have to buy another used one soon as well. (can't ask for much more than 300,000 out of a gas car. I bought it for $5000 in 1999, and it had 60,000 mi on it then. So I got 10 years and 240,000 miles for $5000. Minimal maintenance, too. (And I don't do much preventative––I wait for something to go noticeably bad, then fix it ) late model in my mind is 2006-ish to current |
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No. It's a Ford.
A Tacoma is a much better choice in the small pickup realm. The price difference is well worth it if you don't want a POS. |
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Not new, but a few months ago I got a 1998 Ranger with 68k on it.
Good mileage so far, and even thought it has a short bed I was able to haul 7 sheets of MDO 80 miles last week with tie downs. The cab is kinda small so for big dudes it might be a little tight. Ford trucks are one of the few American made vehicles still worth a shit IMO. |
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I have a '92 which I bought new. Just turned 226,000. The fuel pump quit at 225,000. I don't have any data on the "late model" ones...
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Had a Ranger and while it wasn't too bad of a truck, I much prefer the Tacoma that I'm now driving.
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If you see a Ranger and current Tacoma side by side, you'll realize that they're not in the same class of vehicle - Tacoma isn't really 'compact' anymore.
Rangers are cheap and they've been making them forever. It's also one of the last true Compact Pick Ups left in the market. I've known alot of people with Rangers. They're good for what they are. The basic 2WD, I4 Manual model will last for a longtime. |
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I want a 4-door 4x4, but they are only available in Australia.
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Going to be looking for one myself very soon. just from letting my fingers do the walking around the web over all seems to have a pretty decent track record.
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My cousin has one. It is a 94 with about 180000 miles on it and it's still going strong.
However, I would not get one. The gas milage is not that much better than a full size Ford or Chevrolet considering how much room and towing capacity you are sacrificing. I will never buy a compact pickup. It's just not worth the trade off in my opinion. My cousin's Ranger gets 18-19 MPG on the highway and my beater 87 suburban gets 16-17 MPG. So you go to Tech eh? So do I! |
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You might consider stepping up your choice to even a larger engine, 4x4, so you'll be able to take it off road better if things start to get bad here. They probably will more than not I feel. We're just in wait mode for a serious situation in our country.
You could find a nice, older F150 4x4 and buy it straight out for cash from Craigslist. Be smart about what your buying and do your research and you'll come out good. Example even though still a V6 another |
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I'm on my 3rd Ranger, had a 92 4 cylinder automatic, which was great until it was rear ended in a hit-skip and I then traded it for a used 99 3.0 liter 6 cylinder with automatic. That one was also very good, but one day for the heck of it, I stopped at the dealers and saw a new 06 with 3.0 liter, decked out, and ended up buying it. Now this one is good too, but I just had the tie rod ends replaced and the truck only has 28,000 miles on it. I was like WTF? That sort of jerked my chain a bit. The only other issue with it, is that I don't think the gas mileage is as good as the other two had, but this one has a low rear end ratio in it, so that probably doesn't help much.
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I had a 93 that was the best vehicle I've owned and made a huge mistake when I traded it with 165k miles. My 2001 F-150 has 225k miles, and I expect the contemporary Rangers are just as durable. The fuel mileage of the new pickups is nothing to brag about, however.
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I have a 2000 ex-cab 2wd 3.0 auto I bought in '04 with 42k miles. It now has 82k miles. I've never had a single problem with it, just change the oil every 5k miles with Mobil1. I get 18-19mpg city, 23-24 hwy. I'd recommend one to anyone.
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I had a 2002 Ranger I bought new....108,000 miles not a thing wrong with it and I traded it in. Still kicking myself for that. |
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I had a 1998 Ranger 4X4 XLT extended cab with 160,000 on it. Other than replacing the clutch, a broken leaf spring and leaking heater core.....all I had were minor problems like brake jobs, batteries, Alternator, Thermostat....etc. Traded it in on a Tacoma and haven't looked back.
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I had a 03 super cab 4x4 that I really liked. Only traded it because we needed a bigger vehicle. A 4.0 with 4:10 gears will haul ass.
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I had one … fun little truck that got me around where I needed to get to for awhile. Problem with them is they are very small so if anything comes up where you need to get more than 2-3 people somewhere, you're SOL. Also the truck bed is small, so there will be some limitations on what you can haul, although I managed pretty well with mine for awhile. Good truck for a young guy with not many responsibilities and needs who needs an inexpensive, reliable, cheap to run truck IMHO.
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I liked my 2000
Quoted: I want a 4-door 4x4, but they are only available in Australia. I dont know why they won't offer that one here, they'd sell a million |
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I went from a Ranger to a Tacoma and would never go back again. The cab just plain sucked. The drivers seat broke, the door latch kept jaming. Not to mention I wacked my head a few times getting into the cab and I am 5 9.
The bed is lacking as well. You cannot fit a small 4 wheeler in it like you can with a Taco for Frontier. If you want a Ford get the f150. |
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No. It's a Ford. A Tacoma is a much better choice in the small pickup realm. The price difference is well worth it if you don't want a POS. don't be a hater......... I work on Ford's Everyday. I rarely see Rangers in for any type of mechanical failure. they are tough little trucks. If you price them, also price a full-size F150, the difference is small |
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My old man has an 86 and that fucker refuses to die, much to the old man's chegrin. It's the 2.9 V6, but only five cylinders run. It's got no ass until it warms up, it looks like hell, it gets talked down to and driven hard, but there has been very little that has gone wrong with it since he's had it. We've had the bed full of oak and it still humped it down the line, even with the V5 it's running. If Ford can make a vehicle that stands up to what we use it for, in my book, they're golden. I've also got a '92 Escort that has been really, really good.
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2002 XLT FX4 here.... Great truck, no problems..... Same here. Mine has been rock-solid, but I only have 65K on it. However, the only non-wear items I've had replace were the 4x4 computer and the cruise control (warrantee work). |
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I wish I could say I like Ford Rangers because they're awesome trucks, but I think they can be really hit and miss.
I bought my first Ranger new in 2002. After 60,000 miles, the transmission went. This was a 3.0L 4x2 Auto. Up until that point, it was a great truck, and it got great mileage for a truck. I drove around 100 miles round trip each day to work. Fellow Ranger enthusiasts said I would not have had a problem if I had the 4.0L. Different transmission which is apparently more reliable. I bought my second Ranger new in 2005. I ordered this one from the factory. Edge, 3.0L 4x2, but with a Manual. Again, I wasn't hauling anything, just going back and forth to work. I figured that if the transmission was going to go, it was going to be my fault, and not an act of God that did it. I have 80K on it, and no hiccups. Its been a great truck so far. Oh wait, I need to get the A/C looked at. So right now its open window driving for the summer. Would I get a new Ranger again? I don't know. I would more than likely get a used Ranger. I'm not too keen on the new body styles. Even with my 2005, I took off the front end and put a 02-04 4x4 grille and hood on it. |
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I just recently got rid of my 2000 Ranger and loved it. Well over 100k and the only thing i had to put in it was gas, oil and a set of tires. Never had a single issue.
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I've never understood the purpose of a compact truck. The one's with V6 engines get very little better fuel mileage than half tons with V8s. In my mind, if I was going to burn the gas, I'd get the power to go with it.
The 4 banger compact trucks do a bit better, however I don't really know anything about them. |
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Rangers are good trucks i had a 1990 2.3 5 speed that lasted for a few years till I killed it. Right now I'm trying to get my friends 94 extended cab 4.0 auto off him.
As for the Tacos watch out they have a nasty tendacy for the body to rot away within a few years. There have been recalls about it and they also got sued over it. people with a couple year old trucks were having rust holes already. |
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Had a '92 shortbox 4x4 w/ 4.0 and 5 speed.
Bought it with 145,000 on the clock for 2500, bought new tires twice for it and replaced the alternator. Ran 33's the whole time on the stock (3.73) gears w/no problems with power. Sold it a couple of years ago with 250,000 on ity for 2300, and the buyer loved it. Nick |
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I have a 1991 Ranger with 88k miles on it and it has been ok. However I think the Toyotas are the best and I think Consumer Reports says they are the best truck in the world. The problem as you note is the price. However they hold their value as a used vehicle very well so.
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Quoted:
I liked my 2000 Quoted:
I want a 4-door 4x4, but they are only available in Australia. I dont know why they won't offer that one here, they'd sell a million They're available in Mexico too. Quite popular down here. |
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Quoted:
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I liked my 2000 Quoted:
I want a 4-door 4x4, but they are only available in Australia. I dont know why they won't offer that one here, they'd sell a million They're available in Mexico too. Quite popular down here. from what i remember reading somewhere is that the 4 door ranger would compete way too much with the sport trac and f-150 crew cab. Its the same reason that honda didnt offer a 6 cyl for the CRV because it would have competed too much with the passport at the time. I think they only recently put a 6 cyl in the CRV |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
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I liked my 2000 Quoted:
I want a 4-door 4x4, but they are only available in Australia. I dont know why they won't offer that one here, they'd sell a million They're available in Mexico too. Quite popular down here. from what i remember reading somewhere is that the 4 door ranger would compete way too much with the sport trac and f-150 crew cab. Its the same reason that honda didnt offer a 6 cyl for the CRV because it would have competed too much with the passport at the time. I think they only recently put a 6 cyl in the CRV I can see that. But the Sport-Trac is one of the most grossly overpriced vehicles on the market. I priced one out in 2002 timeframe and was shocked at how much they were. |
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i have an 04 ford ranger,extended cab with the 4.0L engine ... 65k so far, and not a bit of trouble with it. it's a nice little truck for what it is, for some of the bigger guys, the cab might get a bit tight. the 4.0 Ltr engine is not the best on fuel. so far i'm happy with it. i know 3 other ppl who own rangers, diffrent years w/ diffrent engines .... all seem to like them
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I wish I could say I like Ford Rangers because they're awesome trucks, but I think they can be really hit and miss. I bought my first Ranger new in 2002. After 60,000 miles, the transmission went. This was a 3.0L 4x2 Auto. Up until that point, it was a great truck, and it got great mileage for a truck. I drove around 100 miles round trip each day to work. Fellow Ranger enthusiasts said I would not have had a problem if I had the 4.0L. Different transmission which is apparently more reliable. I bought my second Ranger new in 2005. I ordered this one from the factory. Edge, 3.0L 4x2, but with a Manual. Again, I wasn't hauling anything, just going back and forth to work. I figured that if the transmission was going to go, it was going to be my fault, and not an act of God that did it. I have 80K on it, and no hiccups. Its been a great truck so far. Oh wait, I need to get the A/C looked at. So right now its open window driving for the summer. Would I get a new Ranger again? I don't know. I would more than likely get a used Ranger. I'm not too keen on the new body styles. Even with my 2005, I took off the front end and put a 02-04 4x4 grille and hood on it. Pretty sure the Automatic in the Ranger V6 is the A4OD which is not the most robust and trouble-free box out there. The Manuals though are Mazda units and rated quite highly. |
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