i am interested in buying a Ranger. have not had a truck in 25 years. there are too many options. right now, i am thinking single cab, long bed, 4.0 six cylinder, & 4 WD w/automatic. good combo? am i leaving something out?


any assistance by experienced owners will be gratfully appreciated.


thanx,


j

 

i think the xlt is what you want but not sure, does the xl come with the 6?

 

No single cab 4.0L's.. unless its a special order. The XL you can get with the 3.0L. With that combo you would be stuck with the 3.0L and poor mpg and probably slower than sin with the 4wd. They don't offer very many decent combo's on any model these days. I would of bought a Escape if I didn't go with the 2.3L XL.

 

Be surprised if you could special order a Ranger at this time of year, if at all, given the typical production cycle. I'd search inventories at the dealers for the best combo of features you want and get what is the closest to what you like. There is no reason you can't drive any one you are interested in buying to check to see if it fits your needs. You might find a good deal on some used ones also.

 

so the 3.0 is not a good choice? and i should opt for the 4.0 & extended cab? what does that do for mileage? or does the extra size help by not working so hard?

i don't understand lead times for special orders; i'm too late or too far into the model year for a special order?

lotta questions, huh?

 

What are you wanting to use this truck for? And what mpg are you expecting?

 

Eric asks a good question, how you intend to use the truck greatly affects what you should buy.

Not knowing that, here are my thoughts:
-I don't like compact single cab trucks, can't get the seat far enough back, and no room for stuff inside.
-I like the XLT trim level better than XL because it comes with with a carpeted floor. Lots of guys prefer the rubber floor because it's easier to clean, but I find it to be enough louder that it really wears on me when driving hundreds of miles in a day (which I do fairly often).
-Rear sliding windows are easily worth twice what they cost.
-If you don't need 4x4 or towing capability, get the 2.3. If you do, get the 4.0 because it makes something like 50 more hp and only loses 2-3 mpg to the 3.0.
-I don't like automatic trannys in anything, but that's a personal preference and as far as I know the auto in the Ranger is a pretty decent one.

 

i need to carry small things, drive an average of 350 miles a week [mostly secondary roads 40 - 50 mph] and will need the ability to drive Out of remote driveways in bad weather. reliability is key. i have been getting by with a VW Passat wagon but would like to move up a notch in ground clearance and carrying capacity. i thought a Ranger w/cap would fit the bill. i have had a '73 F-100 w/ ??? 8 cylinder - 3 on the tree, '77 F-150 w/ 300 ci 6 & 4 speed, and a '78 F-150 w/ 302 & 4 speed [borg warner?] & 4 WD. used to get out and lock the front hubs! then in '84 i bought a Saab hatchback, and in '87 got another one and in 2000 got a Passat sedan & in '03 a Passat wagon.

probably like a lot of folks, i don't Need a pickup, i want one!

 

helpful Eric, thank you.

ps: gotta have the slush box!

 

If you are used to the passat, I think the supercab will be well worth your while. The extra heated space is really handy for all sorts of things. Plus, it let's you keep the bed for dirty things like firewood and such, while all the clean stuff can go inside.

 

Well from what i've seen 4.0's get 250-275 miles to a tank. So you'd have to fill-up twice a week at $30 a pop. If you can afford that I wouldn't hesitate to buy a 4.0 4wd Extended cab. FX4 possibly? You'd probably get better mpg at a constant 45-50. Rangers no matter what engine, tranny, body style are fairly reliable. At the security company they use them and they hardly ever go into the shop, they run 24x7 or 200k every 2-3 years depending on the account. And caps will be cheap since you could get a used one from about any year, I have a fiberglass cap from a 91 on my 06 for a small 75 bucks.

 

Unless things have changed what Ford calls the ramp up for production occurs in August so right now they are in the midst of building the trucks per their set schedules. Those do get revised based on sales trends but with just in time production and how that affects material allocation, plus other limitations the capacity for special ordering isn't what it used to be. Doesn't mean you can't ask but if you can do it you'll wait and you won't get the benefit of any incentives or other deals which may be available now. The dealers get computerized lists of what is coming off the line to them so you have that option there as well as what is on the lot. I'd be hard pressed to believe you couldn't find something exactly or very close to what you wanted without special order. If you are moving from the car to the truck I concur you'll want the space behind the cab. I totally concur with getting one with the rear sliding window, its worth more than it costs. The EPA mileage for the 3.0 and the 4.0 is actually the same for what that's worth. Ford's website has alot of information. Happy Hunting.

 

I have an 04 ranger XLT sc 4x4 with the 4.0 and manual trans, I've been getting 22 mpg mixed driving and 24 highway, the power is great, reliabilty is awesome (my 5th ranger). The supercab is great when you need it, don't really notice it when you don't. The 3.0 gets about the same mpg as the 4.0, but as the hp of the 4 cylinder, does have a little more torque than the 4. Get the sc 4x4 with the 4.0 and I think you will love it. The ranger is all truck, it rides like one, pulls like one and looks like one, it reminds me of a mini f-150, thier just an awesome truck. I get really good mpg with mine for a few reasons I believe, 1) it's a manual trans 2) I run all synthetic fluids and 3) driving style. I also have a programer and some mods, but I won't perplex your mind with that stuff. But for a supercab 4x4 with over 200 hp and 4:10 gears I think it gets great mpg. Some of the guy's with automatics still get 18- 19 city, for the kind of driving you'll be doing, I see no reason why you shouldn't be at least around 20 even with an automatic. I don't think you would regret buying a ranger, this is my 5th one and I love them. My first one was an 84, 4 banger, 4-speed and that truck sold me on rangers for life !!!!!!!!

 

i wish i got 22mpg with my 3.0 4x4 ex cab. i also with i had the hp of the 4 cyl. haha, my trucks really not bad im just not impressed with the 3.0

Matt

 

this is all very helpful and encouraging. i am a nya-nya so i need the automatic & cruise control.

Wendell, i appreciate your realization that i would surely be perplexed with the list of engine/ performence modifications... but what's "sc"....?

thanx all!