Top 10 Fords of the 1990s RANKED (Trucks, SUVs, Mustangs, & More!)

Intro

Ah, the 1990s. Grunge, the fall of the Soviet Union, the rise of The Simpsons, the launch of Amazon and Google, and a slew of historic Ford trucks, SUVs, and cars. It was quite a decade. And as much as we would love to discuss our favorite Seinfeld moments, we are going to focus on some of the most important Ford products that were on sale during the 1990s.

There is no shortage of iconic Ford vehicles from this time period, but we paired the list down to just ten. And from there, we ranked them. Our ranking considers not just their overall driving excellence, but their impact on Ford and the automotive industry as a whole.

Of course, this being Ford Truck Enthusiasts, we gave the edge to truck models in our ranking (#BiasedNotBiased). However, you will find cars and SUVs on this list as well. And to be clear, every single vehicle on this list is at least a home run. But those at the top are grand slams.

10. 1991 Explorer

In 1991, Ford launched the first-generation Ford Explorer, and the automotive landscape was forever altered. Not the first SUV ever made, of course, but the Explorer made the SUV popular for families. The traditional family sedan would eventually largely be replaced by the SUV, and the Explorer was the start of it all. Also... Jurassic Park.

Of course, the Explorer was not perfect. There was the little matter of, ahem, them rolling over. But regardless of those incidents and how you feel about the SUV overall, you can’t deny the importance of the original Explorer.

9. 1997 Expedition

Our second SUV on this list is the first Ford Expedition. The Bronco was phased out because buyers were looking for more practical four-door SUVs, and the Expedition was the answer. And nearly 30 years later, it's still the answer. The Expedition had impressive and far-ranging abilities. It offers plenty of space, a comfortable interior for families, and solid towing capabilities. Not a surprise given it was built on the F-150 platform. Fuel economy wasn’t a strong suit, but if you could live with that, the Expedition offered a lot of bang for the buck.

8. 1989 – 1991 Taurus SHO

Our first car on the list is the game-changing Taurus SHO. It was first revealed in 1989, and it was a bit of a shock to everyone. A four-door sedan with a 24-valve V6 engine designed and built by Yamaha. It was good for 220 horsepower. Enough to get the Taurus to 60 mph in about 6.7 seconds and on to a top speed of 143 mph. That might not sound impressive in 2026, but in the early 1990s, this was shocking performance from a roughly $20,000 Ford sedan.

7. 1993 Mustang Cobra / Cobra R

The SVT Cobra and Cobra R were Ford's parting gifts for the Fox Body Mustang. Highlights include a 30-horsepower bump over the standard Mustang GT. Total output was now 235 horsepower. The car got disk brakes at all four corners and a revised suspension. To this day, many people believe that the Fox Body was the best Mustang generation and the Cobra models were the ultimate versions.

6. 1993 – 1997 Ranger Splash

There may not be another vehicle on this list that screams 1990s more than the Ford Ranger Splash. The brightly colored trucks with a flareside bed, stylish wheels, and a lowered suspension were designed to appeal to younger buyers. Power wasn’t really the name of the game, as the most powerful engine option was a 4.0L V6 with 160 horsepower. But this truck sold a lifestyle and made a statement. It helped drive Ranger sales during that era. From 1993-1995, the Ranger sold more than 300,000 units per year.

5. 1997 – 2004 F-150 (Tenth Generation)

Okay, enough with the fun and games, now we are getting into some more serious trucks. The tenth-generation F-150 was launched for the 1997 model year. Some people still consider this one of the best, if not the best F-150 generation ever. Motor Trend named it their truck of the year. The F-150 became more car-like in its ride and features. Ford's "Twin I-Beam" front suspension was ditched in favor of a new unequal-length control-arm suspension. But the truck was also more capable than ever.

4. 1993 – 1995 F-150 SVT Lightning

Just as the Taurus SHO was a performance car shocker, so too was the original F-150 SVT Lightning. It was often called the Mustang Cobra with a cargo bed; the SVT Lightning was fitted with a 5.8-liter V8 with a pair of GT-40 aluminum cylinder heads. The 240-horsepower truck could hit 60 mph in 7.2 seconds. It also sat on a lower suspension with more aggressive looks. These trucks were revered in their day and are collectible today.

3. 1999 – 2004 F-150 SVT Lightning

We kept flipping the rankings of the F-150 Lightning models. It is tough to beat the original because it is the original. But the second generation is just a better truck. The supercharged V8 makes over 100 horsepower more than the first-generation trucks and sprints to 60 mph in as little as 5.8 seconds. But it will still tow 5,000 pounds. It looks even more aggressive than the first generation, especially with the super cool side exit exhaust. This is one of the best Ford trucks ever.

2. 1994 – 2003 Ford HD Trucks with 7.3L Power Stroke

These were the first trucks to get the 7.3L Power Stroke engine. This is widely regarded as one of the most reliable and hard-working engines ever built. These trucks are far easier to maintain than modern diesels. They may not have the same amount of power as modern engines, but compared to other truck engines in the 1990s, these were right up there. There is only one truck that we would rank above this one.

1. 1999 F-250/F-350 Super Duty

Taking the top spot is the 1999 F-250 / F-350 models. These were the first of the Super Duty line. Yes, the term Super Duty was used before, but it was not until 1999 that Ford made a clean distinction that these were the heavy-duty trucks. To this day, the Super Duty trucks are the most respected trucks in the world. They are the most powerful and the most capable. That is why they are always in high demand and hold their value extremely well. These are the best trucks that Ford makes, and it all started in 1999 with the original Super Duty.

Images: Ford; Joe Kucinski