Good gas mileage (22 on highway), easy to service

Way too high power to weight ratio, uncomfortable, lousy paint job. Buy the 3.0 engine and keep yourself out of trouble.

Purchased Xcab, 4.0 V-6, auto with about 60K miles on it. Very rough riding and not too comfortable on long trips even with extended cab. Factory CD player went bad shortly after I purchased truck. The paint started to fade probably due to the very hot Oklahoma sun. My major gripe is that the truck is almost dangerously overpowered - and this is from a guy who used to own a Sunbeam Tiger. You can break the rear end loose in dry weather and if its a little wet or icy you'll be doing donuts if you so much as look wrong at the gas pedal. I know that pickups aren't sports cars, but I've owned a Nissan King Cab, Chevy S-10, and full size Chevy and none of them are as squirrely as the Ranger.

very comfortable, lots of power, looks great, very dependable, good gas mileage

none

bought it new for 11,000 it was worth every penny

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S-10 peice of trash, I will never own a chevy again

Good ride, good power for small V6 (2.8), generally dependable when not stung by major weakness (see below).

Bad heads. Machine shops tell me the 2.8 V6 is notorious for cracking heads. Sucks gas (15-18mpg), side mirrors won't stay put, electronic ignition module seems to have problems (class-action suit).

Ok, well somebody has to write about the old Rangers! I bought this in '95 with 105k miles on it for $1500 - didn't think I could lose at that price. It performed well for 3 years until the catalytic converter backed up exhaust gasses which melted the smog equipment, the steering box started leaking, the a/c compressor froze up and the heads cracked. Will probably cost more than it's worth to make all the repairs, so will probably junk it. It gave me 90,000 miles of service which averages to about 1.7 cents per mile (based solely on the purchase price), so I'm not complaining too much. You buy an old truck and you don't expect perfection.

If you're considering an old V6 Ranger, in '86 the engine was improved (2.9L) and they got rid of the carburetor (another source of frustration for me), but do your homework.

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None

very well built,strong little 4cyl,seat are comfortable,perfect for a little truck,VERY fun to drive

none

I paid $6,700 in 1993 and it was worth every penny.My Ranger is a very reliable truck. I got 110,000 miles on her and she cranks up with no problem today.I have put my truck through heck and back. I would highly recommend Ford Ranger to anyone wanting to buy a truck or a dependable vehicle.

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S-10 doesn't compare at all,Toyota is to much like a car,Dakota boring to drive

Size, Dependablity, Build Quality

Could use more power

I bought this truck used for 13k in '98. It had 36k miles on th odometer. I was able to check it out before the dealer had a chance to 'prep' the vehicle. No Oil leaks or seeps and everything was tight and in place. I purchased an extended warranty with the truck and so far have only had to replace the coil ( it became a V4 for a day) and faulty Door Ajar Sensors. All were covered by the warranty. I modified the Airbox and added a K&N filter, added a modified computer module and a cat-back dual exhaust. The 4.0 really sings now. A spray on bedliner, tonneau cover and sports rack over the tonneau cover to carry mtn bikes and skis conplete the upgrades. This is my daily driver and off-road toy. I'm VERY hard on vehicles and this truck has taken my abuse and continues to perform well. Oh yeah, it hauls lots of stuff too (thats what the bed liner is for) I've hauled multiple basketcase motorcycles without any problems. As for the complaints about the rearend being rather loose... spend about 10-15 dollars and buy 3-4 bags of playground sand at Toys-R-Us and put in the bed over the rear axle. The improvemnet in the ride is amazing.

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S-10, Toyota Tacoma

4.0 engine really has alot of pickup, honestly I wouldn't recommend one without it. The XLT package is great, carpet interior and very comfortable bucket seats. Lots of room with the supercab.

Gas mileage isn't good though; 16.5 around town and about 17.5-18 highway tops. Also engine seems to be noisier then most, but not a mechanical problem.

Great truck overall, will probably buy another unless price exceeds Dakota V8 4x4. Highly recommend unless you are in need of a more gas efficient vehicle. I will only recommend the 4.0 with supercab, anything else you are wasting your money, and for a couple of additional bucks, why not?

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Nissan p/u
Chevy S10

Gas mileage, look, comfort, performance

$13,000 (CDN) I would recomend this truck for any one that is looking for a small truck. For the price you are paying you are getting a great truck. I have the 4cyl engine, it is pretty weak, but if I was loking for high performance than I would have bought a bigger engine. I put in a KN air filter $55.00, (CDN) it made a noticble difference, a little bit of power, but it basically made acelerating alot quicker and smoother.
There is alot you can do with this truck with accesories. My truck has a bug visor, tinted rear and side windows, truck box, spray in bed liner. So if you are looking for a small truck I would recommend the Ford Ranger.

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1989 chev s-10, there is not alot to compare on. The S-10 was alot older than my Ranger.

V6 4.0L is very strong. Lots of torque. Comfortable cabin especially since I am 6'7" Looks good. Excellent price. Also has a nice CD/Tape/Radio unit.

Poor mileage. I struggle just to get 18mpg on highway. Rides rough and is noisy. Window chatters when lowering. Wnet through factory tires real fast 31k.

Paid about $18K right off the delivery truck. So the price is right. I would recommend the truck, but I would also recommend the midsize Dodge because it is smoother and gets better mileage. The Dodge is much slower and does not have the quickness (unless you spring for the V8 option).

My job gives me the oppurtunity to drive a variety of the trucks that are in our fleet. Unfortunately the Ranger is not used alot because of its poor mileage. Figure if you will waste the gas then drive the F150.

However, personally, the low price makes the truck much more enjoyable. A testimony to that is the large number of Rangers in the personal vehicle parking lot at work.

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96 Explorer, 99 S10, F150, Dodge RAM 1500,

The styling, the look of the truck, considerably comfortable seats, easy to reach controls, it WAS fun to drive. The truck still has original tires after 60,000 miles.

Traction is horrid in 2 wheel drive especially in icy conditions. The gas mileage is just awful and has gotten worse as the truck gets older. The brakes have been replaced twice, which for 6 years, really isn't that bad. Everything in the interior has worked itself loose, the console between the front seats can be lifted nearly out, the panels where the door handles are sometimes fall right out, the radiator had to be replaced, the passenger side window (power) doesn't come down, and various other little problems, which again, aren't major problems especially since it is 6 years old, it was annoying how all the problems happened after the warranty ran out though.

I paid around $20k for it brand new in '94. I absolutely loved this truck for the first 3 years I owned it, not one single problem in that time. After 3 years however, the brakes just haven't been the same, the steering feels really loose, and the back end slips out easily. It has been a fun truck but I'm ready for something new...and it won't be another Ranger...I need better gas mileage!

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no other trucks

Nice line. Decent gas mileage - 4 cyl 2.3 li. I have enjoyed this little truck for the most part. No guts climbing small or steep hills. It is a fully loaded XLT.

Loose rear end, slips going around corners, especially when snow or wet pavement. Replaced Potentiomoter. RPM's stick around 3000 and takes about 5 seconds to reduce engine RPM. Ford and dealers say that this is the way it is and will not fix it. Been in 4 times for same thing. I have driven sticks and trucks for 25+ years and have never had this happen. My opinion as well as other repairman is design problem. Am looking to replace now.

Paid $15000 in 10/97. I would recommend it to others if they do not have the engine problems I have experienced but would get a larger engine.