A Small Truck For A Big Job, Ford Ranger
First coming on the scene in 1983, the Ford Ranger was Ford's choice to replace the Ford Courier. The Courier was a Mazda product that carried Ford's branding. Since 1983, the Ranger has been produced each model year and remains one of Ford's popular vehicles among sales, although sales have dropped in recent years.
Although the bed of the Ranger is smaller than the standard sized Ford F-150, the design was originally made so that a four foot sheet of plywood would fit inside the bed. The sheet will have to ride on top of the wheel wells, but it will fit.
A look at the cab of the ranger will show you that it is truly only a two passenger vehicle, although some models were sold with fold down jump seats behind the front seats. These jump seats, really would only be acceptable for children and then on short trips and not a long road trip. The jump seats, however do allow the Ranger to be classified as a four passenger vehicle, and the bed allows for four foot material.
Ford has sold untold numbers of these trucks in the over 25 years that they have been produced. The models have had major revisions at least four tines, reflecting the changes in the larger F-series trucks. Ranger continues to copy the body size of the F-series trucks in smaller sizes.
The smaller size means better gas mileage and these trucks are very popular among commuters who enjoy driving a truck but still need the better gas mileage offered by the smaller truck.
Currently, the Ford offers a 2. 3 liter or 4. 0 liter engine in the Ranger. For several years, the Ranger was available with a V-6 engine, although that was discontinued in 2009.
As the competition has increased the size of their former small trucks to midsize trucks, the Ranger and its Mazda counterpart are now the only trucks in their size range available.
Even though Ford has spent more marketing dollars on the Explorer series and the sales of Rangers has dropped over the past few years, with Toyota taking the lead with their larger Tacoma. Ford has continued to promise to make the Ranger and hopes that the increased demand for fuel economy will help sales.
Rumors have it that in 2012, Ford will replace the Ranger with a truck being manufactured in Australia that was originally designed for world markets other than the United States. Reports also say that this truck will have a much smaller 1. 6 liter engine with the option for a 3. 0 liter diesel engine only in Rangers sold outside of the United States.
The Ranger has been a popular truck for Ford for many years. It has offered economy along with the ability to haul items in a small truck. The engine sizes have slowly increased and now have once again began to decrease. Newer engine styles offer as much or more power with the smaller engines. With the uncertainty in the automaker's future, it is hoped that Ford can continue to offer the Ford Ranger until it is able to offer other models to replace this good little truck.
Although the bed of the Ranger is smaller than the standard sized Ford F-150, the design was originally made so that a four foot sheet of plywood would fit inside the bed. The sheet will have to ride on top of the wheel wells, but it will fit.
A look at the cab of the ranger will show you that it is truly only a two passenger vehicle, although some models were sold with fold down jump seats behind the front seats. These jump seats, really would only be acceptable for children and then on short trips and not a long road trip. The jump seats, however do allow the Ranger to be classified as a four passenger vehicle, and the bed allows for four foot material.
Ford has sold untold numbers of these trucks in the over 25 years that they have been produced. The models have had major revisions at least four tines, reflecting the changes in the larger F-series trucks. Ranger continues to copy the body size of the F-series trucks in smaller sizes.
The smaller size means better gas mileage and these trucks are very popular among commuters who enjoy driving a truck but still need the better gas mileage offered by the smaller truck.
Currently, the Ford offers a 2. 3 liter or 4. 0 liter engine in the Ranger. For several years, the Ranger was available with a V-6 engine, although that was discontinued in 2009.
As the competition has increased the size of their former small trucks to midsize trucks, the Ranger and its Mazda counterpart are now the only trucks in their size range available.
Even though Ford has spent more marketing dollars on the Explorer series and the sales of Rangers has dropped over the past few years, with Toyota taking the lead with their larger Tacoma. Ford has continued to promise to make the Ranger and hopes that the increased demand for fuel economy will help sales.
Rumors have it that in 2012, Ford will replace the Ranger with a truck being manufactured in Australia that was originally designed for world markets other than the United States. Reports also say that this truck will have a much smaller 1. 6 liter engine with the option for a 3. 0 liter diesel engine only in Rangers sold outside of the United States.
The Ranger has been a popular truck for Ford for many years. It has offered economy along with the ability to haul items in a small truck. The engine sizes have slowly increased and now have once again began to decrease. Newer engine styles offer as much or more power with the smaller engines. With the uncertainty in the automaker's future, it is hoped that Ford can continue to offer the Ford Ranger until it is able to offer other models to replace this good little truck.
