Facts About the Ford Ranger Pickup
The Ford Ranger has been the Ford Motor Company's compact pickup truck since 1983. It features a smaller wheelbase than the full-size Ford F-150 pickup, but offers similar cab and bed styles and amenities. Sagging sales prompted Ford to schedule the Ranger to cease production in 2009, but an 11th-hour reprieve guaranteed production through 2011, and perhaps later.
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Types
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All newer Ford Rangers, including the 2010 models, are offered with a regular cab or an extended cab, which is dubbed the SuperCab. Trim levels are the basic XL, mid-level XLT and Sport. The SuperCab version can be outfitted with the FX4 Off-Road trim. Standard cargo boxes are six feet long, and a seven-foot version is offered as an option on the regular cab XL and XLT, according to Edmunds.com and Therangerstation.com.
Features
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The base XL model features 15-inch steel wheels and a 60/40 vinyl bench front seat. Cloth seats come with the SuperCab model. All Rangers are equipped with an AM/FM radio. The mid-range XLT receives a chrome exterior trim treatment, air conditioning and a CD/MP3 stereo system. These features cost extra on the XL. The Sport gets a custom styling treatment including color-keyed grille and bumpers, a tow package, satellite radio and sportier wheels. The FX4 Off-Road package equips the Ranger with all-terrain tires on 16-inch alloy wheels, a two-tone paint scheme, heavy-duty shocks, skid plates, a limited-slip rear axle, bucket seats, a center console and a tilt steering wheel that's wrapped in leather.
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Size
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The 2010 regular cab Ranger equipped with a six-foot bed sits on a compact 111.5-inch wheelbase and measures 189.4 inches long and 69.3 inches wide. The SuperCab is placed on a 125.7-inch wheelbase and is 203.6 inches long. The SuperCab is 66.3 inches tall and 69.3 inches wide.
Under the Hood
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Ford Rangers manufactured in the late 1990s and early 2000s were equipped with a wide range of engines, but for the 2010 models powerplant choices have been pared down to just two: the 143-horsepower, 2.3-liter in-line four-cylinder and the 207-horsepower, 4-liter V-6. The V-6 has a towing capacity of about 6,000 lbs. Power is transmitted through a five-speed manual transmission or the five-speed automatic.
Safety
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The 2010 Ford Ranger is equipped with standard four-wheel antilock brakes. Side curtain airbags, however, are not offered. The truck received four out of five stars for driver and passenger front impact protection. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the vehicle an "Acceptable" rating in front collisions, but only a "Marginal" for front side impact protection.
Performance and Prices
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The 2010 Ford Ranger is a solid performer if powered by the 4-liter V-6 , but underpowered if equipped with the in-line four-cylinder. The four-cylinder Ranger achieves 22 mpg in the city and 27 on the highway. The four-wheel-drive four-cylinder model earns 14/18. The V-6 models achieve 16/21. Prices range from $17,820 to $22,155.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Golden Gate viewed from the truck image by Alex "Stranger" from Fotolia.com
