Small truck with a BIG HEART !!!!!!!

Ford’s Model T was a car that stretched through a large number of years and generations. Production spanned from 1908 through to 1927 with approximately 15 million Model Ts produced. The car was so popular that at one time roughly one-half of all vehicles on the road were Model Ts. It was a simple, rugged, affordable and well loved motor vehicle. Ford’s Ranger pickup is decidedly reminiscent. The compact truck first hit the road in 1983 and, like the Model T, it has seen a number of revisions over the years. One thing remains unmistakable, though: Ford’s Ranger is still the same reliable, affordable compact truck it was intended to be. While other manufacturers have increased the size and scope of their once small pickups (to the point of becoming nearly full-size), the Ranger remains true to its roots. Why mess with success? The Ranger is a proven package.

Style and Function
Walk around the Ranger, and the 2010 model looks very much like earlier model year examples. The new Ranger is offered in Regular Cab and Super Cab versions. Super Cabs are available with a 6-six-foot long box while Regular Cabs can be specified with either a six- or seven-foot (fleet only) long box. Three different trim levels are available—XL, XLT and Sport. Typical for Ford, each trim level is offered with a wide range of options and accessories designed for the consumer to tailor the truck to his or her specific needs. Our test Ranger was a well equipped 4x4 Super Cab with the Sport package. That meant the outside of the truck was trimmed with body-colored bumpers, a blacked out lower front valance, body color H-Bar grille, door handles and power mirrors, and beefy, painted wheel lip moldings. Rolling stock consisted of large P255-70R16 on- and off-road tires (with outlined white letters) wrapped around 16-inch “Y” spoke aluminum wheels. Painted in a special Redfire metallic color, the handsome Ranger test truck stood out from the crowd.

If you’re familiar with past model Rangers, you’ll feel right at home once you open the door. Our Ranger Sport was equipped with a pair of high-back bucket seats trimmed in Medium Flint cloth. Splitting the seats is a full-length center console fitted with a pair of cupholders, a deep storage bin, along with a remote audio input jack (basically, a place to plug in a media player). Our test truck was outfitted with an optional 290-watt sound system with MP3/SAT capability, indash six-disc CD changer, satellite radio and, of course, the previously mentioned audio input jack. The center stack is laid out so the sound system controls are perched over the climate system controls. Everything is easy to reach, logical and, maybe best of all, simple. That means you really don’t have to fumble with any of the controls. In most cases, simple is good, which means you can spend more time driving and enjoying your ride.

The instrument panel is unmistakably Ford in terms of layout: The large tach and equally large speedometer take up most of the real estate within the cluster (tach on the left, speedo on the right). Between them are analog fuel level and water temperature gauges, and directly over the steering column (beneath the fuel and water gauges) is a comprehensive electronic information display system. On Sport models, the instruments are white-faced. Other models incorporate black-faced gauges. The steering wheel on our test Ranger was leather-wrapped with a tilt and speed control features. Pop open a back door on the Super Cab and you’ll find a pair of folding jump seats and plenty of storage space. Windows, door locks and sideview mirrors were electrically controlled. Our test Ranger was also equipped with a remote keyless entry feature (from the Power Equipment Group, standard on XLT and Sport models).

Safety and Performance
Safety is a big deal with the new Ranger. Ford’s exclusive AdvanceTrac® with RSC® (Roll Stability Control™) is now standard and, according to Ford, it goes a step beyond stability control systems found on competitive models. AdvanceTrac with RSC has a gyroscopic roll sensor that determines both the vehicle’s body roll angle and roll rate. Here’s how it works:

If the AdvanceTrac with RSC detects the vehicle is about to roll, the system automatically applies a series of countermeasures, such as reducing engine power and/or applying brakes to one or more wheels to enhance the Ranger’s resistance to a rollover. It’s a clever package that has been well proven on other Ford models (including other pickups).

The new Ranger is also equipped with front seat side airbags engineered to enhance head and torso protection in certain types of side impacts. The side airbag system is designed to cushion the head, minimizing lateral head injuries in case of collision, in addition to acting as a barrier between the occupant and the side of the vehicle. And that’s not the end of it either. The Ranger includes a tire pressure monitoring system, four-wheel anti-lock brakes, SecuriLock®, a passive anti-theft ignition system, along with other safety measures. The reality is, this might be a compactsize pickup, but it isn’t short on occupant safety measures.

Another place where the Ranger really shines is in the fuel economy department. There are two engines available—a 2.3-liter dual-overhead-cam I-4 as well as a 4.0-liter single-overhead-cam V-6. The base four-cylinder produces 143 horsepower along with 154 foot-pounds of torque. It also manages an industry-leading 22 mpg city and 27 highway when coupled with the standard fivespeed manual transmission. When fitted with the 4.0-liter six, the power jumps to 207 hp and 238 foot pounds of torque. Fuel economy with the V6 ranges from 15 city/21 highway for two-wheeldrive models fitted with the five-speed manual to 14 city/19 highway for 4x4 models equipped with an automatic transmission.

And since the Ranger is a truck, you certainly can’t forget about it’s capabilities: Depending upon the model and the equipment, payload ratings range from 1140 pounds all the way up to 1520 pounds. That’s substantial for a compact pickup truck. Additionally, every Ranger model comes equipped with a standard trailer tow hitch receiver Class III (up to 2200 lbs.) with the 2.3-liter I-4 engine and Class III capability (up to 5940 lbs.) with the available 4.0-liter V6. (Trailer Tow Class III is standard equipment on all 2010 Ranger models fitted with V6 engines.)

In the end, what you get with Ford’s 2010 Ranger is a truck that remains very true to it’s original personality criteria: Great affordability, great fuel economy, great capability, compact size, and a huge laundry list of standard safety and convenience items, which means the 2010 Ford Ranger makes for a great value, no matter what vehicle you’re comparing it to. It almost sounds a bit like another rather famous Ford from a previous century, doesn’t it?