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1996 Ford Ranger - The Little Truck That Could, But Almost Didn't.
I named her Darwin, because she was a gift that was supposed to evolve into money. But she ended up actually evolving. I crashed her into a medium sized tree on a muddy road driving back to college one morning a few years back. She took it like a champ. I saw it coming and had just enough time to aim for that sweet spot on the bed of the truck between the rear tire and the back windows. I got really lucky and only dented the box. Although I was a little surprised when the air bag didn't pop out and hit me in the face. I hit the tree hard enough to rip it out of the ground and land on top of it. I thought she was done, but when a farmer pulled my truck off the tree I was able to drive her away. And continued to drive her after replacing the bed for 6 more years and 180,000 miles.
Story
The first winter I had this truck I had some trouble getting up my driveway. I managed to get myself stuck in a foot deep of snow on a log. I got really mad and started swearing and hitting the gas spinning the tires. I turned the wheel full rotations in both directions faster than would be recommend and ended up bouncing the truck out the woods and off the log back onto my drive way. I then ... (more)
Pros
This Truck had the most comfortable seats, soft and cushy. Made from fabric, not leather, so you didn't burn your skin on a not day. It was rear wheel drive, she could go anywhere, given that you knew how to handle her. She had great gas mileage for what she was and how old she was, 24MPG.
Cons
Changing the oil was a challenge. The filter is kind of on the middle front leftist part of the engine about 2/3rds down and to the left and up, I basically had to break my arm to get at it. Other than that, working on the engine was easy and straight forward. This truck is so light that going over bridge connectors on the highway, at normal highway speeds around 60, might send the truck bouncing sideways. I eventually learned to drive off center to avoid this problem. This truck wasn't 4 wheel drive so she got stuck, a lot, but never in snow. Which is odd because where I live it snows 8 ... (more)
2001 Ford Ranger - Great Quality and Lasts Forever
This is an excellent truck. I have been driving it for fourteen years and I have never had a major problem with it. Apart from a couple of minor incidents the only time it has been in the shop is for routine maintenance. It drives just as good today as it did fourteen years ago. If you are looking for a vehicle that you can put a lot of miles on and still maintain quality year in and year out then this truck is definitely for you.
Story
Driving up to the mountains to go hiking.
Pros
It is very spacious and can haul a lot. I love to go hiking and I can fit everything I need behind the seat and still have plenty of room to haul whatever I need in the back. It is a very practical vehicle. The reliability is great for everyday commuting. I drive about half an hour to work through the country and I have never once been late. It is also very rugged. I drive across a lot of bad road conditions and I have never suffered any damage or poor performance because of it. It is also very comfortable. It is very roomy and I have never felt cramped while driving it.
Cons
The only drawback I can really think of is the lousy fuel economy. It was not very good to begin with and has deteriorated with age. Be prepared to hand over a little more for gas.
1990 Ford Ranger - So glad that I purchased this truck!
I have usually owned midsize cars through-out my life mainly focused around American muscle. This was the first truck that I purchased and I got it shortly after I was in a major automobile accident and lost my main vehicle. What I absolutely love about this vehicle is that it is large enough that I can feel safe riding it and the frame is extremely sturdy so I feel like I am safe inside my little tank. But the truck isn't so huge that it is hard to maneuver or anything like that so it isn't a pain to drive which is absolutely perfect. I moved out to an area that gets major snow in the winters and I originally lived in southern California, the land that snow forgot! Making the switch to a four wheel drive truck when I moved there literally made all the difference because even as a nov... (more)
Story
My first winter in Kansas I had just purchased this truck and was nervous about driving in the snow for the first time, so I was asking my family for tips and everything to be prepared. Literally the second day of snow I got a call from my uncle who lives in the same town and was calling because his car got stuck in the snow and I had to go up there and tow him out! Thank god I had this truck!
Pros
This truck has absolutely great control, even when driving through more than a foot of snow! I also have used tow chains to pull several other vehicles out of snow drifts during this last winter when I saw them stuck while I was out driving because even 15 years old this truck still manages to have a lot of torque! Plenty of room in the extended cab for whatever you need, I am sure that you could have comfortable seating back there but I only drive with 1 passenger currently, but my mom is currently in a wheelchair after suffering from a stroke, and I love the truck because it has room in ... (more)
Cons
Because of the age of the vehicle I have been running into several problems now with the vehicles wiring harness, and have had two separate shorts that had to be repaired. Also, the engine has a ton of torque at low speeds but the top speed of the stuck is pretty low, when you are on the highway/freeway you have the pedal all the way to the floor just to try and keep up with traffic.
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