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I recommend Dowling Ford of Cheshire, CT for friendly, courteous, service, and a GREAT deal.
PPB
20041103.3.075900
Chevy Colorado
Ford Ranger
Dodge Dakota
Toyota Tacoma
Nissan Frontier
All were extra-cabs, and the Dodge, Toytota & Nissan were totally new trucks for 2005.
The Dodge, Chevy and Ranger were big disappointments. Dodge could have done a much better job since the truck was a new design. The Chevy just felt totally sluggish. The Ranger drove like the dinosaur it is. I own a 2002 Ranger, and there is no noticable difference in three years. Too bad.
The stars were the Tacoma (#1 on my list) and the Frontier (#2 on my list). For 2005, the Japanese have gotten it together. These are extremely nice trucks. Of course, they both cost a king's ransom compared to the Ranger.
Bottom line: Do some test driving before you buy, but prepare to spend as much as $10,000 more for the Tacoma compared to an equally equipped Ranger. Price will still bring buyers to Ford, but Ford sure has their work cut out for them if they actually want to compete head-to-head with Toyota and Nissan. Have fun!
Model: 04 2x2 reg cab 4 cyl.5 spd. w/ A/C
Invoice: $15,700 +/- (base on 05)
3000+1000=-4000 off (finance w/ Mazda) + $89 paper work.= final $10,900 + TTL ($4,800 off invoice).
Mazda has 4 yrs warranty.
Even it is just a bare bone basic truck, I really like it.
MSRP was $23,600. After all the rebates and dealer discounts, I think I got a deal.
Great sales staff and service at Kenny Ross Ford.
199.00 ETCHING
731.19 TAX
33.18 INVENT.TAX
50.00 DOC.FEE
5.00 DEPUTY FEE
21.75 INSP.
105.30 LIC.&TITLE
1495.00 SER.AGREEMENT
14140.42 TOTAL
6.69 LOAN INTEREST RATE
THIS IS MY FIFTH FORD RANGER 4CYL./MAN.
Just got done comparing prices for base Tacomas and Rangers and the price is about the same, even after rebates (before rebates the Ranger actually costs a bit more; haven't compared loaded models).
I'm a Toyota truck owner looking to get a new pickup, and will probably go with the Ranger as it's the only small truck that still comes with a 7' bed option nearest I can tell. (I was happy to see Ford added the 7' bed option to the XL line for 2006; was only available on the XLT line for 2005.)
(Contrary to a post earlier this year to the Ranger Problems and Solutions board indications from research on the internet are they won't be doing a major redesign of the Ranger until 2010...)
(As for me am in the market for a longbed and apparently no '05 longbeds (in a 4cyl manual) remaining anywhere in CA -- will wait for the '06 rebates to increase later in the model year. (Anyone been tracking Ranger rebate trends?))
Don't wait! Rebates for the few remaining 05's in dealer stock are significantly more than current rebates for '06 models!
Welcome to the elite world of truck owners -- now whenever one of your friends moves, guess who they'll call on for help!
'97 supercab, 4L v6, 5 speed
2007 Ranger Already Rolling
Says 2007 Rangers just started rolling off the St. Paul assembly line, several months earlier than normal. Ford says not to read anything into it. Speculation is it's just for logistical reasons.
Pricing for the '07 Ranger (as well as '07 Explorer Sport Trac, Focus and Freestar) is already available on edmunds.com.
May be seeing '07s on dealer lots early this year. Now is the time to take advantage of those '06 rebates!
MSRP $21,955.00
Less Fleet Discount $ 929.40
Sub Total $21,025.60
Less Web Site Coupon Discount $ 500.00
Sub Total $20,525.60
Less Factory Rebate $ 3,000.00
Fleet and Internet Price $17,525.60 Plus Tax and License
The Accessories we will be installing and subletting are as follows;
Leather Seating, Front and Rear
LineX Spray in Bedliner
Trailer Hitch
Vent Shades
Total Price for all accessories installed $2,081.00 Plus Tax
Fleet and Internet Price including accessories $19,606.60 Plus Tax and License
Sticker $19,000
Trade in $3,000
Luck-$7,000
Final price $12,000 plus tax
This is a pricing discussion.. Try re-posting your question here: Ford Ranger: Problems & Solutions
...and you will be much more likely to get a response..
regards,
kyfdx
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There are a million variables associated with making a used car purchase decision. You've given two-age and mileage.
To offer a more informed opinion, knowing such things as price, maintenence/maintenence records, type of driving done by the owner, was it a northern or Arizona car, 4 cylinder vs. 6, etc. would help. For instance, given the mileage and age alone without knowing anything else, I would say not to buy it. However, if the truck was driven primarily cross country through the southwest, meticulously maintained, and going for $500, I might still question it because of the low price makes it look like the owner is trying to get rid of it fast.
Thus, not only do you have to consider many variables, but also how much weight to give each variable-high mileage might not necessarily be bad versus a truck with 30k miles that was driven only in stop and go traffic and only for 5 miles at a time even though both trucks are the same age.
but with 170k miles. My 99 ranger was actually a really good truck my dad bought
it new and handed it down to me the same clutch and same tranny lasted 170k
miles. However now either my clutch or tranny has blown and its being looked at.
I want to get all the price checks i can on a new tranny for a 99 for ranger so
i dont get ripped off.
If you really like it for the price and never plan to use 4wd, then buy it and don't put any money into fixing the hub problem.
Good luck!
I've never owned a truck before and the feeling of height and power was invigorating.
I really enjoy doing research on the internet and I decided to look up the reviews of the Ranger and bask in the glory of my new truck.
As you can imagine it was quite a shock when I read Edmunds review of the Ranger.
The quote that applied directly to me was:
"If you're not a hard-core off-roader, though, there's little reason to consider the 2007 Ford Ranger. Trucks like the Dodge Dakota, Nissan Frontier and Toyota Tacoma are easier and more comfortable to drive on pavement, and all offer roomier cabs with more conveniences and safety features."
What???
So I did some research on my Ranger and comparable trucks.
My Ranger (XLT Extended Supercab 4x2)
Engine : 3.0 L 12 Valve V6
Horsepower : 148 hp @ 4900 rpm
Torque : 180 lb-ft @ 3980 rpm
Fuel Economy: 17 city / 23 hwy
Nissan Frontier (King SE-V6 4x2)
Engine: 4L 24 Valve V6
Horsepower : 261 hp @ 5600 rpm
Torque : 281 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm
Fuel Economy : 16 city / 20 hwy
Toyota Tacoma (Access Cab 4x2)
Engine: 2.7L 16 Valve V4
Horsepower : 159 @ 5200 rpm
Torque : 180 lb –ft @ 3800 rpm
Fuel Economy : 21 city / 27 hwy
Dodge Dakota (ST Club Cab 4x2)
Engine: 3.7L 12 Valve V6
Horsepower : 210 @ 5200 rpm
Torque : 235 lb –ft @ 4000 rpm
Fuel Economy : 16 city / 22 hwy
Chevy Colorado (LS Ext Cab 2WD)
Engine: 2.8 L 16 Valve V4
Horsepower : 175 hp @ 5600 rpm
Torque : 185 lb – ft @ 2800 rpm
Fuel Economy : 17 city / 24 hwy
Going by these specs taken off the company websites, the Ranger is severely underpowered.
Exactly what Edmunds said:
"When equipped with the 4.0-liter V6, the Ford Ranger offers solid acceleration, but it feels underpowered with either the 3.0-liter V6 or the base four-cylinder."
I have never driven any other trucks, but I can state from my own experience that the truck feels kind of slow. It's only a feeling, but I had it even when I test drived. I thought it was all trucks. Going by the review and specs it obviously isn't.
And then there is the price :
(www.xe.com for Canadian to US funds)
Ford Ranger: $22,899 ($20,069 US)
Nissan Frontier: $26,598 ($23,314 US)
Toyota Tacoma: $22,535 ($19,749 US)
Dodge Dakota: $24,925 ($21,843 US)
Chevy Colorado: $21,440 ($18,790 US)
and my research leaves me feeling really, quite, unhappy.
The Ranger is weaker than the competition, even weaker than the Tacoma and Colorado which are using 4 cylinder engines.
The Ranger's fuel economy is almost identical to Dodge and Chevy and comparable to Nissan (which is far more powerful) and much worse than the Tacoma (which is still more powerful).
The Ranger has the comparable cargo space to the other trucks too with the Chevy, Dodge and Nissan being even a bit bigger.
Finally, there's price.
The Ranger is more expensive than the Chevy (which is still stronger), more expensive than the Tacoma (only a bit stronger, but much more fuel efficient and it's a V4!), a little cheaper than Dodge (but far less powerful and barely more fuel efficient), and a good bit cheaper than Nissan (but much, much less powerful and still only a bit more fuel efficient).
It feels good to get this off my chest, but I have to say:
"I think I've been pwned."
The truck was originally used as a delivery vehicle in a networking business, then privately owned, and since the vehicle was maintenanced at the same garage, I've got a complete maintenance history, including the transmission replacement in late 2004. It's got a bed liner and a tonneau cover too, both in mint condition.
The truck was smoked in, so I got rid of the odor... now to just find seat covers that actually fit a 60-40 split bench seat snugly.
The 2.3l engine runs good, with some minor vibration and slight rocking at a stop, so I'll look into that.
Overall I love having a truck again! (Former owner of a 1997 Mazda B4000 4x4)
Used, however, Ford is the clear choice due to uber depreciation and dependibility of the old technology.
If it'll make ya feel any better... Toyota is having lots of quality/reliability issues the past 2 years, and I've heard horror stories about the seating position/fit and finish in the Colorados.
So, you basically traded engine power for dependability and cheaper repair costs due to older design/technology. There, did I find the silver lining within a pile of dog poop? lol!
Also, I posted a question on the performance vs mileage of the 2.3L and 3.0L on the "engine" forum - if you have any ideas, please let me know!
For a great research tool while looking at Ford Truck, hit http://www.fordvehicles.com/trucks/ranger/
and click on "search dealer inventory" to see what the local dealer has. You can even see the window sticker with MSRP (from Ford) and options for that truck. Hope this helps.
BTW, on the 2.3L vs. 3.0L question; I've had both and the economy on the 2.3L is great (23-25mpg typical). The 3.0L isn't worth the waste in gas for performance. It lacks any real power, :lemon: (acts much like the 4 banger) and only averaged 18mpg for either city or hwy. I have the 4.0L now and see the same mileage with way better performance for 17mpg so far. :shades:
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