2011 Ford Ranger Review

America's most fuel-efficient pickup is nearing the end of the line in its long U.S. history, with this model year set to be the last.

The final generation of Ford's Ranger offers an optional Personal Safety System, complete with Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) and SecuriLock now offered on all models. It should all cost less in the long run too, thanks to newly extended service intervals, now at 7,500 miles.


Three engines were once offered, all with the choice of either a five-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission. But now Ford has narrowed the choices down to a single four-cylinder and a single V6.

The base is a 2.3-liter all-aluminum four-cylinder, good for 143 horsepower at 5,250 rpm along with 154 lb-ft of torque at 3,750 rpm. This engine makes the Ranger the most fuel-efficient truck in America, with a highway rating of 27 highway, 22 city with the manual transmission.

The top engine is the same German-built V6 that was once found in the Mustang pony car, displacing 4.0-liters split among the six cylinders in a V configuration. It makes 207 hp at 5,250 rpm and 238 lb-ft at 3,000 rpm, down slightly in this application but tuned to deliver the power slightly lower in the rev range as befits a truck.

The four-cylinder Ranger is the only one that can't be had with four-wheel drive. Braking is done with a front disc, rear drum set-up, with standard ABS.

Standard wheels are painted steel 15-inchers, with larger 16-inch cast aluminum rims as options. The Ranger can be had with a Regular cab, with a two or three-person seating capacity, or as an extended SuperCab with either two or four doors (the rears are suicide-style half-doors) and four or five-person seating capacity.

The SuperCab can only be had with a six-foot long Styleside bed, while Regular cab models also get a seven-foot option. For its final year, only three trims are offered: XL, XLT and Sport - gone is the FX4 Off-Road trim level.

All Rangers have a 1,260 lb payload capacity. Towing capacities range from 1,580 lbs to a maximum of 5,800 lbs.

( source : www.leftlanenews.com )