That's not the point, there is no difference really between a 01-10 ranger worth speaking of, so if it was a good truck in 01 it was a good truck in 03. It was the public perception that the truck was way overdue for an upgrade and I think that hit in 2003 when the Colorado (2004 model year but it was well known in 2003) came out and then was cemented in the publics mind whne the redesigned tacoma came out. Suddenly the ranger looked like a model T. Think about it, the truck is well into its second decade with out a redesign of alot of the sheet metal. The only late model vehicle I can think of like that is the Chevy Astro van. Even the Crown Vic had a revamp 12 years ago.

Me personally, I like the ranger for its simplicity. All the other pickups have so much needless crap put in them that the price tag has gone through the roof unless you want a stripped down vinyl seat fleet pickup. But most people just look at it and go, “really? A ranger? Why would I pay 25-28K for a truck that is for all mechanical purposes the same as a 10 year old model” That is why it has a bad rep on the internet, has nothing to do with the pickup itself.

~HJ

 

Ever since I was a kid and seen a Ranger I wanted one. I love the look/feel/drive of the truck.

 

sorry, no, I am not "new to rangers", I am new to trucks, period :)
Im not a truck person, Ive never wanted a truck, the only reason I bought my ranger was because I could use it for work and the price was much lower than most others of comparable mileage/condition. that being said, since I bought it, Ive not regretted it since and have been exceptionally surprised by how reliable it has been. (basically the most reliable vehicle Ive ever owned)
now as I said, if you go only by what people say or you read online, then the ranger is "not" the first choice of the average person. regardless of the reason.

I think your taking what I say wrong, as in Im trying to insult the vehicle, I am not, I am only going by what I know from when I was looking for a truck. also keep in mind, Ive owned my ranger going on 6 yrs now, so that puts it right around the time frame your talking of yourself, '03/'04.

 

I wasn't taking it as an insult, I was just pointing out the "negative" rep the ranger has inherited has been a recent thing. Mostly due to it being out of date. In the late 80's through 2003ish there was nothing out there that had a better following in the small pickup market, thats all. Even GM or die people stayed away from S10's to some extent, and Dakota's never really had an impact. The Toyota's back then were still attached (at least in the midwest) with the stigma that foreign vehicles are too expensive to maintain.

~HJ

 

Because I added up how much money I spent to make 400+ whp on my SRT-4, and I knew that I probably wasn't through dumping money into it so I decided to get a much more practical and usable DD (for hauling) ...and the price was nice.

 

My car at the time was on life support and was well past due of ending up in the junk yard. I seen the Ranger at the dealership and really liked how it looked. I never liked the older styles and the bread box look, the 01 look along with the step side looked cool. I never owned a truck before, and the proce was right.

This will be my first and last Ranger though. It served it's purpose, but I'll never buy another one again.

 

i bought mine because i cant afford a 150 and i wanted 4x4 5spd and wanted a ford i dont regret it and will own many more

 

Had a Ranger for my first vehicle, loved it. Blew it up. Went through at least a dozen other vehicles. Always missed it. Regretted selling a really nice S10 I had at one point. Traded a 6 month old Chevy Silverado in on my current 03 Edge 4x4. Absolutely love it!!! But, it's unfortunately sitting in storage for the next 3 years. At least I'll have title in hand when I get home it.

Kris

 

Got a good deal on it, looking to get rid of it and move back into another Bii though. Definitely not getting an auto again, but keeping it in the ranger family like my other 3 vehicles

 

Everything else is too goddamned big. Plus Ford trucks are damn near indestructable.