Help! Wanting to buy a Ranger

Young.One · #1 11-17-2019, 04:55 PM

I'm wanting to purchase a ranger soon as a first car/truck, only thing is I don't know what a good year of ranger is good and what good mileage is considered. and for more information, I want a manual and plan on doing very small aesthetics like rims and maybe lowering the truck.

HenryC70 · #2 11-18-2019, 09:26 AM

Good for you, and extra kudos for wanting to get a stick.
I believe a manual trans forces you to be a better driver, as you have to pay more attention to what you are doing.
I will tempt fate by saying there isn't a "bad" year of Ranger (someone will take issue with that - but that will get you information, too.)
Still, with the thought that any "bad" Rangers out there probably haven't survived this long, any Rangers left are decent (or were decent, but are used up now - stay away from those.)
Rangers have lots of aftermarket parts available, and they can be changed in countless ways.
While it is great that you are looking at a Ranger, if MPG is tremendously important to you, you are looking in the wrong place. The very best I've seen in my 2007 3.0L 4x2 (with a stick) is 24 MPG. 21 MPG is much more common, and that is with quick shifts to keep the RPMs low. If I wind it up to get more power, the MPGs can drop down as low as 18. [The I-4s get slightly better MPG, if you can take the power loss. 4.0Ls have more power, but they tend to use more fuel. I like the 3.0L, but I don't tow, either. As always, YMMV.]
While any car comes with a certain MPG rating, how you treat the "go" pedal makes a big difference in how much fuel you actually use.
As with any car, the older it is / more miles it has on the odometer, the more maintenance ($$$ and / or your own sweat) it is likely to require. I wouldn't let that limit my search for a car, but it should be considered.
Having owned a dozen different vehicles, in my experience, the "best" vehicle you can get is one that you love to drive - whatever that is.
I had a 2010 Fusion (used) that was exactly what I needed at the time: inexpensive basic transportation. It served me very well for 2 years before I couldn't stand not shifting anymore. That was when I got my 2007 Ranger. [The Fusion was sold to a co-worker as his daughter's first car. She LOVES it.] While there was absolutely nothing wrong with the Fusion, I didn't love it.
Today, I would rather drive my power-nothing, vinyl-floor 2007 Ranger than my wife's 2010 Lariat F-150 with all the bells and whistles.
The Ranger isn't "better" than the F-150 - not even close - but that doesn't matter.
My Ranger - warts and all - is perfect for ME.
Best of luck in finding something (Ranger or not) that is perfect for YOU.

sgtsandman · #3 11-18-2019, 10:03 AM

Most of the four cylinder Rangers are pretty rock solid. The V-6 models all have their little quirks. So, it depends on what you are looking for. If you are looking for a 4X4, you are pretty much stuck going with a V-6.

If you do go for V-6 and 4.0 SOHC, look for a 2010 or 2011. They fixed the timing chain issue that engine had. The 2.8, 2.9, 3.0, and 4.0 OHC each have their own individual quirks and issues but can be pretty dependable if you stay on top of things while problems are still small. Buying used, is going to be a roll of the dice as far as the original owner goes. Some think taking care of their vehicle is just changing the engine oil. Others actually read the owner's manual and do what it recommends.

If you go with a four banger, I can't think of any big issues with any of them. The engines are pretty fool proof as long as they are taken care of. The 2.5 Lima has a cast iron head and block, so takes forever to warm up but it's damn near bullet proof and is used in commercial equipment. 2.3 liters came on newer trucks and is probably more what you are going to see. I think the 2.5 Lima was used from 1998 to 2001 but I'm not sure on that.