First and foremost, I'm new to this site and wanted to say hello to all. Name is Chris BTW.

OK, here is the deal. I am about to buy a 1996 Ranger XLT SuperCab 4X4 4 speed manual withO/D today, its a one owner truck with 104 on the clock. I drove it and it runs pretty strong for a 4.0 V6. I'm only buying this as a daily driver,because I am putting myChevy in storage for a good long time. For any one who cares, it is a 02 Z28, just trying to preserve a little piece of history andbecause my son wants it when he gets his license.

Any way, I have been doing a lot of reading on these trucks and they seem to be the best small pick up truck on the market, but every thing I have read seems to be some more ofa sales pitch then what real life experiences are.

WhatI am looking for is:
1. What are some of the known problems with them?
2. What are some of the positives?
3. What should I look for?
4. What should I look out for?
5. What kind of gas milage should/could I expect from this truck? I live in NEPA, the Poconos, and I typically commute to NYC to go to work, which is about 100 miles one way.

I am looking for specifics for the 1996 model year. I guess 1995 - 1997 should be ok as well.

Like I said, I am a Chevy guy and I know a lot about Chevy cars and trucks, butI do not know much aboutFord Cars and Trucks except theMustang.

Thanks for reading my long post and I look forward to hearing fromyou.

Chris.

 

No known major problems with the 1996 models. Only normal wear and tear items if you do a search on the web. If you buy it, I would do a coolant flush along with plugs, wires, oil/filter, air filter, fuel filter, tranny fluid, diff fluid and service the hubs. Should get an average of 20ish MPG depending on the road terain/tire size. I bought a new1988 Ranger S/C 4x4 with the 2.9L V-6 and averaged 25-29MPG on the open road. Was still getting that when I sold it in 2003 with 109,000 miles on it. Ride quality differ from other MFGs as the Ranger is built to play hard and when needed, has an 1125pound payload capacity. Good luck on your decision.

 

Thanks, I did buy the truck. I really like it. This weekend, I will do all the little maintenance stuff on it. I just hope it is a good truck, I have had a run of bad luck lately with all my cars.

 

As long as it hasn't been abused, regular maintainence should net you a dependable vehicle. Just crawl under and thru it until you are satisfied that you looked everything over. That way if something does come up, you'll know that it is an old or new issue.