Ford Ranger

Ford Ranger Models

The 2001 Ford Ranger comes in two-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive models spread through three trim designations, two cab configurations, three wheelbase lengths, six- and seven-foot beds, and flat Styleside or notched Flareside fender shape.

The Ford Ranger XL Regular Cab Styleside with four-cylinder power, manual transmission and two-wheel-drive traction totals to $11,800 as the price-leading base edition. Add in a SuperCab, four-wheel drive and an optional 3.0-liter V6 engine and the XL's tab rises to $20,435.

Pricing for the deluxe 2001 Ford Ranger XLT trim extends from $13,950 (Regular Cab Styleside with six-foot box, four-cylinder engine and two-wheel-drive) to $24,070 for the SuperCab Flareside 4x4 stoked by a powerful new 4.0-liter V6.

A sporty new trim called Edge goes further by dressing the Ford Ranger in a monochromatic color scheme that includes the choice of a vivid Chrome Yellow. Ranger's new Edge edition cast in monochrome begins at $14,435 with the 3.0-liter V6 in a Regular Cab Styleside design with two-wheel-drive. It reaches to $23,940 for the SuperCab model motivated by the new 4.0-liter V6 with four-wheel-drive and Flareside six-foot box.

Options include a new five-speed automatic transmission, a limited-slip rear differential, power windows and two extra doors for the SuperCab, which can load the bottom line by as much as $3,000.

Driving the Ford Ranger

A 4.0-liter single-cam V6 engine built by Ford in Germany caps the power chart for the 2001 Ford Ranger lineup. This new option quickens acceleration performance and strengthens the Ranger's trailer-towing ability. An increase of 47 horsepower over last year's most powerful Ranger. It leaps off the line and runs quickly to speed, while also producing strong torque for off-road work in four-wheel-drive.

The new V6 teams with either a heavy-duty five-speed manual gearbox or a five-speed automatic transmission with adaptive shift logic through electronic controls. In effect, the automatic adds another gear between first and second gears in a four-speed automatic. This produces closer gear ratios for better throttle response when accelerating, towing a trailer or driving off road. A high-gear lockout switch on the tip of the shift lever enables a driver to kick up or down a gear with the tap of a finger.

We drove a Ranger SuperCab 4x4 with the 4.0-liter V6 and optional five-speed automatic through Nevada deserts on pavement and dirt. Offering the best power in its class, the Ranger delivered no-fear passing, even in Nevada's thin-air altitude. It could scamper up mountain grades or effortlessly pass a line of freight haulers.

The 2001 Ford Ranger handled road bumps and curve sets with confident dexterity. Its rigid ladder-like chassis, with full box bracing of the front section to stiffen it further, combines with an independent front wishbone suspension system to produce smooth ride sensations.

At the same time, it offers aggressive performance off the pavement, as we proved on a primitive track laced with lumps and rocks and tire-sucking mud pits. A high ground clearance enables the Ranger to clear ruts and bumps easily. And when it doesn't, skid plates shield the transfer case and fuel tank from damage. A pulse vacuum hub-lock device sets front hubs quickly for push-button shifting into four-wheel-drive mode, and it engages while moving at speeds as high as 80 mph. Ford's part-time four-wheel-drive system also adds a rotary dial on the dashboard for seamless switching from rear two-wheel to four-wheel high gear or further down to four-wheel low for serious off-road maneuvers.