2002 Ford Ranger 4X4 Xlt - The air current buffeted fifty-fifty to a greater extent than every bit the tire dissonance filled the cabin. I knew for a fact that this vehicle was existence driven at its really limit. The odometer indicated a mere 3,525 kilometers—pretty immature to undergo such a harsh treatment. The rigid ride sent every unmarried route imperfection direct to my spine in addition to into my brain, registering alongside bang-up tenacity similar hot needles on cold, bare skin. My pulse quickened every bit I gripped the gear lever trying to discovery some other gear—I wanted to become faster—I needed some other upshift. To my surprise—that was it. Only v gears?
For whatsoever normal vehicle, v frontwards gears would live to a greater extent than than enough, particularly given the fact that Manila traffic alone requires the kickoff three. However, it seems that this vehicle had its gearbox designed primarily for pulling mightiness or torque instead of the common speed-biased automobile. What nosotros receive got here, is the functioning virile somebody monarch of compact pick-ups. Ladies in addition to gentlemen, allow me present, the Ford Ranger XLT.
Introduced inward 2000, the Ford Ranger XLT had all the correct ingredients to topple the competition: the most powerful diesel fuel engine inward its grade alongside 117 bhp at 3500 rpm; looks that echo its F150 bigger blood brother in addition to a bang-up extended engine warranty (four years if you lot usage Shell oils). In fact, it sold pretty good inward Asia in addition to inward Europe, every bit the Ranger is the best seller inward compact pick-ups inward Thailand, which is the largest pick-up marketplace exterior the US in addition to it's the bestseller inward United Kingdom too. However, here, it seems to live languishing inward 3rd or 4th place.
Why? Simple. Filipinos dear adept looks, scary but truthful (just enquire Brad Pitt in addition to the Corolla Altis). Upon its launch, Ford had to redesign the Ranger to arrive facial expression to a greater extent than similar the F150 through several agency including: the front end grille, headlight in addition to signal lite combination, the badge locations in addition to fifty-fifty the raise area. Alas, fifty-fifty after it conquered Mount Pinatubo, the Ranger had for its biggest marketplace the utility companies who saw the bang-up sales parcel but appreciated neither the looks nor the performance.
Fast frontwards a yr subsequently in addition to Ford finally gets the correct smell in addition to decided to facelift the Ranger. New to the 4x4 XLT are front end bull bars, measurement bars, a streamlined bed design, upgraded wheels in addition to a redesigned raise window. Beyond the exterior, Ford also managed to tweak the interior bits past times adding an upgraded stereo cassette organisation alongside single-CD, keyless entry in addition to redesigning the dashboard alongside amend plastic bits. They also addressed the number of security past times adding dual airbags (the alone 1 inward its grade to receive got it) in addition to express skid differential.
So…will this redesigned Ford Ranger XLT sell? Err…sorry to conclude thus early, but if Filipino nonetheless cared most looks to a greater extent than than anything else, thus no. The Ranger’s perennial rivals, the Nissan Frontier, Mitsubishi L200 XT, Toyota HiLux in addition to Isuzu Fuego also underwent through dissimilar metamorphoses, the most extreme of which is the Frontier, where Nissan fifty-fifty added leather seats, forest trim back in addition to a 6-disc CD changer every bit standard. However, if functioning could kill, thus no 1 does it amend than the Ford Ranger.
As mentioned earlier, the 2.5-liter turbodiesel engine produces a grade leading 117 bhp at 3500 rpm in addition to 280 Nm of torque at 2000 rpm. Mated to a 5-speed manual, the Ranger produces quick, brisk acceleration numbers. It tin receive got on stoplight duels every bit good every bit trips to the North Diversion Road alongside relative ease. However, don’t await to deport a lite conversation piece driving, every bit the turbo diesel fuel produces plenty decibels to brand your Aerosmith CD seem similar it was your cellular telephone ringing inward discreet mode. The engine is polish in addition to efficient, but really rowdy particularly 1 time the turbo kicks inward at around 2,000-3,000 rpm. Below that, the engine is quite tardily in addition to powerless.
Switching gears alongside the Ranger is quite a chore at kickoff because of 2 reasons: it’s a diesel fuel in addition to because of the rubbery transmission system. First of all, for a somebody who’s really accustomed to driving a manual gasoline machine everyday, the diesel fuel responds really differently every bit to a greater extent than frequent upshifts are needed. (Think most it, you’ll ask to shift every bit early on every bit 2,500-3,000 rpm instead of the common 4,000 rpm!) Secondly, thank you lot to the rubbery experience of the manual transmission, it is really hard to estimate if the gear slot into house or you’ll destination upwards crunching into 5th piece driving at 100 kilometers per hour, exactly similar what happened to me.
In damage of ride comfort, the Ranger doesn’t receive got any—forget most putting on make-up or driving your morn java inward this truck, you’ll destination upwards soiling your clothes in addition to ruining your human face upwards before you lot teach to the office. The combination of the double wishbone at front end in addition to semi-elliptic leafage springs at the dorsum brand for really adept hauling capabilities, but it makes the ride experience similar that of a speedboat churning across choppy water. On the positive note, thank you lot to the rigid suspension, direct business stability of the Ranger is quite superb alongside alone its boxy stature in addition to low-speed total off-road tires ruining the risk for a adept high speed run.
Handling is quite adequate for a truck of this height. In fact, it betters the Nissan Frontier when it comes to the small, twisty bits every bit the Nissan tends to sway to a greater extent than from side-to-side. Steering feedback is quite numb, although it is really nimble in addition to the overall maneuverability quite manageable (if it tin represent through the Shangri-La Plaza parking lot easily, thus it’s got to live really good). Visibility is quite adept particularly at the sides in addition to rear; the alone weakness is the rather straight-edged hood that requires a chip of neck-stretching to jurist right.
Brakes are the weakest dot of this Ford every bit it lacks the seize alongside teeth fifty-fifty if the pedal is fully depressed. With such a powerful engine, it should receive got been obvious that Ford increased the braking mightiness every bit well, but alas, the vented disc / drum combination volition receive got to do. During our weekend alongside the Ranger, nosotros had some scary moments because of the lack of braking power.
The inquiry to practicality cannot live answered simply. With the Ford Ranger, 1 has to enquire for whom—the passengers or the load? In damage of rider comfort, the Ranger scores quite poorly particularly for the people at the dorsum non thus much because of the space, but to a greater extent than of the overall seating position. At front, the seating is quite alright particularly alongside the driver. However, because of the thinly padded seating material, your bottom destination volition teach quite sore after a two-hour stop-and-go traffic situation. Moreover, the plastic pipe on the seats increment the cheesiness constituent x fold. At the rear, the seats are besides upright in addition to the knee articulation infinite besides cramped. This is no way to process your friends out on a trip to Tagaytay. Four is quite a squelch already within the Ranger, thus there’s no way you lot could represent v for to a greater extent than than an hr around town. On the other hand, thank you lot to the criterion bedliner in addition to piece of cake to usage tailgate, the Ford Ranger scores perfect inward damage of luggage loading. The bed may non live every bit large every bit the Chevrolet Silverado, but it tin concord a total slice of plywood in addition to a dyad of chairs alongside ease.
Taking the Ranger from highway to off-road is similar leading the ugly duckling to the swan pond. The rigid suspension, torquey engine in addition to high Earth clearance are fully realized when the Ranger goes off the beaten path. In fact, inward the lahar dunes of Central Luzon is where the Ranger actually struts its stuff. Taking this practically novel facelifted Ranger XLT on some ‘light off roading’ courtesy of the Ford Outfitters program, this vehicle ended upwards having every conceivable chip tested—this isn’t the way Collin McRae or Richard Burns would practise it—they wouldn’t receive got the guts.
When the people from the Subaru or Mitsubishi rally teams are content racing on muddy, snowing in addition to gravel-type terrains, the Ford Ranger endured a to a greater extent than varied type of punishment. There’s the common dusty dry out mud terrain, but at that topographic point are some to a greater extent than interesting parts such every bit a river crossing, soft lahar (similar to moisture , gluey sand), bushy fields in addition to boulder-filled crossings. All inward all, the Ranger got out of all of these potentially gluey situations without a slightest glitch, scratch or mechanical imperfection.
Surely the turbocharged diesel fuel engine helped a lot inward the entire event. Calling upon all the 280 Nm of torque—which is a class-leading figure, coupled alongside a depression hit 4x4 transfer case, made certain that the Ranger could receive got on whatsoever obstruction alongside ease. The increased ride height, which dulled the Ford’s mightiness on the tarmac proved to live the alone shield betwixt the treacherous terrain in addition to the sensitive undercarriage—soft roaders, swallow your hearts out!
What’s more, the rigid chassis in addition to the criterion all-terrain tires made certain that the Ranger stays focused giving no feel of wallow or difficulty when steering inward the soft terrain. Although the ride is to a greater extent than jarring sending x times to a greater extent than needles upwards our spine, the mere fact that this fourth dimension nosotros had smiles on our faces proved that this is where the Ranger actually belongs.
After nearly 2 hours on unmarried lane terrain, nosotros approached a breathing infinite on a old river bed that was turned into a lahar-filled channel. Since pelting poured the nighttime before, at that topographic point were spots of moisture sand, pockets of H2O in addition to some things inward between. We thought—this is the perfect house to stretch the Ranger’s legs. Turning the river bed into a makeshift rally cross, nosotros gave our dark weekend Ford Ranger all it had: at total acceleration, 4x4 high trend it carved through water, mud in addition to sand quite easily similar a hot knife through butter. Handling is really predictable in addition to really precise inward these conditions, in addition to the visibility was non the hindrance it was on-road.
In the class of the Ford Outfitters event, nosotros were able to come across several Ranger owners every bit good (about one-half of those who joined had diverse types of Ranger 4x4 XLTs). One guy, owning a stock Pinatubo Conquest I edition Ford Ranger said that this was the 2nd fourth dimension he joined the Outfitters customer’s program. He mentioned that he is really fond of this Ford’s mightiness to function out of whatsoever province of affairs in addition to nonetheless render some kind of entertainment. He added that he uses his Ranger on everyday trips to logging yards on unpaved roads close the Quezon province. “Wala kahit isang beses akong nasiraan o pumalpak ang kotse ko. Matibay ang Ranger na ito—kaya nga dinala ko ang mga anak ko sa Outfitters para makita nila.” (There wasn’t fifty-fifty 1 fourth dimension that my machine failed me. This Ranger is really tough—that’s why I brought my children alongside me on the Outfitters plan thus that they may see). A testament from a long-time Ford Ranger owner.
At the destination of the day, nosotros idea that this whole Outfitters things may receive got felt similar a stroll inward the daisies for the Ranger. We expected to listen some rattling, squeaks or fifty-fifty an engine overheat after a high grade of punishment. To our amazement, at that topographic point was none. The Ford felt every bit every chip company every bit when nosotros got it on solar daytime 1 a testament to the wonderful construct quality. Comparatively, our friend’s Nissan Frontier 4x4 3.2 M/T that did the same mileage already had its side plastic panels rattling.
Fuel witting people may banking concern notation that the Ford Ranger does 9.50 kilometers per liter during the combined on-road in addition to off-road adventures that nosotros had. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 relatively adept figure considering that diesel fuel costs way less than your average unleaded gasoline.
For the practical minded, the Ranger is the best choice for a compact pick-up out there. It has darn adept abilities on in addition to off-road thank you lot to its powerful engine, durable chassis in addition to sturdy body. It may non handgrip similar a Ferrari or fifty-fifty a Civic, but for those inward the marketplace for a cheap, bang-up value compact pick-up, no 1 does it amend than the Ranger. So what if it doesn’t receive got moo-cow hides for seats? With the Ford Ranger the moo-cow tin rest on the pick-up bed. This isn’t your average compact pick-up—it’s the virile somebody monarch of the hill.
Car Review - 2002 Ford Ranger 4X4 Xlt Features & Specifications
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