1994 Ford Ranger XLT Longbed Standard Cab review from North America

Idle was rough for a few months until I had it smogged this year. Probably a loose hose.

In 1998, the speedometer cable popped out of the transmission and I lost overdrive. It was fixed for about $100 at a very expensive shop in Belmont, CA.

The front brake rotors were noticeably warped at 75,000 miles. Basic front brake job: $69.95 including parts. It stops perfectly now (16,000 miles later).

My truck is a aubergene (metallic plum) long bed with a matching ARE mid-high camper shell. It's a long bed. It has cloth seats, automatic transmission, in-dash CD player, power steering, power brakes, alloy wheels, 2 wheel drive, rear-wheel ABS brakes, intermittent wipers, step rear bumper (chrome), bedliner, etc.

The engine runs very smoothly with no ticking noises. It does not consume oil (after 90K miles). But, the 4 cylinder engine and automatic transmission work really hard. It takes some time to get used to flooring the truck all of the time. The transmission will not seek the lowest useful gear until you push the pedal to the mat. Done properly, the truck can go 100mph. But, on a few very steep mountain roads, the truck could not exceed 30 mph.

Eager to see improvement, I added a JetChip, K&N filter, and Flowmaster muffler. The truck pulls harder now, but it is still a little underpowered. Fuel economy is unchanged at 18 to 20 mpg but now it must be super unleaded. The truck is also louder after the modifications, some "car guys" have asked if it is a V8 after hearing it start up. It's not, but I do like the way it sounds.

I bought the truck because my Honda Civic was too fragile (dents, rapidly worn upholstery, high insurance, low headroom for 6ft person, etc...)

The Ranger always starts up and gets the job done. And, the way the paint can still look good despite complete neglect is incredible.

It's fun to thrash around town or in the hills. It holds the road like a sporty car. The Ranger enjoys speed bumps. You can "park by braile." And, no tickets on my licence means insurance is about $50 per month with full coverage. I'm going to drive it until the wheels fall off.

Don't have a 1994 Ranger?

Have fun making payments!