The Ranger is a true compact truck, sized below the mid-size Toyota Tacoma, Dodge Dakota and Nissan Frontier. Only GM's truck twins, the GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado, still offer the smaller dimensions in the truck class. That's a vice and a virtue: the Ranger still offers good fuel economy and easy parkability, but can't haul the goods like some of the larger trucks.
The 2010 Ford Ranger remains available in four- and six-cylinder forms, in rear- or four-wheel drive, and in two-door Regular Cab and four-door SuperCab configurations. There’s no true four-door version of the Ranger, but the SuperCab has two small access doors for cargo stowage.
Entry-level versions (and the majority of trucks sold to fleet buyers) come with a 143-horsepower, 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine with fuel economy as high as 21/26 mpg, when equipped with the automatic transmission. An optional 4.0-liter V-6 turns in 207 horsepower, and is standard on XL 4x4 models and most other trims. Four-wheel drive is offered, and the Ranger comes in three bed sizes--a special seven-foot bed is made for fleet buyers--but none will load in the standard 4x8 sheet of plywood.
Three versions are offered--XL, XLT and Sport. The Ranger XL has air conditioning as a plus, but manual windows, locks, and mirrors as a minus. The XLT adds fog lamps, a chrome grille, and step-up bumpers, along with a nicer sound system, an auxiliary jack and the ability to play MP3-encoded CDs. Sport versions come with trailer-towing hardware, an improved interior and a slightly retuned suspension. The short options list includes remote start, a sliding rear window, and keypad entry.
Last year, the Ranger adopted standard seat-mounted side airbags and electronic stability control. Curtain airbags still aren't offered, and likely won't be in the Ranger's lifespan.
