138 out of 138 people found this review helpful.
1998 Ford Ranger Pickup Truck
Date of Review: Mar 20, 2001
The Bottom Line: If you want a truck to run a round in this one would do. Serious driving and traveling No Way
We searched for and decided on this truck after the little Isuzu we had conked out. We bought this truck with 13000 miles on it.
This is my husbands truck which I don't like to drive but have to sometimes. What is there about the truck that I don't like? I will try to be fair.
The truck is just a plain pickup truck nothing fancy. It is an XLT 2 door regular cab, and has a 4 cylinder engine and automatic transmission.
Features
Automatic Steering?. The steering handles well and responds to the touch.
Antilock Brakes?. They work.
Air Conditioning?.Cools off quickly, Heat takes a little longer to kick in.
Power Windows?. This has a neat feature that I wish my van had. When the ignition is switched off the button that operates the power windows can be used if the door hasn't been opened. I always end up having to put the key back in my van and switching it on to operate the windows.
Stereo with cassette and CD player.
Shutoff switch for airbag on passenger side. Can only switch on or off with the key. This is a great safety feature if you have a small child riding in the passenger seat or a toddler car seat.
There is a third window in the truck that is in the back windshield. This window slides back and forth like a sliding glass door.
Comfort
The Seat Belts are adjustable for comfort.
The Seat has a lumbar support that helps ease the strain riding or driving.
There is not much leg room between the dash board and the seat. The seat slides back and forth and is adjustable. There is only room for two people in this truck, there is a third seat belt but it would have to be a small child to ride comfortably.
The instrument panel is convenient and easy to reach for the driver and passenger.
What I like
I like the way the steering responds. I like the safety switch for the airbag.
What I don't like
I do not like the way it handles on a wet road. The truck is light and feels as if it slides when it is raining. If there is a strong wind the truck sways.
The power of this truck is okay to drive on the freeway without getting run over. The Ranger drives okay in regular traffic and driving on regular roads. Going up a hill or steep bridge it feels like it is straining to keep up speed. Times like this is when I wish I had a straight shift.
The bed of the truck is big enough to hold a good size load we have used it to move a daughters furniture. It drives more stable to me when it has a load. I would not use this truck to pull a boat and trailer.
There has been a problem with the light that tells you a door is open. It comes on when all the doors are closed and locked. I think my husband finally got it fixed.
The noise level of this truck is high to me. My husband says it is normal but it still sounds awfully noisy.
I would not buy another one. For driving back and forth to work and hauling groceries it is fine. I would not take a trip in it to the mountains.
-
CarsBelowInvoic e
