2003 Ford Ranger consumer reviews

easy to get around easy on gas (with small mods) all the power i could want. ( if i want to go fast i'll buy a mustang) comfortable, and never failed me.

Bought used for 4600. Surprised by the low end power of the 4-cyl. Thought for sure it would be "hyper" and make torque way up in RPM band but was pleasantly surprised at not having to spool up the flywheel to get it to move. However, passing power from 50 or so to 70 is very week. Could be fatal to someone not accustomed to it, but OK by me because I know it ahead of time. It's part of the sacrifice for great mileage, very accurately figured at 26.55 in town and 27.1 on the highway, where I rarely go less than 65 to 75, which would explain the small difference between the two. Lacks left shoulder room but all in all, I like it very much. Perfect for all the small things I do now that I'm retired. I've had a Ford 1-ton steel flatbed with hyd. hoist and a Ford 3/4 ton heavy-duty with 4-whl drive. Both performed exceptionally well despite the fact that I worked them to premature deaths. My doing, no fault of the trucks.

the odometer was rolled back on this truck. beware. if you're desperate, this might be a good truck.

I just bought my first truck. After much research and test driving I decided on the Ford Ranger. This little truck just felt right. It runs smooth and has everything I wanted for taking my Kayak to go fishing. Similar Chevrolet and Dodge trucks were just not put together well with rust or things falling apart on about everyone I looked at. The Toyoto Tacoma was rated well and is overpriced by a great deal because of that. The Ranger is just the best of all the small trucks for Value, cost, and performance.

The 4 cylinder motor is great for an in town vehicle. It is great little truck for hauling supplies for home and yard projects.

Its been almost four years now Ive spent driving a 2003 Ford Ranger 3.0L V6. The truck has proven to be very capable for what it is. This is my review and thoughts on the truck itself. The Truck. (2003 Ford Ranger Edge Regular Cab) Engine - 3.0L V6 Transmission - 5-speed manual Color - Black (Engine/Transmission) For starters the 3.0L V6 with its 150 crank horsepower and 180lb/ft of torque is no tire melter. But it does produce enough power for a truck as small as the Ranger. Highway Passing power is less than steller, often time's I find that I need to drop 1 or 2 gears to effectivly get around slow moving traffic. This is not desired mainly because it cuts into mpg. For towing the 3.0L is fine for towing light loads such a Jet-ski or a small trailer loaded with say...furniture or something of that nature. I have managed to Achive consistant mpg of 17city and 23highway with this truck. Not bad, But could stand to be a little better. The 5-speed manual transmission is is decent, However it does not like to be shifted quickly. Sometime's it feels a little clunky, But only if im really trying to row the gears quickly. If shifted at a slower pace the 5-speed works great. (Ride/Handling) This is a weak spot for this truck. Ride is by all means harsh. The suspension is stiff and jiggly. Pot-holes found on the highway or around town can sometimes cause the whole truck to bounce to one side or the other a few inches. The ride does smoothen out quite a bit with a few hundred pounds of concrete thrown in the bed. But that takes a toll on Acceration and Fuel Efficency. Handling is actually really good for this type of vehicle. Steering is quick and responsive. And the taut suspension that so hurts the ride quality does in fact help in handling. The Ranger can scoot around corner's with greater ease than you might expect. (Brakes) Not much to say here, They work well, The pedel is not overly sensitive, Yet if you really need to hammer them in an emergency stop they will bring the little truck to a halt very quickly. (Interior and Quality) The Interior of this 2003 Ford Ranger is basic, simple and to the point. It consist of hard plastics both black and grey in color. Analog gauge's and odometer. The interior is assmebled well for the most part, There are a few place's were gap's could stand to be tightend but nothing that's not liveable. The seats are quite comfortable, As they do hold you in place well and should fit most people of all shapes and size's comfortably. One aspect of the seats that is really impressive is the cloth material Ford chose for these seats. Its a very thick almost denim like black cloth. I am very impressed with this because despite the fact that this truck is almost 8 years old the seats show very little signs of wear and absolutly no signs of tearing or ripping. The A/C works great and can really freeze out even the most resilant of people. Interior leg room is acceptable. I myself am about 6.2 and I can fit comfortably in the Ranger. However someone who is about 6.5 and husky might complain of lack of room. (Problums?) In my ownership of this truck I have put about 30,000 miles on it. When purchased it had 77,000 miles on it. And currently has 107,000. During this time of owner ship I have only encounterd one issue. At about 103,000 miles the fuel pump quit. The cost of the repair (Both for the part and labor) was about 400$. Not cheap, But could have been worse. Other than that the truck has proven to be very reliable, I even took it on a 3,000mile cross country trip and had no issues what so ever with it. This concludes my review of this truck. I hope you find it helpful. I can reccomend this truck to anyone, who its looking for a cheap commuter truck with plenty of utility.

i bought this truck for 6000 dollars in april ove 2007 and i am very pleased. i live on a farm and have hauled everything from small farm tractors to loaded hay wagons and everything inbetween. the 4.0 v6 is about unstopable and the rear axel is locked no one wheel peel. it xxxxxxthrough mud and snow with ease. there are only 2 thing i wish i could change one is the automatic tranny which is solid but im a bigger fan of the standard and the bad gas milage but that could be from a lead foot. all in all a great buy

Bought this work truck in April of 2010. It has 110k miles. But was in good shape. First order of business was to change all fluids including the tranny & diff. Also tuned up and replaced all filters along with O2 sensor. Replaced OEM air filter w/K&N. Welded a cat back exhaust w/2 1/2" pipe & Flowmaster 40. The neighbors know when I leave for work and come back home. And use Mobile 1. Spec'd out with the 2.3 L and 5 spd manual. Wouldn't have an automatic with a 4 banger. I'm 5'7". Cab is quite comfortable. Guage lay out is well done. Marvelous handling characteristics for a truck. Easy entry and egress. Average styling. Averaging 23 to 25 MPG in town. The first long trip that I took was from Chicago to Cols,OH. The bed was loaded with about 100 lbs of furniture. Got 30 MPG on the way down. Got 28 MPG on the way back, unloaded w/AC running. Even with a manual, the 4 banger is a somewhat underpowered. Sometimes hard to find a gear on the short throw shifter. But I love this truck!

I bought this truck new in 2003 and have loved it. I previously had a 1995 Ranger and a 1970 F250 and a 1991 Chevy Suburban. Hands down, this 2003 XLT Ranger is the most satisfactory of the group. I have the 4.0L V6, and the towing package with heavy duty springs. I commute (gas mileage is poor - 14.6mpg around town), but haul and tow fairly often. It works pretty hard under a full load, but has never overheated or underperformed. The brakes seem a little undersized, for I've replaced pads and rotors a couple of times and haven't hit 70,000 miles yet. Also, the front end has become a little noisy. Yet, it rides well (with good tires) and quietly. My wife and I are perfectly willing to drive it 500 miles to see grandchidren instead of taking her car. It's quiet for a truck and stable. We're of average height/weight, so the smallish cabin is fine, and it's lack of fancy electronics is fine. I like the relatively simple dash layout. Pure functionality. I don't know what I'm going to do when Ford ceases production of the Ranger in 2011. I really don't need the size of a F150; a small/medium sized truck suits me just fine.

This truck is capable of doing almost everything a full-size truck can do. The ride quality is also good for being a truck.