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Casually glance at the 1998 Ford Ranger and you won’t notice a great deal of difference between it and the 1997, but climb inside and you will appreciate that the regular cab is three inches longer, thanks to a 3.6-inch increase in wheelbase.

A one-inch longer seat track gives tall folks more legroom, and the added cab length allows the seats to recline more. It also enables small storage bins to be built into the floor behind the seats to collect the kind of small items that normally float around the cabin and create clutter.

The longer wheelbase and bigger cab applies only to the standard model. Extended-cab models remain the same.

Other changes across the model line for 1998 include new grilles, a lower hood (now made of aluminum), larger rear window, fully boxed frame and a wishbone-style front suspension that uses coil springs or torsion bars. This is the same front suspension that was added to the Explorer a couple years back, and it not only smooths out the ride, it gives room for a V8 should that be needed down the road.

Improvements to engines include enlarging the base four-cylinder engine from 2.3-liters to 2.5-liters and giving the 3.0-liter V6 a new intake manifold that improves torque, or pulling power, by 14 percent.

SuperCab Splash

I drove two flareside Rangers, one a regular cab with two-wheel drive and one a SuperCab Splash with four-wheel drive. The regular cab model I drove had a base price of $13,205 and a sticker price of $18,540, while the SuperCab Splash starts at $19,595 and lists for $24,745. Let’s look at the SuperCab Splash first.

The optional 4.0-liter V6 is now coupled to a five-speed automatic transmission, the same one found in the Explorer, and it invigorates the Ranger’s performance. Acceleration is smoother and stronger, yet it relaxes on the highway.

The premium radio can play cassettes or compact discs and is compatible with the Radio Broadcast Data System. This unit sounded great but its face was crowded with smaller buttons than the standard unit, making it harder for my middle-age fingers to hit the right one.

The sport bucket seats are terrific, some of the best Ford offers in terms of comfort and support. A large console with two large cupholders and a storage bin for CDs sits between them, and the console lid doubles as an armrest.

One drawback to the SuperCab is the lack of a third door, or access panel, for the area behind the back seats. Putting things back there requires reaching over or behind the seat, whereas a small door would make that space much easier to use.

For 1998, switching into four-wheel-drive is even easier than before due to what Ford calls Pulse Vacuum Hublock (PVH). This system engages the front hubs while driving, as before, but when it is time to disengage PVH disconnects all front driveline components without having to stop and back up, as before. PVH, Ford says, also reduces nois e and vibration.

Regular cab

The 3.0-liter V6 has 145 horsepower, but the new intake manifold boosts midrange torque by 17 percent. Consequently, it moves away smartly from stops and feels more than adequate when driven empty, which is how most people will use it.

The longer wheelbase and new front suspension improves the ride quality, which is firm and only slightly harsher than that of the long-wheelbase SuperCab.

The three inches of additional cab length relieves any claustrophobia one might have and makes this a place in which it is easier to get comfortable.

The audio system consisted of an AM/FM/CD player, which had larger, fatter buttons than the premium system, and I found it easier to operate. The lack of a cassette player in this lower end unit might be problematic for some, who would then choose the premium system like the one in the Splash.

No matter which model you prefer, the redesigned Ranger brings added valu to what was already a good truck. It’s too bad they didn’t take this chance to add a third door in SuperCab models.

Price

The base price of the SuperCab Splash was $19,595. Options included the five-speed automatic transmission, 4.0-liter engine, cruise control, tilt steering wheel, anti-lock brakes, air conditioning, 3.73 axle ratio, power windows, power mirrors, remote keyless entry and sport bucket seats.

Its sticker price was $24,745.

The base price of the regular model was $13,205. It was equipped with the XLT group which included air conditioning, power windows, power mirrors, cruise control, tilt wheel, AM/FM stereo with compact disc player, fog lamps, chrome wheels, anti-lock brakes and flareside box.

Its sticker price was $18,540.

Warranty

The basic warranty is for three years or 36,000 miles.

Vehicles for The Star’s week-long test drives are supplied by the auto manufacturers.

Point: The redesigned Ranger gets a new front suspension for a softer ride, and a longer wheelbase on the standard model allows for a longer cab.

Counterpoint: It’s too bad Ford didn’t add a third door to the extended-cab model. The buttons on the premium radio can be hard to operate because of their size.

SuperCab Splash

SPECIFICATIONS:

ENGINE: 4.0-liter, V6

TRANSMISSION: Automatic

WHEELBASE: 125.9 inches

GVWR: 5,140 lbs.

BASE PRICE: $19,545

PRICE AS DRIVEN: $24,745

MPG RATING: 16 city, 20 hwy.