The 'small trucks' of the 90s to 00s, from the American Ranger to the Japanese Hilux, are some of the best vehicles ever made.

I had a little 98 Ranger for 20 years. Almost 400k miles with a 4 cylinder manual. 1 water pump and timing belt, 2 clutches, new brakes once are all it ever needed. I would still be driving it if some clown didn’t wreck it. Greatest truck I ever owned.

It's the truck we wanted back and failed to get.

So glad you mentioned King of the Hill in a Ranger review. Hank Hill was a devoted Ranger enthusiast!

My friend had one. 2.3 4 cyl. He worked 3rd shift. 100 mile round trip. Then when he got home his wife drove it to her job. 125 mile round trip. 5 days a week for years.

My grandfather had one arm since he was 11. He taught me how to drive a standard on an 88 ranger. He bought it a year old and had it until it was destroyed in the Joplin tornado. 288k miles

This generation of Ranger was actually built until 2011. If you're looking to pick one up, I always tell people to look at the leaf spring shackles. Those are the first pieces to break due to rust.

My father ran his '96 2.3 low on coolant and overheated it, warping the head and the head gasket failed between cyl 3 and 4. He drove it 500 miles home on the remaining 2 cylinders. I got the head machined down for $120, put a head gasket on it, and it still runs great today. Rangers are the epitome of "good enough"

Had a 2000 Ranger that lasted a bit over 423k miles. When I sold it the old girl had lost some of her pep but everything still worked. You are absolutely right about that generation of Rangers being one of the best small trucks out there.

I own a 1998 Ranger XLT 4x4 3.0, best damn little truck I've ever owned! I drove it to florida and back from Indiana @243,000 miles and it did not use a quart of oil! it's now going on 250,000 without any major problems.

Have a 98 XLT 4x4 4L. 230K miles still runs. Tows a 3500lb boat just fine. Only repairs have been coil pack and idler pully.

My old 4 banger dutifully hauled home an overloaded face cord of firewood yesterday as well as it has the last 30 years. Looking forward to it continuing to do so as long as I can still load and unload it.

4.0L 4wd is a great truck

I love my little 2001 Ranger. It's dependable, reasonably fuel efficient and super practical as a work truck. You can get a whole lot done with just a Ranger and a toolbox.

2011 Suzuki Equator 308,000 on the clock. Oil, filters, and batteries are the only thing you have to worry about. Swapped a steering rack in at 285,000 and swapped the rear suspension at 270,000.

As a 25 year tech I agree 100%

The best truck is the one the maintenance was done correctly during yrs of use...in that case Toyota,Nissan... Ford ranger with Mazda motor..Ford 150..Chevy Express...all of them will last you for long time ..!

Just a little info, the back seats in this sit sideways, too. They just fold up that way to clear the area for the rear doors. They lower down forward, but the backs then raise up towards the door when closed.

One thing I remember about my Ranger XLT 4 cylinder was the smooth ride. The extended cab and the longer wheelbase made for a pillowy ride. Loved the made in St. Paul sticker made a few miles down the river road. Henry Ford put the plant there because of the river and the white sand used to make glass. Like powder.

I had a '97 Ranger XLT with the 4.0 V-6. What an anvil! Sold it with 208K miles and it had at least that much life left in it. I have a friend with a 2004 with close to 500K on it, and the engine has not been apart! She is very consistent with maintenance, and I think that is the secret to these, as I was too.

You're right on about the Rangers durability. I have a 2010 with 4X4, 4.0 engine and manual transmission. It now has 215, 000 miles and has been a good vehicle. As a retired auto mechanic I maintained it myself and it pays off. I wish they had continued this old style and updated it with the times.

Just worked on my neighbors 2000 Mazda b3000. Easiest vehicle I've ever worked on, actually a pleasure to work on. Very good machine

My granddad had two of these when I was little. They were new back then, and his 04 was copper - absolutely beautiful lil truck. He traded that one for an 05 xlt, and even in silver it looked like a great truck back then. When you’re 4, you can fit on the little bench seats behind the front, and fit a couple sodas from Captain Ds. Wish companies still wanted to make cars that people could keep.

I have my fathers 2009 with v6 he hardly drove it before he passed. Extremely clean in and out with only 35k miles.

I had a Ford Aerostar with that 3.0 liter "Vulcan" V6 engine. They give no problems whatsoever and just run and run and run. They have a tendency toward oil leaks, but that's about it.

Couldn’t agree more. Get one with a manual trans. The Taco’s are priced so high they’re getting ridiculous.

I had one years ago and I agree... I still see them everyday on the road.

Thats why I have three of them.......thank you for affirming my theory Mr Wizard!

I just don’t understand why these domestic car companies decide to mess with these proven platforms. The GM 3800 V6, this ford 4 or 6 cylinder, the 7.3 diesel - all great drivetrains and they went away from them.

That 4.6 Ford engine you praised was also from this era. Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Wizard.

Coming from 7 years from driving a shitbox Corolla hand me down, when I got the 2011 Ranger it felt like what I imagined a rolls Royce felt like to drive and I still have it to this day

I had a 1994 Ranger SPLASH edition regular cab with the 4.0L and a 5 speed. That little fart, my cousin and I took it back in the bush behind his mom’s place to get sand. We filled up the box RIGHT to the top. It squatted maybe half an inch if that. I wanna find another one.

These older Ranger's are great compact pickups from Ford.

Had a 98 up to 333k miles. 4cyl 2wd 5spd 2.5 Lima engine. Original clutch. Head never off. Just got tired of small items giving out (A/C, cruise) All the major stuff tough as nails though👍

Bought one for my kids to learn how to drive. They learned to drive a stick. Didn’t get any speeding tickets, couldn’t haul around a lot of people and if they had wrecked it, I figured they wouldn’t do too much damage and I would only be out about 4k for another one. They hated it at first but were sad when I sold it. Used it to teach two teenagers and sold it for more than I bought it for. Great little truck.

I have a 2011 XLT that I’ll never get rid of. Same thing with my FJ Cruiser. Bulletproof vehicles.

My first vehicle was a 1985 ford ranger regular cab 4x4, no power steering, lock out hubs, 5 speed manual and the 2.3 efi 4cyl. I loved that truck...but rust got it. Would regularly get 25mpg.

My neighbor bought one of these with 200k miles we thought he was crazy… it’s going on 425k miles😂

The Ford Ranger (aka Mazda B Series) is a blank canvas truck where simplicity shows its strength. Almost a quarter million miles on my 03 4.0 manual 4x4 and it keeps going.

Had a 2006; 2.3L, auto, regular cab, short bed. Manual locks, mirrors, seat. Body was so clean. It was a fun little summer toy. Bought it for 600$ last summer, enjoyed it, sold it for 3200$ to a guy that could use it for work.

My dad had a couple rangers over the years. Good trucks. I find it hilarious that people just love to overload the things. They get the job done... somehow.

On my vehicles with failed coil packs, I also found plugs worn way out of spec or bad wires. If you jump on it at the first sign of misfire, you might avoid killing the coil pack. One tip on these trucks: Take a hard look at the rear frame. They like to rust out on Northern trucks.

Best thing to do with old trucks like this if you can't garage it nightly: (Per the Wizard) "Fix the big problems and get the miles out of it", get under it and soak the rust with rust killer every chance you get. The little Rangers are the one Ford I would gladly drive, as everyone I ever knew with one, never had issues.

I own a 2002 S10 2.2 automatic that i bought brand new ..it has 150,000 original trouble free miles..No leaks..No major problems other than maintenance parts..😍👍

While people joke about Rangers I think they are very underrated. They truly work and get the job done.

My 2006 2.3 has 390,000 miles! It's my daily driver/work truck.

I think it worth fixing the older rides. Cheaper tags, cheaper parts, cheaper insurance, easier to fix, less components that are intertwined with one another and even if it runs terrible you can still drive it with out the car telling you that you can't like newer cars. Put to $10K to $15K in a older ride and drive the snot out it for 20 years and you still save $50, $60, $70K...worth it. To me it is anyways.

What alot of ranger owners don't know is the 1993-1994 2WD standard cab splash model was fords sportstruck. VERY stiff springs. Thicker front sway bar. And a rear sway bar. That let's it just zing around corners like a SVO mustang. Corner hard enough and It will pick the inside rear tire off the ground like a old VW golf GTI does. Suprizes the heck outta modern sports car owners. Match up the 4.0 v-6 and the stick shift and you have the fastest all-around ranger ever made.

I had a 94’ 4 banger power Range and I loved that thing. The OG owner kept a detail log of maintenance and fuel. I’ve hauled 2.5k lbs of bricks for a home project and that little 5 speed truck ran like a champ. The rust is what killed it since living in Iowa can really destroy vehicles within 5-10 yrs. I miss that little truck.

God I wish they would bring out new trucks like this.

Cruise control is a $20 part. I just changed it on my 96 Explorer.

I had an 02 Ranger with a 4 banger 5 speed. Great truck. I got it with 27,000 on the clock. When I traded it in a few years ago, it had 296,000.

I like em so much that I have two. One of them I've had for 13 years. One thing I can say is that these are not perfect trucks. Early 2.3 Duratecs have air flapper issues. 3.0's have cam synchronizer issues, coolant leaks at the timing cover, and 04-06 have poor quality valve seats. 4.0's have leaky thermostat housings and early versions are plagued with timing chain cassette issues. The 4R and 5R transmissions generally won't go further than 175k before needing a rebuild. All of these can be rectified with a little work and upgraded parts, and you still end up with a very reliable truck. One thing I can say is that if you can find them and they're within your price range, buy the Motorcraft parts. I'd rather spend $70 for a part that lasts me 8 years, than pay $40 for a part that lasts me 6 months. It's easy to write that off, but I've bought the cheap parts and I've bought the Motorcaft parts and you can take it from me, it is really frustrating to have to keep replacing the same parts. Your time spent replacing the parts is worth something too, and often makes that $40 part cost the same as the Motorcraft part.

Bought my 93 Ranger with the 2.3 in it in 2004 with 120k miles on it for $1000. It currently sits at 328k miles. Its been the best purchase I've ever made.

Yep! my 2002 Ford Ranger XLT (for-door) 4x4 Off-Road has been a peach of a truck.

In early 2012, my wife picked up one of the last 2011 Rangers left on the Ford lot: a 4cyl/5-speed manual, extended cab XL with ZERO options. Paid $18.5k out of door. She's put 102k miles on it since and besides replacing a broken sun visor and a tailgate handle (she did both herself!) the car has has only had basic maintenance done (fluids) and some consumables (one set of tires, one battery, one serpentine belt and a tune up) and that's it. It's still running the original clutch and brakes with no problem and is the most dead nuts reliable vehicle either one of us has ever owned.

I agree that this and their Mazda counterparts are great trucks. I still see them all the time even ones from the 90's.

We are on our 4th Ford Ranger. We bought it in 2019 with only 20K miles. It’s a 2011 year model. It’s an XLT super cab 4WD with a 4.0L V6 and a 5spd automatic transmission with 3.55 limited slip rear differential. Before adding a K&N intake and a 3” FlowMaster exhaust system we were getting 19mpg on the highway with the cruise set on 75mph. We now get 23mpg. We hate Silver, Grey or Black. Ours is Silver so I had it 2 toned. It’s now Silver over Red metallic. We had it reupholstered in Red with black trim and stitching. We also added custom wheels, pinstripes, rear air shocks, LineX spray in bed liner, running boards, a dashboard topper and a tonneau cover and window vents. We’ve only towed a trailer a couple of times so we’re glad that it has a tow pkg. It currently has only 36K miles and at our age it’ll be the last pickup we’ll ever own. I have the oil changed every 6 months (which is about 1,500 miles) with Valvoline full synthetic oil. Like on all of our vehicles, I had the front and rear differential, transfer case, and transmission fluid changed at 30K miles. It’s a honey of a pickup and we get a LOT of compliments on the custom paint and interior. When the factory tires needed to be replaced, I chose Cooper Discoverer A/T tires. The truck is mainly used for work around our property. We work our Ranger, but we don’t abuse it. It still looks showroom new.

My brother had a '96 Ranger with the 2.3 and a manual. Great little truck that served him well for 17 years. He sold it and it's still driving to this day.

I bought a 1999 Ford Ranger XLT extended cab 2 X WD automatic with a 4.0 ltr engine and 3.52 rear end. I bought it two years ago for $2000. I spent another $2000 on it mechanically doing everything to put it in 1st class shape. The body was perfect with no rust. It runs like a top, gets 18 to 22 mpg every day and even peals rubber. Today, it has 177K on it. The little thing runs so good, and it is so easy to park, drive and work with compared to my 2019 Ram 1500. I pick it every time I need to do a small job or just run around town. To reward it for being such a good little truck, I had it painted back its original Amazon Green with extra high gloss clear coat. Every where I go it gets comments. I have invested $5700 in it since I bought, and I could get that back in a minute, so I've been driving for two years for free. On the other hand, my 2019 Ram 1500 has depreciated $20,000 in the last four years.

I own a 1998 Ranger 4.0 that I purchased new after owning a 1990 4.0. This rig has left me stranded only once, and that was in front of my house. A corroded crank position sensor was the culprit. Other than some oil consumption at 257K mi due to what I believe to be worn valve guides I have no complaint. I own some classics and yet this Ranger is the one that constantly gets notes on the windshield. "would you consider selling?....."...nope. I'm honestly considering a restoration if/when it dies. I'll have a dependable rig at the size I prefer and parts that won't break the bank

I'm on my third Ford Ranger. Had a 99 that I sold, an 02 that I gave to my grandson and now have an 04. 2 door, extended cab, brush guard, mag wheels and a color matched camper shell. I wouldn't take a new truck in trade for my Ranger. 175,000 miles and still running strong.

I drove the 98 four wheel drive ranger till it had over 200,000 miles. It needed several things when I sold it. I still see it in the area.

I totally agree with your assessment of the ranger. I own a 2008 with the 3.0 engine. Base hp for this year is 155, torque values aren't given but I suspect sub-200 pound feet. It's no powerhouse, but with the addition of cai and tuned exhaust the difference is noteworthy. It does all I ask of it, including towing way beyond what you'd think it could. At 155,000 miles I have every expectation of seeing 250k or more. Just keep on top of maintenance and fluids and they provide years of trouble free service

I still have sitting in my driveway the 1996 Ranger XLT Supercab I bought brand new. 2.3l 5 speed. It has about 250,000 miles on it and after putting a little money in it back in the spring, is running great. I don't drive it daily, but I could. The only 2 major things I've e done to it is replace the ball joints a couple years ago, and new clutch at about 160,000 miles, and it didn't need it then, turned out to be a bad throw out bearing, clutch itself was in great shape but went ahead and replaced it anyway (with an upgraded clutch pack). Pretty much everything else has been basic maintenance. I checked the mileage on it when I got it out of the shop back in the spring, and was getting 30+ mpg. I still have people to this day asking if I would sell it. It's been a great little truck and I hope it outlasts me, and it just might.

My first ranger, 88 regular cab 2wd shorty. I sold it at 20 years, and everything still operated normally. 287k miles. I purchased an 08, exactly the same 2wd shorty. I installed an eaton tru-trac, "posi differential." I live in snow country. I still own it, and it still looks new. I would buy another, someday, except the price doubled when the new model came out.

I bought my XLT Ranger supercab brand new in 99. Now with over 200,000 Mi on it runs perfectly.

He is absolutely right about these trucks. I bought a 2007 Ranger with the V6 for $4,000 7 years ago and inherited a 1996 ranger 4 cylinder. Both still running strong. If you have any mechanical ability, you can work on these things and it doesn't cost a fortune.

Great truck! I have a ‘98 Ranger XLT 4x4, super cab w/3.0 v6 and automatic. It has 265K miles and it’s all original….engine, transmission, differentials, exhaust, etc….never have had a problem. It runs and drives like new….smooth and tight. AC blows ice cold. No leaksIt really is a dog with power but it gets me from a to b and use as an extra truck around the property. I love it. People will random routinely ask me if I want to sell it. It looks great.

My grandfather has this exact year and color but the 4 cylinder. He bought it used with 24k miles 20 years ago and is his daily. I surprised him by pulling a rear bumper in great condition at a junkyard after his old one was damaged in an accident and helped make that pickup feel complete again and made his day.

Miss my 96 with a 4 cylinder and manual. Had manual locking hubs as well. Only issue I had was a blown power steering line and brakes. Worst decision I made to sell it to my neighbor.

I have a 94 extended cab with the 4.0 V-6 and 5 speed . I have owned it since 99 and has only 325,000 miles on it ! Here in Arizona the paint is crap but other than the headliner the interior is still in good shape. The 4.0 has all the power you could want but around town with the AC on about 15 or so MPG. Has towing package so lower rear axle gear,65 MP on road 20-21 MPG. Used this old truck as a pilot car for OS loads for about 6 years so quite a few road miles.

My son scored a 2002 Mazda B4000 for $2000. 115K and ZERO leaks from the motor or trans. My mouth literally dropped open when we went to look it over. What 21 year old vehicle has no leaks at all. Crazy to me.

I love my 2011 FX4. Oh and the jump seats in the back do face sideways. My grand kids love riding in them (for very short distances LOL)

I have a 2001 ranger that i daily drive. I live on a farm which is a 10 mile drive down a dirt road. It takes a beating, cold starts like a champ, and its cheap to get parts for and cheap to insure. If anything happened to it I would just replace it with another one. Great little trucks!

I have an 03 Ranger XLT I bought brand new. I don’t drive it very much so it only has 25,000 actual miles on it. Good truck!

When I used to work at an independent automotive shop we had these in all the time. Mostly for basic stuff. They’re pretty tough trucks. These things refuse to die. Everything else on the truck was falling apart around the truck itself.

Up until earlier this year, I had a 2011 Ranger XLT with the 4.0L SOHC motor. Had it from new for 11 years, took good care of it. Finally it failed emissions this year and the shop I took it to quoted me $9300 to make it right. Both cats were bad and it needed upper and lower control arms. And the rear timing chain was starting to intermittently rattle. I said no and traded it back in April. No regrets, it treated me well for those 11 years. Did lots of hauling, daily drive, road trips and plenty of good memories. 2011 was the final year for this platform/body style. They truly are great small trucks.

I bought a 1999 Mazda B2500 for $1500 just a few months ago. It has 274,000 miles on it and it runs and drive fine. It has the 2.5 litre 4 cylinder engine.

I bought a 99 Ranger, single cab, 2wd, 5 speed manual with factory 2/65 air. That thing was bulletproof. I’ve been looking for one lately to run errands in and toss stuff in, but here in central NY, they are all rotted out now because of the salt.

I love these Rangers so much! They’re so small, dependable, and capable. Grandfather’s manual Ranger is well over 300k miles by now and is still chugging along 20 years later! Probably will for at least another 20 years at this point too, haha! 😂❤it eventually replaced the Aerostar and Escort they had. Good times with all of those cars.

I’ve had two Rangers - both purchased new. My first was a ‘97 4x2 short box regular cab with the 2.3 four banger. At 235k (about 10 years ago) I gave it to my niece to use as her high school vehicle. She eventually sold it to one of her neighbors and it is still in use today - I even get to see it sometimes when I head up to Dallas for a visit! My second and current Ranger is a ‘09 4x2 two-door extended cab Sport with the 4.0 SOHC. It is pristine inside and out with just a shade over 30k on the odometer and is part of my stable of collector vehicles. I am actually surprised by how much attention that vehicle gets whenever I take it out for a drive - I think it’s mainly because people just aren’t used to seeing a Ranger from this era that still looks like it just rolled out of the factory…….😂

I just picked up a beat up barn find 02 ranger 2.3/5mt for my mom last week. $800 the (last replaced in 2016) "electronic" thermostat was cracked and the fingers that held the stat against the body were broken off. these are $120+ but I swapped it with the 04+ model for $30

My 98' Ranger is approaching 190K miles. Super bullet-proof reliability! Today's vehicles have turned into 4-wheel PC boards with flaky reliability and repair bills even requiring hefty bank loans when not covered by the warranty. Outrageous 😬. Thank you Car Wizard for an excellent car review.

I have a 2000 Nissan Frontier with the KA24DE and 5spd. It has 214k miles and many original parts; clutch, rear brake shoes, water pump, radiator, engine transmission. Runs good as new. All I've done under the hood is an alternator and radiator hoses and thermostat. Kept the fluids replaced including transmission and differential oils. It's really helped that this has lived its entire life in California!

Last year I sold my 2002 ranger that I had for 20 years and almost 300,000 mi. Had the 2.3 and 5 speed. In those 20 years the only time it broke down was when the slave cylinder on the clutch went out. Other than that it was perfect. All I did was preventative stuff as the years piled on like u-joints and ball joints, brake pads and such. Still had the original clutch disc when I sold it.

I bought. 1994 mazda b2300 or ford ranger with 2.3 liter . Bought it brand new had it 12 yrs as main vehicle for family of 4. Great truck no problems . Put new timings belt clutch and ujoints at 200,000 not because i had to just because it was time. She was a little tired but still ran great when i sold it in 2006.

I've got an '03 Mazda B2300 with a manual, exact same model as the Ranger 4cyl with the 2.3l engine. I have had it parked as a standby vehicle for my household just in case something else were to break down on me. Could have sold it during the inflated pandemic used market but I knew it would have been a pain to find a replacement vehicle. If gas prices go crazy again, I'll park my E150 and drive the B2300 again. It easily kept the mpg in the 30-40 range.

The perfect first truck and even first vehicle. I bought one of these at an auction for $3k in 2013. Put 70k miles on it an sold it for $3,500 in 2019 around 190k miles. 3LV6 XL with extended cab. They are easy to work on, cheap parts, etc. You don't even need 4x4 for winter months. Get one with the Edge package and throw some sand bags in the back.Those have a limited slip differential. It was a daily driver for years then turned into the weekend truck for boats and hardware store trips. One thing to consider: modern highway speeds of 70-75 mph can be a little daunting. Especially with nothing in the bed. Keep it loaded down and you'll be fine.

Thats just true. I have a 1998 that I bought new. 4x4, super cab, and the 4.0 (OHV). 347,562 miles on it as I type. I can fix anything that breaks on it. Parts are EVERYWHERE. So as long as Cleetus McFarland doesnt buy them all up for his Danger Ranger series, there will be lots of them at wrecking yards for parts. Best purchase I have ever made.

For sure. I had a 1998 Ranger XLT with the 2.5L with a 5speed. I had that truck for 13 years. I got it with 43,000 miles on it and put over 150,000 miles on it. The thing that killed it was a burnt valve. I did not have the money to rebuild or replace the engine so I had to get rid of it. I wish I could have fixed it. I miss that truck. Also the clutch on it lasted the whole 190,000+ miles surprisingly.

FWIW: Regarding the rear seats. The extended cab 2 door has seats that are mounted sideways. The extended cab 4 door, like the model in the video, has seats mounted from the rear.

Picked my 2001 xlt up a month ago- 3.0 v6 for $3,200 and 87,500 miles on the clock..... very appreciative to add it to the fleet for a putt-putt home depot truck!

These are great trucks, but they're hard to find where I live, because no one sells them! This is a fine example of one of these. If anyone's interested, Sarah n Tuned did a full resto of one of these puppies, and it turned out fantastically! Thanks, Mr. and Mrs Wizard!

I had a 4.0L V6 5 speed regular cab Ranger. Never had any major issues. It had nearly 300k miles on it and was nearly 25 years old when a tree fell on it. I miss that truck. 😢

Great video and absolutely agreed! Recently, I set out to find the "newest 3rd generation 4x4 Ford Ranger with the least amount of miles" that I could find, with the intention of it being my "forever" truck. I'm a late 20s homeowner who works from home and has a lot of hobbies and interests that involve hauling heavy stuff. I also have a big family and want to be someone they can depend on when they need to move, etc. I found a 4x4 2011 Ford Ranger XLT with the 4.0L V6 with only 52k miles. Dealership had it listed for $17.9k. When it was new, with the options included, it was about a $26k truck. So, kind of expensive for a 12 year old vehicle, but... truly the last of its kind. It was manufactured in Tennessee and spent its life in the south, meaning... no rust! I snatched it up within moments of the listing being posted and got it delivered to my home. It's such a joy to drive! So simple, so dependable, so fun. Gas mileage sucks, but that's basically the only downside. I think I will drive this sucker for 20 years. It fits in my garage, too! "They don't make 'em like they used to."

I drive an 02 Explorer that shares the same platform as the Ranger Trucks. Like the Ranger, my Explorer is a beast that cannot be killed. I run the 4.6L V8, probably the best engine Ford ever made. It's got almost 200K miles, runs like new and because it rarely gets driven in winter conditions, the body is rust free, the trans, 4x4 and exhaust are original and everything works. People often mistake it for a newer model. I change oil, trans fluid and rear end fluid on regular schedules and fix anything that wears out or breaks, which are not many. I have made many trips from Michigan to Florida and it drives great and it is very comfortable on the highway.

Wiz! As a 25yr mechanic who also owned his own shop, I 100% agree. Ranger/Mazda B' series are amazing. The 3.0 will run forever but, it's a little lethargic; not as bad as the 2.3/2.5 4cyl though. That 4.0 though with proper maintenance runs like a scalded pig for 300k+ miles. The 4.0 will need head gaskets though. But the 4.0 4x4 with the manual (watch out for the slave cyl) is a total unicorn. It's a wheeling beast. Regardless of the motor, there is so much aftermarket support on those little Rangers. If I had to say, the 4cyl from 94-97 is probably your best bet. The stroked out 2.5 4cyl for 98 & 99 had some balance shaft issues (around the 150-200k mark) but, in no way was unreliable. When that 2.5 got fully sorted out, it's a reasonably torquey engine still only 120hp though LOL. After that would be the updated 2001-05 Edge w/ the Trailhead package as it was lifted 2.5". Don't waste your money on a tremor package from 02+ it was basically just a radio upgrade to the Mach audio. Last get the 06-11 any Ranger/Mazda B. They had upgraded seats and the center armrest was made a little more stout to keep it from breaking the welds on the drivers' seat frame.

I still have my 98 ranger that I bought new in June of 98 .. has the 2.5 5 speed.. 167k on it.. still great running

In 2019, I bought a 2003 Ranger XLT extended cab stepside. Has the 4.0 V6 , automatic, and 4x4. Payed $500 for the truck running and driving. However, with frame damage, it wouldn't pass NYS inspection. So I put $1500 into it over the course of 2 years as a project. After another 2 years, It's still my daily driver. They're awesome little trucks and will keep going as long as they're maintained.