The first half of 2001 has been a season of dramatic change in the mkp51 household. As our family settles into our home in mid-coast Maine for the long haul, after traveling around the world for the better part of a quarter-century, we’ve steadily been replacing our old, worn out, or outdated belongings with newer, more attractive, and longer lasting items. A few examples:

In January, we replaced our ancient, tattered sofa, easy chair, and recliner, which we had carried with us across Europe throughout the 1990s, with a new living room set.

On March 9th, I replaced my glacial Hewlett-Packard Pavilion computer with a new Compaq Presario, 1.1 gig "screamer."

On April 26th, we bid adieu to our 1991 Honda Accord LX, and replaced it with a 2001 Ford ZX2. Our faithful Honda, a veteran of four military changes of station, and with more miles on it from Europe than the U.S., is now in the hands of our oldest daughter.

Finally came the turn of my constant companion for the past two and a half years – my bright blue 1999 Ford Ranger. (Sniff-sniff... I always develop an emotional attachment to my vehicles!) A wonderful vehicle, as I pointed out in one of my earliest reviews. Got us through two winters and 31,500 trouble-free miles; always eager to serve in whatever capacity I required.

Only...

Over the past few months, as our family became more active, and my demands on my truck increased, I began to realize that my ’99 Ranger was proving itself less adequate for my needs. So, with great reluctance, I decided that the time was ripe for a (gulp!!) trade. Two weeks ago, with a tinge of sadness, I bid my '99 Ranger a fond farewell and surrendered it to the dealer from which I had originally bought it.

In its place, I welcomed into our family a new friend... a 2001 Ford Ranger XLT SuperCab.

Toreador red. A bigger engine. More space in the cab… even room for passengers back there behind the 60/40 split bench seats. Most important: more power, more comfort, good fuel economy. Everything I need from a pickup truck in this rural area in which I live.

The 2001 Ford Ranger XLT SuperCab boasts an impressive list of features: So what did I get for my money?

* 3.0 liter V-6 engine with electronic fuel injection
* 5-speed manual transmission with overdrive
* Two wheel drive, rear wheels driven
* Power steering/brakes
* 4-wheel anti-lock brakes (front disc/rear drum)
* Extended cab with two door design
* 60/40 split bench seats, each independently adjustable
* Air conditioning
* Passive anti-theft system
* Solar tint glass
* Spare tire lock
* AM/FM stereo radio with single compact disc player

Here are my initial impressions of this impressive vehicle, now that I’ve had the opportunity to drive my new Ranger for a couple weeks:

Powertrain: The 3.0L V-6 engine is excellent... brawny and eager to accept whatever challenges I give it. Whereas my ’99 Ranger’s 2.5L "four-banger" had some trouble climbing the fairly substantial hills in our area, the 2001 SuperCab does not. My new "Red Ranger" gets over those hills quickly, even in 5th gear. There’s even room for me to accelerate on hills while in overdrive!

The engine is silky smooth, and barely audible even at high speeds. The only times I can hear the engine’s faint growl is when I’m shifting through the gears. This is a tribute to both the engine and the truck’s ergonomics! (More about that later.) The engine is pretty fuel efficient for a V-6. The truck’s window sticker says I'm supposed to get 22 miles per gallon highway, and 17 miles per gallon combined highway/city driving. So far, over the past two weeks, I’ve been doing slightly better: 23.5 mpg highway, and 19.3 mpg combined.

Like its predecessor, the 2001 SuperCab’s 5-speed manual overdrive transmission shines. Shifting action is very precise; there’s almost no "slop" in the floor mounted shifting lever; I always have the safe and sure "feel" of being securely locked in whatever gear I desire.

Handling: The 2001 Ranger SuperCab handles very well indeed!! The suspension is stiffer than most compact pickups, so the ride isn't the same as you’d expect from a car. With its longer wheelbase than models with the regular cab, there’s quite a bit less bouncing around on rough surfaces. Power steering is pinpoint accurate. The vehicle goes exactly where you point it, with almost no lean or body roll.

The four-wheel anti-lock brakes are muscular and quick to respond. There’s no side-to-side pull at all. One annoying feature of the anti-lock brakes (pointed out in the owner’s manual as normal operation): you’re likely to experience a small amount of brake shudder when braking hard on wet or slippery roads. I’ve already discovered the truth of this warning a couple of times during recent rain storms.

Ergonomics: My new "Red Ranger’s" extended cab is the primary reason why I bought the vehicle, and it's already proven its worth several times. The cab is spacious, with about an extra 12 inches of room behind the seats. That’s plenty of room to store my backpack and lunch box when commuting to work; groceries and other merchandise when shopping; or my guitar and music books when going off to church. In addition, my wife, son, and I can now ride comfortably for short and medium distances, without crowding each other.

You gain access to the rear area by sliding the front seats forward. Getting into the back isn’t exactly easy, even with the 60/40 split bench seats all the way forward. The opening to the rear area is very narrow. Once there, however, passengers can ride in comfort, at least for short distances. Because the "jump seats" in back are mounted to the side walls of the cab, there’s plenty of leg room for both passengers. I do wonder about those itty-bitty side-facing "jump seats," though... are they really as safe as front facing seats would be?

Speaking of leg room... in the 2001 Ranger SuperCab, here's an area of vast improvement for the driver and all front seat passengers. Front seat occupants can now recline their seat backs and move the seats far enough back to reall-l-y-y stretch out. The gas, brake and clutch pedals are well positioned for maximum comfort.

One small but very significant ergonomic improvement over my '99 Ranger: the size and location of the "tie-downs" in the truck bed. Gone are those teensy U-bolts inconveniently crammed into the farthest reaches of each corner of the box, directly under the bed rails. In my "red Ranger," they've been replaced with much larger and sturdier rings. They're still located in each corner, but now they're closer to midway between the bed rails and and the floor. Even with my bed liner installed, I can get to the tie-downs very easily with ropes or bungee cords.

Controls and instrumentation: As with Rangers in past model years, controls and the instrument cluster are very well designed. Everything is large, easy to see, and well within reach. The 2001 SuperCab adds a tachometer to an already excellent instrument panel. That accompanies a large speedometer, and fuel, temperature, battery, and oil pressure gauges, as well as the usual host of "idiot lights."

The interior is whisper-quiet – much more so than my 1999 model. Even at highway speeds, there’s barely a trace of "road rumble" or wind.

The environmental system (heater/defroster/air conditioner) is excellent. The air conditioner keeps the cab nice and cool on hot days without turning the interior into a refrigerator. It does a good job of removing interior fog off the windows... it usually takes less than a minute to clear all windows. The large rotary knobs that control the environmental system are simple to operate and controls are reasonably well placed below the radio/CD player. I must note, however, that the knobs are slightly less convenient in trucks with the 5-speed manual transmission, with its floor mounted shifting lever.

The 4-speaker stereo AM-FM single compact disc (CD) player is very good. Ther radio comes with standard features – digital display, seek, scan, and pre-sets for AM and FM stations. The audio quality from both the radio and the CD player is good... for an automotive system. All audio frequencies – bass, midrange and treble – are crisp, loud and clear, although the bass frequencies seem a bit "boomy" to my ears. A sound compression button (similar to a "loudness" control on home stereo systems) helps keep the music clearly audible even at highway speeds. The audio system controls are large and easy to read.

My 2001 Ranger comes with a passive anti-theft system. The truck's keys are electronically coded to operate only in my vehicle. When I turn the engine OFF, the anti-theft system automatically arms itself. A red light flashes on the instrument panel indicating the system is active. If anyone attempts to start the truck without its specially coded key, the anti-theft system disables the engine and transmission.

Reliability:. If the track record of my ’99 Ranger is any indication, I don't foresee any trouble at all with my new vehicle. I had only one problem with my old Ranger, and that was quickly disposed of, under warranty, by my dealer's service department.

Ford covers its new vehicles with an excellent 3 year, 36,000 mile warranty. This time, I opted for Ford’s 5 year, 75,000 mile extended warranty. It covers all repairs with a $50 deductible, for the life of the contract. (of course, the regular warranty picks up all costs during the first three years.) The extended warranty also gives me free oil changes for the life of the contract.

General observations: As with every Ford pickup truck I’ve ever driven, I find the 2001 Ranger SuperCab to be superbly built. It has a solid, durable "feel" to it, and there are no squeaks or rattles or other annoying little defects to contend with.

One special note: My 2001 Ford Ranger came equipped with Firestone Wilderness AT tires... the exact tires recalled by Ford on May 22, 2001. Ford Motor Company has authorized the free replacement of these tires, no questions asked, just as soon as my dealer gets its shipment of 15-inch tires from Goodyear.

Over the long run, I’m sure that my 2001 Ford Ranger SuperCab will turn out to be excellent for my needs. Like my ’99 Ranger, it will prove excellent for general cargo hauling, yard work, and other around-the-house chores.

So, welcome to the family, "Red Ranger!!" I'll be relying heavily on you every day to get me to work and to help keep things running smoothly around the ol’ homestead. I’m absolutely confident that you will excel at every task I give you!!


Amount Paid (US$): 14,750
Condition: New
Model Year: 2001
Model and Options: XLT SuperCab; 3.0L V-6 engine; 5-speed manual overdrive transmission