Do you like your Colorado/Tacoma/Ranger?

[Will_C]

I bought a 1989 Toyota 2wd truck new. I had it 7 years, 141,000 miles-replaced some exhaust components, shocks-and routine maintinence. I then bought a 1996 Tacome 4wd. That truck had 128,000 miles-with shocks and rear springs replaced, and routine service. I won't say anything negative about the other trucks-but I have been impressed with my Toyotas.

Will

 

[brokenot]

...another Ford 2.3 fan here. I've never had one in a Ranger myself, but a couple of friends have. I just bought a t-boned '93 Mustang off of Craigslist just for the 2.3 and rest of the driveline.

We have around 20 pieces of equipment at work that use the 2.3, and the stuff gets beat mercilessly by rental customers. The engine is rock-solid reliable, and offers some key advantages if longevity/repairability are your main concerns:

1) It isn't an interference engine. The timing belt jumps or breaks, and you're out the $15-20 for a new belt. That's it. No belt valves or anything.

2) Cast iron block and head. Somebody runs it with a coolant leak and gets it a bit hot? No aluminum head to warp and cost big $$ to repair.

3) Parts availability and swap-ability. This engine has been used in lots of stuff for many years. Lots of new and used bits are available and cheap.

They're smooth, produce okay power, and are very economical. They're inexpensive to repair and maintain, and are also a piece of cake to work on.

Anybody have any they want to get rid of?

 

[RoMad]

I had an s-10 with the 4.3, extended cab and 5 speed. I averaged ~22mpg with city / country driving. I gave it to one of my sons and got a 4wd 3.0 Ranger with an automatic. I never ever got over 17 mpg with that truck and the front hubs were cheap, poor quality. I sold it after about a year.
I now have a 2006 extended cab Tacoma with a 4 cylinder 5 speed that I bought new. I have pulled up to 3500 pounds with it with no problem. I get 25 -26 mpg and once I got 28 by doing lots of coasting. It just turned over 100,000 miles and for the first time since buying it, i had to add power steering fluid. I have put brakes on it and when it was pretty new I put a K&N air filter on it and that is it. I change the oil every 5k and use castro synthetic. My next oil change will be at 105k and I am going to change the spark plugs.

Since you are looking for used, you can probably get a better deal on a 4.3 S10 than a Toyota. I would not buy an S10 with the 4 cyl.

 

[archerm3]

My Ford ranger is a 2007, regular cab 4wd with a 5 speed auto and the 3.0L V6, my normal mileage sits between 19 and 20, this includes rarely going over 50 mph, mostly backroads hopping between places where I quail hunt. I like the truck because I can take it anywhere, park it anywhere, it rides very well and most of the time when I hunt it is either just me or maybe a friend or my dad, and since I quail hunt and have a dog box that slips in the back I don't have to carry alot of crap with me.
Aside from that I deer hunt fairly close to home so I either walk or put it in the cab. I love this truck to work out of, even with it being a 4wd I can still reach anything in the bed from the side without the use of a stepladder! These new full size pickups sit too tall, and I am almost 6' as is.

Like someone earlier said the Ranger is built on an old design that has stood the test of time, Rangers can take alot of abuse and keep going ( I don't do that to mine). The only thing I have had go wrong with mine was the electric shift motor in the transfer case went out at like 9000 miles and was covered under warranty, the truck now has 64xxx on it with no damage other than what I have caused (hit a deer last spring and put it on it's side this winter).

I can't say AMEN to that enough!

Oh, and my 97 Taco 4x4 with 210000 and one rollover is still going strong. Had to finally put a starter on this winter....will probably need a muffler and pipe at some point from rusting out.

 

[mrmikey]

Got an '04 Ranger Edge 3.0 liter auto, 22 Imp. mpg highway. Other than being underpowered it's a great rig, no problems, sticks to the road like s**t to a blanket. Once you get it rolling you're fine, it's just getting it rolling that's lacking. I'd buy another in a minute....Mike

 

[USMC.27]

I had a 91 regular Cab 2.3 Ranger with the longer wheel base and loved, loved, loved it! I kept it about ten years and 130k miles and had very minor problems. I had to change temp sensor, a throttle position sensor, and an oil pump. The oil pump was not the problem, it was the oil pan gasket disentagrated inside the pan and was sucked up by the oil pump. My mechanic stated that the inside of the engine looked brand new. I traded it for a bigger truck because my kids were getting bigger, and after my divorce it was the only vehicle I had. I later had a 2001 xcab Ranger with a V6. Nice truck, drove well, no complaints, just did not like it as well as my first Ranger. I had it on a lease and turned it in at the end of the lease because I had a 91 Ford SuperDuty (1 1/2 Ton) that I drove more. I now drive an 03 Ford F250 4X4 extended Cab Superduty with the 5.1 gas engine, and I love this truck better than any other vehicle I have ever had, with the exception of the 91 Ranger. If I didn't need a bigger truck for all the heavy trailers I pull I would buy another Ranger in a heart beat.