Everybody has their own pet peeves.
Some are worse than others when it comes to these peeves, and some of the annoyances may be tiny, however they cause some people to go mad.
One of the things that drives me a little mad is the dinging noise when you either take your seat belt off, or when you open the door of a car while the keys are still in the ignition.
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. It's like a little man with a squeaky voice shouting at you, "the door is open, the door is open, the door is open."
I know the door is open because I opened it. I also know my seatbelt is off because I was the one who took it off.
It is just so annoying, and if I had my way I would ban them from every vehicle.
What Ford has done with the new Ranger however, is the ding only sounds once if you open the door. That's it. Once. It says, once, "the door is open," and then like a good little man it shuts up.
But it goes one step further when you stop and take your seatbelt off.
It doesn't ding at all.
No dings, no chimes, no bells and no annoyances. It is music to the ears.
I take my seatbelt off and no one is there to chastise me for doing so. It actually makes me feel like more of a man. I have total control of the seatbelt without anyone constantly reminding me that I have done so.
In the words of James Brown, I feel good.
Anyway, the Ranger is the smallest truck in Ford's lineup, yet it comes with a V6 with 207 horsepower, which gets it up to speed reasonably quickly and the 238 ft lbs of torque means a towing capacity of 3,221 lbs and a six-foot long box to carry things in. This is a larger bed than some much larger and more expensive four-door pickups.
Because the Ranger is categorized as a small truck it is easy to park in parking spots without hanging out the other end, and you don't feel like you are driving a school bus when you are zipping in and out of traffic in the city.
The ranger actually has two half doors with a storage bin on each, and provides access the back seats. These are not full-sized seats and are not meant for full-time passengers. They are for the odd occasion when you need some extra space to take a buddy home, and this is why the seats are folded up against the back of the area. Theses seats are also perfect when you are going on a long trip and you are taking someone with you that you either don't particularly like or you just want to annoy. They work perfect when you have someone on the plus side of six feet. Tell them you dropped something in the back and you need them to get in and look for it, then close the doors and sit in the front seats.
There is nothing like having your six-foot-seven goaltender sitting on the seat mumbling his complaints because his knees are in his mouth.
This area also provides for a decent amount of rear cargo space. It is perfect for things you need to store but don't want to leave in the bed becausxe of weather or theft concerns. The floors are covered in a vinyl material, which looks like it could easily be washed out. This is very handy for those who will use the Ranger as a work truck or for outdoor activities. The front seat is actually a split bench. The passenger gets a regular seat, roughly 40 per cent, while the driver's side gets the other 60 per cent. This also makes for an extra front seat when you're pushed for space. The back of this seat folds down and acts as a large armrest when needed.
The Ranger's dash uses white dials, which allows the needles and numbers to be easily readable, and just under the MP3 CD player is a jack for the iPod or other flash media player.
Even though the Ranger is a small truck, Ford has provided a side step, which is handy for those of us who are lacking in height or who may have bad hips or knees.
The Ford Ranger may be smaller, but it is big of heart and where else can you get a truck for under 23 grand.
SPEC SHEET
Vehicle type:
4-door truck
Transmission:
5-speed manual
Engine:
4.0-litre V6
Horsepower:
207 @ 5,250
Torque:
238 @ 3,000
Mileage:
14 l/100 km 20 mpg city 9.7 l/100km 29 mpg hwy
Price as tested:
$22,994
