Ford RANGER Parts | 2002 - 2006 | Mk1 Diesel NA TI TD #8APKK445K
The wind blew even more as the noise of the tires filled the cabin. I actually knew that this vehicle was being driven to its limit. The odometer indicated only 3,525 kilometers - quite young to undergo such harsh treatment. The rigid journey sent every road imperfection directly to my spine and into my brain, registering with great tenacity like hot needles on cold, bare skin. My pulse quickened as I gripped the gear lever trying to find another gear - I wanted to go faster - I needed another ascent. To my surprise - that was it. Only five gears? For any normal vehicle, five forward gears would be more than enough, especially considering that Manila traffic only requires the first three. However, it seems that this vehicle had a gearbox designed primarily to pull power or torque instead of the usual speed-biased car. What we have here is the king of compact pickup performance. Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to the Ford Ranger XLT. Introduced in 2000, the Ford Ranger XLT had all the right ingredients to overturn the competition: the most powerful diesel engine in its class, with 117 HP at 3500 rpm; it looks like its bigger brother F150 and a great extended engine warranty (four years if you use Shell oils). In fact, it sold quite well in Asia and Europe, as the Ranger is the best-selling compact pickup in Thailand, which is the largest pickup market outside the United States and is also the best-selling in the UK. However, here, it seems to settle for third or fourth place. If yours is the kind of family that could dismantle an MPV into its components in a few minutes, you need a form of transport that is all the more robust. The Ford Ranger pickup may not have the cute characters and smart gadgets of family vehicles designed for this purpose, but it is certainly tough. It is also surprisingly practical for the active family and pleasantly cheap on the second-hand market. Why? Simple. Filipinos love good looks, scary but true (just ask Brad Pitt and Corolla Altis). At launch, Ford had to redesign the Ranger to make it look more like the F150 through several means, including: the front grille, headlight and signal light combination, badge locations, and even the rear area. Unfortunately, even after conquering Mount Pinatubo, the Ranger had the largest market for service companies that saw the great sales package but did not appreciate either the look or the performance. Fast forward a year later, and Ford finally gets the right scent and decided to facelift the Ranger. New for the 4x4 XLT are the front bull bars, step bars, an efficient bed design, upgraded wheels, and a redesigned rear window. Beyond the exterior, Ford also managed to tweak the interior bits by adding an upgraded stereo cassette system with a single CD, keyless entry, and redesigning the dashboard with better plastic bits. They also addressed the safety issue by adding dual airbags (the only one in its class to have it) and a limited-slip differential. So... will this redesigned Ford Ranger XLT sell? Err... Im sorry to end so early, but if Filipinos still care more about looks than anything else, no. Rangers perennial rivals, the Nissan Frontier, Mitsubishi L200 XT, Toyota HiLux, and Isuzu Fuego have also gone through various metamorphoses, the most extreme being the Frontier, where Nissan even added leather seats, wood trim, and a 6-disc CD changer as standard. However, if performance could kill, then no one does it better than the Ford Ranger. As I mentioned earlier, the 2.5-liter turbo diesel engine produces a class-leading 117 HP at 3500 rpm and 280 Nm of torque at 2000 rpm. Connected to a 5-speed manual, the Ranger produces quick and fast acceleration numbers. It can handle headlight duels as well as trips on the northern diversion road with relative ease. However, dont expect to have a light conversation while driving, as the turbo diesel produces enough decibels to make your Aerosmith CD sound like your phone is ringing in silent mode. The engine is smooth and efficient, but very noisy, especially once the turbo kicks in at around 2,000-3,000 rpm. Below this, the engine is quite dull and powerless. Switching gears with the Ranger is a task at first for two reasons: its a diesel and because of the rubbery transmission system. First, for a person who is very used to driving a manual gasoline car daily, diesel responds very differently, requiring more frequent ascents. (Think about it, youll have to shift at 2,500-3,000 rpm instead of the usual 4,000 rpm!) Secondly, due to the rubbery feel of the manual transmission, its very hard to gauge if the gear slot is in place or youll end up grinding into fifth while driving at 100 kilometers per hour, just as it happened to me. As for ride comfort, the Ranger has none - forget about putting on your makeup or driving your morning coffee in this truck, youll end up dirtying your clothes and ruining your face before reaching the office. The combination of front double wishbones and rear semi-elliptical leaf springs ensures very good carrying capacity but makes the ride feel like that of a speedboat tossing around in the water. On a positive note, due to the stiff suspension, the Rangers straight-line stability is quite superb, only its boxy stature and full off-road tires at low speed ruining the chance of high-speed runs. Handling is quite adequate for a truck of this height. In fact, it bets on the Nissan Frontier when it comes to small and twisty bits, as the Nissan tends to sway more from side to side. Steering feedback is quite muted, although it is very agile and overall maneuverability is quite easy to manage (if it can easily fit through the Shangri-La Plaza parking, then it must be very good). Visibility is quite good, especially on the sides and back; the only weakness is the rather straight hood that requires a bit of neck stretching to judge correctly. The brakes are the weakest point of this Ford, as they lack bite, even if the pedal is fully pressed. With such a powerful engine, it should have been obvious that Ford increased the braking power as well, but unfortunately, the ventilated disc/drum combination will have to do. During our weekend with the Ranger, we had a few scary moments due to the lack of braking power. The practical question cannot be answered. With the Ford Ranger, you have to ask who - the passengers or the load? In terms of passenger comfort, the Ranger scores quite low, especially for the people in the back, not so much because of the space, but more because of the overall seat position. In the front, the seats are quite fine, especially for the driver. However, due to the thinly padded seat material, your bottom will be quite sore after a two-hour stop-and-go traffic situation. Moreover, the plastic piping on the seats increases the cheesiness factor tenfold. In the back, the seats are too upright, and the knee space is too cramped. This is not a way to treat your friends on a trip to Tagaytay. Four is already a squeeze inside the Ranger, so theres no way you can fit five for more than an hour around town. On the other hand, due to the standard bed liner and easy-to-use tailgate, the Ford Ranger scores perfectly in terms of luggage loading. The bed may not be as large as the Chevrolet Silverado, but it can hold a full piece of plywood and a few chairs with ease. Taking the Ranger off the highway to off-road is like taking the ugly duckling to the swan pond. The stiff suspension, torque engine, and high ground clearance are fully realized when the Ranger goes off the beaten path. Having this practical Ranger XLT facelifted on a slightly "light off-roading" aspect from the Ford Outfitters program When the people from the Subaru or Mitsubishi rally teams are content racing on muddy, snowy, and gravel terrains, the Ford Ranger endured a more varied type of punishment. There is the usual dry dusty terrain, but there are some more interesting parts, such as a river crossing, soft lahar (similar to wet, sticky sand), bushy fields, and boulder-filled crossings. In total, the Ranger came out of all these potentially sticky situations without any glitches, scratches, or mechanical imperfections. Certainly, the turbo diesel engine helped a lot throughout the event. Calling on the 280 Nm torque - which is a class-leading figure, coupled with a low-range 4x4 transfer case, ensured that the Ranger could tackle any obstacle with ease. The increased ride height, which hampered Fords ability on asphalt, proved to be the only shield between the treacherous terrain and the sensitive trajectory - soft-roaders, eat your hearts out! Moreover, the rigid chassis and standard all-terrain tires ensured that the Ranger remained focused, without giving any sense of surface or difficulty when driving on soft terrain. Although the ride is more boring, sending ten times more needles into the spine, the simple fact that this time we had smiles on our faces proved that this is where the Ranger truly belongs. After almost two hours on a single-lane terrain, we approached a breathing space on a former riverbed, which had been turned into a lahar-filled channel. Since the rain had poured the night before, there were patches of wet sand, water pockets, and some things in between. We thought - this is the perfect place to stretch the Rangers legs. Turning the riverbed into a fast crossing, we gave our black weekend Ford Ranger everything it had: at full acceleration, the high 4x4 mode carved through water, mud, and sand quite easily like a hot knife through butter. Handling is very predictable and very precise in these conditions, and visibility was not a hindrance to it. During the Ford Outfitters event, we managed to meet several more Ranger owners (about half of those who joined had different types of Ranger 4x4 XLTs). One guy, who owns a stock edition Pinatubo Conquest I, Ford Ranger, said this was the second time he entered the Outfitters customer program. He mentioned that he is very fond of this Fords ability to get out of any situation and still offer some kind of entertainment. He added that he uses his Ranger for daily trips to logging sites on unpaved roads near Quezon province. "Wala kahit isang beside akira nasiraan or pumalpak kot kot ko. Matibay anger Ranger na ito - kaya nga dinala koang mga anak ko sa sa Outfitters for Makita Nila." (There wasnt even a single time that my car failed. This Ranger is very tough - thats why I brought my kids with me to the Outfitters program, for them to see). A testament of a long-time Ford Ranger owner. At the end of the day, we thought the whole Outfitters thing might have felt like a walk in the daisies for the Ranger. We expected to hear some scratches, squeaks, or even an engine overheating after a high degree of punishment. To our amazement, there was none. Ford felt as solid as when we got it on the first day, a test of great build quality. In comparison, our friends Nissan Frontier 4x4 3.2 M/T, which did the same mileage, already had the plastic side panels rattling. Fuel-conscious people might note that the Ford Ranger does 9.50 kilometers per liter during the combined on-road and off-road adventures we had. A relatively good figure, considering that diesel costs much less than the average unleaded gasoline. For the practical mind, the Ranger is the best choice for a compact pickup out there. It has good on-road abilities, thanks to its powerful engine, sturdy chassis, and solid body. It may not handle like a Ferrari or even a Civic, but for those on the market for a cheap, high-value compact pickup, no one does it better than the Ford Ranger. What if it doesnt have cowhide for seats? With the Ford Ranger, the cow can sit on the pickup bed. This is not your average compact pickup - its the king of the hill.
2026