In the last few months we decided to say a tearful goodbye to our 1996 Ford Ranger XLT. Oh all right, maybe it wasn’t that tearful. I was ready for something new!

Upon arriving to the car dealership we didn’t know what to expect. We didn’t know what we’d be driving home that day but we certainly never expected to be coming home with the 2001 Ford Ranger Super cab! We found out that after our trade in and our A-plan discount, the extended cab would be only around $20 more per month than the regular cab.

Say hello to our new vehicle, the fully loaded Ford Ranger SuperCab.

At First Glance

I was surprised at how much larger this truck looked compared to our ’96. Yes, of course the extended cab called for extra length but I’m talking all around size. The front of the vehicle has been redesigned to look more like the F150 version. The hood sits taller and is more rounded, bottomed off by a new larger chrome grill.

The rims are beautiful! They are not your knock-off generic rims that you usually see for a low-end vehicle, but a beautiful chrome accent to the vehicle.

We also had the added options of a bug deflector and a Duraliner bed liner, which nicely added to the vehicle.

The rear lights have been slightly changed, with the reverse lights now being above the brake light instead of vice versa like before.

There are numerous colors but the one we chose (a silver frost) is a brand new color for Ranger this year. You also have a gold metallic, maroon, two different whites, black, green, gray, and many others.

Jump On In!

When you first jump in the driver or passenger seat, you’ll notice one of the best new features for the Ford Ranger – more room! It is very comfortable and not as rigid as the older versions. I'm the type of gal that likes to ride in the passenger seat indian style, and this truck is comfortable to do so. The driver's seat is very comfortable with ample cushion in the lumbar area.

The interior is a black on gray, and set up nicely.

The controls are all very self-explanatory and all large enough to control without taking up your whole dash. On the driver’s door you have controls for the windows, the locking mechanism, as well as the window adjustor.

Here are some of the newer control features:

-Steering wheel adjustor to raise or lower the steering wheel
-RPM’s on the dash
-CD player (one disc)
-Passenger side airbag turnoff
-Overdrive on/off switch
-12 volt power point
-Cruise control
-Air conditioning

The Securilock is a system that will not allow anything other than a coded key to start your vehicle. Every time you turn your vehicle off, the anti-theft device will automatically arm itself. When you start your vehicle with your coded key, it will automatically disarm.

The seats in the back (jump seats) are of course a joke unless you have small children. Do Not Use Child Car Seats in these or any other Center Facing Jump Seats! These are center facing, which means they fold down and the passenger faces toward the center of the vehicle instead of toward the front. I think it is safe to say that there aren’t too many adults that could fit back there since it is very tight.

The back window is solar tinted and has a sliding window you can open.

Let’s Take a Spin!

Of course the best feature of the 2001 Ranger Super Cab has to be the V6 (in my lead foot opinion!). This truck has much more power and get up and go than our 1996 dog of a truck. Unfortunately, this means we had to pay a higher insurance rate because of the added power.

The vehicle rides very well for a truck. It doesn’t bounce around as much as our older vehicle, and is virtually noiseless. Even the blinkers are almost silent! It handles curves nicely and is easy to turn.

Things I Dislike About Our New Ride

First of all, along with a V6 comes a lower gas mileage. This truck is estimated to run 17 miles city driving, and 21 miles for highway. With today’s current gas prices, this is a big downside.

The visibility is very poor with this truck. At first I thought maybe the tinted back windows were the culprits, but the drivers side mirror is basically useless. Even when turned in completely you aren’t able to see the side of your truck.

It is also harder to stop the vehicle than vehicles we’ve owned in the past. I’m not sure if this is due to the higher power rate of the engine or if I just need to get used to the brakes.

A Few Specs For You Die-Hard Truck Fans

Here are a few things that I haven’t mentioned that are listed on the vehicle description:

Standard Equipment for the 2001 XLT Super Cab 4x2

Safety/Security
-Driver & Passenger Airbags
-4 Wheel Anti-lock Brakes
-ADJ Height Front Seat Belts
-Side Intrusion Door Beams
-Rear High Mount Stop Lamp
-Securilock

Functional
-Rack and Pinion Power Steering
-Gas-Filled Shocks
-Trailer tow Wire Harness

Exterior
-P225/70RX15 a/s Owl Tires
-15” Chrome Steel Wheels
-Bed Rail Covers
-Chrome Front and Rear Bumpers
-Cargo Box Light
-Solar Tint Glass
-Bicolored Tail Lights

Interior
-Cloth 60/40 split bench seat

Specs specific to the Ford Ranger Super Cab XLT that we purchased

2001 Ranger Pickup 2WD
3.01 Engine
Feedback Fuel System
6 Cylinders
Fuel Injection Catalyst
5 Speed Automatic

Air conditioning package $650.00
Power Equipment Group $450.00
4-Door Cab $665.00

The standard vehicle price is listed at $18,485.00 but with the options we chose it came to $19,815.00. (Of course we didn’t pay that since we are A-plan, thank goodness!)

I do recommend this vehicle. I feel that is made with a more sophisticated driver in mind and it is not meant for much “off-roading”. This would also make a great truck for women. Anyone interested in the more rugged truck should probably look into the 4 x 4.

I feel this truck has been well manufactured and is a great deal for the options you are receiving. If you get a chance to test drive this vehicle I’m sure you won’t be disappointed!

Thanks for reading!





Amount Paid (US$): 17000.00
Condition: New
Model Year: 2001
Model and Options: XLT four door