2001 Ford Ranger

The 2001 Ford Ranger continued its reign as the hottest selling compact pickup truck in the US.  An exterior redesign for the '01 model year gave the new Ranger a more intimidating appearance, with a big-shouldered front end and sturdy new side flares.  This incarnation of the Ranger looked a lot closer to its roots in farm and ranch, borrowing design cues from the F-150.

Three trims were available for the '01 Ranger: XL, XLT, and the new Edge trimline.  The Edge trim, a sporty monochrome styling aimed at younger drivers, featured interior and exterior touches that mirrored some of the ways tuners had customized earlier Rangers.  XL, the entry-level trim for the 2001 Ranger, offered plenty of comfort; XLT added some interior touches, as well as incorporating options like power windows and mirrors.  Bodystyles available were Flareside and Styleside; cab configurations offered were two-door Regular Cab, and two- and four-door extended cab SuperCab.  

Shipped with a 2.3 liter inline-4 engine, the '01 Ford Ranger offered two attractive upgrade options for drivers seeking more muscle under the hood: a 3.0 liter V-6 or a new single overhead cam 4.0 liter V6 delivering 207 horsepower and plenty of torque.  Two-wheel and four-wheel drive options were available; Ford's proprietary part-time four-wheel drive system provided the flexibility to meet varying road conditions.