You can drive the Ford Ranger for years

My particular model runs on a 3000cc engine that I find affordable to maintain given the fact that I often times travel a lot upcountry on rough murrum roads where I am forced to drive slow but still consume less fuel.

Like most Pick-ups, the Ranger also runs on manual transmission where I engage a low and high gear as and when I want depending on the road terrain I am driving.

The beauty with manual transmission cars is that when you want to drive through the roughest of roads, you select the gear accordingly and the car will maneuver through. As long as you understand how gears are engaged to get the car performance you need, you will drive the Ford Ranger for years.

Its service and maintenance is dependent on how often you drive the car and the amount of work you subject it to.

For example, if I drive from one construction site to another daily and I am out of Kampala, I endavour to visit the garage once every month or when I experience a change in car performance. You can tell that something is not right with the car by just listening to the engine sound or when engaging and disengaging gears to help you determine your next course of action.

On average, I spend approximately between Shs350,000 to Shs500,000 on service because it is purely a field car you can drive on and off-road anytime any day. I source for spare parts either from Kisekka market or from the dealership at Nakawa. 

Fred Makumbi

I have driven the Ford Ranger for three years and I find it a pick-up to drive anywhere but also use for many purposes.

One, I do not feel ashamed to drive it as my office car even when other people are parking Land Cruisers or Mercedes Benz ML. Every car has an advantage over the other in terms of purpose, performance, shape and size and many other aspects.

I am a farmer with gardens and goat farms in Luweero district and when I am to drive there especially over the weekend, I use the Ranger and still drive it comfortably to office the next day.

It is a car I use to carry farm input but also use to harvest or carry foodstuff of all kind.

My model runs on a 4000cc V6 engine that is more powerful and fast and comes with an option of engaging and disengaging the four wheel drive (4WD) system.

The system (4WD) allows you drive through the roughest of roads especially during rainy seasons along slippery murrum roads and saves you fuel by turning it off when you don’t need it on tarmacked highways. The aspect I find useful with this car is its antilock brake system that comes in all the wheels. It prevents the car from skidding when the road is very slippery.

One of the downsides of driving the Ranger is that its AC system is somewhat fragile. When it breaks down or damaged in anyway, it becomes uncomfortable because of the heat from the engine and natural factors. The second is that it’s not a cheap car to keep on the road. If you need it to serve you longer, be ready to service it quite often as and when the need arises. For instance, one tyre of the Ford Ranger to serve you for approximately two years costs between Shs400,000 to Shs800,000 depending on the type and where you buy it from. The beauty with such tyres is that they last longer because they have bigger treads and thick bodies manufactured to withstand any kind of road surface.  

Edward Tumusiime

In the four years I have driven the Ford Ranger, I have found it to be a multipurpose vehicle. It was designed to be a car of all seasons. I choose what I do with it. I am a road construction supervisor and when I need to transport equipment or site staff, I load the vehicle’s cabin with anything I want, including passengers, as long as it fits well.

When I have any kind of function at home especially upcountry, it can be used as a service car to collect foodstuff, carry jerricans of water and any such kind of work.

With exception of the driver and co-driver passenger seats that give you enough driving legroom, the passenger seats do not. When I am carrying passengers, I am forced to make stopovers to allow them stretch; otherwise, they develop joint pains because of sitting for long. It is one of the interior features I don’t like about it.

On the other hand, it is a vehicle that commands a raised ground clearance that allows you drive through any road terrain. It is a feature never to complain about. The second aspect is that it has a large cabin that can carry up to five bags of charcoal or any other merchandise to load. Even when overloaded, much as it has an impact on fuel consumption, the Ranger will still move regardless of the weight on the cabin. 

I service it as per the recommended mileage on the maintenance of 5,000km. It costs me approximately Shs300,000 and this will include gearbox oil, engine oil, coolant, oil filters, air cleaner and spark plugs and few other parts.

When I am driving in Kampala, I spend approximately Shs150,000 on fuel in a week from home at Mutungo to Kampala city centre for work. This is in most cases determined by the movements I make.

REVIEW

Is the Ford Ranger a good truck?

Yes, the Ford Ranger is a good truck. It has a powerful engine, handles well, and gets good gas mileage. The Ranger is a solid off-roader, and its towing and hauling capacities are good for the class. Inside, the seats are comfortable, and SuperCrew models have more rear-seat space than many competitors. There are plenty of user-friendly features available as well. Ford Ranger is a nameplate that has been used on multiple model lines of vehicles sold by Ford worldwide. Primarily in use for light trucks, the nameplate has been used for distinct model lines of vehicles worldwide since the 1983 model year.

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