2009 Ford Ranger

Safety is a big downfall for the Ranger. It doesn't offer side airbags or electronic stability control at all, although reports say both are coming to the Ranger in 2010. (The Ranger's assembly line was idled for weeks in 2009 due to slow sales, and its plant is scheduled to close in 2011, so reviewers expect that will finally spell the end of the Ranger.) Lacking those two features, the Ford Ranger/Mazda B Series is more likely to roll over than any other pickup, and it does only a marginal job protecting occupants in a side-impact crash, tests show. The Ford Ranger also gets poor ratings in rear crash tests.

Ford Ranger still might be a good choice for some

Safety concerns aside, reviews say the Ford Ranger wouldn't be a bad pickup for the right driver. "An available segment-exclusive 7-foot bed allows a lot of stuff to be hauled to work sites, while the Ranger's relatively small size and rugged underpinnings make it ideal for trail-bashing," Edmunds.com says. The Ranger also gets average-to-good reliability ratings, and reviews note that dealer discounts often make the already low-priced Ford Ranger even more affordable.

Fuel economy can be a major advantage for the Ranger -- or a major shortcoming. You'll get a class-leading 23 mpg in mixed driving (21 mpg city and 26 mpg highway) if you check all the right boxes: base 143-horsepower, 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine, rear-wheel drive and the five-speed manual transmission. You'll lose 2 mpg all around with the five-speed automatic transmission. Reviewers note that the Toyota Tacoma (*Est. $15,170 to $27,075) can get equally good gas mileage and it's a much better pickup all-around.

But critics report the Ford Ranger's four-cylinder engine is sluggish. The optional 207-horsepower, 4.0-liter V-6 solves that problem, but fuel economy plunges as a result. Add four-wheel drive and you've suddenly got worst-in-class fuel economy (14 mpg city, 18 highway and 15 combined with the automatic). ConsumerGuide.com's real-world fuel economy with this trim is even more dismal -- about 13 mpg city and 14 highway.

Cab styles and options

The Ranger comes in two cab styles. The regular cab seats three on a 60/40 split bench. The extended SuperCab adds optional narrow, reverse-opening rear doors and sideways-facing jump seats to seat five in a pinch. Front bucket seats are available.

The Ford Ranger XL (*Est. $16,395 to $21,810) is spartan, with vinyl seats on some trims and no CD player as standard equipment. The Ranger XLT (*Est. $17,665 to $23,575) adds basic standard features such as a CD player and air conditioning, plus the option to buy extras such as power locks and leather seats. The Ford Ranger Sport (*Est. $17,990 to $24,255) adds a special appearance package and optional performance components. The Ranger FX4 Off-Road (*Est. $24,535 to $25,805) allows for options such as heavy-duty shocks and a limited-slip rear differential.

Some Ford Ranger pickups tow as little as 1,500 pounds, but the maximum towing capacity with the V-6 engine is 6,000 pounds -- 500 pounds less than the V-6 Toyota Tacoma. The Ford Ranger comes with a three-year, 36,000-mile basic warranty and five-year, 60,000-mile powertrain warranty.

ConsumerReports.org doesn't include the aged Ford Ranger in its most recent pickup truck rankings, but editors do provide an abbreviated review with ratings for reliability, safety, owner costs and owner satisfaction. Testers at Edmunds.com and ConsumerGuide.com both fully review the Ranger and judge it against its peers. J.D. Power and Associates rates the Ford Ranger based on owner feedback. Car and Driver's capsule review is short, but it backs up what other experts are saying about the Ranger. Taken together, crash-test ratings at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration provide a clear picture of the Ranger's safety. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates the Ranger's fuel economy and finds big differences among trim levels.