FIRST IMPRESSIONS – 2003 Ford Ranger Automatic
The first time Ford launched the Ranger back in 1999, the preview drive was somewhere in the jungle. Unsuspecting journalists like my good friend Shah Hussein of Auto International were hardly thrilled by the fact that they had to camp out and when it was necessary to do the ‘big things’, the toilet was an outdoor one. For some reason, I did not attend that event but I always told the Ford Malaysia guys that I would not do such an event if there was another one like it.
Four years later, a new Ranger is to be launched and while they searched the peninsula (and even Sabah) for a suitable place to show off the new model, they had no intention of subjecting ‘softie’ journalists to such tough conditions again. Many of us senior journalists are a bit old to be sleeping in the cold (bad for the old bones) , you see.
So the spot chosen for the night stop was Pedu Lake in the northeastern corner of Kedah, next to the Thai border. We flew up to Penang in the morning, had our briefing at Equatorial Hotel and then hit the road with the new Rangers. It was highway about half the way, and then a long winding stretch into the hills where the huge Pedu Lake with its scenic surroundings was situated.
There were three journalists per vehicle and a Ford person as well. As the first Fordie to join us (the other two journalists were from Sarawak) was Ken Gutowski, the Ranger’s chief engineer, I decided to stay in the back to chat with him and learn more about the vehicle. The guy is a veteran in Ford – first and only company he has worked for – and has spent all his life on trucks. So working on the Ranger was something he was familiar with and had vast experience to call upon.
Though there was this huge cargo bed behind the cab, it seemed that we all kept our luggage inside the cab but it wasn’t that cramped and as there were only two of us in the back seat, it wasn’t uncomfortable. The backrest was a bit upright but with the right padding in the lumbar area, I didn’t get any backache.
Of more interest to me was the ride comfort which was said to be better than before. As I do not own a Ranger, I have to take the word of another Ranger owner that it is better. But I would say that while the typical jarring remains apparent over bumps, the ride is not too bad and definitely tolerable in my books.
When it came to my turn to drive, I found the new 4-spoke steering wheel felt good in the hand. However, I kept feeling a strange discomfort each time I held the ‘pistol grip’ shifter. Perhaps due to the relationship between my body on the seat and the shifter, I felt that my wrist had to bend a bit more than normal and I would have preferred a conventional T-bar shifter. However, Ken said that the reason why a T-bar design was not used was to avoid accidentally pushing against the lever with the thigh. Maybe my hand is unusual as no one else seemed to bring up the matter!
The ‘Hold’ feature which is unique to this automatic transmission is not new to me. I remember using it in the Telstars and though I questioned its value in a roadgoing sedan, I can see that it is quite a good idea for an off-roader like the Ranger. Locking a gear ratio is important when you are going up or down a steep slope where your speed can only be governed by the engine and the brakes should not be touched (especially on a slippery downhill drive).
On the road, the feature is of no real use other than acting like an Overdrive disconnect when the ‘D’ position is used. Press the button on the top of the shifter and the transmission drops out of top gear, providing some degree of engine braking as well.
The engine had a muscular feel and I thought it clattered less than before. Though torque is lower, it still has lots of low-end ‘oomph’ and once it gets going, you can actually blast along the highway. Kickdown is a bit abrupt and there could be less shift shock but keeping in mind what sort of vehicle this is, perhaps it is reasonable not to expect the same sort of transmission refinement as in a sedan.
The handling remains as nice as before (supposed to be better), one of the things that has always impressed me about the Ranger. This is a pick-up but you can hustle it along twisty roads with confidence and though power-assisted, the steering is still nicely weighted and there’s a good feel of what the tyres are doing all the time and where they are pointed.
Weight distribution in a pick-up is really unequal as the rear end is so light. Many years back when I was testing the Courier, I got a shock when I slammed on the brakes and the rear end skidded without warning. That’s why many companies put in a load-sensing and proportioning valve for the brake system which compensates brake force when the vehicle is lightly loaded.
With the new Ranger, brake balance is assured by the 4-wheel ABS. Though an unladen vehicle will still mean a lighter rear end, the ABS sensors will constantly monitor the spinning rate of the rear wheels and if lock-up – which leads to skidding – is imminent, pressure will be released a split second to avoid that dangerous condition. We didn’t have rain on our drive so there was no opportunity to try the ABS but I am sure it works as advertised.
The off-road section provided by Ford Malaysia was a rough dirt course in an estate, not particularly challenging for something like a Ranger and which could be done even without 4WD engaged. Nevertheless, I have no doubt about the off-road capabilities of the Ranger as stories from the Lanun Darat (the club for Ranger owners) events are quite convincing as they go into pretty rough terrain. Besides, Ken told me that the testing of the Ranger had been done in all kinds of terrain in Malaysia. Thailand, Australia and South Africa.
There’s little I could find in the new Ranger to pick on in any negative way as it is a well designed vehicle. The only thing that irritated me was the reflection on the instrument panel dust cover. Some manufacturers manage to angle the plastic in such a way that there is never any reflection, or the panel is very well recessed under a shroud but a number of Fords (going back to the 1980s!) I have tested seem to have the dreaded reflection which obscures the view of the meters.
I have often told friends that a pick-up is something I would be happy to have for a weekend or as a second vehicle but not as my primary one for daily use. Apart from the length which can be a hassle when parking, I have also felt that I might not be able to live with the ride. However, with this new Ranger, that feeling could well change as it is a nicer vehicle to travel in now and the previous argument of not having an automatic transmission has also been removed!
