The Ranger has scored major points during its first full month in Denver, Colo. Serving duty as both a cargo and people (and baby) mover, complaints are few and accolades many.

One of the truck's best features is its ability to carry young infants safely. With a defeatable front passenger airbag and a seat height that makes loading and unloading infants seats quick and easy, we're ready to re-classify the Ranger as a family car. Throw in its confidence-inspiring four-wheel drive and torquey 4.0-liter V6 and you've got a vehicle that keeps both mom and pop happy when transporting junior.

With night temperatures dropping into the freezing zone in the Mile High City, our Ranger's first problem has made an appearance. It's nothing serious like hard starting or a weak heater performance. Just an annoying combination of rattles and squeaks that disappear once the interior heats up. This unwanted symphony emanates from behind the dash and was described by our editor-in-chief as a loud "bowl of Rice Krispies."

Denver's increasingly cold temperatures have also played havoc with the Rugged Liner bedliner. It looked great and fit snugly after installation in L.A., but now the sides are bowing out from beneath the bed rails and the right rear panel is sagging inward. The side step bars, while not useful, add to the Ranger's rugged good looks.

Minor gripes include the non-illuminated power window and door lock switchgear that leaves passengers scrambling for these controls after the sun sets. Editor Wardlaw also wishes Ford included a seat height adjuster on its Ranger since the truck's front bench is "low and somewhat mushy." Finally, the aftermarket floor mats, provided to us by Performance Products, are plush and add a luxurious feel to the Ranger's interior. Unfortunately, they don't include a quick release mechanism for vacuuming underneath and must be unscrewed from the floor. Hey, at least they won't ever fall out or be easily stolen.

As with previous Denver-based long termers, the Ranger is quickly racking up signs of wear. A healthy door ding in the passenger door comes courtesy of a parking lot bandit who was polite enough to leave the scene without leaving a note. The exterior sides of the bed have also been scuffed after serving moving duty for an editor. Ah yes, the life of a truck. Editor Wardlaw tried to repair the damage with a product called Scratch Out he purchased at Pep Boys (made by Northern Labs, Inc. of Manitowac, Wisc.). The packaging boasted, "Easily Removes Scratches and Haze" with a "Professional Detail Shop Formuala." Despite multiple applications and some serious elbow grease on the part of our editor, all it removed was some time from his busy schedule. So much for truth in advertising.

Scuffs and scratches aside, the Ranger is proving to be a favorite among Edmunds staffers. The front and rear seat cupholders can accommodate large drinks and mugs with handles, the rear, side-facing seats are bearable, if not completely comfortable, for extended trips, and its overall appearance is both rugged and stylish.

With its first scheduled maintenance coming up in less than 600 miles, reliability has been Swiss watch-like. We'll see what the dealership has to say about the noisy dash but, otherwise, we're expecting a clean bill of health.

Best Fuel Economy: 19.9 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 17.3 mpg
Maintenance Costs: $0
Problems: Snap, Crackle and Pop camping out under the dash.