This month, both of our drivers got into the Ranger for the second time, respectively, and both came away with more praise for the truck. Andy Chase favors the Ranger over our long-term Jeep Grand Cherokee, GMC Sierra and Honda Odyssey: "The Odyssey, while full of features, is, well, a minivan, and the Grand Cherokee, while nicely appointed and sharp-looking, is just too yuppie for me. The Ranger fits nicely between them -- with its bright red paint and flareside bed, it satisfies the need for style without the excesses of leather seats, seat warmers, fake wood panels, etc. To me, the truck just seems more honest without all the luxury fluff present in the Grand Cherokee and the Sierra."

After stints with both the JGC and Sierra, Josh Catalfo lavished compliments onto the Ranger, "Compared to the Titanic turning radius [of the Sierra] and parking incompatibility, the Ranger was a steady tug, eager to handle any work that may crop up." Its first mission was to cart a 7-foot Christmas tree -- which fit diagonally into the back of the Ranger. Next, the truck had to deal with moving staff offices to our new digs in Santa Monica. With no passengers, Catalfo was able to get five file-size boxes, assorted posters, and a fleet of 1/18 scale die-cast cars into the truck's cabin.

Once again, Catalfo appreciated the stereo's speakers. Whether he was listening to tunes or the traffic report, sound quality was superb. Catalfo also thanked the Ford folks for the side window defogger "coyly positioned on the top of the dashboard" that did its job in a jiffy. Also noted was the heater that was quick to warm up the cabin on chilly mornings. And, our repaired center armrest is making our drivers much more comfortable during the commute to work.

Aftermarket parts continue to take a beating, both physically and figuratively, from our drivers. Chase reports that the kickplates on the running boards are a disaster (the passenger side one is completely gone and the other one dangles by one screw). Also, the bedliner was more warped this time around than in August, and although one can still use the bed, Chase thinks it "can't be good for rain and car wash water to be getting down behind the walls of the liner."

The heavy-duty off-road suspension, although called bouncy by our staffer, was considered fun (at least for a couple of weeks). Meanwhile, compared to the JGC's powerful V8, Chase found the V6 engine underpowered, but its torque was still appreciated over the Hollywood hills for the commute to work.

Total Odometer Reading: 21,076
Best Fuel Economy: 12.8 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 10.9 mpg
Body Damage: $0
Maintenance Costs: $0
Problems: None.