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Used 1998 Ford Ranger Regular Cab Consumer Reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
44 reviews

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Pros
Cons
5 out of 5 stars

Best Truck Ford Produced!

nbrookshire, 02/07/2013
1998 Ford Ranger XLT 2dr Regular Cab SB (2.5L 4cyl naturally aspired 5M)
33 of 34 people found this review helpful

I bought this truck Brand New in 1998 with 3 miles on the truck. I have wrecked the truck 12 times, flipped it twice and it has over 600k miles on it and still runs strong. I have repaired the truck each time it has been wrecked. When Ford says Built TOUGH they mean it. My little ranger is Built Tough. I have an extra engine in my basement if ever needed. I would not trade , sell, or EVEN GIVE away my little ranger. I LOVE my little truck. This little truck gets GREAT gas mileage as well. The only mechanical issue I have had is replacing the Clutch. I go through clutches quickly. But overall Best truck Ford Made!!!

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4.63 out of 5 stars

1998 Ranger

Ron, 05/17/2008
1998 Ford Ranger XLT 2dr Regular Cab LB (2.5L 4cyl naturally aspired 5M)
10 of 10 people found this review helpful

I bought this truck new in 1998 and put 150,000 miles on it over the first 5 years. Overall the truck has been quite reliable. The two problem areas have been the interior light staying on and multiple issues with the air conditioning. Other than that the vehicle has never left me stranded. In fact, I have a 4 cylinder/5 speed stick and have never even replaced any part of the drivetrain in cluding the clutch. The truck currently has over 175,000 miles and continues to run like new.

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4 out of 5 stars

Great type of truck

Jeremy, 09/12/2017
1998 Ford Ranger XLT 2dr Regular Cab SB (2.5L 4cyl naturally aspired 5M)
8 of 8 people found this review helpful

This is a great type of truck for throwing something like rocks or items from the grocery store in the bed, there is plenty of space for that. Ok shifting gears, this is not a truck that you will haul a boat with. (Go get an F150 or Silverado or Ram for that) but you can tow small trailers with it with a towing capacity of 2,000 LBS. We use a small trailer and we have a weed killer pump on it that we use. As far as comfort goes, don't expect to be carrying a party of people with this truck. I have a regular cab and the middle seat isn't even a seat it's...something with a seatbelt in the middle. And even if I was going to take a third person they would sit uncomfortably because the stick is in the middle (5 speed manual) I do know that the extended cab has 2 jump seats in the back that were really designed for kids probably. So don't expect to have adults back there. Reliability is great and I've done very little maintenance on this truck with 86,000 miles on it, and when I needed to the 2.5 liter engine is real simple and easy to work on. As far as safety goes, there are no side impact airbags you just have one on the steering wheel and one for the passenger which is plenty seems how this is a small truck. The insurance is higher then some mustangs made because people crash them all the time...don't know why, so if your looking at a truck that is the EXACT replica of this one, you'd want the Mazda B3000, nobody has these trucks and the insurance is REALLY CHEAP. Overall I love my Ranger it's a good first car for me.

Safety
3 out of 5 stars
Technology
2 out of 5 stars
Performance
3 out of 5 stars
Interior
3 out of 5 stars
Comfort
4 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
Value
4 out of 5 stars
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2025 Ford Ranger
At a Glance:
  • 8 Colors
  • 4 Trims
  • $33,350starting MSRP
Build & Price Ford.com
Current Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for base vehicle. Excludes destination/delivery fee plus government fees and taxes, any finance charges, any dealer processing charge, any electronic filing charge, and any emission testing charge. Optional equipment not included.

4.88 out of 5 stars

Great truck for price

superswitchks, 02/04/2008
1998 Ford Ranger XLT 2dr Regular Cab SB (2.5L 4cyl naturally aspired 5M)
9 of 10 people found this review helpful

The 2.5L motor provides great gas mileage and a decent amount of power when you need it. If you keep your right foot out of the firewall you can easily achieve 25+ mpg on the highway. However if you plan on using all 120hp plan on getting less than 17 in the city. But the handling of the truck is good for a truck; you can sling the rear around if needed, or stick the front for some decent corning out of a truck.

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5 out of 5 stars

Awesome Reliable truck

JC, 09/24/2018
updated 03/29/2021
1998 Ford Ranger XL 2dr Regular Cab SB (2.5L 4cyl naturally aspired 5M)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful

1998 XLT 4 cylinder. I bought this truck new. It has the basics only. Power steering, automatic transmission and air conditioning. I do not abuse it and I get 24 MPG on highway 19 around town. It has 312K miles and everything is original. Overhauled tranny at 226K miles. If you are looking for reliability and the basics I highly recommend this midsize truck

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Interior
5 out of 5 stars
Comfort
4 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
Value
5 out of 5 stars
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