2004 Ford Ranger “Sonic”

The 1998 model year brought the heavily reworked third-generation Ford Ranger, the longest-running version of the compact pickup. The 1998 Ford Ranger received a new frame and, most significantly, replaced the Twin-Traction-Beam four-wheel-drive front suspension used since 1983 with a short-and-long-arm (SLA) independent front, using coil springs on conventional two-wheel-drive models and torsion bars on four-wheel-drive models plus some raised two-wheel-drive configurations. The early third-generation engine lineup was the 2.5 four-cylinder, the 3.0 Vulcan V6, and the 4.0 OHV Cologne V6. For 2001 Ford modernized the engines: the 2.3 Duratec four replaced the 2.5, and the pushrod 4.0 gave way to the SOHC 4.0 Cologne V6 shared with the Ford Explorer, rated up to 207 horsepower. The third generation introduced the Edge and FX4 trims and offered both regular-cab and extended SuperCab bodies. Transmissions ranged from a five-speed manual to four-speed and five-speed automatics. The Ranger ran with only minor changes for 14 model years, becoming dated against newer rivals. Ford ended North American Ranger production at the Twin Cities Assembly Plant in Saint Paul, Minnesota on December 16, 2011, after which the US had no new Ranger until the 2019 return.