2003 Ford Ranger FX4/Level II 4x4

As part of its annual upgrading efforts to keep the Ranger at the top of its class in sales, Ford has improved braking on all 2003 models with larger front rotors (305mm compared to 286mm last year), new front brake calipers and larger rear-wheel brake cylinders. Suspension refinements were undertaken last year, when tweaks to the geometry, bushing durometers, and springs/shocks/front stabilizer-bar rates helped improve ride and handling. Like its 4x4 platform-mates, FX4s use upper and lower control arms with torsion bars and an anti-roll bar up front paired with a live axle on leaf springs in the rear. Although clearly designed to be at its best when the going is at its worst, the fitment of bespoke Bilsteins and up-rated springs also serve this rugged off-road warrior well when engaged in normal on-road running.

Underhood, FX4s get the premium Ranger offering, Ford's OHV 4.0-liter V-6. Every bit of its 207 horsepower is put to use, particularly with the optional 5-speed auto trans.

Make no mistake, you won't confuse an FX4/Level II-spec Ranger with a luxo sedan in the ride department. However, bounce-and-jounce motions are surprisingly well regulated and body roll is minimal. With its overtly off-road-oriented tires, the FX4 enthusiast version does display a clear tendency to push through tighter corners and will wag its tail a tad during trailing-throttle maneuvers in the twisties. However, both of these benignly predictable shortcomings will be taken in stride by those who believe true happiness only begins where the pavement ends. Exposed to a more demanding driving regimen, the FX4/Level II quickly proved capable of taking more punishment without complaint than did those inside.


We can't confirm Ford's claim that this FX4 can successfully navigate a 2-foot-deep stream. However, the Ranger did manage to negotiate deeply rutted dried-dirt hills without breaking a sweat, refusing to bottom out and holding kickback through its power rack-and-pinion steering to near-imperceptible levels. Thanks to Ford's shift-on-the-fly 4x4 system—which requires only the flick of a dash-mounted controller to activate when paired with an automatic transmission—it was a quick and painless procedure to transition from 2WD to 4-Hi to 4-Lo ranges, as conditions became more severe.


Given its primal position in the Ranger lineup, it's only natural to find the premier 4.0-liter SOHC V-6 residing beneath all FX4s' purposefully bulged aluminum hood. Although Ford did massage the 3.0-liter pushrod V-6 that's standard in all other Ranger 4x4s to broaden the torque band and improve fuel economy for 2002, the 4.0-liter V-6 standard on the Ranger FX4 is still a significant cut above. Its more sophisticated design and extra displacement items help bump pony count by 53 and torque output by 58 lb.-ft. That extra muscle is particularly welcome in an automatic 5-speed transmission-equipped FX4 that tips the scales around 3,584 pounds and comes with a 5,600-pound tow rating.


Like its full-size brother, the F-Series, the compact Ranger remains the dominant power in its segment. Despite formidable challenges from a legion of impressive competitors, it has been the undisputed sales leader for the past 16 consecutive years. The addition of the FX4—in either appearance-oriented Off-Road variation or enthusiast-targeted Level II—to its already potent lineup bodes well for the Blue Oval team extending the Ranger's victory skein to another year. (www.fordvehicles.com)