One of the Biggest rivalries
in modern South Africa is indeed not between the All Blacks and the Springboks
but rather that of Toyota and Ford. The two marques have been trying to outdo
each other regarding sales on both the Hilux and the Ranger.
This
week, I managed to get my hands on a unique Ford Ranger. The Ranger in question
is trying to end the debate once and for all. How do you ask? Well, the owner
had a small issue of a blown engine a few years back and decided to swap out
the American for a Jap. A Lexus V6 from an RX SUV to be precise. Having
driven the car before and after the swap,
I can say that it was well worth it.
Let’s
start with the noise. The original engine always sounded fine, but with the new
engine, it is has become godly! Lexus has always had, in my mind, one of the
best sounding notes in the business and putting it into a Ford Ranger makes so
much sense.
The
straight line performance of the new engine is slightly up from the old, but
not much. Don’t get me wrong; the performance is still pretty good. Put your
foot down, and it will take off a good pace, but the car is weighty, and as such
it will not break any land speed records. I also wouldn’t recommend putting
your foot down in a corner as it will break traction and try and kill you.
One
of the most important things for me is ride comfort. Yeah, this doesn’t have
that. The suspension is rock hard and you feel everything. Slot a set of coilovers
on that, and you should be good to go. But hey, at least it does have a 4x4
system which always helps.
The
biggest drawback in my mind is the build quality. The interior is very plastic
and not particularly comfortable. The rear doors are much too small for any normal
sized adult to get into, but I am 6’2” and not the smallest person in the
world, so getting into the rear seats was an absolute struggle. Getting into
the front of the car was no issue as the doors are wide enough. The floor is
flat, which is weird and takes some serious getting used to.
The
seats are also not the most comfortable in the world, but they are built for
work and not for road trips. Moving onto the outside, the car does show its age
with the massive panel gaps and the fact that everything seems to rattle and
shake, which can be very disconcerting when you see the hood shake around when
driving. Far from Fords Premium offerings of today.
Right,
let's rate this car without losing a friendship…
3
out of 5
TL;DR
Good:
That sweet, sweet sounding Lexus V6; 4x4 system.
Bad:
Pannel gaps, the cabin is plastic fantastic, the ride comfort
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