The third generation of the Ford Ranger made its appearance in 1997 as a 1998 model, but it was facelifted and granted with better features just two years later.
While the F-Series was the king of pickup-trucks, its smaller brother Ranger tried to make its way on the market with a similar exterior design. Unlike its European sibling, which was offered with a diesel engine, the American version was fitted exclusively with gasoline units and, in the Regular Cab version, with a bigger bed in the back.

Ranger didn’t have to be ashamed of its bigger brothers. To show that, it featured a similar front fascia, with the classic black grille. Unlike the non-facelifted, 1998 model, the 2000 Ranger featured different headlights, with the turn-signals installed on the headlights’ outer side and not underneath them. Another important modification was the plastic front bumper, which replaced the previously used metallic, chromed one. Both vehicles were very similar in the back, with just a few touches on the tailgates for the 2000 model.

Inside, the Ranger was a mix between a pickup and a regular car. The center stack featured the climate controls and the stereo. Ford chose to install a column-shifter for vehicles fitted with an automatic transmission, while for those with a manual, Ranger had a floor-mounted gear-stick.

Ford offered the Ranger with an inline-four or a V6 engine, rear or all-wheel-drive. Before 2001, the carmaker installed an old 2.5-liter unit, which was upgraded to a more powerful and modern 2.3-liter unit.