I owned a Ford Ranger immediately before this - that truck was bullet-proof, but we outgrew it. I expected and have gotten more of the same.
I had very good luck with a previous Ford truck and most reliability ratings put it fairly high. They had been building that model for years - I figured the kinks must have been worked out by now.
The smaller V8 and RWD was a good enough combo for my usage - loads of mulch and plants and light towing, but still provided reasonable pickup and mileage.
As the new F150s were out the next year, a $4K incentive was offered.
