20-12-2004
Sporty and stylish. Pickup utility and toughness. America's best-selling compact pickup for 17 straight years is expanding its line-up with the addition of the 2005 Ranger STX. Designed as an urban street rider Ranger STX offers customers a great-looking ride at an affordable price.
Aimed at the youth market, the Ranger STX has a sleek, aerodynamic look that reflects its dynamic attitude. The front lower grille gives the Ranger STX the appearance of sitting lower, accentuating its appeal as a vehicle built for city streets.
"The 2005 Ranger contributes to the Built Ford Tough tradition of sales leadership, and the Ranger STX edition builds on the heritage, quality and value that customers have come to expect from truck leaders," said Doug Scott, Ford truck group marketing manager. "This vehicle has a formula for success - it's stylish, can easily be personalized to fit the driver's lifestyle and offers a great value."
Pricing for the 2005 Ranger STX 4x2 Regular Cab starts at $16,020. MSRP for the SuperCab two-door model starts at $18,060 and for the four-door model, MSRP is $19,225, not including destination and delivery charges of $620.
Monochromatic Exterior
Ranger STX features several distinctive design elements not found on other Rangers. A monochromatic design, including the bumpers and door handles, emphasizes the STX's unique, aggressive body-colored upper and lower grille surround with integrated fog lamps. Five striking colors are available: Sonic Blue, Dark Shadow Grey, Bright Red, Oxford White and Black.
The matching black horizontal grille inserts also are unique to the Ranger STX series.
The exterior features available black or chrome running boards and a unique Styleside pickup box that is contoured above the rear wheels. In the rear, sleek wraparound tri-color taillamps with the STX graphic prominently displayed on the side of the vehicle make a distinctive statement.
"The low profile effects and unique design detail on the Ranger STX give this truck attitude," said Robert Keller, Ranger marketing manager. "This vehicle is clearly a street cruiser."
Riding on 15-inch, 5-spoke machined "split spoke" cast aluminum wheels, mounted on outlined white-lettered, all-season tires, the Ranger STX delivers a smooth, controlled ride.
Stylish Interior
The Ranger STX's interior exudes style and comfort. It features two standard custom cloth sport bucket seats separated by a center console with ample room for storage. Optional leather seats are also available. The interior color theme is two-tone, set to match the exterior monochromatic color. Interior color choices for seating are: ebony/red, ebony/blue or the available leather-trimmed solid ebony. One color is featured on the seat bolsters and the other is featured on the seat backs and inserts.
Ranger STX is offered as a Regular Cab or SuperCab. SuperCab models feature additional cabin room, behind the front seats to accommodate two additional passengers or to stow everyday gear.
The truck's primary gauges are prominently displayed within a singe oval instrument binnacle. The speedometer, tachometer, fuel and temperature reading gauges are trimmed in silver and lay against a black background. Exclusive to the Ranger STX is a carbon fiber finish center stack that houses the audio and climate controls.
An optional premium MP3 Pioneer Sound System delivers 290-watts of power. It features an AM/FM stereo, 6-disc in-dash CD changer with MP3 capability, a center-console enclosure mounted 6.5-inch bass subwoofer with a multi-channel amplifier, and front and rear speakers located in the side panels.
Built to Last
The 2005 Ranger STX is offered in 4x2 only, which is fitting for its street-rider image. It is powered by a standard 3.0-liter OHV V-6 that delivers 148 hp at 4,900 rpm and 180 lb.-ft. of torque at 3,950 rpm. For higher performance, customers can select the optional 4.0-liter SOHC V-6 engine that delivers 207 hp at 5,250 rpm and 238 lb.-ft of torque at 3,000 rpm.
The engine is equipped with a standard five-speed manual transmission; a five-speed automatic transmission is optional.
The Ranger STX offers a number of standard safety features for its passengers. These include four-wheel anti-lock brakes, fuel pump inertia auto shut off, driver and passenger air bags, adjustable height safety belts with front pretensioners for outboard seating positions and side intrusion door beams.
Personalizing your Ranger STX
Personalization is a big part of the Ranger STX story. Optional equipment as well as quality Genuine Ford Accessories available from any Ford Dealer or Ford Racing Performance Parts Dealer can help make the Ranger STX stand out even more from the crowd.
Want to give more power to the standard 3.0-liter V-6? That's easy. Just install the Ranger Whipple Supercharger. Available through Ford Racing Performance Parts, this kit creates a super-charged engine achieving 230 hp at 5,400 rpm and 260 lb.-ft. of torque at 3,000 rpm. It is an easy-to-install system that fits under the hood with no permanent modifications to the vehicle and no wiring.
Want to lower your Ranger STX? No problem. Just install the Ranger lowering kit. Also available through Ford Racing Performance Parts, this kit will lower the Ranger STX in the front by 2 inches and the rear by 3 inches. The lower center of gravity can enhance handling and the increased spring rates produce a firmer ride. The kit includes two front coil springs, two rear mono leaf springs, U-bolts and four shock absorbers.
Want to protect the Ranger STX cargo bed? Consider it done when you purchase the Sport Liner™ and snapless soft tonneau cover, both Genuine Ford Accessories that are available at any Ford dealership. The marine-style polyester Sport Liner™ surface is bonded to foam and will not absorb stains, moisture, rot or mildew. Molded sidewalls conform to the contours of the bed and it fits the standard six-foot bed. The durable black vinyl tonneau cover attaches directly to the rails of the pickup bed. This allows access to the bed with the need for removing the cover.
Custom cool Genuine Ford Accessory chrome side step bars and a chrome exhaust tip add even more style. Constructed of heavy-duty, corrosion-resistant, chrome-plated stainless steel, the exhaust tip easily slips over the end of the tailpipe.
"Vehicle personalization is increasing today, especially in the youth market," said Scott. "The Ranger STX is a great way for our customers to express their individuality."
Text and photos courtesy of Ford Motor Company
