The Ford Ranger 2WD made its debut in 1983. The vehicle was similar to the F Series as it had the same kind of body and grille. It was available in two sizes, the first had a 108 inch wheelbase with a six foot long body and the second had a 114 inch wheelbase with a seven foot body. The truck was first powered by an 80HP 2.3 Liter engine which was then upgraded to a 2.8 Liter V6 engine. The truck was available with four or five speed manual gears. The Ranger had an independent front suspension and 15 inch tires. It was available in four versions; the base model, the XL, the XLS and the XLT. In 1985, all Ranger trucks were equipped with standard five speed manual gears and a new STX version was added to the lineup. In 1986, the Ranger got an upgraded engine and a new body style. In 1988, Ford continued to make changes to the Ranger when it added alloy rims to the STX version.

The second generation Ranger 2WD was released in 1993; the vehicle had a new nose and new seats. This Ranger was powered by a 2.3 liter engine and was available in four versions; the XL, the XL Sport, the XLT and the STX. In 1995, Ford added driver airbags and ABS to all four vehicles. The next year the XL Sport was dropped from the lineup and in 1997 Ford added a 4.0 Liter V6 Engine, which was more powerful and got better gas mileage. The third generation Ranger made its debut in 1998. The new Ranger got a larger body that gave passengers more room to stretch out their legs and added an off-road package and a larger engine. Also added to the lineup was a Ranger that ran on electricity as well as a four door version. The XL Sport version reappeared in 1999 and so did the XLT Sport. The XLT came with air conditioning and all off-road versions included chrome bumpers. The V6 engine could now run on gas or ethanol.

In 2001, the fourth generation Ford Ranger 2WD took to the streets. The Ranger has a new 4.0 Liter V6 engine that has a lot more horsepower then the earlier engines. A new version of the Ranger called the Edge joined the family and is equipped with a CD player and the ability to pull a small cargo carrier.