The '97 Ranger I just sold with 208,000 miles on it was a manual. I had just replaced the clutch on it for the first time with 194,000 miles. So I liked the truck with the stick and was good with it.
That said, the GT 5.0 that my wife and I just bought is an automatic due to the fact that she cannot drive a manual. I guess that is my fault for not teaching her but I will have to say some things.
1. This is the first time I have ever driven a car with a six speed auto or stick. (other than that Viper and I only drove that once
)
2. No matter what other vehicle I had driven, it did not pull like this Mustang. It does not matter if you are in the middle of a gear or between shifts, it is pulling and, if you are w.o.t., it is pulling hard.
I know that this is now officially a thread jack, but I like this engine/trans setup so much that the project Electric Ranger that I have been working on may just go this way instead. It would just be a killer combo.