Chasing one million kilometers
A 2013 Ford Ranger XLS 4x4 owned by Louis du Toit from the Free State has clocked more than 455 000km.
“I am the co-owner of a trading enterprise based in the Eastern Free State and my 2.2-litre Ranger XLS currently has over 455 000km on the clock with a full service history from the Ford dealer in Bethlehem,” says Du Toit.
“We even had to order a new service book because the original service book only goes up to 300 000km, and we’re halfway through the second one already,” he proudly confirms.
“We use the bakkie as a workhorse every day and I average about 60 000km per year, with 70% of that distance covered on tar roads and 30% on gravel. This is because a lot of our work is done in rural areas and includes travelling to timber harvesting sites.
“When somebody gets into the vehicle with me now, they ask if it’s still new,” Du Toit says.
“When I tell them that it has more than 455 000km on the clock, they say ’it still drives like a new bakkie! It still has the same standard factory-fitted suspension and I think it’s on the second set of shock absorbers and a fifth set of tyres,” he adds.
Dale Reid, product marketing manager at Ford South Africa said, “The Ranger is one of South Africa’s best-selling vehicles in the new and used vehicle market because of its exceptional reliability and all-round performance as a leisure vehicle and workhorse. It’s great to get positive feedback from customers like Louis. It shows that they have great confidence in the Ranger product and, as a result, remain loyal to the Ford brand.
“I believe that if you service your vehicle at the agents, you won’t have any problems”.
Du Toit has been so impressed with the Ford Ranger that he has since purchased another two. These include a 2018 Ranger XL SuperCab which has130 000km on the clock, as well as a 2019 Ranger XLT SuperCab 4×4, which has done 51 000km.
“I don’t think I’ll ever revert back to any other vehicle. The Ford Ranger is a comfortable vehicle to drive on tar and off-road. It’s also a tough bakkie and you can use it for anything from work to leisure. I’m a Ford fan through and through. Let’s see if we can get my Ranger 2.2 XLS to one million kilometres. I think we will,” Du Toit concludes.
Source: QuickPic
