It’s been eight lengthy years since Ford bought a brand new Ranger within the United States. But due to the pickup gods, it is again — and it was properly well worth the wait. The new Ranger returns with turbocharged energy, sturdy towing and hauling capabilities and a few tech options you will not discover wherever else within the midsize pickup class. Because of that, the Ranger is best poised to do battle with a rising crop of midsize vans. And so far as I am involved, it is positively the one to get. Two cabs, one sturdy engine The Ranger is at the moment out there in XL, XLT or Lariat trims, in both SuperCab configuration with a 6-foot mattress, or bigger SuperCrew with a 5-foot mattress. If that is not sufficient differentiation for you, 4 totally different look packages can be found, together with the Sport trim you see on this tester.
Both rear-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive configurations can be found, however regardless of which you select, you are locked into one engine: a 2.3-liter EcoBoost I4, good for 270 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. Power will get to the pavement by way of a 10-speed computerized transmission — sorry, do-it-yourself shifters, a guide transmission is not out there. A SuperCrew cab with a 5-foot field seems to be good on the Ranger.
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The peppy, turbocharged I4 is a good engine, providing sturdy off-the-line acceleration and ample midrange punch. The V6 engines discovered within the Toyota Tacoma and Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon twins provide extra horsepower, however the turbocharged EcoBoost provides extra torque. Dig into the throttle and the Ranger has no downside hustling to cross slow-moving vans on the freeway. The Ranger’s 10-speed computerized transmission is refined and easy — identical to it’s within the Ford F-150 pickup. The Ranger by no means hunts for the fitting gear, both. It’ll downshift when wanted and upshift for gasoline economic system, but it surely’s not always swapping cogs like another 10-speed items. The transmission appears to downshift a bit harshly underneath braking, however that is a small foible of an in any other case easy powertrain. That stated, you’d suppose the 10-speed computerized would assist enhance gasoline economic system, however that is hardly the case. The EPA charges my two-wheel-drive Ranger at 23 miles per gallon mixed, which is a class-leading quantity. But throughout every week of testing, which included a big stint of freeway driving, I solely noticed 20 mpg. With four-wheel drive, the Ranger is rated at 22 mpg mixed, whereas the Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon, Nissan Frontier and Toyota Tacoma provide wherever from 17 to 20 mpg. Even the car-based Honda Ridgeline solely provides 22 mpg in its most effective, front-wheel-drive guise. Lest you neglect the mannequin of your truck, there it’s stamped proper on the tailgate.
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Behind the wheel, the Ranger drives, properly, like a truck. The strong rear axle setup means it is not the smoothest factor on 4 wheels — this is the place the Ridgeline’s unibody platform helps it shine — however the Ranger is definitely on par with different midsize pickups by way of journey and dealing with. The steering is properly weighted however typically obscure by way of suggestions, and braking energy is robust and safe.
Should you wish to get your truck soiled, the Ranger FX4 provides a terrain administration system, skid plate safety and off-road particular tires and suspension. This makes it a bit of extra roly-poly whereas cornering on-road, however an entire lot higher off the crushed path. I obtained to check the Ranger FX4 on a Ford-designed off-road course on the truck’s launch occasion in San Diego, and located the truck to be greater than competent within the tough stuff. The tow/haul chief The Ranger has best-in-class towing functionality, rated at 7,500 kilos. What’s extra, you may pull that very same weight no matter drivetrain or cab configuration. If you need extra towing energy out of your midsize truck, you may need to get one of many diesel-powered GM pickups, or look ahead to the Wrangler-based 2020 Jeep Gladiator.
Beyond towing, the Ranger additionally provides extra payload capability than its classmates. The 4×2 fashions’ 1,860-pound payload ranking beats the pants off the Toyota Tacoma and the GM pickups. However, in order for you a 4×4 Ranger, know that your bed-carrying capacity drops some, to 1,560 kilos. Drab cabin, however nice tech Inside, the Ranger is fairly meh. The design and supplies aren’t horrible, however they do not spark pleasure, both, to borrow a phrase from a present cultural zeitgeist. Frankly, I anticipated a extra fashionable inside, however the Ranger’s cabin is nonetheless helpful and sensible. Still, there are some vibrant factors to this bland inside. The Ranger has among the most comfy entrance seats of any pickup, and the warmth perform doesn’t give up. The rear seats provide extra legroom than what you may discover in a Toyota Tacoma, although taller people will nonetheless really feel a bit cramped. Like different Ford merchandise, the Ranger will get the well-known and well-liked Sync 3 infotainment system, with each Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity on an 8-inch touchscreen. (Lower-spec Rangers make do with the bottom Sync system on a smaller display.) The onboard Wi-Fi picks up sign even the place my cellphone fails to seek out service. Base Rangers come customary with only one USB port, however larger trims add yet one more to the celebration. As for different energy ports, the Ranger has two 12-volt retailers up entrance, and one other one in again. There are quite a lot of driving aids on provide, too, together with blind-spot monitoring that may see the size of the truck and a trailer. Adaptive cruise management can also be out there, but it surely disengages under 12 miles per hour, making it ineffective in stop-and-go site visitors (you recognize, the place you need this method most). Available lane-keeping help could be turned on by way of a button on the finish of the flip sign stalk and contains a customizable degree of depth, in addition to a alternative of an audible alert, steering intervention, or each. Worth the wait 2019 Ford Ranger pricing begins at $24,300, not together with $1,095 for vacation spot, for an XL SuperCab 4×2. My tester, in the meantime — an XLT SuperCrew 4×2 — is available in simply above $30,000. Tick each choice field and you may spend properly over $40,000 for this truck. The cabin is serviceable, however not fairly.
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The new Ford Ranger excels throughout the board with its sturdy powertrain and superior towing/hauling capabilities. Plus, it is obtained some nice driving tech you will not discover on different midsize vans. The inside could be drab, and the gasoline economic system leaves a bit to be desired, however for my cash, the 2019 Ranger is essentially the most well-rounded pickup out there within the US at this time. Like all good issues, it was positively well worth the wait.