2019 Ford Ranger Reviews Compilation

VAMike

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the front camera is really nice, though :)
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RedlandRanger

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The Jeep Gladiator as optioned in the video was $60k compared to $42k for the Ranger FX4. That's a huge increase.
That would almost pay for the Hennesey Velociraptor Ranger!!!! 18 Grand??? WOW. I know they will sell some, just because it is a Jeep, but man, that is a LOT of money!!!!
 

RedlandRanger

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the front camera is really nice, though :)
I put a rear camera on my Accord for like $40 (including a screen) and it works really well. I have no doubt you could add a front camera to the Ranger for pretty cheap too.

But it would be cool to have a front camera. Actually that "360" camera thing they are doing on some vehicles now is pretty nice. I could see that being very useful on some off roading stuff.
 

VAMike

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I put a rear camera on my Accord for like $40 (including a screen) and it works really well. I have no doubt you could add a front camera to the Ranger for pretty cheap too.

But it would be cool to have a front camera. Actually that "360" camera thing they are doing on some vehicles now is pretty nice. I could see that being very useful on some off roading stuff.
If you find a link, post it. I'd imagine adding the front track stuff as a retrofit would be really hard, but I'd love to be wrong.
 

RedlandRanger

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If you find a link, post it. I'd imagine adding the front track stuff as a retrofit would be really hard, but I'd love to be wrong.
This is the camera I bought - not quite as high quality as the one on the truck, but it is pretty good:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071RB8YW9

It is setup to be used on the license plate, but I'm pretty sure you could pretty easily fabricate a mounting plate behind the grill for it. What would be even cooler would be if you could get it to display on the center monitor. Adding it with the included screen would be pretty simple I'd think. It was pretty easy to install in my Accord. The hardest part was running the wiring.
 


VAMike

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This is the camera I bought - not quite as high quality as the one on the truck, but it is pretty good:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071RB8YW9

It is setup to be used on the license plate, but I'm pretty sure you could pretty easily fabricate a mounting plate behind the grill for it. What would be even cooler would be if you could get it to display on the center monitor. Adding it with the included screen would be pretty simple I'd think. It was pretty easy to install in my Accord. The hardest part was running the wiring.
I don't see how it could do the track
 

rangerdanger

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SportsCar magazine test: 2019 Ford Ranger

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If you ever want to know how many people drive a certain type of vehicle, buy one for yourself; the moment you pull out from the dealer’s lot, you’ll see hundreds of them. It’s a weird phenomenon, but it works. It’s not, however, something I was expecting to happen when I took possession of a 2019 Ford Ranger for a week-long evaluation. But it totally happened. Well, sort of.

Prior to stepping foot in Ford’s latest offering in what used to be called the “mini truck” segment, the first (and last) Ford Ranger I rode in was a brand-new 1994 second-generation model. Back then, the truck featured a slowly slanted hood, offered a ride that was questionably soft up front, and they were plentiful on the road. Two truck generations later (plus an eight year Ranger-less gap), there are lots of similarities between the Ranger of today and that of yesteryear – and there are still tons of mid-1990s Rangers on the road.

My first day behind the wheel of the 2019 Ford Ranger, I spotted at least 10 second- and third-generation Rangers. Most were being used commercially and, without exception, I towered over them all in the 4Ă—4 version of the new truck.

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The new Ranger outclasses its older siblings in nearly every measure; in fact, it’s as capable as most half-ton trucks of that era. It’s fascinating that the 2019 Ranger’s 2.3L four-cylinder EcoBoost engine, producing 310lb-ft of torque and 270hp, has nearly as much torque and is up 30hp on the first generation Ford Lightning pickup’s 5.8L V8; and with a 7,500-lb tow rating on models with the tow package, the new Ranger can pull as much as many 1990s half-tons. Add in the 10-speed automatic transmission in the 2019 Ranger, and the new mid-size truck tows better, too. Make no mistake, the 2019 Ranger is no “mini” truck.

My evaluation saw trekking a well-equipped 2019 Ranger Lariat SuperCrew 4×4 to a racetrack, not loaded with a race car and gear, but with kids and three bicycles for a day of watching a round of the Hoosier SCCA Super Tour road races. The following day, once again with the kids in the decently sized back seat and the bikes strapped down in the five-foot bed, I headed to a friend’s house pulling my trailer as we moved his car to a new garage. And the Ranger powered through it all with nary a stumble.

If your needs are for a full-size pickup, it’s easy to nitpick midsize trucks. Trucks in this segment aren’t workhorses. The beds are tough enough, but they’re not intended for truly large jobs. Trucks in this segment also have rather soft suspension, and the Ranger excels on this front; the nose of the new Ranger features very soft springs, while the back is slightly rough when unloaded. Add a trailer and the rates even out, but this is not something we noticed when testing the Chevrolet Colorado.

The Ranger can also be a little awkward when using the interior controls. For instance, the small HVAC buttons are placed very low on the dash, and the dual screens surrounding the speedometer are not as dialed in as you’d expect. I also found the placement of the lane departure defeat button rather odd (hidden at the end of the indicator stalk), and the eight-inch touch screen wasn’t the most responsive.

ranger-3.jpg


But there are big plusses to the 2019 Ranger, like the incredibly comfortable leather seats that come standard on the Lariat, and the optional spray-in bed liner that took a lickin’ and kept on tickin’ during my mini torture test. And, as one passerby said as he slipped out from behind the wheel of his F-150 as my kids and I stopped for dinner on our way back from the racetrack: “That’s a nice truck. But what can I say, I’m a Ford guy.” If you’re a Ford guy (or gal), this is the midsize truck for you.

Will we see a plethora of fourth-generation Rangers on the road in a decade? Probably, although price is the kicker. In 1994, $10,000 would land you a basic Ranger, and for $18,000 you’d be driving a Ranger 4X4 with all of the bells and whistles. Twenty-five years later, you need $24,300 to step into a base Ranger, with the Lariat I tested ringing up at $43,695.

But what I do know for sure is that the 2019 Ford Ranger is not a mini truck of the 1990s; it’s a bona fide, usable pickup that’s small enough to be functional in the real world. It has oodles of power, it tows with ease, it has a fully functional bed, and the interior is comfortable for four (or maybe even five). And none of that can be said about the 1994 Ford Ranger.
 

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Jalopnik: I'm Taking the 2019 Ford Ranger on a Road Trip; What Do You Want to Know?

The 2019 Ford Ranger may not be getting as much attention anymore as trucks like the 2020 Jeep Gladiator, but it’s an important contender from arguably the truckiest automaker out there. That’s why I’m excited to take this Lightning Blue pickup on a road trip from Michigan to Virginia. What do Jalopnik readers want to learn about this machine?

When I first saw the 2019 Ford Ranger at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show, I was a bit underwhelmed by just how similar it looked to the T6 model that’d been on sale internationally for some time. I guess I was just hoping for something a bit fresher. But that’s not to say it’s not handsome, because this truck in my driveway definitely is:

wn5aegpiwqmbmuh0jpwl.png

“Gaaaaaaaaaah I’m a truck” - this Ranger, if it could talk.

I had a chance to drive the Ranger for a few minutes at the Jeep Gladiator press drive, but that was a base trim and this is a Lariat. I’ll be doing mostly highway driving on this journey, but you never know—if I see a cheap rust-free car that I like, I may also be towing. (Editor’s note: We are all praying he drives past a fuel-injected FB RX-7.) And if I see a dirt trail that I can’t resist somewhere between southeast Michigan and northern Virginia, I may also be off-roading.

ncx5owhkersfrd0hcf7o.png


So tell me, fine Jalopnik truck fans: What do you want to know about the 2019 Ford Ranger?

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upload_2019-5-14_13-11-51.gif
 

rangerdanger

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Automobile Magazine: A Week with the 2019 Ford Ranger Lariat

Ford was feeling left out. How else to explain the new (to America) Ranger? With the reborn Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon, the recently updated Toyota Tacoma, and even the ancient Nissan Frontier duking it out in the mid-size-truck arena, sales of such pickups have been on a steady upswing since 2015, to the point that the segment can honestly be described as white hot. Of course, Ford left at just the wrong time.

When it was discontinued after the 2011 model year, the prior Ranger was the second-bestselling small truck—and bestselling American model—but the Blue Oval bet its customers would pony up for an F-150 instead. And thus it redesigned the Ranger for global markets and didn’t offer it in America. Until now. The 2019 Ranger you see here, as you likely know, is a fast-tracked, reworked version of the truck that’s been on sale elsewhere since 2012, although admittedly the changes extend beyond new bumper reinforcements ad a reworked powertrain.



But while it might have slightly dusty bones, the new Ranger nevertheless looks good, and I believe sharper than the GM trucks. Our chromed-out black example was fitted with the luxe-focused Lariat package that brings leather trimmings and top-spec tech upgrades. As equipped, it’s at least as nice as the best Colorado or Tacoma, and the Ranger’s cabin was a pleasant enough place to pass (lots and lots) of time in L.A. traffic. But if you want the niceties, you’re going to have to pay for them, as the Lariat is a roughly $4,000 jump over the mid-level XLT. That said, dollar-for-dollar, getting the upscale interior on the Ranger is cheaper than in the Colorado, which at least $1,645 over a similarly equipped Ford.

A 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission is the sole powertrain configuration, in contrast to the usual low/high-level engine options available on its segment mates. With 270 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque, though, it hustles the roughly 4,300-pound truck along well enough, and the transmission is snappy with its shifts. With 10 speeds to manage, the transmission does have the tendency to hunt around a bit, but not so much that it annoys.

Depending on trim, cab configuration, and driven wheels, the Ranger can tow up to a respectable 7,500 pounds, beating out the naturally aspirated Toyota Tacoma (6,800 pounds max) and coming in just under the most capable diesel Colorado (7,700 max). If you need more power, this basic engine—albeit with a different head—has proven itself capable of 350 horsepower in the Focus RS, so there may be options for tuning. (Hennessey, in fact, offers a version pumping out that same 350 horses.) Ford itself hasn’t announced plans for a power upgrade—and we figure it unlikely given the all-new, next-generation truck is expected in 2021. Certain markets already have access to a jacked-up, armored-down Raptor variant with a 2.0-liter turbodiesel and not our gas 2.3-liter, but we expect a Raptor to hit our shores with the new version.



For now, the most aggressive trim available stateside is the FX4, a package that brings an off-road-oriented suspension, wheels, and tires. I initially planned on taking this new Ranger to one of the many off-road areas surrounding Los Angeles, but given its Lariat spec, the FX4 would be a better partner for the tight, dusty trails of Hungry Valley.

The Lariat I drove is more aimed at a demographic that spends most of their time on pavement, and its chassis offers well-balanced and linear-feeling steering and braking. However, while the suspension soaks up minor imperfections and expansion joints with no problem, the Ranger’s truckishness becomes known when you hit larger bumps. Such deflections send the body rocking and the wheels pattering, even if the force of the impacts themselves are isolated from the cabin. Weight in the bed would no doubt help calm things down—one of my motion-sickness-afflicted friends required Dramamine—but this is a truck and it rides and drives like one, and if you’re expecting a Lincoln, well, buy one of those.
 

RedlandRanger

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That was kind of an odd "review". At the end I couldn't really tell if he liked it or not. At first he sounded like he did, but then he said there were better options in the class. I just found it kind of weirdly formatted.
 

RedlandRanger

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Not sure I agree with him on the price (he was in Canada I believe) - all pickups are getting insanely priced, but I have to agree on the box. I really wish you could get a CrewCab with a 6' box on it. I still LOVE my truck, though!
 

TacoHawkRanger

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The Jeep Gladiator as optioned in the video was $60k compared to $42k for the Ranger FX4. That's a huge increase.
$60k brought a lot of off-road to the table, but you can bring the Ranger XL FX4 in at around 33k... Almost half the cost...
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