2019 Ford Ranger Reviews Compilation

[VAMike]

Yeah, I've read that. Thought I needed access to a Windows computer in order to pull it off though, right?

I don't have windows. Standard FAT formatted USB drive will work.

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[SubVet]

The only review that matters
https://www.outsideonline.com/2398608/2019-ford-ranger-full-review

 

[SandBaja]

I get that update needed notification every time I turn the truck on, even after I've successfully completed an update.

If you turn off automatic updates that will stop. Of course you would have to turn it back on to get an update but this way you can slot it on your time and not have to hassle with that notification.

Edit: Just saw the follow-up by VAMike on USB update to get rid of it. I have the same thing so I guess I'll look for that.

Edit 2: Here is the instruction link to update by USB, https://owner.ford.com/support/how-...nd-updates/how-to-use-usb-to-update-sync.html

 

[rangerdanger]

 

[rangerdanger]

 

[EcoRanger]

Maybe it's just me but I don't agree with almost every reviewer that says the Rangers dashboard is out of date.

 

[Sandman Ranger]

Maybe it's just me but I don't agree with almost every reviewer that says the Rangers dashboard is out of date.

I think they are thinking car reviews.
A good truck interior is timeless

 

[RedlandRanger]

Maybe it's just me but I don't agree with almost every reviewer that says the Rangers dashboard is out of date.

Its not just you - that and the comments about the hard plastic. I don't get that either.

 

[VAMike]

Its not just you - that and the comments about the hard plastic. I don't get that either.

You don't spend your time in the truck fondling the surfaces? Weirdo.

Seriously, though, soft (easily damaged and hard to clean) surfaces would be an odd choice.

 

[Claudess]

I get that update needed notification every time I turn the truck on, even after I've successfully completed an update.

I have wifi in the garage and setup the ranger to connect to it soon after it came home. I have never seen an update prompt message and the Sync layout totally changed during the last few days.

 

[RedlandRanger]

You don't spend your time in the truck fondling the surfaces? Weirdo.

Seriously, though, soft (easily damaged and hard to clean) surfaces would be an odd choice.

I am kind of odd - just ask my wife.....

I guess some of these reviewers are sort of the target market for these trucks - the "weekend warrior" that has no idea about anything "truck" or off road, which is why we get some of these odd comments in reviews. When I see a reviewer start the review by talking about "styling", I know it isn't going to focus on anything important. Style is so subjective - what looks good to one person looks like crap to someone else and has nothing to do with the function of the truck at all.

 

[rang19ca]

I think that most of these reviews are done by car based journalists and not truck based people. Too many of them focus on having to be the newest most updated interiors and designs instead of functionality. It is a truck and it is designed to work like a truck should. I happen to like the interior layout and the look of it.

 

[RedlandRanger]

2019 Ford Ranger Midsize Pickup Review: What’s New Again Is Old

The Ford Ranger nameplate returns to the US after an eight-year absence. Once again Ford has a credible entry in the booming midsize pickup truck market with a powerful turbocharged engine and extensive safety technology. The ability to tow 7,500 pounds or carry 1,800 pounds of cargo means you don’t always need a Ford F-150.

While the 2019 Ranger is new to the US and Canada, it has been out in the world markets since 2011. The Ranger cockpit has not aged well and some of the technology is past its sell-by date.


The cabin in the Ranger Lariat is nicely trimmed in black leather. Even the upscale fittings don't mask that this interior feels dated compared with the much newer Ford F-150.

Only in the world of pickup trucks can a vehicle be 211 inches long and described as a midsize. The 2020 Ford Explorer at 199 inches is at the top end of what’s considered a midsize SUV. The Ranger is a two-row pickup. The SuperCab version trades snug rear seat legroom for a six-foot cargo bed while the costlier SuperCrew variant (you have to pick one or the other) gets a passable back seat but the bed is only five feet long (both 44.8 inches wide inside, meaning 4×8 plywood or drywall won’t lie flat). Which is too bad, because the Ranger carries 1,560-1,860 pounds of cargo.

The Ranger I tested was a premium Ranger Lariat 4×4 with the SuperCrew configuration (bigger cabin, smaller cargo bed) and off-roading configuration, coming in just under $45,000. But the cheapest Ranger XL at $25,395 has the same powerful turbo-four engine mated to a 10-speed automatic delivering 270 hp and 310 pound-feet of torque, which is a lot for something with just 2.3 liters of displacement. That’s why Ranger has a higher base price than the competition: Every Ranger built gets the good motor.

It only took a decade for Ford Sync to get good (about the same as BMW needed for iDrive): less complexity, bigger fonts, and slick features such as the audio volume indicator when you’re turning the dial.

Technology of the Present and Past
That cheaper Rangers come with the Ford Sync version that dates to when Ke$ha was breaking in. It has a 4.3-inch screen. Move up to Lariat and you get Sync 3, which is one of the best infotainment interfaces available, thanks to a simpler interface and bigger fonts. One of the Sync 3 signature tricks is the big ring and number inside showing the volume or temperature you’re adjusting. The darker portion of the ring shows what fraction of max volume or temp you’re at.

As standard equipment, Ford provides telematics, Sync Connect, and a Wi-Fi hotspot serving the cabin and about 50 feet outside the truck. On a jobsite, until the accessory power times out (about 20 minutes, then run back and press the ACC button again), you can get internet access for a tablet and the car’s antenna pulls in a better signal than your phone does.

The left side of the steering wheel controls the instrument panel (arrow buttons) and adaptive cruise control. The ACC buttons are small to medium size and on the downward slope of the wheel. Sometimes they’re hard to punch accurately.

Driver Assists: Helpful Above 10 mph
The Ranger offers Ford Co-Pilot360 technology: blind spot detection (Ford term: blind spot information system) with cross-traffic alert for truck and trailer, lane keeping system, pre-collision alert, and automatic emergency braking. It’s a $735 option on the entry XL that also includes front and rear sensing and a 150-watt AC outlet.

It’s been months since I’ve tested a 2019 or 2020 vehicle whose adaptive cruise control wasn’t full-range, meaning it didn’t take you down to a full stop and then back up to speed. The Ranger’s ACC cuts out at 10 mph, making the feature unhelpful in stop-and-go traffic.

The older instrument panel design of a mechanical speedometer with a 4-inch LCD on each side tried to jam too much information into too little space. Having the fuel gauge next to the ACC following-distance info, both as vertical strips, was hard on the eyes.

Also missing is Ford’s Pro Trailer Backup Assist, a slick knob that figures out how to make the truck back up, in the direction you want, without jackknifing.

Ford Ranger in its element: bulk garden supplies section of Home Depot.

Should You Buy?

2019 Ford Ranger FX4 Off-Road badging.

The 2019 Ford Ranger is new to the US market, but otherwise, it’s an eight-year-old vehicle. The ride is generally soft, perhaps too soft for some. The opposite may be the case if you order the $1,295 FX4 off-road package: everyday driving will be too stiff for others, and it doesn’t have the off-roading cred of the F-150’s Raptor version.

The entry Ranger XL is short on features such as cruise control (not adaptive cruise control) or power door locks, although you can add them in an options package. You’ll want that and the Co-Pilot360 package.

The mid-range Ranger XLT is $32,290 including$1,195 freight. The Ranger Lariat is $33,585 and includes Sync 3 standard. On all three trim lines, the SuperCrew adds $2,400 to the price. Four-wheel-drive adds $4,000, more than twice what you pay in an SUV to go from two- to all-wheel-drive. The SuperCab is too snug for adults, so SuperCrew is probably the Ranger you want.

The 2019 Ranger makes the most sense if you’re buying a work truck and not a family car, and if you don’t need adaptive cruise control. If you think you’ll be towing, you need the $495 tow package to get the 7,500-pound tow rating. When you’re not towing, you’ll get decent mileage: 21 mpg city/26 mpg highway with rear drive, 20/24 with four-wheel-drive. For a pickup, those are exceptional. That’s topped only by the Chevrolet Colorado with the optional turbodiesel engine: 20 city/30 highway.

As for the competition, the Honda Ridgeline, Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon, Toyota Tacoma, and the new Jeep Gladiator are all solid competitors with more contemporary interiors. The full-size F-150 is more well-rounded than the Ranger, and it’s also the best-selling vehicle in the US (more than 800,000 in 2018). The Ranger may be a suitable midsize pickup, including against the F-150, if you’re towing heavy loads or carrying a bed of heavy material; just not extraordinarily heavy loads / materials. It fits the sweet spot for pickup owners and there’s no wimp engine in the base trim to keep the price down. Just buy knowing you’re getting a capable pickup with some throwback technology. Ford will need a new Ranger in the next two years to be competitive going forward.

 

[EcoRanger]

The cabin in the Ranger Lariat is nicely trimmed in black leather. Even the upscale fittings don't mask that this interior feels dated compared with the much newer Ford F-150.

Same old Blah, blah blah

 

[rang19ca]

Same old Blah, blah blah

Yea, and why do they hate the dash and interior so much? I guess they have to say something negative to keep their jobs.

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