FX4 vs Non-FX4 Ride Question

troutspinner

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I went for my first test drive today in a Ranger, it was a nicely loaded 2021 Lariat FX4. It is a really nice truck but I think Lariat might be a little too much for me. I would only use half the tech that comes with it and while I have no complaints about the leather in the Lariat, it is not a deciding factor for me. I do however find this as great! as today's trial taught me what I like / want in a Ranger. As a bonus, my tastes are towards a less expensive model ;) but my real concern is the ride of the truck.....

I did not like the ride of the truck at all and found it to be a throwback to the early 2000s F150s, consistently bouncy and constantly trying to recover from road imperfections. I live in Pa, this is a state where if you are a passenger in a vehicle and close your eyes, you know the exact point that you've crossed state lines by feel alone. Pa is lousy at road maintenance but it is something we've learned to live and cope with daily.

What I found even more odd was the transmission trying to keep up with the changing surfaces. Rather than expose the hops and skips of maintaining grip to the road, it would shift to higher gears to "smooth" things and it got to the point where it is was annoying and felt way underpowered than what I know it actually is. This experience leads me to my thread title. Does a FX4 ride better or worse than a non-FX4? If better, I know my search will have to continue to another brand, if worse, maybe a non-FX4 would be a worthy try? Please, don't sugar-coat it for me, honest opinions. On paper, I want to buy a Ranger but maybe the current design is not right for me at this time.
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EJH

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1) Most of us who have similar complaints about the bouncy ride replace the rear shocks and that virtually solves it. Many go further and replace the front shocks too, but usually the front shocks are done to level the truck more for aesthetics, off-roading, or fitting larger tires, or some combination of all.

I knew enough about the bouncy ride to expect it on my test drive 6 months ago, and just figured I would replace the shocks when I bought the truck. For me, my other option was the Tacoma, which had many shortfalls that were not as easy to fix as replacing shocks. Hence I bought the Ranger.

2) Your second point, about the transmission, is valid. I find that in drive mode the transmission seeks out the highest possible gear, to the point of lugging the engine, all in the name of better gas mileage. This is just a reality of current trend of seeking the best MPG possible. Did you drive it in sport mode? I will tend to drive in sport mode anytime I'm in the mountains, at elevation, etc

The above said, both my 2016 Subaru Forester and my wife's 2021 Subaru Crosstrek do the same thing in their default drive mode. The vehicles seek out the highest possible gear, drive slow, and lug the engine, unless you put it in the respective sport mode. We end up just driving in sport mode all the time.

I think that an engine tune will adjust the shift points as well, but someone else would have to speak for that.

Not sure what your other options are besides the Ranger, but for me, this truck was the best available where I could fix the shortcomings that bothered me.
 
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troutspinner

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1) Most of us who have similar complaints about the bounty ride replace the rear shocks and that virtually solves it. Many go further and replace the front shocks too, but usually the front shocks are done to level the truck more for aesthetics, off-roading, or fitting larger tires, or some combination of all.

I knew enough about the bouncy ride to expect it on my test drive 6 months ago, and just figured I would replace the shocks when I bought the truck. For me, my other option was the Tacoma, which had many shortfalls that were not as easy to fix as replacing shocks. Hence I bought the Ranger.

2) Your second point, about the transmission, is valid. I find that in drive mode the transmission seeks out the highest possible gear, to the point of lugging the engine, all in the name of better gas mileage. This is just a reality of current trend of seeking the best MPG possible. Did you drive it in sport mode? I will tend to drive in sport mode anytime I'm in the mountains, at elevation, etc

The above said, both my 2016 Subaru Forester and my wife's 2021 Subaru Crosstrek do the same thing in their default drive mode. The vehicles seek out the highest possible gear, drive slow, and lug the engine, unless you put it in the respective sport mode. We end up just driving in sport mode all the time.

I think that an engine tune will adjust the shift points as well, but someone else would have to speak for that.

Not sure what your other options are besides the Ranger, but for me, this truck was the best available where I could fix the shortcomings that bothered me.
Thank you for the reply. My point about the shifting to higher gears was not necessarily about how modern vehicles save mileage but literally how it shifted when I was on it hard and the wheels / suspension could not keep up with the surface imperfections.
 

Cabose-1

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Ok, when i test drove the new Ranger it had a very stiff suspension. I did not like the lariat model. I found the dash hard to read, and did not need leather 4x4 rear sliding window etc.
I went with an xlt 4x2. No tow package, but i added everything on later at 250 dollars. Factory 7 pin hitch, factory wiring, and a draw tite receiver hitch.
I dropped the air pressure to 35 psi. Trying to fix the stiff ride. It helped a lot. They where filled at 45. Max pressure for the tire i had.
The transmission took about 800 miles before it learned my driving style. Yes it had to learn. Owners manual states that as well.
So a tough sell when you dont know if in the long run it will be to your liking. I bought a 2020 in jan. It now has 8k on it. I tow small 1500lb trailers for 60 miles every other week. Mow some property. And traveled on vaca with it.
I love this truck. Sirius radio, android play, climate control, lane assist, backup camera, that being all said, i think it may be a fair assessment. The ride is a little bumpy. But my old car was a pos dodge neon 2004.
I think its a good truck. F150 just too big, and expensive for my needs. That being said. Confession. I am a Ford fan. Especially of trucks. So make up your mind, see what fits you best.
 

Megawatt

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It sounds like you donā€™t want the Lariat. I am not trying to spend your money. I would not base getting the Lariat on the ride because aftermarket shocks can change the ride no matter what model you choose.

I would base getting the Lariat on the other items that separate it from the other models like keyless entry and push button start. No other model offers keyless. That alone was a prime option I did not want to live without. I wanted remote fob start I didnā€™t want to always have to deal with an app that has to have good cell reception to start the engine for cold day warm ups. I simply use the fob to remote start the truck and I have the option of using the app when I want to. I wanted LED lights, to me they are something I would add if I had halogen lights so I got the LEDs with the Lariat.

The second day I owned the truck I did a two day 1400 mile road trip, I like the leather seats and had zero complaints with leather.

The transmission and shift points are the same in all Rangers so if you donā€™t like the way the Ranger shifts it does not matter in the model because they are all 10 speeds and have the same gear ratios. The trans is not going to change going away from a Lariat.

My wrangler had $2000 remote reservoir shocks from JRI motor sports. I can spend money with the best of owners out there but I havenā€™t thought of changing the FX4 shocks yet. Everyone complains about the stock shocks, I havenā€™t started down that path yet.

Good luck in your choice but get what you want from the start because the truck will be around for a long time.
 


GitRDone

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I have a 2020 XLT 4x2 and added my own hitch. Love this truck but I do find the front end a bit bouncy on some surfaces, otherwise it is very smooth. That is a very valid point made by Cabose about the overinflated tires, this seems to be a common issue on dealer lots and worth checking before another test drive.
 

driverdenali

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The fx4 suspension needs load, i actually put about 50-80lbs of gear in the bed and noticed it increase in stability and reaction. I think The fx4 might have been designed with added weight in mind like a steel bumper. Not sure but theyā€™re over dampened for a stock strut so the rebound in pretty quick for road driving, off road it does a little better, but has the opposite problem and is too loose for gravel.
 

JohnnyO

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I live in PA also. I'm the type who actually would go off-roading but realistically I have 4wd for getting around in snow and wet boat ramps with my jetski. The FX4 does have a stiffer suspension which I didn't need and didn't want to spend the extra money. I got an STX and I'm perfectly happy with the ride. A few trucks ago I got a new 2002 Ranger with the off-road package and it rode like a cement mixer. I spend half my day in my vehicles for work and the old Off-Road beat the snot out of me and by the end of the day I was tired. I leased a Sport Trac after that and it felt like a Lincoln by comparison.
 

Aleut dude

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My father in law's Lariat with FX4 suspension is very stiff and bouncy in day to day driving. My mother in law complains about it quite often. The factory rear shocks in my 2wd XL felt like they were blown from the get go so I replaced them with quality aftermarket units and it now rides better than the FX4 imho.
 
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troutspinner

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Thank you for the replies. I think I am going to try to find a Non-FX4 and give it a test as it sounds like there is a difference.
 

12Bravo20

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I had 2020 XL SuperCab STX 4x2 before getting the 2020 XLT Crew cab FX4. I actually find that the FX4 is a smoother ride than the STX was.

But then again I have pretty much driven either Ford trucks or some type of Jeep most of my life and also spent many many moons being bounced around in military vehicles. The "bounciness" of the FX4 doesn't bother me one bit and I have zero complaints about ride comfort. And I live in rural Missouri where all the roads are either badly paved or gravel.
 

Rp930

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You need to be really sure the tire pressure is correct when you test drive. They are almost always overinflated by as much as 10lbs or more.
 

Trigganometry

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My first test drive was a FX4 Lariat and I think the tires were still at factory 45 lbs. The ride was horrid and I walked away concerned that It might not be a Ranger. But decided to give it another shot seeing as the sticker on the Lariat was more than I wanted too. So tried a XLT Sport 4X4 Scab. Asked and checked tire pressure before leaving this time. It was at 45 again ?.

This run was totally different than the last. So much so I had a grin when I was done. Thatā€™s what I want and thatā€™s what I got. Itā€™s not a FX4 suspension per say. Different shocks on Sport and rides nice. Now the tranny aspect of it as other have commented on is true. You do have to approach this differently than you have in the past. Takes a little time but for the most part Iā€™m ether locking out gears in drive or Iā€™m in sport mode. Once you get use to it keeping it around 2K to 3K there is no lugging and if you need it a power burst that is instant. Or tap next gear and cruising speed. Someday someone will come out with paddle shifters and then good times ahead!
 

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I test drove 2 vehicles before I made my choice. The first was a Lariat FX4 and I did not like the ride. The second vehicle was a Lariat without the FX4. Before I drove one mile I noticed a smoother ride, it came home with me.
 

AdamHarris

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I came from a 2000 Nissan Frontier Crew 4x4 with slightly collapsed rear springs and 292,000 miles so my new FX4 ride is absolutely amazing!!! I put that truck up for sale in Feb and it sold in 5 min on FB Marketplace for my 5000 asking price, couldn't believe it.
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