Ranger54
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- Ben
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2021
- Threads
- 27
- Messages
- 338
- Reaction score
- 1,462
- Location
- Northwest Arkansas
- Vehicle(s)
- 2020 Ford Ranger Lariat FX4
- Occupation
- Service advisor
- Thread starter
- #1
Beware: Long winded, honest review
On January 16th 2021 I took delivery of my brand new 2020 Ford Ranger 501a Lariat Sport FX4. I was so excited and shocked that I was so blessed to own such a nice vehicle. Every single thing I loved and was smitten. This stage is called “The honeymoon stage” This stage normally doesn’t last very long… or so I thought. I’ll go over, to the best of my ability, my thoughts on the 5th Gen Ranger from most important to least.
1. Safety: 9/10
This truck has blown me away with how much less drama is involved with my daily commute and road trips. The adaptive cruise, blind spot monitors, active braking, lane keep and driver alert all have worked very well. Visibility is excellent!
Cons- steering assist with copilot tends to bounce the truck in between lanes, auto start stop can be annoying at times and prematurely start or stop at lights. Reverse cross traffic is very, very sensitive.
2. Reliabiliy: 9/10
My Ranger has not missed a beat mechanically. No warning lights, no weird gas in oil. Only tire rotations and oil changes so far. So not much to talk about, which is a good thing.
Cons: None
3. Comfort: 7/10
This truck is amazingly comfortable, especially for it’s class. Seats are wide and well cushioned, seating position is perfect for me at 6’2”. Power seats are a must. Rear seat (crew cab) room is good and seats are properly cushioned for smaller (less than 6ft) people for sure. Materials (Lariat) are among the nicest in its class but there are some cheap plastics that could have at least had a different texture and it would improve feel/look. I think every Ranger should have the magnetic, gloss finish dash that’s standard on Lariat trim
Cons- Ride quality stock was just ok… Rear end was bouncy and busy from day one. I solved this with a set of fox shocks out back. Even with leveling kit, it rides and drives like a dream now. Rear shocks should be your first upgrade if you buy one of these trucks.
4. Performance: 9/10
My ranger felt like a rocket ship when I test drove it. The torque from the ecoboost 2.3 I4 and 10 speed automatic make for non stop smiles. This truck is faster than 80% of vehicles around here. It’s more than enough power for anyone in my opinion. I since added the Ford Performance pack 2 tune and filter, MBRP dual exhaust and she screams. Runs mid-low 13’s 1/4, 0-60 in the 5 second range.
Cons- None
5. Fuel Economy: 6/10
My particular truck and daily route is in town, with that said, for the performance this truck delivers I think the economy is acceptable. But larger trucks get similar numbers these days. Best mpg 23.1mpg.
Cons- Level these trucks And put larger tires on and kiss your great mpg’s goodbye. With my current setup (33’s, leveled) I average 18.1 city, 20.2 highway.
6. Design/Styling: 6/10
The Ranger design and exterior styling in stock form leaves a bit to be desired, but with some simple enhancements, this truck can be very attractive. Fit and finish on my truck are great but other have hood and bumper alignment issues.
Cons- Wheel offset is just awful in stock form. I’m sure it’s for economy, but it looks like the body of the ranger is not even on the correct chassis underneath. The tires are a size too short from the factory (again- fuel economy I’m sure). Looks like a monkey humping a football. Body lines are too bubbly. I prefer squared off muscular lines and lights. I’m not sure what they were thinking with the massive tail lights and the hood jumps too. It’s like a Ford Fusion and F150 made a baby. I remedied this with RC leveling kit, Fuel 17x8.5 +6 offset wheels, RC fender flares, tremor/red accents and Air Design parts. With this stuff done I give it a solid 8/10
7: Towing: 8/10
This thing is a beast power wise, trailer away is minimal. Tow mode makes all the difference as 9th and 10th gear are omitted.
Cons- why on earth a trailer brake control is not an option for this truck baffles me. 7k tow rating and no power brake control option? Hell, the Maverick has one on a 4K tow package. -2 points just for that.
8. Offroad Capibility: 7/10
In stock form… just not the best. Offroad ride is bouncy and ground clearance on stock tires is not enough. WITH THAT SAID- I still have never gotten this truck stuck or damaged anything while wheeling… but I also have done most of my wheeling after my 2.5” level and 33” BFG’s. The FX4 package is nice for the skid plates, locker and offroad cruise control but the shocks are hot garbage.
Cons- Bouncy ride, shocks are garbage. Ground clearance stinks at stock height/stock tires, no front trail camera.
Final thoughts:
The more I own this truck, the more I love it. My truck MSRP was $45k, but I paid $36k for it which is more in line of where I think it’s worth anyway. After a year I revisited a few new trucks and test drove them and hands down the Ranger is still my favorite. Biggest reason is size. It’s the sweet spot in between old compact pickups and the new gigantic full size trucks of today. If you want comfort, excellent driving experience, a truck bed and towing capabilities that will fit in your garage and is easy to park… the Ranger does it better than any other truck available today.
Total irrelevant weird score: 61/80
On January 16th 2021 I took delivery of my brand new 2020 Ford Ranger 501a Lariat Sport FX4. I was so excited and shocked that I was so blessed to own such a nice vehicle. Every single thing I loved and was smitten. This stage is called “The honeymoon stage” This stage normally doesn’t last very long… or so I thought. I’ll go over, to the best of my ability, my thoughts on the 5th Gen Ranger from most important to least.
1. Safety: 9/10
This truck has blown me away with how much less drama is involved with my daily commute and road trips. The adaptive cruise, blind spot monitors, active braking, lane keep and driver alert all have worked very well. Visibility is excellent!
Cons- steering assist with copilot tends to bounce the truck in between lanes, auto start stop can be annoying at times and prematurely start or stop at lights. Reverse cross traffic is very, very sensitive.
2. Reliabiliy: 9/10
My Ranger has not missed a beat mechanically. No warning lights, no weird gas in oil. Only tire rotations and oil changes so far. So not much to talk about, which is a good thing.
Cons: None
3. Comfort: 7/10
This truck is amazingly comfortable, especially for it’s class. Seats are wide and well cushioned, seating position is perfect for me at 6’2”. Power seats are a must. Rear seat (crew cab) room is good and seats are properly cushioned for smaller (less than 6ft) people for sure. Materials (Lariat) are among the nicest in its class but there are some cheap plastics that could have at least had a different texture and it would improve feel/look. I think every Ranger should have the magnetic, gloss finish dash that’s standard on Lariat trim
Cons- Ride quality stock was just ok… Rear end was bouncy and busy from day one. I solved this with a set of fox shocks out back. Even with leveling kit, it rides and drives like a dream now. Rear shocks should be your first upgrade if you buy one of these trucks.
4. Performance: 9/10
My ranger felt like a rocket ship when I test drove it. The torque from the ecoboost 2.3 I4 and 10 speed automatic make for non stop smiles. This truck is faster than 80% of vehicles around here. It’s more than enough power for anyone in my opinion. I since added the Ford Performance pack 2 tune and filter, MBRP dual exhaust and she screams. Runs mid-low 13’s 1/4, 0-60 in the 5 second range.
Cons- None
5. Fuel Economy: 6/10
My particular truck and daily route is in town, with that said, for the performance this truck delivers I think the economy is acceptable. But larger trucks get similar numbers these days. Best mpg 23.1mpg.
Cons- Level these trucks And put larger tires on and kiss your great mpg’s goodbye. With my current setup (33’s, leveled) I average 18.1 city, 20.2 highway.
6. Design/Styling: 6/10
The Ranger design and exterior styling in stock form leaves a bit to be desired, but with some simple enhancements, this truck can be very attractive. Fit and finish on my truck are great but other have hood and bumper alignment issues.
Cons- Wheel offset is just awful in stock form. I’m sure it’s for economy, but it looks like the body of the ranger is not even on the correct chassis underneath. The tires are a size too short from the factory (again- fuel economy I’m sure). Looks like a monkey humping a football. Body lines are too bubbly. I prefer squared off muscular lines and lights. I’m not sure what they were thinking with the massive tail lights and the hood jumps too. It’s like a Ford Fusion and F150 made a baby. I remedied this with RC leveling kit, Fuel 17x8.5 +6 offset wheels, RC fender flares, tremor/red accents and Air Design parts. With this stuff done I give it a solid 8/10
7: Towing: 8/10
This thing is a beast power wise, trailer away is minimal. Tow mode makes all the difference as 9th and 10th gear are omitted.
Cons- why on earth a trailer brake control is not an option for this truck baffles me. 7k tow rating and no power brake control option? Hell, the Maverick has one on a 4K tow package. -2 points just for that.
8. Offroad Capibility: 7/10
In stock form… just not the best. Offroad ride is bouncy and ground clearance on stock tires is not enough. WITH THAT SAID- I still have never gotten this truck stuck or damaged anything while wheeling… but I also have done most of my wheeling after my 2.5” level and 33” BFG’s. The FX4 package is nice for the skid plates, locker and offroad cruise control but the shocks are hot garbage.
Cons- Bouncy ride, shocks are garbage. Ground clearance stinks at stock height/stock tires, no front trail camera.
Final thoughts:
The more I own this truck, the more I love it. My truck MSRP was $45k, but I paid $36k for it which is more in line of where I think it’s worth anyway. After a year I revisited a few new trucks and test drove them and hands down the Ranger is still my favorite. Biggest reason is size. It’s the sweet spot in between old compact pickups and the new gigantic full size trucks of today. If you want comfort, excellent driving experience, a truck bed and towing capabilities that will fit in your garage and is easy to park… the Ranger does it better than any other truck available today.
Total irrelevant weird score: 61/80
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