Yahoo Autos 2019 Ford Ranger Review and Buying Guide | A solid midsize pickup truck
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The 2019 Ford Ranger represents a return for the Blue Oval's small pickup, but this time it's a competitive midsizer rather than the compact truck you might remember from before. Its party trick is a small, turbocharged engine that delivers class-leading fuel economy through a fancy 10-speed automatic — no V6 or manual transmission options, which keeps things simple. What it does offer is a couple of cab configurations, available four-wheel drive, and lots of convenience and safety features.
The Ranger faces tough competition from the Toyota Tacoma, Jeep Gladiator, and Chevrolet Colorado, but we think the Ranger has some unique advantages in the segment. Read on to find out why.
What's new for 2019?
Everything. The Ford Ranger is all-new for America this year. You can read more about what's new and different in our first drive review.
What's the Ranger's interior and in-car technology like?
While it's probably a matter of personal preference as to whether you'd prefer the Ranger's interior design and layout to the Toyota Tacoma, we at Autoblog agree that both interiors are superior to the too-understated Chevy Colorado and the aging Nissan Frontier. The Ranger's interior has a chunky and handsome look.
We find the Ranger's seats to be comfortable even on long drives, with a much better seating position than the Tacoma, which puts front passengers too close to the floor. The interior materials look and feel about average for the class, although there's less hard, cheap-feeling plastic around than in the Colorado. The Jeep Gladiator is the newest entry to the segment, and it features a colorful and characterful interior heavily derived from the Wrangler.
Low-trim trucks make do with the ancient-looking, single-color 2.3-inch information screen between the analog gauges that provides basic trip computer information, but on optioned-up or higher trim trucks, there's the modern, multi-color 4.2-inch screen that has more available information and features. The top-of-the-line Lariat gets a dual-4.2-inch instrument cluster with an analog speedometer in between. Likewise, low-trim trucks get the Ford Sync infotainment system with a 4.2-inch screen controlled by surrounding buttons. For XLT and higher trims, the available Sync 3 system improves things considerably with an 8-inch touchscreen and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality. Sync 3 is not our favorite infotainment system, so the ability to bypass it with smartphone integration is welcome.
How big is the Ranger?
The Ranger is a little bit smaller than its competitors, but not in a way that matters for anybody except the statisticians. It's the second-smallest midsizer on sale, after the Frontier. Its 126.8-inch wheelbase and 210.8-inch overall length are a smidge less than the Colorado (128.3/212.7 respectively) and the Tacoma (127.4/212.3). And those two trucks come in a longer-wheelbase format, as well, while the Ranger's two cabs and two bed sizes both utilize the same wheelbase and come in at the same overall length.
Speaking of bed size, the SuperCab's bed is 72.8 inches long and 44.8 inches wide. The SuperCrew's shorter bed is 61 inches long and the same width. That's a hair wider than the Colorado and about 2 inches wider than the Tacoma. The longer of Ranger's beds is a smidge shorter than the competitors, and the short bed is right in between the Colorado and Tacoma. Long story short, it's a matter of inches in these major exterior dimensions, and it's not going to severely impact how many 2x4s you can carry. The Jeep Gladiator is only offered with a short 5-foot bed.
What's the Ranger's performance and fuel economy?
The Ranger comes with one only powertrain: a 2.3-liter, turbocharged inline-four that is good for 270 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque on 87 octane fuel. It's paired to a version of the 10-speed automatic transmission used on a lot of other Ford products. It's also the most fuel-efficient truck in its class, although not by a lot.
The Ranger beats all gasoline-powered midsize pickups on torque, but lags slightly on horsepower. Not that you'd notice it on the road, since the automatic's tight ratios keep the punchy EcoBoost engine in its sweet spot. Unladen, going down the road, most buyers will forget that there's an unconventional (for a truck) powertrain underhood and will probably appreciate the Ranger's ample torque and reasonably sprightly acceleration. It pulls better from lower in the rev range than the competition's V6s, which are coarse engines that need to be wrung out a bit to get their trucks moving. The EcoBoost and 10-speed combo won't be for everyone, but we think it's overall the best gasoline powertrain in the segment.
How much can the Ranger tow and haul?
What's more important than the subjective charms of the engine are payload capacity and towing, so let's deal with that briefly here. The Ranger can carry up to 1,860 pounds of payload, which is class-leading. The Gladiator can do up to 1,600 pounds, and the others are closer to 1,500 pounds. The Ranger can also tow up to 7,500 pounds when properly equipped, second only to the Gladiator's 7,650-pound rating. The Colorado can do 7,000 pounds, and the Tacoma and Frontier tie at 6,700 pounds. So the Ranger's absolute hauling credentials are stellar.
