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sgtsandman
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- Joined
- Mar 11, 2017
- Messages
- 12,845
- Reaction score
- 12,628
- Points
- 113
- Location
- Aliquippa, PA
- Vehicle Year
- 2011/2019
- Make / Model
- Ranger XLT/FX4
- Engine Size
- 4.0 SOHC/2.3 Ecoboost
- 2WD / 4WD
- 4WD
- Total Lift
- Pre-2008 lift/Stock
- Tire Size
- 31X10.5R15/265/65R17
I'm going to cut and paste the road test reviews. What they say in the review conflicts with what they have in the ratings. In short, they hate trucks. They want them to handle operate like a car.
The Ranger returned to the U.S. after an eight-year absence. It serves as an alternative to full-sized pickups for drivers who want a maneuverable truck with off-road ability that can capably haul and tow. The Ranger is distinguished by its strong powertrain and standard automatic emergency braking (AEB). Under its tough, rugged appearance we found a relatively quiet and fuel-efficient machine compromised by a punishing ride, clumsy handling, and a few ill-designed controls.
The Ranger’s price creeps up to full-size territory quite easily, as it can with some competitors.
The 2.3-liter four-cylinder turbo engine performs with verve, and the 10-speed automatic transmission helps the Ranger respond smartly when drivers demand power. The Ford can move from 0 to 60 mph in 7.4 seconds, and it gets a relatively good 20 mpg overall. But the engine is unduly noisy at low speeds.
The Ranger handles like a typical pickup truck. It has mushy, imprecise steering and feels clumsy through corners. The greatest shortcoming is its stiff, jumpy ride. And the suspension lets sharp motions transmit through the cabin, tossing passengers around.
The interior is plain and has a low-end feel at this price, and some controls are hard to find or positioned too low. At least the Sync 3 infotainment system is easy to operate, as it is in other Ford models.
Getting in and out is quite a chore because of the tall step-in height. The squishy front seat loses support on even a short drive. The manual recline adjustment makes it difficult for drivers to dial in an ideal seating position. The rear seat is rather upright, and taller passengers have limited legroom.
We are glad that Ford’s Co-Pilot 360 with automatic emergency braking is standard.
Those who are drawn to the Ranger’s looks are likely to overlook its deficiencies. But other than its modern powertrain and infotainment system, the Ranger doesn’t advance the cause for compact pickup trucks.
For those seeking more rear passenger space, bed size, and tow capacity, the Ford F-150 is a better choice—and it gets 19 mpg overall. The Honda Ridgeline is the smart pick for light tasks.
Best Version to Get
We would skip the XL and pick the XLT trim because it comes with blind spot warning, lane keeping assistance, lane departure warning, and auto high-beams, in addition to the standard forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection. We would also add the Sync 3 infotainment system and dual-zone automatic climate control. Buyers who want a power driver seat with lumbar support adjustment are forced to get the expensive Sport Appearance package. To get push-button start, buyers have to opt for the expensive Lariat trim.
Notable changes:
The Ranger is all new for 2019.
Driving Experience
Powertrain
The fact that the Ranger only has a four-cylinder engine shouldn’t be a concern. The 2.3-liter turbo is mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission, and the powertrain provides plenty of readily available power. We clocked the 0-60 mph acceleration at a competitive 7.4 seconds.
The transmission isn't the smoothest in all situations. For instance, some low-speed shifts come with a mild jolt.
Fuel economy is among the best in class, excluding diesels, at 20 mpg overall.
Handling
Despite its compact dimensions, the Ranger drives like a clumsy truck. Turning into corners requires a hefty twirl of the steering wheel, which feels loose and devoid of any feedback. At least its body roll isn’t very pronounced.
That ponderous handling carried over to the track, where the Ranger reached its grip limits early with the onset of heavy understeer, causing the front tires to slide and the truck to move wide in a turn. The stability control system works overtime to adjust to this tendency when the truck is pushed. The Ranger is not unsafe; it just comes up short in handling capability; that point was driven home by its relatively low 47 mph speed through our avoidance maneuver, which simulates an emergency swerve around an obstacle in the road. That kind of performance, however, is typical for pickup trucks.
The part-time 4WD system requires the driver to decide when to engage or disengage it.
Ride comfort
The Ranger’s ride is stiff and choppy. Impacts punch through to the cabin as hard rubbery shots, and the truck’s body motions are jumpy. On some bumps and crevices, testers felt like they were riding on a pogo stick. It’s marginally better than riding in a Toyota Tacoma. But the Ranger’s ride is not as civilized as that of the Chevrolet Colorado, and it isn’t remotely in the same league as the Honda Ridgeline.
Noise
The Ranger slots between the Tacoma and Colorado with average noise isolation, and it is not nearly as quiet as the class leading Honda Ridgeline. Expect a noisy engine on startup and at parking-lot speeds. There is significant wind noise at highway speeds and apparent tire tread noise heard at low speeds.
Braking
The Ranger had a subpar performance in our braking tests with long stops in both wet and dry conditions. The brake pedal had a fair amount of travel, but it was easy to modulate.
Partial Automation
The driver assistance features in the Ranger all under perform, based on our experiences at and around the CR Auto Test Center. The adaptive cruise control does not bring the car to a stop, which may startle some drivers who have experienced more capable systems. It will slow the car down to 22 mph when following another car that is slowing, but it turns off with a faint beep when it disengages the brakes.
The lane departure warning (LDW) system allows too many unintentional drifts toward and across lane lines. The system warns the driver with only a small color change on the dashboard indicator—there is no audible alert.
The lane keeping assist system (LKA) nags drivers frequently to keep their hands on the wheel, even when they’re holding the wheel driving straight, meaning the driver will need to make periodic fine adjustments to the steering wheel to keep the LKA on.
Drivers may likely decide to turn these systems off, but we recommend to keep LDW on, since there is no annoyance to the driver.
Headlights
Standard halogen headlights do a good job of lighting the road ahead with either low or high beams, despite not having the whiter, brighter light of high-intensity discharge (HID) or LED headlights. The high position of the headlights and the transition between light and darkness at the top of the low beams may cause drivers of approaching vehicles to experience some glare. Automatic high beams are an available option and can help drivers take advantage of added high beam visibility more often by quickly switching to high beams when traffic allows.
Towing
The Ranger is rated to tow up to 7,500 lbs.
Off-road
Buyers interested in off-roading should consider the FX4 trim, which comes with an electric locking differential, off-road tires, exposed front tow hooks, special suspension, and protective skid plates. As with special off-road packages on other trucks, the FX4 setup can have an adverse effect on ride comfort. For non-FX4 versions, buyers can get the optional rear locking differential to improve off-road performance. This upgrade made a significant difference in traction on our challenging rock hill.
Inside The Cabin
Interior fit and finish
The Ranger’s cabin has a plain appearance. As with most pickups, it has hard plastic everywhere, except for the spots where the elbows rest on the door and center console. The build quality seems sturdy overall, with the burly door latches, door pulls, and gear selector giving it an appropriately tough, truck feel. The audio system’s grippy volume and tuning knobs have obvious detents as you turn them, and the steering wheel buttons have a damped feel. However, the center stack buttons look and feel cheap.
The seats in our test truck are covered with nice cloth, with patterned inserts and contrasting stitching, and the carpeting is fairly soft. The unlined door pockets have an obvious mold line and scratchy edge. Overwhelmingly, our drivers commented that while the Ranger’s cabin is good for a truck, it’s not all that great for its $40,000 price tag.
Driving position
The Ranger benefits from an upright, elevated driving position, which gives a good view out over the hood and a commanding feel of the road. There’s lots of headroom and while there is some center console intrusion, it rubs more against the driver’s right shin rather than knee. Some drivers commented that the left footrest is angled too far away, making it hard to reach, while taller drivers wished the steering wheel had more telescoping range. Testers felt the door and center armrests could use more padding.
Visibility
Views out the front of the Ranger are pretty good, aided by slim windshield pillars that only get thick at the base. Side pillars are thin and side windows are tall. Even the rearmost roof pillars aren’t too chunky, but the rear window is quite small for a pickup truck and the rear headrests partially block the view. Big side mirrors help drivers see down the truck’s sides, but they also can be difficult for drivers to peer around.
The Ranger XLT and higher trims come with blind spot warning, rear cross traffic warning, and both front and rear parking sensors.
Seat comfort and access
Front access is a challenge, because of the high floor. The running boards on our truck are not very helpful because they also sit too high. If you use them, you are standing so high that you then have to duck down to get in. If you don’t use the running boards, it’s a high and far step up into the cabin.
The front seats have a rather basic design, and they are a bit soft. Both seats are powered and have two-way lumbar adjustment.
Getting into the rear is as difficult as it is the front. Rear seats are flat and basic, but there is decent room all around for a compact truck.
Usability
The controls and displays are a mix of outdated and modern. Our biggest complaints were with the lack of an indicator on the gear selector, requiring drivers to double-check the dashboard to see if the truck is in Park, Neutral, or Drive, and with the low-situated climate controls. Our testers were hard pressed to find the unlit control for the mirrors.
The two phone buttons on the steering wheel are dormant until a call is in progress; typically such buttons can be used to initiate a call.
Audio system
The Sync 3 infotainment system supports Android Auto, Apple Carplay, and Applink. Sync Connect telematics with WiFi hotspot capability is also available.
Navigation
Drivers can use phone-based navigation apps with the optional Sync 3. The optional native navigation system benefits from XM satellite traffic service, which is free for five years, providing live traffic updates and informed rerouting options.
Phone
Interacting with paired phones isn’t as seamless as it could be. The phone button on the steering wheel can only answer calls; it can’t initiate them. This means drivers are burdened with using voice commands or stretching to the touch screen to make a call.
Connectivity
The FordPass Connect telematics system requires installing an app. With it, owners can lock, unlock, or restart the car remotely. It also enables access to other perks offered by Ford.
Rangers fitted with Sync 3 come with two USB ports. Sync Connect telematics (emergency crash notification and WiFi hotspot capability) uses the AT&T network.
Climate features
Even mid-level trims like our XLT come with lots of climate features, including an automatic dual-zone system, heated front seats, and heated exterior mirrors. We were pleasantly surprised that using the remote start feature could also turn on the seat heaters—that’s a nice touch. But a heated steering wheel isn’t available, even in the top-shelf Lariat model.
Cabin storage
Front passengers have a bin under the center stack as an easy spot to stow a phone. Plus, there’s a shallow open tray on the top of the dashboard. As is the case with most cars, the Ranger has a handy covered storage bin under the padded armrest between the front seats.
Cup holders
Front passengers get two cup holders behind the gear selector, with grippy rubber bases and plastic anti-tip measures to hold drinks in place. Rear seaters have two cup holders nestled into the fold-down center armrest. All four doors include built-in bottle holders.
Cargo area
The capabilities with our SuperCrew are limited by its short 61-inch bed. (The extended cab truck gets a 72.8-inch bed.) The tall bed height makes getting things out a challenge from the sides; the top edge of the bed is shoulder height for some drivers. There are multiple tie-downs in the bed to help secure loads. The heavy tailgate isn’t damped to prevent it from slamming down when dropped open.
Spare tire
A full-size spare tire is standard.
Safety & Driver Assist Systems
Crash-test results
The Ranger has a Good rating in five out of the six IIHS crash-test results, and an Acceptable in passenger-side small overlap front test. It also has a superior rating in front crash prevention.
Crash-avoidance systems
The Ranger comes standard with forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection. Lane keeping assist, blind spot warning, and rear cross traffic warning are optional on the base truck and standard on the rest of the trims.
Forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection -- The system helps reduce the likelihood and severity of frontal crashes. It can detect pedestrians, provided the speed isn’t above 50 mph. The system has three levels of action, starting with a visual and audible warning. If no action is taken, it will pre-charge the brakes to produce a greater braking force to aid the driver. As a last resort, the car will apply the AEB to reduce speed if a crash is imminent. It is great to see this system as standard equipment. In our evaluations, the Ranger applied the AEB and successfully avoided a crash with our foam mock test car and pedestrian.
Blind spot warning -- By monitoring the vehicle’s flanks, BSW indicates when a car is in the driver’s blind spot by illuminating a yellow dot in the mirror on the side where the vehicle is present. The dot will flash if drivers attempt to merge into that occupied adjacent lane. The BSW range can be extended when towing a trailer. We like the system but wish it were more prominent.
Rear cross traffic warning -- When in Reverse, this system sounds an audible alert and displays a warning if cars are approaching from behind. This can be an especially helpful aid when backing out of a parking spot.
Lane keeping system -- This system works above 40 mph to help drivers keep the Ranger in its travel lane. It can be set up as an alert, steering assist, or both. The alert will vibrate the steering wheel when vehicle leaves its lane. The assist setting will apply steering correction, nudging the SUV back into its lane. The system has multiple settings for intensity and alert sensitivity. Be sure to adjust all of the settings and experience the subtle differences in the way each of those work to find the best one for you. We like that the on/off switch is at the end on the turn signal stalk.
Crash notification
The Ranger comes equipped with a 911 Assist feature that will contact emergency services if a crash involves airbag deployment or fuel pump shut-off. A mobile phone needs to be paired for this feature to work.
Child safety
Overall, car seat installations were easy to secure. Some rear-facing seats may be challenging to install because of the tall, flexible seat buckle and the wide belt anchor spacing. Lower LATCH anchors are easy to access, and LATCH borrowing is allowed in the center seating position if your car seat manufacturer allows for non-standard anchor spacing. Top tether anchors are located on the back wall behind the seatback; the tether straps are difficult to fully tighten. Kids in booster seats will need to use two hands to buckle themselves in. The outboard rear head restraints will likely need to be removed to accommodate forward-facing car seats and booster seats. Booster seats positioned in the center seating position will make it impossible to sit in the left outboard seat because the booster will overlap the outboard buckle and seat. Three child seats will likely fit across this rear seat.
Rear seat belt reminder
Ford’s rear seat belt reminder is primarily intended to alert a driver if a rear passenger has unbuckled their seat belt during a trip. A silhouette appears on the instrument cluster with a number denoting the number of seat belts that are currently buckled, as well as a map of the seating positions, indicated on the instrument cluster accompanied by a chime. The alert will remain visible until acknowledged by the driver with a button on the steering wheel. This feature could be particularly helpful for parents of kids in booster seats or young teenagers that may remove their seat belt.
