My Thoughts Exactly: 2024 Ford Ranger
The Ford Ranger certainly had a wild ride for the past 43 years.
It became the Blue Oval’s answer to the import compact truck in the summer of 1982. If you ask me, they did this one right compared to other domestic automakers. They gave it a long life until Ford shut down the Saint Paul plant for good.
After a pause in time, Ford reintroduced its global Ranger to our market. It was contemporary in size and performance. Nothing lost in translation.
However, Ford’s operations in the Asia-Pacific region had a great idea to revise the current Ranger to make it look like an F-150. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with design continuity, especially in markets where the F-150 was not sold.
Except, you can now get the F-150 in Australia.
The North American Ranger followed suit for the 2024 model year by aligning the design of its global Ranger with the one in this market. Part of the mid-cycle refresh was the addition of the Raptor model. They sold the Ranger Raptor elsewhere worldwide. You know the rest of the story.
The Ranger I received was not the Raptor. Rather, a four-cylinder Lariat SuperCrew with four-wheel drive. In other words, a specification that most consumers would buy when their budget does not call for a Raptor.
What they get is a handsome Ford pickup truck. In our case, with a lovely hue of blue.
The handsomeness starts with the F-150 inspired front end. You could also point to the F-Series Super Duty for further inspiration. Still, the LED headlamps are framed by an LED driving light/turn signal surround on each side. The grille is a standard-issue Ford Truck design. As is the rest of the Ranger’s cab and bed design.
Our Lariat tester adds a Chrome Package, adding more jewelry to the grille and a few other places. That also includes the 18-inch chromed alloy wheels. Finishing touches include running boards and a spray-in bedliner. In all, a handsome mid-size pickup truck that’s not too bulky or looking too thin.
The revisions continue inside the cabin. The only big change that is noticeable is the dashboard. The new 12-inch digital instrument cluster is another detail seen on other Ford vehicles. It offers a large display with plenty of customizable information. Controls throughout are familiar in a Ford. Although, the shifter is completely different. Instead of a rotary dial, the Ranger employs a shift-by-wire actuator that works like most automatic transmissions. It is a bit odd to operate, as you press a button at the back of the shifter to move it up and down.
Another major change is the addition of a 12-inch portrait-oriented infotainment touchscreen that is driven by Ford’s SYNC 4A system. It works well and is completely compatible with any smartphone integration. There are some tactile controls below the screen, however. You may find that most operations are done on the screen itself. Sound is provided by a 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system.
Leather upholstery covers the seats in both rows of the Lariat SuperCrew. The big win is in the headroom in both rows. Legroom is good in the back.
As I mentioned before, this Lariat tester is powered by the standard 270-horsepower 2.3-liter EcoBoost turbocharged four-cylinder engine. It also puts down 310 pound-feet of torque. This is connected to a ten-speed automatic transmission sending power to all four wheels through a two-speed transfer case. With this configuration, you can tow up to 7.500 pounds. Maximum payload rating is 1,711 pounds.
This engine is robust. It does pull very well. It can cruise just fine. No drama in that department. As for fuel economy, the Environmental Protection Agency rated this driveline at 20 MPG in the city, 24 MPG on the highway.
Ford made sure to give its mid-sized Ranger a level of competence that enables it to pull its weight. You might say that the ride quality was quite livable. Even with rear leaf springs, the Ranger does its best to keep things even towards absorbing rougher sections of road. Handling-wise, there is a bit of roll and lean through the turns at speed. However, it does maneuver around hazards quite nimbly.
The turning radius on the Ranger was to be expected, as it is not as tight as one would like. You do get some resistance from the front axle when it is in any of the four-wheel drive modes. However, on-center feel is fine, as well as overall response to the wheels. Braking was also fine. The Ranger had a solid pedal feel and response. It returned decent stops in normal, panic and winter situations.
The Ford Ranger lineup is available in four trim levels – including the Raptor. Depending on the trim, you also have a choice of engines, and final drive options. All Rangers come only in the SuperCrew cab style with the Styleside five-foot box. Pricing starts at $32,820. This 4X4 Lariat tester came with a sticker price of $51,605.
It is great that Ford aligned the design of their mid-size Ranger with the rest of their pickup truck lineup. It will certainly help its cause, especially in the face of the competition. That competition is improving every year. You now have a battle for desert running supremacy with the Raptor as part of the Ranger’s lineup.
What you do not get in the Ranger is a scaled down F-150. Parts of it, yes. But not entirely. Perhaps that is a point of debate whether the expectations of pickup truck customers looking to downsize would be in for a shock that their Ranger is not exactly the F-150 they were expecting.
If you just take the Ranger on face value and on its merits based on capabilities, you definitely have a good choice in a mid-size pickup truck.
DISCLAIMER: Vehicle provided by the Ford Motor Company
All photos by Randy Stern