2019 Ford Ranger Review

　　

zzdcar' Expert Review

byTravis LangnessReviews Editor

　　Travis Langness has worked in the automotive industry since 2011. He has written thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career.

　　

What's new

The 2019 Ford Ranger is all-newPart of the fourth Ranger generation introduced for 2019

　　It's been almost a decade since there was a new Ford Ranger at dealerships. A lot has changed in that time. Midsize pickup trucks are larger than ever before. They also offer more towing and hauling capability, more passenger comfort and more modern tech inside. With the debut of the 2019 Ford Ranger, expectations are high for what this latest entry can do.

　　

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2019 Ford Ranger XL 4dr SuperCab SB (2.3L 4cyl Turbo 10A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.04 per gallon for regular unleaded in North Dakota.

Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　$163/mo  for Ranger XL

　　Ranger XL

　　XL 4dr SuperCab SB (2.3L 4cyl Turbo 10A) - $24,300 MSRPXL 4dr Crew Cab SB (2.3L 4cyl Turbo 10A) - $26,700 MSRPXL 4dr SuperCab 4WD SB (2.3L 4cyl Turbo 10A) - $28,460 MSRPXL 4dr Crew Cab 4WD SB (2.3L 4cyl Turbo 10A) - $30,860 MSRPXLT 4dr SuperCab SB (2.3L 4cyl Turbo 10A) - $28,120 MSRPXLT 4dr Crew Cab SB (2.3L 4cyl Turbo 10A) - $30,295 MSRPXLT 4dr SuperCab 4WD SB (2.3L 4cyl Turbo 10A) - $32,120 MSRPXLT 4dr Crew Cab 4WD SB (2.3L 4cyl Turbo 10A) - $34,295 MSRPLariat 4dr SuperCab SB (2.3L 4cyl Turbo 10A) - $32,390 MSRPLariat 4dr Crew Cab SB (2.3L 4cyl Turbo 10A) - $34,565 MSRPLariat 4dr SuperCab 4WD SB (2.3L 4cyl Turbo 10A) - $36,390 MSRPLariat 4dr Crew Cab 4WD SB (2.3L 4cyl Turbo 10A) (Most Popular) - $38,565 MSRP

　　vs

　　$218/mo

　　Avg. Compact Truck

　　The 2019 Ford Ranger isn't entirely new, though. Ford may have pulled the Ranger from the U.S. market back in 2011, but it didn't stop building and selling Rangers in other parts of the world. That same year consumers in some markets outside of North America could buy an all-new and suitably enlarged midsize Ranger that was developed by Ford Australia. Ford gave this world-market Ranger a face-lift for 2015, and it is that truck that forms the basis for our 2019 Ranger.

　　A lot of what you'll see on the Ranger will be familiar if you've spent any time in its big brother, the F-150. On the inside, the Ranger will get Ford's Sync 3 technology in addition to available features such as smartphone connectivity, blind-spot monitoring and even in-car Wi-Fi. The Ranger also comes with a healthy number of advanced safety features including forward collision mitigation and lane keeping assist.

　　Under the hood, the Ranger is currently slated to get only one engine: a turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder that produces 270 horsepower. While we'd prefer to have a few powertrains to choose from, this new mill certainly satisfies. It's gutsy and it provides plenty of power for accelerating quickly or pulling a heavy trailer. Maximum towing capacity is a stout 7,500 pounds.

　　In other ways, however, the 2019 Ranger fails to live up to the expectations set by an all-new debut. The truck's chassis and the interior design come across as carryovers from several years back, not something originated to expressly serve the needs of U.S. market customers in a competitive midsize-truck field.

　　Overall, the new Ranger ends up as a midpack offering. It's worth checking out if you want a midsize pickup with a strong standard engine and the latest advanced safety features. Otherwise, the more well-rounded Chevrolet Colorado, Honda Ridgeline and Toyota Tacoma will likely serve you better.

　　Notably, we picked the 2019 Ford Ranger as one of zzdcar' Best Trucks for Towing and Best Trucks for Towing for this year.

　　

zzdcar' Expert Rating

6.8 / 10

　　

Trim tested

　　Each vehicle typically comes in multiple versions that are fundamentally similar. The ratings in this review are based on our full test of the Ford Ranger XLT Crew Cab w/ FX4 Off-Road Package (turbocharged 2.3-liter inline-4 | 10-speed automatic | 4WD).

　　

Scorecard

Overall	6.8 / 10
Driving	7.0
Comfort	6.5
Interior	7.0
Utility	6.0
Technology	8.0

　　

Driving

7.0

　　The Ranger has one main trick: a stout 2.3-liter turbo engine. Beyond that, the Ranger fails to impress. The 10-speed automatic is great in other Fords, but here it's typically unresponsive. Handling, steering and braking all suffer from varying degrees of unengaging blandness.

　　

Acceleration

9.0

　　The Ranger's 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder doesn't make the most horsepower in the class, but it's not far off the mark and easily makes the most torque. The result is a gutsy engine that delivers plenty of punch whenever you need it — if you use Sport mode. It also rules the dragstrip. In our testing, our 4WD Ranger covered 0-60 mph in a quick 6.8 seconds.

　　

Braking

7.0

　　The Ranger stops reliably in routine situations, but nosedive can be excessive when you brake more suddenly. That was certainly the case during our 60-0 mph panic-stop test, which took 138 feet. That's longer than we like to see, but it is likely the result of the knobby off-road tires that come with our test truck's FX4 off-road package.

　　

Steering

6.0

　　The steering is somewhat disappointing. The vehicle tracks well, and the truck has good straight-ahead stability. But from the driver's seat, it feels numb and disconnected as you turn the wheel. The effort is quite light, and it lacks any sort of meaningful buildup to give you the sense that you've turned the wheel enough.

　　

Handling

7.0

　　The Ranger does track steadily and even accurately through corners. But that only holds up if the road is mostly flat. If the corner has wavy undulations, or if you brake deeply into such a corner, the suspension's inadequate damping translates into an unsteady bounding feel that can be disconcerting as you arc through a turn.

　　

Drivability

7.0

　　Despite its punchy engine, the Ranger can exhibit lethargy in the transmission's default drive mode born from a reluctance to downshift. It wakes up and feels nicely responsive in Sport mode, but this kind of Jekyll and Hyde behavior seems unnecessary when you have a 10-speed transmission.

　　

Off-road

6.0

　　The Ranger's approach and departure clearances are decent. But the suspension's lack of articulation can result in lifting a wheel or two off the ground, and the traction control system can't fully cover for the deficiency. The FX4 package has a locking rear differential, but it seemed more like a crutch to get over the suspension's basic shortcomings. The 4WD rotary control is maddening because its momentary switch operation leaves the door open for the computer to second-guess the driver, which it did during our test.

　　

Comfort

6.5

　　Aspects of the Ranger's ride may be a deal-breaker for some truck shoppers. The seats are comfortable, and the cabin is generally quiet. But that doesn't matter if the cabin bobs around to the point where passengers start to feel queasy.

　　

Seat comfort

7.5

　　The front seats are nicely shaped and comfortably padded. They also can accommodate larger folks yet still provide smaller occupants with enough side support. The rear seat bottoms are well-padded, but the corresponding seatbacks are a bit more vertical than we'd like.

　　

Ride comfort

5.0

　　The Ranger absorbs small cracks and coarse road texture well, but it doesn't take much of an undulation in the road to generate very springy and bouncy ride motions. This too-soft and underdamped feel seems to amplify the size of certain bumps you pass over. More than one of our passengers actually got queasy during our testing.

　　

Noise & vibration

7.5

　　There is some wind noise, but road noise from the tires is nicely muted. The four-cylinder engine typically sounds a bit reedy and mechanical, but it lets out a more pleasing V6-like growl when you stand on the gas.

　　

Climate control

6.5

　　The climate control system works well enough, and the four dash-mounted vents are large. You can't shut them off individually, however. The worst part is the dual-zone automatic climate control system's many small buttons, which are hard to distinguish at a glance.

　　

Interior

7.0

　　The Ranger is reasonably accommodating. The front seat is roomy and easy to get in and out of, but the same isn't true of the crew cab's rear bench. Likewise, visibility out the front is good, but the view out the rear is another story. Our biggest complaint involves the interior switchgear.

　　

Ease of use

6.0

　　Although the Ranger's controls are generally easy to understand, certain ones are disappointing. The lack of physical shortcut buttons for the touchscreen and the many tiny buttons that make up the climate control interface are something you'll have to deal with every day. We're not fond of the layout and operational logic of the 4WD controls either.

　　

Getting in/getting out

7.5

　　The front door openings are broad, and the floor height isn't too high. There's no driver-side grab handle, but the front passenger gets one. The rear seat is a bit harder to enter due to a lack of toe space.

　　

Driving position

7.5

　　The driver's seat is nicely placed, and the telescoping steering wheel offers a good range of adjustment. The XLT's manual seats, however, have a coarse backrest angle adjustment. Some drivers might not be able to find their ideal spot.

　　

Roominess

7.5

　　There's no lack of room in the front part of the Ranger's cab. Legroom is excellent, and headroom is more than sufficient. It's a bit tight at shoulder level, however. The back seat also has plenty of headroom, but legroom is tight. The front seats have a cutout to help counteract this issue, but it's not enough.

　　

Visibility

7.0

　　It's fairly easy to see out the front because the hood slopes away and dips down above the headlights. The outside mirrors are sufficiently large, but the very tall bedsides and tailgate constrain the view directly out the back. The rearview camera alleviates this issue in parking lots but obviously not when cruising down the road.

　　

Quality

7.0

　　Our test truck has consistent build quality, but the interior plastics are pretty unimpressive. The inside does not reflect recent advancements in other all-new pickups.

　　

Utility

6.0

　　The Ranger posts a high towing number. Payload ratings are also good, but that figure trails three competitors when you look at the crew-cab 4WD model everyone wants. More importantly, the Ranger gets dragged down by everyday issues such as so-so storage and a one-piece back seat that doesn't provide many in-cab storage options.

　　

Small-item storage

6.5

　　There's not a lot to talk about here. The center console has a small box under the armrest and a couple of cupholders. The door pockets are small, and the glovebox is unremarkable.

　　

Cargo space

4.0

　　In-cabin storage is poor. The seat support structure gets in the way of any real storage with the rear seat bottom flipped up, and the seatback only tips forward far enough to access the jack; there is no provision to make a storage platform that way. What's worse, it's a one-piece seat. This unfathomable lack of a 60/40- or even a 50/50-split makes it impossible to seat three in the cab with a portion of the rear seat rigged for cargo.

　　

Child safety seat accommodation

6.0

　　There are two sets of lower LATCH anchors that are somewhat deeply set. The Ranger has three top tethers, but you'll need to fold the rear seatback forward to access them. The cab lacks rear legroom, so bulkier rear-facing seats may not fit without forcing the front-seat occupants to compromise their positions.

　　

Towing

8.0

　　The Ranger is rated at 7,500 pounds if you buy the optional trailer tow package, and it can tow more than the competition's gasoline engines can. But the difference isn't significant in a class where towing isn't the primary purchase reason. This new Ford lacks a built-in trailer brake controller option.

　　

Hauling

7.0

　　The Ranger offers best-in-class payload on paper. But that claim is not true of the popular 4WD crew-cab configuration, whose payload specs slightly lag those of most other trucks. Daily concerns include tall bedsides that are hard to reach over, an undamped tailgate and a plain steel bed. But there are six tie-downs, and we appreciate how the central locking system includes the tailgate.

　　

Technology

8.0

　　We like most of what the Ranger has to offer, especially if you buy an XLT or higher. Those come with a Sync 3 touchscreen system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a broad suite of driver safety and convenience aids. But the touchscreen could stand a few shortcut buttons, and folks without a smartphone and reliable data service will need to spend $795 on the Technology package to get built-in navigation.

　　

Audio & navigation

7.0

　　The Ranger's Sync 3 system relies on an 8-inch touchscreen. Sure, there are prominent volume and tune knobs. But what's lacking are physical shortcut buttons, which make it easier to do basic tasks without poking the screen to drill down to the relevant menus. Integrated navigation is optional.

　　

Smartphone integration

8.5

　　Apple CarPlay and Android Auto really help simplify smartphone connections, and there are two data-level USB ports up front. Two more USB ports serve the rear seat, but they're for charging only.

　　

Driver aids

8.5

　　The volume-selling XLT and high-end Lariat come standard with automatic emergency braking, auto high-beam control, lane keeping assist, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. Adaptive cruise control is optional on these trims.

　　

Voice control

8.5

　　Sync 3 voice commands work reliably, and they respond to many natural language commands to access music, radio stations and certain navigation functions. iPhone users have the additional option to hold the button down longer to access Siri on their plugged-in smartphone.

　　

Which Ranger does zzdcar recommend?

　　For most buyers, we believe the midlevel Ranger XLT will be a solid pick. The XLT strikes the right balance between cost and features, with a good amount of standard equipment and a long list of available options such as an 8-inch touchscreen, dual-zone climate control and Ford's FX4 Off-Road package.

　　

2019 Ford Ranger models

　　The 2019 Ford Ranger is a midsize pickup truck. It is available with two cab configurations: extended cab (SuperCab) with a 6-foot bed or a crew cab with a 5-foot bed. There are also three trim levels: XL, XLT and Lariat. All Rangers are equipped with a turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine (270 hp, 310 pound-feet of torque) paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission.

　　The base Ranger XL is rather sparsely equipped, but there are some feature highlights. Standard equipment includes 16-inch steel wheels, a manually locking tailgate, automatic headlights, power windows, cloth upholstery, a four-speaker stereo system with AM/FM radio, air conditioning, a 3.5-inch center screen, a rearview camera, a USB port and an auxiliary jack. Also included is forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking.

　　On top of the XL's standard equipment the XLT adds 17-inch alloy wheels, front and rear parking sensors, foglights, an upgraded grille, cruise control, automatic high beams, Ford's Co-Pilot360 system (lane keeping assist and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert), a 110-volt power outlet, a 4.2-inch center screen with Ford Sync, an extra USB port, keyless entry with remote tailgate locking, a 4G Wi-Fi hotspot and a six-speaker stereo.

　　The top trim level for the Ranger is the Lariat, which includes all of the XLT's equipment plus 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and taillights, an LED cargo lamp, power-adjustable and heated front seats, leather upholstery, dual-zone automatic climate control, an 8-inch center touchscreen with Ford's Sync 3 interface, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.

　　Most of the equipment on upper trim levels can be had as options on the lower trims. Adaptive cruise control is available on both the XLT and Lariat trim levels. A navigation system and a Bang & Olufsen premium sound system are available for the Lariat only.

　　Also, there are a couple of option packages worth noting. The FX4 Off-Road package is available on the XL, the XLT and the Lariat. It includes off-road tires, upgraded shocks and suspension tuning, an electronically locking rear axle, front tow hooks, underbody skid plates, a terrain management system, and a low-speed crawl control system called Trail Control. A Trailer Tow package is available on all three trim levels as well, and it adds a four-pin/seven-pin wiring harness along with a Class IV trailer hitch.

　　Jump to:Related 2019 Ranger articles

　　

2019 Ranger Highlights

Type: Crew CabSuperCabSuperCab

　　Trim: XLXLTLariatXL

　　

Base MSRP	$24,300
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	23 MPG
Cost to Drive	$163/month
Seating	4 seats
Drivetrain	rear wheel drive
Max Towing Capacity	7,500 lbs.
Warranty	3 years / 36,000 miles