*Update*

As of an hour ago I am the owner of a brand new pickumup truck....

2019 Ford Ranger SuperCrew 4x4 Lariat in Lightning Blue.





Optioned out well. FX4 package probably could have done without, but seems all of the Lariats in this area come that way. Only thing I need is a tonneau cover. With retirement 4-5 years out, probably will be the last truck I buy.

*Update #2*

Came across another rebate I was eligible that knocked another $1,250 off the price, dealer honored it and I will have a check coming in the mail!

More info in my post on page 2....


*Original Post*
We were in the market for a truck back in 2015. It was to replace a small SUV my wife totaled and our other car was a Kia Optima.

I need 4WD because weather is never an excuse for me not getting to work. Looked at Taco’s and Frontiers, but they were just too small inside for a man of my girth.

Ended up going with a 2015 F150 XL SuperCrew 4x4 with the 2.7L EcoBoost. Similarly equipped to the Nissan/Toyota offerings, it was only about $3500 more for full size.

Fast forward 4 years and 59,000 miles - the Optima has been replaced by a 2017 Mustang GT convertible and we added a 2018 Ford Escape as my wife was always intimidated by the F150 in urban environments and ever shrinking parking spaces. We kept the F150 for the utility of a truck and having three cars keep miles down on all of them as well as letting the Mustang avoid winter weather.

With a top trim Mustang and Escape Titanium, the XL trim of the F150 with its fabric seats, tiny non-touch entertainment screen, lack of remote start, no seat warmers, etc. makes it seem much older (ghetto) than it really is. Size is more of an issue now as well since we have four vehicles to contend with since my Dad (and his 2003 Mazda B4000) moved in last year.


I’ve been interested in the return of the Ranger to the US market and decided to see how they compare inside to the Frontier and Tacoma. Definitely more room inside than either, definitely smaller than the F150, but much more than the “compact” trucks.

So since I headed home early today I decided to stop at the local dealer to give one a look. Here is my initial review from a quick 12 mile test drive...


Front bucket seats seem to be just as spacious as the F150, albeit a bit closer to the floorboard. It obviously doesn’t have the third seat/fold down console up front, just a narrow center console similar to the Escape instead. Back seat not as vast as the F150 obviously, but unless the folks in front need their seats back, 3 adults should be ok, 2 would be quite comfortable. Not really a concern, at most we pretty much only have 4 people in the truck.

Lower entry is a plus, the one I drove came equipped with running boards. I could get in without but they did make it a little easier. That would be good for my wife, mother in law, and Dad all of whom have some difficulty getting into the F150, even with my running boards.

The 6” shorter bed is not a concern in my case as we don’t really use the bed much except for Home Depot runs with garden stuff, bins for storage, or toss garbage in for a dump run. Not sure how much narrower the bed is compared to the F150, but for my purposes it shouldn’t be an issue.

Nice upgrade tech-wise over the F150. Leather seats, the 7” screen with Sync3 system, B&O upgrade stereo, seat warmers, remote start, power folding mirrors, adaptive cruise control, etc. Would definitely put all of our vehicles in the same league “comfort” wise.


The 2.3L EcoBoost engine did not disappoint. Acceleration in “D” was a little anemic, but was noticeably more responsive in “Sport” mode, and downright fun “self-shifting” in Sport with the +/- button on the gearshift. With the close geared 10-speed, it is easy to keep it in the power band and it willingly goes to the 6K rpm redline without reservation. The 2.7L EB in the F150 has been fantastic, I would say the 2.3L in the Ranger is comparable but admittedly it was a short ride.

Of course can’t forget about the “dreaded” Auto-Start/Stop feature. Our F150 and Escape both have it, and it has never bothered me. Sure there are times where it is better disabled and in those cases a simple reach to push a button takes care of it. “Problem” solved. I really don’t get all the angst folks have over that one feature. Whatever...

Pricing? Hmmmm a little steep, but then everything is these days. The one I drove was stickered at $47K, SuperCrew XLT Lariat 4x4 with towing, FX4 Off-road package, 18” wheels, and a couple other things. Pretty much fully loaded, not sure what else could be added. Dealer had a $5K discount and up to another $3500 in incentives, so in the $38K ballpark. That is right about what we paid for the F150 new 4 years ago with no where near the options.

“First” model year issue? I’m not worried. That is what warranties are for. I bought a 2015 F150 when everyone was concerned about it being the first year for that and the 2.7L EB and aluminum body, etc. It has never given us a problem (other than my wife “kissing” sign posts and light poles trying to park).

Towing? The one I drove was rated for 7500lbs, impressive for a truck that size and I think it even beats my F150 (7100lbs, if I recall without looking). Doesn’t really matter much in my case as the only towing it would be doing would be an occasional U-Haul utility trailer if something didn’t fit or wasn’t wanted in the bed.


Overall impression is that it is quite tempting. Smaller vehicle, better maneuverability, better options, better gas mileage, I dig the looks, and unlike some folks I have had no problems with my Fords, in fact I have been quite happy with them.

I am thinking odds are better than even I just might be trading the F150 in soon to downsize and upgrade.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 911Boss,

I've seen a few Rangers and agree they're bigger than the small Japanese trucks but definitely smaller than the F150...…I think they're a good looking truck.......I'd say go for it, if you're itching to get out of the F150 due to size. I have a 18' Expedition and know all about those shrinking parking spaces.

I have a new Ranger and I love it. I traded in my 2010 F150 and got a much better truck for my purposes. Easier to maneuver in parking lots, shorter turning radius, equal towing capacity and better gas mileage. Plus with D plan pricing plus my first responder discount, I got it for about $32k. I'd definitely buy one again.

I've only seen a few Rangers on the road but did have a chance to get a good look at one that I parked next to at our local walmart. I liked it. Great styling and a nicely detailed interior.

Yes, I am no fan of the start/stop feature though. No way that does not add a ton of wear to the starter and battery so I would be turning that off every time I drove it. If this is the truck that gets your heart pumping, then I don't see how you can go wrong. Go for it!

I have always been a Ford truck fan but my 2005 F150 Lariat was coming due for some major maintenance and was only giving me 14-15 miles to the gallon but it was a great truck and never cost me a penny for the 14 years I owned her. But I knew it was time for her to go so I sold her about six months ago.

I went a different route. When I sold the old ford, I bought a brand new Colorado Redline edition. Got about 5000 miles on her now and I have been getting 23 mpg. I love this truck.

Very encouraging to hear your thoughts. I’m probably 2 years or so away from a new truck and have been eyeing the Ranger pretty hard. My 2005 F-150 is about to roll over 200k so it’s just a matter of time now. I don’t drive it much anymore as my work provided F-150 sees most of the miles so that’s helping extend its life somewhat.

I’m excited to “upgrade” the tech side of things, but unlike you I’ll be downgrading the trim level. My 2005 is a Lariet with leather seats, it’s absolutely brutal in Texas summers. I can’t wait for cloth seats once again. That and the 12-13 MPG I’m getting is very tiresome.

I drove the Ranger, Colorado, and Taco, all equally unequipped. (I was looking for less loaded, base models).

The Ranger was nice. It had a lot of features I liked, but being someone who has had a lot of turbocharged cars, I wasn’t looking for that in a truck I plan to Off Road in a lot. Something about a turbo and the heat produced, slow moving through stair stepped trails, using a lot of power, makes me worry about under hood heat, and overheating.

The Colorado was okay, but the base model felt really cheap. I don’t mean inexpensive. I mean it felt like a 70’s Honda. Just lacking the quality of the Ford or Toyota. (I never thought I would say that about a Chevy )

Then there is the Taco. Sits higher, and is more off road capable. Resale value (in Arizona)is so insanely great, that if I didn’t like it, I wouldn’t be losing anything. Aftermarket parts are very readily available, and affordable to upgrade as the wallet allows. The infotainment system is absolute trash. It’s a base Toyota/Subaru system and it really sucks. Then there is the transmission. If you press the ECT button (sport) it’s not bad. If you fail to press the button, it races to sixth gear, then is constantly hunting for gears. I know it was tuned for mileage, but damn, I wish the ECT button remembered its last pressed position when shutting off the vehicle.

All in all, I went with the Taco. It’s a damn good truck, and fit what I was looking for. If I was looking for a mall crawler, pavement pounder, the Ford was far superior, even in the base models.

I assume you have the ability to ‘Forscan’ some features like I did on my F150. Don’t worry about the first year out of the gate. We saw these in Mexico 4 years ago.
Mike

quote:

Originally posted by Beancooker:
I wish the ECT button remembered its last pressed position when shutting off the vehicle.

Just a quick aside, there is a way to do this . It isn't too bad for a DIY wiring project.

quote:

Originally posted by flesheatingvirus:

quote:

Originally posted by Beancooker:
I wish the ECT button remembered its last pressed position when shutting off the vehicle.

Just a quick aside, there is a way to do this . It isn't too bad for a DIY wiring project.

Thanks for the link. It’s more than I wish to tackle. I’ll wait for MESO to release his plug and play version. Should be out soon.

Some things to think about regarding the Ranger.

One, though Ford advertises it as such, it is not a new design. Virtually this exact same truck has been on sale overseas for many years. As a matter of fact, the current design is so dated it will be replaced in the next two years with a brand new Ranger.

Two, interior utilization is very important to me. The fact Ford didn't build a truck with a flat rear floor is absurd. They've redesigned the F150 and F250 with flat floors and advertised this capability continually. Two little storage cubbies doesn't make up for the huge loss of overall utility by the lack of a flat floor.

Three, the truck has seen way too many recalls already (IMO) for some really ridiculous issues.

Four, Ford and its dealers have had to offer growing incentives and rebates due to the Ranger's initial pricing to entice buyers to the truck because in the first quarter of 2019 'every' competitor sold more units (even the ancient Nissan Frontier) than the Ranger.

Five, the only Ranger version I'd consider is the Ranger Raptor, which Ford has seen fit not to make available to us in the US. Brilliant.

I waited almost six years for Ford to wake up and bring the Ranger back to the US market, and though its a decent enough truck, its faults will insure it does not displace the Tacoma, Colorado, or even Frontier for most buyers.

quote:

The Ranger was nice. It had a lot of features I liked, but being someone who has had a lot of turbocharged cars, I wasn’t looking for that in a truck I plan to Off Road in a lot. Something about a turbo and the heat produced, slow moving through stair stepped trails, using a lot of power, makes me worry about under hood heat, and overheating.

You’re talking a tiny single turbo the added heat under the hood is minimal. Especially going slow you’re running minimal boost.
Plenty of off-road vehicles have been sporting Turbo diesels for years in other countries.
I would not worry about that in the slightest.
I have got 2 turbos and two more cylinders in mine and saw so added increase in heat when I hit the trails.
The fans on the 3.5s at least are pretty intense and move a ton of air. My Expedition sounds like a jet when the fans are on.

I sat in the Ranger awhile back and was surprised on how much space it actually had once you got in.
I drove a double cab Tacoma for work for many years and the back seat was rough for most adults.
I got stuck and had to sleep in it once and that made the backseat seem really small once.

I have a 2017 Colorado Z71 Crew Cab Short Bed 4WD, love it.

Get a GM!

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:

quote:

The Ranger was nice. It had a lot of features I liked, but being someone who has had a lot of turbocharged cars, I wasn’t looking for that in a truck I plan to Off Road in a lot. Something about a turbo and the heat produced, slow moving through stair stepped trails, using a lot of power, makes me worry about under hood heat, and overheating.

You’re talking a tiny single turbo the added heat under the hood is minimal. Especially going slow you’re running minimal boost.
Plenty of off-road vehicles have been sporting Turbo diesels for years in other countries.
I would not worry about that in the slightest.
I have got 2 turbos and two more cylinders in mine and saw so added increase in heat when I hit the trails.
The fans on the 3.5s at least are pretty intense and move a ton of air. My Expedition sounds like a jet when the fans are on.

I sat in the Ranger awhile back and was surprised on how much space it actually had once you got in.
I drove a double cab Tacoma for work for many years and the back seat was rough for most adults.
I got stuck and had to sleep in it once and that made the backseat seem really small once.

Turbo Diesel, I’m down. Turbo gasoline, I’ll stick to pavement.
Today I was out and about. If it had a turbo, it would have been under significant boost as I prefer to gear as I please. So it would be in the efficiency island most of the time. In the AZ heat, I think it would get pretty damn hot.

My backseat sucks. You could be a five year old and it would be too small.
It’s just me, my beautiful wife, and sometimes an ice chest with lunch, or the Costco cold purchases.

To each their own. I know that if I was looking at a desert Baja racetruck, I’d throw a GT35R (or twin disco potatoes) on it, intercooler and 20+ psi. But for where I’m going, no thanks to the turbo. Or how damn low it sits, and the lack of aftermarket parts.
But I’m also not a Ford guy. Even though the Ranger makes me question the Colorado/Canyon.

I think you're over thinking the turbo. Most turbo's are water cooled now, so the heat issue is non existent with that and electric fans cooling off the radiator. Turbo's offer significant torque and down low, compared to naturally aspirated. Ford has the ecoboost (turbo) technology down. And, with a 10 speed transmission, you are always in the power band of where you want to be since it's so close ratio and no delay in shifting.

I'm with you on a turbo diesel being an excellent choice...….but you can thank the EPA and their BS for not seeing a lot of diesel vehicles in the U.S. when the rest of the world has the same trucks/suv's with a diesel version.

quote:

Turbo Diesel, I’m down. Turbo gasoline, I’ll stick to pavement.
Today I was out and about. If it had a turbo, it would have been under significant boost as I prefer to gear as I please. So it would be in the efficiency island most of the time. In the AZ heat, I think it would get pretty damn hot.

Huh? We're you drag racing between stoplights? Why would it be under significant boost?

As for off roading. I don't know much about it, but my understanding is it's not done at WOT, but more like craw pace. Under those circumstances the exhaust pressure from low RPM driving wouldn't even be providing boost.

quote:

Originally posted by bigdeal:
Some things to think about regarding the Ranger.

One, though Ford advertises it as such, it is not a new design. Virtually this exact same truck has been on sale overseas for many years. As a matter of fact, the current design is so dated it will be replaced in the next two years with a brand new Ranger.

Two, interior utilization is very important to me. The fact Ford didn't build a truck with a flat rear floor is absurd. They've redesigned the F150 and F250 with flat floors and advertised this capability continually. Two little storage cubbies doesn't make up for the huge loss of overall utility by the lack of a flat floor.

Three, the truck has seen way too many recalls already (IMO) for some really ridiculous issues.

Four, Ford and its dealers have had to offer growing incentives and rebates due to the Ranger's initial pricing to entice buyers to the truck because in the first quarter of 2019 'every' competitor sold more units (even the ancient Nissan Frontier) than the Ranger.

Five, the only Ranger version I'd consider is the Ranger Raptor, which Ford has seen fit not to make available to us in the US. Brilliant.

I waited almost six years for Ford to wake up and bring the Ranger back to the US market, and though its a decent enough truck, its faults will insure it does not displace the Tacoma, Colorado, or even Frontier for most buyers.

This is an excellent observation.

As a side note, the turbo in my wife's 2017 CR-V is oil cooled.

quote:

Originally posted by JonDaddy82:
I have a 2017 Colorado Z71 Crew Cab Short Bed 4WD, love it.

Get a GM!

What motor do you have and what MPG is it getting

I have been looking for another midsize truck.

I just sold my 2007 Ranger XL for 60% of what I paid for it new 12 years ago. This truck was the most dependable truck I have ever owned and the little 2.3L non turbocharged engine, while somewhat gutless, delivered a dependable 25 mpg over its 151,000 mile lifespans with me.

I was invited by Ford to test drive the truck before it went on sale and I had a couple of issues with it. While the front seats were comfortable (it was a Lariat) the back seats were an abomination. They were very uncomfortable and the way they folded down left the area pretty much useless. Virtually every manufacturer has back seats that lay flat so you could put a cooler or your pet on top but not the Ranger.

As said above the engine had plenty of power and I think Ford has worked out any issues with the Ecoboost system.

Overall I ended up passing on buying one but ordered something else as initially they were not dealing on the price and I felt they were overpriced for what you get.

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:
KMost turbo's are water cooled now, so the heat issue is non existent with that and electric fans cooling off the radiator.

The charged air may be water cooled. The turbo itself is oil cooled. It just wouldn’t work with water. It’s way too hot to water cool a turbo.

quote:

Originally posted by skins2881:
Huh? We're you drag racing between stoplights? Why would it be under significant boost?

As for off roading. I don't know much about it, but my understanding is it's not done at WOT, but more like craw pace. Under those circumstances the exhaust pressure from low RPM driving wouldn't even be providing boost.

If it didn’t provide any boost at low RPMs it would just be an anemic four banger, and I wouldn’t want that on or off road. That said:

With a ten speed transmission it should be under significant boost. It should be shifting itself to keep the turbo running efficiently.

As far as low RPM not having the pressure to generate boost, it depends on the turbo, and the engine. Is it a single scroll or twin scroll turbo? Size of Turbine? Size of compressor? How rich or lean it’s running (volume of exhaust), how hot the exhaust is...
There are far too many factors to determine if the turbo would be in the efficiency island. I’m going out on a limb, but I would guess that the engineers at Ford factored all that up, and used a turbo that fits the engine well, and under most driving conditions performs well.

But then there is the EPA and Barry's gas mileage formula (wheelbase, treadwidth, sq/ft). So all the engineering in the world, can easily be sidelined, so that the necessary MPG can be reached.

I probably am overthinking the turbo. As I stated, having multiple turbo'd cars, and knowing what can be done with them (positive and negative), my personal preference would be naturally aspirated for a truck that I’m off roading in Central Arizona.

As I said, if it was something that I mostly drove on the road, I’d be happy to have it turbo'd. I’d even look at tuning it to take advantage of all the power that was left on the table at the factory.

Can you completely disable the auto start/stop or do you have to disable it every time you drive?