Used 2019 Ford Ranger

After an 8-year absence, the Ford Ranger pickup truck returns in all-new midsize form. When the last Ranger left us in 2011, the market for smaller pickups was tepid. Since then, new life has spawned in fresh versions of the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon, Honda Ridgeline, and the perennially best-selling Toyota Tacoma. The 2019 Ford Ranger enters the fray with impressive features like a standard turbocharged 4-cylinder EcoBoost engine and 10-speed automatic transmission, the ability to tow 7,500 pounds, class-leading payload capacity, and a bevy of tech and safety features. In addition to offering a choice of two cabs and two bed lengths, the new Ranger can be outfitted with equipment to make towing easier and the FX4 Off-Road package for the adventurous.

If you’re wary about the new Ford Ranger being powered by a 4-cylinder engine, don’t be. The Ranger’s turbocharged engine is one of its best assets. With impressive horsepower and even more noteworthy torque, the Ranger is beguilingly quick. The 2019 Ford Ranger has strong off-the-line acceleration and good passing power. Moreover, its 10-speed automatic transmission is matched well to the engine’s zippy character, seamlessly ticking through all those gears. We also like the driver’s seat, which is comfortable and gives a commanding view out. Ride quality, however, is below average. In a word, the Ranger is stiff, even for a pickup truck. Over miles of distressed pavement in Southern California, we felt a bit beat up from the truck’s jiggly and jouncy ride. It’s just not as compliant and comfortable as a Toyota Tacoma or GM’s Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon. On your test drive, make sure to take the new Ranger on familiar roads and see what you think, especially if you plan to regularly use this truck unloaded.

The new 2019 Ford Ranger has seating for either four or five passengers. SuperCab models have the tighter rear quarters with a pair of small seats and not a whole lot of legroom. If you plan to regularly accommodate friends and family in back, you’re better off with a Ranger SuperCrew model, which has total seating for five, more rear legroom, and a matching set of doors for easy entry and exit. SuperCrew models also have a rear armrest, a nice touch for passenger comfort or for separating siblings. If you want front seats with more than just 4-way adjustability and cloth material, you’ll have to step up to the top-end Ranger Lariat model, which grants leather and 8-way power front seats, or add that extra comfort as an option on the XLT model. That model also includes Ford’s Sync 3 infotainment system (also optional on XLT models) with 8-inch touch-screen display and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone compatibility. A manual sliding rear window is also offered, depending on trim and package.

Perhaps surprisingly, the new Ford Ranger doesn’t look like a small-scale F-150, its bigger brother and the best-selling vehicle in America. That’s not a bad thing, as it gives the Ranger its own identity. That identity includes slightly slanted headlight housings, a hexagonal grille, and its overall athletic stance. We like it. The Ranger is offered in two cab configurations – SuperCab with a pair of rear-hinged half doors, and the larger SuperCrew with a pair of standard rear doors. Both models are the same length: 210.8 inches. The difference is how they divide the area, with SuperCab models getting a 6-foot bed and 4-door SuperCrew models getting a 5-foot bed. Unlike rivals, there is no long-bed SuperCrew version.

TOW-OPTIMIZED BLIND-SPOT MONITORING
With this class-exclusive feature, the Ford Ranger not only warns you of other vehicles in the blind spot of your truck, but also in the line of whatever you’re towing. Additionally, the system can store settings for up to three trailer profiles of different lengths.

BANG & OLUFSEN AUDIO SYSTEM
An audiophile-grade sound system in a reasonably priced midsize truck? That’s today’s wonderful new reality, and the B&O premium system is bound to please discerning ears with its crisp, clean audio quality.

The 2019 Ford Ranger midsize pickup truck comes in three trims: XL, XLT and Lariat. In its most basic form, the Ranger includes a turbocharged engine and 10-speed automatic transmission, power windows, 16-inch wheels, and automatic headlights. The base audio system is just a 4-speaker AM/FM unit with 3.5-inch screen, but at least there are inputs for USB and auxiliary cable. Commendably, the Ranger does come standard with a pre-collision warning system that can detect cars and pedestrians in front of the vehicle and ultimately brake on its own to prevent a collision. We recommend at least stepping up to a midtrim Ranger XLT model, which adds the Co-Pilot360 safety system with blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping assist, and trailer-tow monitoring. It also adds front and rear parking sensors, 17-inch wheels, a 4G Wi-Fi modem and enhanced infotainment system, and opens the door to the upgraded Sync 3 infotainment system that is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

At the top of the lineup is the Ranger Lariat, which includes leather interior, power-adjustable front seats with heating, the Sync 3 infotainment system with 8-inch touch screen and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, push-button start, LED headlights, and 18-inch wheels. The XLT and Lariat models can also be optioned with navigation and adaptive cruise control. The FX4 Off-Road package is available on all 4-wheel-drive models, regardless of trim. It includes an electronic locking rear differential, front tow hooks, off-road suspension, skidplates, and a terrain management system for tackling different situations like mud, snow, ruts and sand.

Just one engine and one transmission setup is available on the new 2019 Ford Ranger: a turbocharged 2.3-liter 4-cylinder and a 10-speed automatic transmission. This separates the Ranger from every other rival except the Honda Ridgeline, which is also limited to just one engine (a V6). Thankfully, we’ve found this Ford powertrain to be a good one, laudably blending potent power and commendable fuel economy. On the power front, it nearly matches V6 rivals in horsepower, and easily passes them in torque. It also enables the Ranger to tow up to 7,500 pounds. That’s more than any other gasoline engine in the segment, and only a couple hundred pounds behind the tow rating of a diesel-powered Chevy Colorado or GMC Canyon. The new Ford Ranger’s payload capacity is a class-leading 1,860 pounds. As with more new vehicles, the Ranger uses an engine start/stop system that cuts power in situations where the vehicle would otherwise idle, such as stoplights. If you don’t like having the engine starting and stopping on its own, the system can be disabled with the press of a button. Though it’s a turbocharged engine, this Ford EcoBoost runs just find on regular 87-octane unleaded gasoline.

2.3-liter turbocharged inline-4
270 horsepower
310 lb-ft of torque
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 21/26 mpg (rear-wheel drive), 20/24 mpg (4-wheel drive)