The T6 Ranger came out in 2011 for every part of the world except North America, but the U.S. received it for the 2019 model year. Given its age and the close-to-be-confirmed strategic partnership with Volkswagen, it shouldn’t come as a surprise the Ford Motor Company couldn’t make for the Ranger Raptor in this market.
On the upside, the 2.3-liter EcoBoost and 10R80 transmission have impressed Doug DeMuro so much that he wouldn’t choose anything other than the Ranger for a mid-size pickup. Acceleration off the line and on the highway are both impressive, and the torque generated by the truck-rated engine translates to best-in-class towing and payload capacities.
Better still, four cylinders and turbocharging instead of six cylinders and natural aspiration equals best-in-class fuel economy at 21 miles per gallon city, 26 out on the highway, and 23 on the combined cycle. Customers who get the extended cab likes the Ranger tested by Doug should be aware that legroom for the rear passengers isn’t exactly sufficient.
A Lariat with rear-wheel drive retails at $32,210, and for that money, Ford is much obliged to add all the bells and whistles imaginable. Lower down the spectrum, the XLT and XL retail at $27,940 and $24,300. Four-wheel drive adds $4,160 to the price of the XL, and the double cab is $2,220 more.
It will cost you close $49,000 for a fully-loaded Ranger in the United States, which is unnerving if you consider how good of an F-150 you’re able to get for that kind of greenback. The full-size pickup, for reference, starts at $28,155 for the XL and $67,135 for the Limited.
If there’s something Doug didn’t like about the Ranger, that would be the “pretty dull” styling. The Tacoma looks tougher, but “this isn’t necessarily a drawback” for the Ford-branded workhorse. Some people don’t want to stand out, and that’s perfectly fine.
On that note, can we get the turbo from the Focus RS for the Ranger’s EcoBoost? Thank you!
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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