Car Reviews
Ford’s Ranger SuperCrew 4X4 – OFF THE ROAD AGAIN
Ford’s Ranger SuperCrew 4X4
OFF THE ROAD AGAIN
Santa Clarita, CA – If your only impression of Los Angeles is formed by watching the Oscars, you’d think the LA population drives nothing but Toyota’s Prius or, when not driving, rides around in stretch limos. And if sitting down, there’s this: While the Prius has its share of fans, the pickup is surprisingly popular in the ‘burbs, of which Santa Clarita is one. Out here there’s more space for parking, and even townhomes and condos – and there are many – purport to have garages. More importantly, if you want to romp off-road the Mojave is little more than an iced coffee away, and that’s perfect if owning an off-road-oriented Ranger.
The Ranger nameplate was first introduced on a Ford pickup in the ’83 model year, and that Ranger boasted a true compact platform, an outgrowth of the well-received Japanese pickups popularized in the U.S. following the OPEC-induced shortages of the ‘70s. That pickup, with sporadic redesigns and updates, was dropped in 2011, leaving Ford the bandwidth to build on its wildly successful F Series with more derivatives and, not incidentally, a way bigger bottom line. The Ranger, however, was not forgotten, and was reintroduced to these United States for the 2019 model year, this time in true midsize form; its size today – let’s admit – comes close to the full-size F Series built in the ‘80s and ‘90s.
The compact pickup market is now served by Ford’s Maverick, a unibody confection offering an optional hybrid drivetrain and enough utility to satisfy the needs of most casual pickup owners. But with that unibody the Maverick is limited in both its towing and hauling capacity, while the body-on-frame Ranger, newly updated, isn’t.
In its redesign for 2024 Ford didn’t go all-Elon; those owning an earlier Ranger won’t think they’ve been abandoned by Dearborn. With its Azure Gray exterior paint and Sandstone leather seating, our Lariat 4X4 presents an upscale vibe fulling appropriate to its $53K window sticker. Inside, you’ll know this is 2024 and not – notably – a decade earlier, as almost all nods to an analog presentation are gone. (And as a fan of analog presentations, you’d think you could at least find them in a truck!) Our test Lariat’s dash is all digital, with instrumentation remaining legible, while infotainment is – I suppose – as intuitive as 2024 is gonna’ get. The interior’s sandstone leather was a nice respite from the Darth Vader darkness that comes with black, and while the Ranger’s four doors don’t offer the rear seat comfort provided by the F Series, you have to ask how often you’ll use that rear seat for anything beyond a rifle and your big dog.
Outside, our Lariat’s Azure Gray metallic was compelling, although some would argue it’s too purty for a truck. Substantive changes with the ’24 redesign include a strengthened, fully boxed frame, along with a stretched wheelbase and wider track. Stability is improved and, we’re told, the Ranger remains easy to navigate trails.
Under the hood Ford gives you the standard 2.3 liter EcoBoost four, delivering 270 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. Connected to a 10-speed automatic and powering all four corners, the 2.3 liter supplies adequate acceleration and is comfortable on the highway, but remains a bit agrarian for you city folk. If you want more refinement you’ll probably find it in Ford’s 2.7 liter EcoBoost V6, shared with the F-150. That gives you 315 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque. And if attempting to pull all of Ford’s claimed 7,500 pounds of towing capacity, you’ll probably want it.
With almost a week behind the wheel, the Ranger 4X4 Lariat seemed perfect for construction sites and/or getting your stuff to the trailhead. If looking for only the Home Depot run Ford’s more efficient Maverick will do that. And if shopping for a real truck with genuine functionality, you probably need the bigger F Series. With that, the Ranger supplies a bit of efficiency (20 City/25 Highway is the EPA estimate) in a footprint easier to park than Ford’s full-size options. I’d build the XLT 4X4 with the V6, and be done at about $45,000. And then drive it forever.