First Drive Impressions for the Reinvented 2019 Ford Ranger

I had the pleasure of traveling along with a number of journalists to San Diego for one of the first media drives in North America for the U.S. relaunch of the reinvented 2019 Ford Ranger. The last Ranger was sold in the U.S. in 2012; and since that time, the truck market has drastically changed. In 2014, the industry started to gain momentum; and sales today are growing by an amazing 84%, while sedan sales have dropped to the floor. Today, with Ford Corporation's vision of a sedan-less future, the popular Ranger seems like the perfect vehicle for the company to plant their new future flag on.

One of the reasons for the explosive growth in the truck segment is the great stride that manufacturers have made with comfort, style, fuel efficiency and overall strength. The midsize light duty trucks of the past—because of their design and size—were strictly relegated to daily-driver tasks, grocery-getter duties, and an occasional trip to the big-box home improvement center for a new garden hose, fertilizer, or grass seed The reinvented 2019 Ranger fits exactly what consumers are now looking for in their truck. It is a completely different truck than what you would have bought back in the 1990's. It now offers full-size truck capabilities for almost any weekend adventure you might have in mind with a mid-size truck feel and ease of driving for everyday responsibilities such as driving to work, running errands, or dropping the kids off at their numerous events.

Built Ford Tough for Big Adventure

One of the big changes you will see with the new Ranger versus the previous generation—aside from all the safety features and technology—is the towing and payload capacity. The engineers at Ford put the Ranger through the same legendary torture testing as the F-150, so this new Ranger will have best-in-class towing capacity at 7,500 lbs and best-in-class payload at 1,860 lbs. That's because the Ranger's body is on a high-strength steel frame that is fully boxed with 6 cross members. It also has hearty solid rear axle and Hotchkiss suspension and a hitch platform that is a through-welded receiver tube. That means you can load up all your gear and one of your four wheelers in the bed of the truck, hitch up your 24' travel trailer, and head off to your deer lease or favorite campground site for the week. This is something you would have never attempted with the previous generation Ranger.

Ranger Provides Both Power and Efficiency

The Ranger power plant will be the same turbocharged 16-valve 2.3-liter EcoBoost® engine that is found in the current Mustang GT; but because the Ranger is being marketed to outdoor adventure seekers, the engineers at Ford have beefed the engine up with a forged-steel crankshaft and connecting rods with chain-driven dual overhead cams. The extra beef in the engine is not just for show, it will also help create a class leading 310 lb.-ft. of torque which will be great for pulling a trailer full of four-wheelers into the mountainous regions across the country.

Even with the extra weight and strength in the engine, the Ranger will be able to produce 270 horsepower while getting a very respectable 26 mpg on the highway and 23 mpg in town. Another factor contributing to the great gas mileage ratings as well as class leading torque, is that the new Ranger will have the only 10-speed transmission in the midsize class which is the same one used in the full-size Ford F-150 series. Ranger's proven 2.3-liter EcoBoost® provides a torque target on par with competing V6 engines, but with the efficiency of a four-cylinder, said Hua Thai-Tang, executive vice president of Ford product development and purchasing. When you pair that with its 10-speed transmission, you've got one of the most versatile, powerful and efficient powertrains in the segment.

Interior and Technology

The media booklet says the SuperCrew can seat up to five people and the SuperCab can seat up to four. I would say that it is better to assume four comfortably in the SuperCrew and 4 comfortably in the SuperCab if the two in the back seat are under the age of 18. We drove the SuperCab XLT, and I would not have wanted to sit in the back seat. To have the kind of legroom that I would need at 6"2", the front seats would have to be moved way up thereby seriously cutting down on front leg space. That is not a knock on the Ranger. It is just a comment on the SuperCab truck in the mid-size segment. There isn't a mid-size SuperCab out there where I would want to sit in the second row.

The Ranger comes with Apple CarPlay, and is also Android compatible. There is an 8" touch screen and you can get FordPass™ Connect 4G LTE that provides Wi-Fi access for up to 10 devices for those long adventurous trips. The Ranger also comes standard with some of the advanced driver-assist technologies like automatic emergency braking; but if you will be towing a trailer, you will want the XLT or Lariat package to get the Lane Keeping Assist, Lane Departure Warning, Reverse Sensing System, and class-exclusive Blind Spot Information System with trailer coverage. One of the nanny services the Ranger does not offer is the dynamic cruise function. For that reason alone, I will rank the Ranger ahead of every other midsize truck in the segment. If they do offer it someday, I hope it is designed in a way that allows you to turn it off if you don't want to use it.

Time for the Drive

The Ford team developed a full day of driving activities for journalists so we could see how the Ranger would perform in a variety of driving conditions and situations. I arrived at the staging area just as the sun was starting to come over the San Diego Mountains to get some great pictures in the soft, predawn light. The day started with Ranger Marketing Manager Brian Bell spending about 10-15 minutes giving all of us a refresher to all the new features the reinvented Ranger offers. When he finished, it looked like the start to 1950's Monaco Grand Prix as journalists ran to the trucks they wanted for the first leg of the drive. The Ranger I chose was the Lightening Blue 4x2 SuperCab XLT. We picked this Ranger because we figured the Lightening Blue color along with the chrome steel bumpers would be a great contrast against the desert mountain backdrop for the video and pictures we would be shooting.

We left the Estancia Hotel in La Jolla and headed north away from San Diego past the world famous Torrey Pines Golf Course before eventually turning east into the Peninsular Mountain Range. The purpose of the near-three-hour morning drive through the twisting and turning canyons and valleys was to show how well the Ranger's 2.3L Ecoboost® turbo engine and 10-speed transmission could easily handle the extreme elevation changes this mountain range had to offer. The Ranger is being marketed as a dual-purpose truck for the weekend adventure seeker who will also use the Ranger as a daily driver to and from work; so the extreme drive through the mountains was great for a real-life test to see how the Ranger would perform for the outdoor person who will use it for hiking, mountain biking, motorcycle trail riding or even camping.

Test Trail Technology

Another reason we had to drive through the mountains was to get to an off-road trail course the Ford team had designed to show the off-road capabilities of the Ranger with the FX4 package. This Ranger package is designed for those adventure seekers whose weekends are spent off grid in some of the most remote and rugged areas in North America. We were able to drive on a 10-15 minute trail route that had five different simulations from steep hill climbs and steep descents, to whoops and step downs, to a 24-degree bowl, and then finish up with a five-foot deep mud bog sippy hole that we 'had' to drive through. This trail ride was very effective because it showed the journalists how the new trail technologies work as well as the six cross member steel frame performed. The frame is something you obviously cannot test with a normal drive.

Of all the off-road technology Ford has designed, I was most impressed with the ease and functionality of the Trail Control™ mode the Ford engineers have designed. It allowed me set a speed as slow as 1 mph as I climbed a steep and rough incline. If I wanted to go faster, I added more speed by pressing the + button that is also used for the highway cruise located on the steering wheel. If one of the wheels started to spin, the computer would quickly shift the power to another wheel that has better traction to prevent wheel spin.

Having grown up in the Midwest, I can see a great safety application for the Trail Control™ mode. Let's say you were heading home from work, and it had been snowing hard all day and the street plows hadn't been out yet. The traffic is crawling along at less than 20 mph. You could engage the Trail Control™ mode and set a speed that is ideal for the slow traffic flow and weather conditions. Once engaged, the truck would slowly plod along while the computer system would be constantly checking and moving the power to the wheels that have the most traction. You would not need to touch the gas or brake pedal unless you wanted to go faster than 20 mph or needed to stop. If you needed to brake or accelerate, you can easily override the system by pressing on the appropriate pedal, and then the system will take over again once you remove your foot from the pedal. It would also be great in Texas for the black ice storms we occasionally get.

We were also able to do separate payload tests too. The Ford team loaded up Rangers with motocross bikes or a four-wheeler to allow us to do road drives and simulate how the trucks would drive and handle with that type of payload. There was also a static display set up with a tent that could be purchased from a Ford dealership at the time a consumer purchases a new Ranger. And finally, there was a separate demonstration area setup so the engineers could go more in depth as to how the Trail Control™ mode works. It took us roughly two hours to go through and do all the simulations while shooting video and taking pictures. We did have to go back and do a couple of the simulations again to get better video footage; so when we finished and headed to lunch, I felt very confident that I was well informed to the new Ranger's strengths and weaknesses.

Impressions

It has been a number of years since a new Ranger has been roaming the streets in the U.S.; and with all the class-leading features this new Ranger offers, it looks to be back better than ever. After my highway drive and off-road experience, I realized that this truck will check a lot of boxes for people who are outdoor enthusiasts or someone looking for a reliable and safe vehicle for daily commutes. It easily meets the needs of those who need an open truck bed to haul their weekend fun or chores but don't want to drive a full-size truck.

What Can I Do with the Reinvented Ranger?

• It has the power and strength to pull a 24' travel trailer, a ski or bass boat, or a trailer full of personal watercraft without the full size truck experience.


• It is fuel efficient whether you are logging highway miles or using it for your daily commutes and grocery-getter responsibilities.


• It looks athletic, sporty, and fun with great curb appeal; and since it's a mid-size, driving around town will be similar to driving a small nimble crossover utility vehicle (CUV).


• The Ranger has a price point that fits your budget no matter what Ranger you buy from the base model XL SuperCab to the top end Lariat. All Rangers come with the same 2.3-liter turbocharged EcoBoost® four-cylinder with 10-speed automatic transmission. They all will have the same high-strength steel frame and hitch platform that is a through-welded receiver tube.

So if you are looking for a new truck next year or need something bigger than a CUV or SUV to carry your fun and adventure, definitely go test drive the new reinvented Ranger. What can you do with the reinvented Ranger? Practically anything you want. Rangers are scheduled to be on dealer lots by middle of January 2019.

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