The Ford F-150 is the best-selling truck in North America, and the Ford Ranger is its baby brother. A refresh and reintroduction in 2019 meant renewed popularity in the brand and the vehicle. It takes the F-150 and compacts into an efficient package. Not every customer needs a huge truck that can handle insane off-roading. There are a lot of things to consider when buying a truck, and every customer's needs differ in some way.
The practicality and comfort of the modern truck makes it a popular choice for buyers. What makes the 2023 Ford Ranger better than its competitors? What do you need to look for when buying one? Should I buy a Toyota Tacoma? All those questions and more are answered below. So, let’s get straight into it!
10 Consider The Trim Levels
Like most manufacturers, Ford offers different trim levels for different budgets. The Ranger XL is the base model. It comes with a 10-speed automatic and auto-stop start as standard. One trim level higher, the Ranger XLT offers cruise control, keyless entry, an upgraded interior and some exterior upgrades. It starts at $31,475 whereas the XL trim starts at $27,425.
The Ford Ranger Lariat comes with Leather Seats and LED lights front and rear. It starts at $35,500. If a bigger cabin is what you want, you can choose the SuperCrew Option with larger rear seats and doors. The Ranger Raptor is the top trim, with a more rugged suspension and exterior and a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6.
9 The Ford Ranger Is Affordable
At the heart of the ranger is affordability. It is the smaller truck in the Ford lineup when compared to the Maverick and the F150. The Maverick comes in cheaper with its base model, starting at $22,195. However, the improved towing and hauling capacity are a welcomed addition for those that use their truck for business purposes.
If you compare to its principal rival, the Toyota Tacoma, it offers more features and better towing and hauling capacity. Maximizing value-for-money was the primary goal when it was reintroduced to the North American market in 2019. The 2.3-Liter EcoBoost engine has more than enough power for most use-cases.
8 Common Issues
Transmission issues are never fun. A recall was issued for clutch slippage and a TSB issued to dealerships in 2019, A common problem with EcoBoost engines is turbo failure. This is usually caused by gasoline getting into the oil via piston blow-by and diluting it.
A quality oil catch-can can resolve this issue as it separates oil and gasoline. The Ranger does not come standard with one fitted, and installing one will void your warranty. Vibration at high speeds is fairly common. Often this comes from a misaligned driveshaft, transmission issues or just tires that are not properly balanced.
7 Modern Design
In terms of design, the Ford Ranger comes in on-top. Of course, it is a truck, so the focus if on practicality. Your typical truck buyer is hauling items in the bed and not doing much off-roading. It comes with a spray-lined bed as standard and front and side protection.
Once you go up in the trim levels, those become even more. If you choose the 4x4 Ford Ranger, you'll get increased protection against stones and rocks. Again, if you compare this to its main rival, the Toyota Tacoma, it doesn't offer as much protection on the base model. The interior focuses on practicality. Hard plastics and easy-to-clean seats are needed in a work-environment. No fanciness, just toughness.
6 Fuel Efficiency
Trucks are not the most fuel-efficient vehicles on the market. The 2023 Ford Ranger comes in at 21 city and 27 highway MPG according to the EPA. Compared to its chief rival, the Toyota Tacoma at 23 city and 23 highway MPG, it bests it in both. The EcoBoost engine was designed with efficiency in mind. Using a turbocharger improves fuel-efficiency by a huge margin and adds some extra power.
Of course, it doesn’t come with a manual transmission, only with the 10-speed automatic. This may be a loss for some consumers, but it improves fuel-efficiency. Manual shifting with a clutch and gears always uses more energy that it’s counterpart. Near-instantaneous shifts with an automatic also allow for improved off-road performance on the 4x4 Ford Ranger.
5 The Ford Ranger Is Practical
Practicality is something every potential truck buyer looks at before purchasing one. The Ford Ranger has a 51.8 cu-ft. loadbed. The SuperCrew sacrifices some load capacity for extra interior space. It only has a 43.3 cu-ft. loadbed. Headroom and legroom are decent at 39.8 in. and 30.4 in. respectively.
Of course, ground clearance is important. A higher ride height means improved underbody protection against stones. It allows for more suspension travel to conquer steep and rocky offroad trails. The Ford Ranger has 8.4 in. The Ford Ranger 4x4 has 8.9 in and the Ranger Raptor has 13.1 in of ground clearance.
4 Reliable Platform
The T6 platform has been around for a while. The benefit of a long-term platform is that manufacturers can resolve issues that may only present as customers put the vehicle through its paces in the real world. Many manufacturers use a platform for a 10-year cycle. This allows the vehicle to still look modern and improve many aspects of the production process as time goes on.
This proven reliability has to be taken in to consideration when choosing a truck. The Ford Ranger is manufactured in Wayne, Michigan. So, parts will be inexpensive and readily available. Aftermarket and used components are also more common than that of a new platform.
3 Towing And Hauling Capacity
The Ford Ranger is built for towing and big payloads. The maximum towing capacity is 7,500 lbs. This is a whole 700 lbs more than its rival, the Toyota Tacoma. In terms of payload capacity. It also surpasses the Tacoma by being able to haul 500 lbs more in its bed. The 4x4 Ford Ranger comes in at 1400 lbs payload capacity because of the heavier suspension but is still 300 lbs more than its rival.
Of course, capacity means nothing if it doesn’t come with the suspension to match. The Ranger comes with a front stabilizer bar and independent short long arm suspension. The rear makes use of leaf springs to maximize payload capacity. If you go with the 4x4 Ford Ranger tremor pack, you’ll get the Fox 2.0 Monotube shocks.
2 The Ford Ranger Is Built For Off-roading
You want to take the road less traveled. You need a vehicle just as capable as yourself. The 2023 Ford Ranger is built to withstand the great outdoors. The FX4 off-road package can be added to the XLT and Lariat trims. This gives you a Terrain Management system, locking rear differential and extra skid plates.
Although 4x4 is not offered for the XL trim, it gets the FX2 package. This adds off-road suspension, locking rear differential and bigger 17-inch off-road tires. So, even in the base model, you can have some serious off-road fun. If you want to conquer the world, the Ford Ranger Raptor has front and rear differentials, active dampers and 33-inch tyres for improved ground clearance.
1 Alternatives To The Ford Ranger
If we look at the other options in the same segment as the Ford Ranger. There is certainly a wide variety. The Toyota Tacoma springs to mind. Honda entered the market with the Ridgeline, and there's the Chevrolet Colorado. Even the Hyundai Santa Cruz and the Ford Maverick make exemplary cases for themselves.
However, none of these trucks match or surpass the fuel economy of the 2023 Ford Ranger. The towing and hauling capacity of the Ford Ranger is best-in-class. The Tacoma is one of the best-selling trucks in North America. However, it is surpassed by the Ford Ranger in towing and hauling capacity, off-road capability in the standard trim and fuel efficiency.
Source: Manufacturer's Page, Engine Patrol, Vehicle Freak