Item: Ford Ranger
Rating: 5
Author: What Car? Team

Fiat Fullback

Ford Ranger

Isuzu D-Max

Mercedes X-Class

Mitsubishi L200

Nissan Navara

Ssangyong Musso

Toyota Hilux

Volkswagen Amarok

Introduction

Interior

Passenger & boot space

Costs & verdict

The Ford Ranger and other <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/pick-up/all">pick-ups</a> are&nbsp;classed as commercial vehicles, which makes them remarkably affordable to run as company cars. If a model can carry more than 1000 kg, you'll pay a flat&nbsp;commercial vehicle <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/check-your-company-car-tax-rate/n1255">company car tax rate</a>&nbsp;regardless of how much CO2 it produces.

In the Ranger line-up, that means all version except the Raptor, which has a reduced payload (it still qualifies for the&nbsp;flat rate of annual commercial vehicle road tax, though). As a cash buy, the Ranger is competitively priced next to the<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/toyota/hilux/pick-up/review/n17270"> Toyota Hilux</a>, but the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/isuzu/d-max/pick-up/review/n17221">Isuzu D-Max</a><a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mitsubishi/l200/4x4/review/n168"> </a>can be had for less and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ssangyong/musso/estate/review/n17236">Ssangyong Musso</a> provides more kit for your cash.

The 2.0 Ecoblue 170 is a great choice if you’re planning to use your Ranger predominantly as a work vehicle. However, if you want a pick-up that’s as capable on a family trip as it is on a building site, we’d go for the 2.0 Ecoblue 213 with its slick 10-speed automatic gearbox. The extra grunt doesn’t come at the expense of fuel economy – both have a WLTP combined figure of 36mpg. CO2 emissions are 197g/km for the 170 and 201g/km for the 213.

The cheapest XL trim gets 16in steel wheels, a multi-function steering wheel, a heated windscreen and rear window, and other kit, but it's rather spartan. You'd be wise to step up to XLT at the very least to get a few more creature comforts plus alloy wheels and plenty of chrome garnish.

The Limited trim represents even better value for money. For a small jump in price, you get&nbsp;17in alloys, rear privacy glass, leather seats (heated in the front), dual-zone climate control, an eight-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat, front and rear parking sensors, LED headlights and&nbsp;the more advanced infotainment software we discussed earlier.&nbsp;

If you want a pick-up that has all the luxuries of a high-class, modern car, you’ll want to opt for the Wildtrak. It looks beefier than the Limited Ranger, with 18in alloy wheels, roof rails, LED fog lamps and dark grey exterior highlights, but has a plusher interior. You get&nbsp;a leather sports steering wheel, a leather dashboard with contrast stitching, ambient interior lighting and a sound system with active noise cancellation.

The Wildtrak is our pick of the range, unless your commute includes sand dunes or similar, in which case the Raptor is the best Ranger.

If you go for the cheaper XL and XLT trim, you’d be sensible to consider the rear parking sensors that can be fitted as an option. A load bay cover and plastic bed liner are also useful options to protect the bed of your truck from damage&nbsp;and keep your valuables locked away. Speaking of protecting your kit, the Ranger scored highly in Thatcham security tests.

It's hard to rate its safety, though,&nbsp;because its <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/top-10-safest-cars-on-sale-today/n20301">Euro NCAP</a> score has expired (it was last tested in 2012). It comes with seven airbags, and if you add the optional Driver Assistance Pack you get some active safety kit, including&nbsp;lane-keeping assistance, traffic sign recognition and adaptive cruise control with collision mitigation. There are now far more modern pick-up designs available now, though – the D-Max, for example, gets more safety tech and was awarded a full five stars by Euro NCAP under tougher recent testing.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/ford">Ford</a> gives you a disappointingly short three-year or 60,000-mile warranty with the Ranger. In contrast, Toyota has a warranty programme of up to 10 years or 100,000 miles (if you regularly service it at a franchised dealer), and the Musso gets an even more reassuring seven years or 150,000 miles.

Ford didn’t do well in our 2021 <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2021-what-car-reliability-survey-brands/n23418">What Car? Reliability Survey</a>, coming joint 27th out of 30 manufacturers. For comparison, Toyota finished in joint&nbsp;fifth (Isuzu and Ssangyong didn't feature in our survey).

The Ford Ranger engine line-up is rather simple – there's just one 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit available in three power outputs. You can have a&nbsp;128bhp 2.0 Ecoblue 130, a&nbsp;168bhp 2.0 Ecoblue 170 and the range-topping 210bhp 2.0 Ecoblue 213.&nbsp;

The Ecoblue 213 delivers more than acceptable acceleration. It pulls strongly from low revs and has plenty of punch to get up to motorway speeds in short order, or to overtake on a single carriageway road. In the wider, heavier Raptor, this engine doesn’t quite live up to the model’s Ford Performance nametag, though. Indeed, if you want a quick truck, the Wildtrak is swifter.

The Ranger’s most powerful 2.0-litre diesel is one of the smoother engines in the class, but if you're expecting SUV levels of refinement, you&nbsp;might be a little disappointed by the&nbsp;ever-present diesel soundtrack.

That said, it benefits from a&nbsp;standard-fit 10-speed automatic gearbox (the less powerful engines get a 6-speed manual).&nbsp;The extra ratios aid low-speed acceleration while also helping to reduce engine noise at a cruise, although when you ask for a quick burst of acceleration, it can take a while to respond.

As you'd expect, the Ecoblue 213 is&nbsp;a willing load-lugger. It's powerful enough to cope with whatever you throw in it, whether that be your work kit&nbsp;and materials or&nbsp;your family and their luggage.&nbsp;The load bed can take 1024kg, and it can tow up to&nbsp;3500kg as well, although it can't manage both maximums at once.

The six-speed manual is also impressive, and has a&nbsp;long but accurate throw, but you have to be prepared to work it hard to make meaningful progress, and that's especially true with the less powerful 168bhp 2.0 Ecoblue 170. That engine has plenty of low-down grunt for towing or carrying heavy objects, so it's perfectly suitable if you’re planning to use&nbsp;your Ranger purely as a workhorse. However, its lack of punch at motorway speeds could be a little limiting&nbsp;if you want your pick-up to work as both a tool and family transport.

As for the ride, the Ranger&nbsp;manages to provide a far more settled experience at any speed than either the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/toyota/hilux/pick-up/review/n17270">Toyota Hilux</a> or the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ssangyong/musso/estate/review/n17236">Ssangyong Musso</a>, and that makes the Ranger the most comfortable pick-up around. Like a lot of pick-ups, there can be some bobbing over undulations at motorway speeds, but it's very well controlled and never unsettling.

<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals/make/ford">Ford</a> has given the Raptor version a more sophisticated rear suspension set-up that improves ride comfort, especially on tricky off-road terrain. Impressively, the Fox Racing shock absorbers and all-round coil springs mean the faster you go off-road, the smoother it gets.

Agile handling isn't necessarily a priority among commercial vehicles, but the Ranger is one of the most nimble pick-ups you can buy. As you turn into a tight corner, you&nbsp;appreciate the steering's accuracy and response, as well as the Ranger's resistance to body lean, which is a particular problem in the Hilux&nbsp;and, to a slightly lesser degree, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/isuzu/d-max/pick-up/review/n17221">Isuzu D-Max</a>.

The Raptor trim gets a strengthened chassis and greater suspension travel, along with enormous off-road tyres, all of which help to make it even more capable off-road than the rest of the Ranger line-up. However, on-road, these changes result in&nbsp;a bit more body lean in bends and&nbsp;the chunky tyres don't have quite as much purchase as the more road-biased tyres fitted to other Rangers.

All models get&nbsp;four-wheel drive and the option of adding a locking rear differential (standard on Wildtrak and Raptor) to improve&nbsp;off-road ability, but we'd recommend keeping your Ranger in two-wheel drive mode on the road. That will help&nbsp;it to steer with greater finesse at low speeds (in four-wheel drive, it won't turn as sharply) and use less fuel. As with most pick-ups, if there’s nothing in the cargo bay, the lack of weight over the rear wheels makes it more likely that they'll lose grip on a greasy road.

The Ford Ranger is from the brand that builds the world’s best&nbsp;selling pick-up truck (the&nbsp;F-150),&nbsp;so you’d expect it to be good –&nbsp;and it is.

Indeed, the Ranger offers an impressive blend of comfort and good on-road dynamics, without sacrificing its working truck abilities. That's fortunate, because pick-up buyers now demand vehicles that are not only competent off-road&nbsp;workhorses but are also&nbsp;comfortable and pleasant to drive between jobs.

We should point out that&nbsp;the number of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/pick-up">pick-up</a>&nbsp;models available is dropping like a pallet full of bricks. That's down to emissions rules that can lead to manufacturers facing huge fines if their range as a whole is particularly eco-unfriendly.

As a result, the Ford Ranger is now only really in competition with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/isuzu/d-max/pick-up/review/n17221">Isuzu D-Max</a>, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ssangyong/musso/estate/review/n17236">Ssangyong Musso</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/toyota/hilux/pick-up/review/n17270">Toyota Hilux</a>, which can be had in various configurations of body style.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/ford">Ford</a> gives you several versions of the Ranger to choose from, too.

The two-seat Regular Cab and four-seat Super Cab models have hefty towing limits, can carry heavy loads with ease and are rather handy off-road. They come with&nbsp;washable interiors, steel wheels and lashings of black plastic.

The more popular Double Cab is our favourite, though. Its&nbsp;five-seat layout and four proper doors make it family-friendly, and it's available in the widest range of trim levels. Those trim levels include the&nbsp;wider, off-road oriented Raptor version, the range-topping Wildtrak&nbsp;and a few others.

Don't worry if the many permutations of Ford Ranger are confusing. The next few pages of this review will help you decide which engine, body style and trim level is best for your needs.

We'll also rate its performance, interior quality, practicality, running costs and more, and let you know how it compares in those areas with rival pick-ups.

When you've chosen your next vehicle, we can help you lease it for the best price if you search the deals on our free <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/car-leasing/">What Car? Leasing&nbsp;section</a>.&nbsp;We can also help you save thousands off the list price of most new makes and models of car through our free&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals">What Car? New Car Buying service</a>.

Many people love a large SUV or <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/pick-up/all">pick-up</a> for its high-up driving position, and if that’s you, you’ll appreciate the lofty Ford Ranger. Even on entry-level models, the driver is treated to a comfortable seat with four-way manual adjustment, and eight-way electric seats with lumbar adjustment are standard on Limited and Wildtrak models.

The Raptor version gets&nbsp;bespoke seats that are comfortable even when bouncing over rocky terrain. The comfy seats don’t address the Ranger's offset pedals, awkwardly shaped footrest for your left leg, or the fact the steering wheel can’t be adjusted for reach, though. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ssangyong/musso/estate/review/n17236">Ssangyong Musso</a> is more comfortable for a long drive.

The entry-level Ranger XL comes with a monochrome-screen infotainment system that's fairly basic&nbsp;but does have Bluetooth and a DAB radio. If you step up to XLT, you get&nbsp;an 8.0in Ford Sync touchscreen infotainment system, while Limited, Wildtrak and Raptor versions get the same screen with the addition of Ford’s latest Sync 3 software. The Sync 3 system comes with <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-apple-carplay/n1193">Apple CarPlay</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-android-auto/n1194">Android Auto</a> smartphone mirroring, but only Wildtrak and Raptor get built-in sat-nav as standard.

The high driving position and relatively thin windscreen pillars give you good&nbsp;forwards visibility, but the Ranger’s small rear screen and long load bay make it tricky to see what’s behind you. Thankfully, front and rear parking sensors and a&nbsp;rear-view camera are standard from&nbsp;Limited trim upwards, while LED&nbsp;headlights should improve visibility at night.&nbsp;

Ford builds some of the most popular cars in the UK, including the Fiesta and Focus hatchbacks.

This success is partly down to longevity and the fact that there’s a Ford dealer around every corner. However, it’s also because Fords tend to offer good value and be among the best cars in their respective classes to drive.

The company’s huge range also helps; it offers everything from the small – but surprisingly practical – Ka+ to the large and lavishly equipped Edge SUV.

Meanwhile, other highlights of the range include the S-Max and Galaxy people carriers, the Mondeo executive car and the Ranger pick-up.

FORD

RANGER

Has the same limitations as all pick-ups, but the Ford Ranger is the best of its kind available

The Regular Cab version of the Ford Ranger is strictly a two-seater, but those seats give two adults plenty of room, even if they're tall. The Super Cab has a fold-down bench behind the front seats designed for occasional use. It will seat two adults, but they won't have room to stretch their&nbsp;legs.

The most spacious and practical Ranger – and the one we recommend – is the Double Cab, which has lots of head and leg room in the front and back. It will seat four tall adults relatively easily, or five if those in the back don't mind a bit of shoulder rubbing.

Of course, the fewer seats you have, the shorter the cab is and the longer the load bay becomes. The Regular Cab can take the most gear, but the Double Cab can fit a standard pallet in the back.

The maximum payload weight depends very much on the cab type and engine (all those fancy toys add weight after all), but most models will carry more than a tonne, with some managing up&nbsp;to 1252kg. The Raptor has a reduced payload of 620kg, but most Rangers can tow 3500kg. All versions can pull trailers or caravans up to 2500kg.

The Ranger is up there with the best of them for utility then, including the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/isuzu/d-max/pick-up/review/n17221">Isuzu D-Max</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/toyota/hilux/pick-up/review/n17270">Toyota Hilux</a>, although the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ssangyong/musso/estate/review/n17236">Ssangyong Musso</a> Rhino combines a longer bed, an impressive 1140kg payload that matches the best Ranger Double cab, and a high level of standard equipment.

The Ford Ranger is the best pick-up of its kind. It’s great to drive, is available with punchy engines and has an easy-to-use infotainment system in a well-appointed interior if you opt for our favourite Wildtrak trim. Its off-road capability and towing capacity might not quite be class-leading – unless you get the Raptor – but they’re not far off the best you’d really notice.

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Go-anywhere capability</li> <li>Work-ready load bay</li> <li>Robust, durable yet also pleasant interior</li> <li>Commanding driving position</li> <li>Heavyweight towing capacity</li></ul>

The popularity of pick-up trucks is growing in the UK, thanks in part to a fixed-rate company car tax for business users, due to them being categorised as light commercial vehicles.

But it's not just those savings to your wallet that makes the pick-up a compelling buy; incredibly durability, huge towing capacity and the surprising about of technology available means the majority are worthy for much more than just working on building sites.

Prices start at under £30,000 for examples such as the Ssangyong Musso, while top-spec models, including the Volkswagen Amarok, feature rear-view cameras, heated seats and smartphone mirroring. Just beware high running costs, as might be expected for vehicles of this size.&nbsp;

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Ford Ranger review

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Review of Ford Ranger interior by the expert What Car? team. Compare in car entertainment system, driving comfort and visibility with similar cars.

Many people love a large SUV or pick-up for its high-up driving position, and if that’s you, you’ll appreciate the lofty Ford Ranger. Even on entry-level models, the driver is treated to a comfortable seat with four-way manual adjustment, and eight-way electric seats with lumbar adjustment are standard on Limited and Wildtrak models.,The Raptor version gets bespoke seats that are comfortable even when bouncing over rocky terrain. The comfy seats don’t address the Ranger's offset pedals, awkwardly shaped footrest for your left leg, or the fact the steering wheel can’t be adjusted for reach, though. The Ssangyong Musso is more comfortable for a long drive.,The entry-level Ranger XL comes with a monochrome-screen infotainment system that's fairly basic but does have Bluetooth and a DAB radio. If you step up to XLT, you get an 8.0in Ford Sync touchscreen infotainment system, while Limited, Wildtrak and Raptor versions get the same screen with the addition of Ford’s latest Sync 3 software. The Sync 3 system comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring, but only Wildtrak and Raptor get built-in sat-nav as standard.,The high driving position and relatively thin windscreen pillars give you good forwards visibility, but the Ranger’s small rear screen and long load bay make it tricky to see what’s behind you. Thankfully, front and rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera are standard from Limited trim upwards, while LED headlights should improve visibility at night. ,

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