2019 Ford Ranger

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Bobnjudy

There are other consistently mediocre reviews; TFL and Edmonds on You Tube. The latest being Ford having to possibly walk back the stated fuel mileage estimates after real world testing. 20-24 mpg for a midsize 4wd isn't very economical. Reviewers also didn't like the low tech infotainment system for the $ being charged. Maybe in 2021.

After reading numerous reviews for the current crop of midsize trucks except for the Chevy / GMC —- Colorado / Canyon mediocre seems like an accurate and extremely kind description .
Some people are wiling to pay more for less but it holds no charm for me .

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

The first thing that I noted about the truck itself is that the rear seat (of the crew cab) doesn't fold...

A tip from Floyd in FiberglassRV: the rear seat can be deleted at order time from the SuperCab. For those who would never use it, this saves US$240 and avoids having to remove all of the junk (seat base, seat back, seat belts, whatever brackets and stuff come with them) in the way of using this space. This option is not available in Canada, only with the SuperCab (not SuperCrew), and only at the XL trim level (not higher). I assume that no dealer will stock a SuperCab XL with rear seat delete.

[Brian B-P]

Ford has published a bit of information which is about the Transit, but indirectly about the Ranger. Initially the Ranger for North America is available with only an EcoBoost gas engine, but some people are interested in a diesel. In the rest of the world most Rangers are diesel (in some countries only diesel is offered), and the very same engine offered elsewhere as the top diesel option (a 3.2 L 5-cylinder) is sold here in the Transit - that means it is emissions-certified in the U.S. and Canada, so it would be easy for Ford to offer in the Ranger.... if they decide that they want to.

The news is that for the 2020 model year Transit cargo van, Ford is offering a 2.0L I-4 EcoBlue® bi-turbo diesel. That makes the 2.0 L a possibility for a future Ranger; it is already used in the Ranger worldwide (it's the Ranger Raptor engine). In the 2020 Transit Cargo the 2.0 replaces the 3.2, so unless the 3.2 continues in other variants (online articles suggest that it will not), it is out of the lineup and unlikely to be available for a future Ranger.

The Transit also gets the 10-speed automatic transmission (already used in the 2019 Ranger), so that transmission has been mated to the 2.0 L diesel.

[Greggo]

Re: 2019 Ranger. Anybody actually driven or preferably towed with one. I've waited years and am very disappointed with the (lack of) engine choice. Rumor on the street is Nissan is updated the very respectable Frontier in 2020 and will offer a 3.5L diesel.

Tacoma and Colorado are out of the running for a variety of reasons and my 2010 Tacoma is getting ready for boot hill.

G

[viator36]

Originally Posted by Greggo

Re: 2019 Ranger. Anybody actually driven or preferably towed with one.

I towed my 21' with my 2019 Ranger after picking up from Sumas all the way to NJ. I went down I5 to Portland and then I84 to I80. The top and maybe only highlight about the Ranger I would say is the feel of adequate power of the engine with the 10 speed transmission. On the hilly western state highways the engine labored hard for a few times when I tried to pick up speed on steep inclines and the rpm went over 3k and one time was up to 4k for a few seconds. But when I was going constant speeds of 55-65 it remained in 1k to 2k rpm range even in the hilly up and down conditions. I never experienced cases where I had to floor the gas and felt it went out of steam, it never happened. On the flat central state highways the engine power was more than adequate and I was doing mostly 65 mph and still had some passing power if I needed to. I do feel the trailer behind me when I start from a complete stop and climb steep slopes so I wouldn't say the powertrain feels effortless like some owners with F150 saying they don't even feel the trailer behind them. I know it feels different when I drive the truck without the trailer behind. So my main impression is the power is adequate for towing my 21'. With the Fastway E2 hitch the trailer always felt stable and had no tendency to sway so that made the driving more relaxed.

If I had time to wait I might not have bought the Ranger or if the Ranger had offered a 2.7 liter engine I would have jumped on that. If Ford offers more engine choices for the Ranger next year will I trade in? I may or may not. Right now I feel I am totally fine towing my trailer across the country for the next 2-3 years and will see what better mid sized trucks are available by then. If I run into enough situations where my Ranger falls short then I may want to trade in sooner given something better is out there. To sum it up, the Ranger's 2.3 liter ecoboost does not feel effortless towing my 21' but it is adequate and I am satisfied with it. YMMV.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by Greggo

Re: 2019 Ranger.
I've waited years and am very disappointed with the (lack of) engine choice.

G

Originally Posted by viator36

I towed my 21' with my 2019 Ranger after picking up from Sumas all the way to NJ.
On the hilly western state highways the engine labored hard for a few times when I tried to pick up speed on steep inclines and the rpm went over 3k and one time was up to 4k for a few seconds.
If I had time to wait I might not have bought the Ranger or if the Ranger had offered a 2.7 liter engine I would have jumped on that.o sum it up, the Ranger's 2.3 liter ecoboost does not feel effortless towing my 21' but it is adequate and I am satisfied with it. YMMV.

I didn't believe Ford at first when they said that they were discontinuing production of the Ford Ranger. By 2011 is was obvious that they weren't kidding. So I bought one of the last ones available. I knew that the new model, with a diesel, was being sold elsewhere and I saw it in NZ and Australia. But rumors of it being sold in N.A. came and went the years went by.

The 4.0 liter Ranger did tow the 19 far and wide but I hated the hills and the higher revs. And year after year Ford kept delaying introduction of the new Ranger. When they finally announced the new Ranger, but only with the 4 cylinder engine I bought a truck that I'd previously said I'd never own, a full size F150. I absolutely love it. With the 2.7 and the 10 speed it's a match made in heaven.

Ron

[Greggo]

Thanks for the great analysis of the 2019!! Im a long time Ranger owner, 7 over the years. Looking for another soon but might just wait for news on future changes. Ford sure made IMHO a poor choice on engines but Im sure they chose the right one for their intended market.

[maurerl]

It'll soon be time to retire my 2011 Ranger, so I recently did a drive and check-out of the new Ranger. Couple of random observations why my new truck won't be a Ranger:
My needs are for a six-foot bed (5.5 foot too short to carry our bicycles and much other stuff). This limits choice to the club cab -- which is what I want anyway, don't need/want the extra seating, so this wouldn't be a deal-breaker for me.
My wants are for XL trim, rubber floor mats, mostly pretty basic trim. But that also means almost none of the "extra's" are available. In particular, cruise control isn't available except as part of a "package" with a bunch of other redundant (to me) stuff, and, more importantly, not available on the XL trim level. So if I want cruise control, I have to also end up with carpeting, extra chrome badges & other chrome stuff . . . and a price tag approaching $48k Cdn plus 12% tax.
The tie-down anchors inside the bed are placed at the bottom and/or middle of the sidewalls, instead of the top, where I would expect to tie down e.g. tarps. Dealer said these anchor placements are for folks tying down toys like motorbikes, not for "working loads" like firewood, yard cleanup waste, etc . . . in other words, its a "play" truck not a "work" truck. Obvious which market Ford is targeting with this truck.
Also re: tie-down anchors -- there are no stake holes in the top of the bed fenders like I'm used to, so you can't even add the old standby after-market tie-downs.
Oil changes apparently require the removal of the passenger side front wheel, and the removal (using special Ford screw-heads probably!) of four bolts and a shroud behind said wheel. What are the engineers thinking!? Shades of the old Chevy Vega "unbolt the engine from its mounts and lift it 4 inches to change the oil" fiasco of 40 years ago.

[cpaharley2008]

I'd wait for the new Bronco.......

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

I'd wait for the new Bronco.......

Have you seen the new Bronco?
Looks like every other SUV/Crossover. Doesn't look serious at all.

[EdColorado]

The Jeep Gladiator Rubicon is the way to go.

https://www.jeep.com/gladiator.html

[cpaharley2008]

Jeep Gladiator got bad towing reviews with the gas motor, diesel may help.

[jnfrombigt]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

Have you seen the new Bronco?
Looks like every other SUV/Crossover. Doesn't look serious at all.

Hey Glenn I read the new Bronco would share the same basic platform as the Ford Ranger. Looks could be deceiving.

[gbaglo]

I jut saw it on a television ad, where it appeared it could be a Mazda.
In the pic I posted, it looks a bit more rugged.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by maurerl

Oil changes apparently require the removal of the passenger side front wheel, and the removal (using special Ford screw-heads probably!) of four bolts and a shroud behind said wheel.

I've heard of this issue, but it wouldn't bother me. It would probably be easier to jack up one corner to pull the wheel than to lift the whole front end enough to get underneath, and oil filters typically require removing an access panel now, due to the extensive aerodynamic undertrays used on modern vehicles.

I doubt that there is a Ford-specific screw head in existence, but servicing a vehicle does often require a good selection of tools, including (for instance) Torx drivers.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

Have you seen the new Bronco?

I have no idea what the new Bronco will actually look like, and neither does the person in an enthusiast forum who made that image, which was based on guesses and wishes.

Originally Posted by gbaglo

Looks like every other SUV/Crossover. Doesn't look serious at all.

Almost no one wants a "serious" off-road vehicle. Even most of the Wranglers on the road never see anything more challenging than my compact 2WD car, my van, or my motorhome can easily handle.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by jnfrombigt

I read the new Bronco would share the same basic platform as the Ford Ranger.

Reports are either than it is on a Ranger platform (which is the only possibility that makes any sense to me), or that it will be some sort of Wrangler competitor with a beam front axle (which seems unlikely, but would technically be possible). I don't think any of the rumours mean anything; we'll see what the actual vehicle has in a few months.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

I jut saw it on a television ad, where it appeared it could be a Mazda.

The Bronco in a TV ad? That seems unlikely this early. Even the Ford teaser web page doesn't have an image, and major automotive publications (such as R&T) only have speculation and photos of test mules which could be anything, but certainly are not the production vehicle.

[viator36]

Originally Posted by maurerl

Oil changes apparently require the removal of the passenger side front wheel, and the removal (using special Ford screw-heads probably!) of four bolts and a shroud behind said wheel.

This is actually not true according to Ford. There are a few online sources correcting the statement about needing to remove the front wheel for oil change. This is one of them:

https://www.autoblog.com/2019/01/04/...wheel-removal/

[Kent]

Even though you don't have to remove the wheel. Still does not sound easy.

Glad all I have to do is open the hood to change my oil and oil filter.