It was gone for awhile but now it’s back. The Ford Ranger went away from our market back in 2012. For 2019, Ford has given us a new option in the mid-size truck segment. The Ranger has returned and, even though it’s not a brand-new platform, it’s a welcome variable in a solid field of competition.
The Toyota Tacoma outsells the Chevrolet Colorado by over 100,000 units. In 2018, Toyota moved over 245,000 examples of its well-built, capable pickup. It’s facing ever improving competition from the likes of the aforementioned Colorado, the GMC Canyon, and the Honda Ridgeline. Now though, Ford has returned to the mid-size mix. Has it brought enough truck to make a marketshare dent?
Most definitely.
The 2019 Ranger lets you pick between a few trim choices. You have a choice of SuperCab or SuperCrew. And you get to pick the color, of course. But the powertrain? That remains a fixed item on the order list. It’s the 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder turbo and it produces 270 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. That’s backed up by a smooth-shifting ten-speed automatic gearbox.
A base truck starts at just over $25k while a fully loaded rig will run you into the $40k range. But it is nice enough inside. The front seats are comfortable. Visibility is excellent. And the overall driving experience fits the truck perfectly.
Yes, we’re eager to see a Ranger Raptor arrive. Also, it would be nice to see Ford offer a bare bones, single cab, work-truck level Ranger as well. But the truck that is here and available is a pretty damn good. And it’s enough to make some people think twice about dropping into their local Toyota dealership to buy a Tacoma.
