Ford ratchets up Truck War with new Rangers
SALT LAKE CITY – The Truck War ratchets up as Ford launches an advanced new version of its midsize Ranger pickup for 2024 — including a 400-horsepower Ranger Raptor, the first time the legendary desert-racing model has been offered in the U.S.
The 2024 Ford Ranger rides on an entirely new frame featuring high-strength steel and fully boxed rails for maximum performance and comfort.
The Ranger is one of Ford's core global vehicles. It builds the midsize pickup in five plants around the world:
Wayne, Michigan
Rayong, Thailand (two plants)
Silverton, South Africa
General Pacheco, Argentina
Sold in more than 180 countries, Rangers serve as everything from sport trucks to family vehicles and workhorses. All Rangers sold in the U.S. and Canada come from Wayne, Michigan, where they’re built alongside the Bronco SUV.
The 2024 model is new from the ground up. Key structural changes in addition to the frame include a 2-inch longer wheelbase, 2-inch wider track, rear shocks mounted outside the frame to improve ride and tuneability for different roads and uses.
The electrical architecture also is new, enabling over-the-air updates, 4G modem and Wi-Fi hot spot.
2024 Ford Ranger trim levels and prices
XL: $32,565
XLT: $36,005
Lariat: $43,525
Raptor: $55,365
Source: Edmunds. Prices exclude $1,595 destination charge.
2024 Ford Ranger bed key features
Easy-lift tailgate
48-inch bed floor between wheel wells Outside steps for bed access
Six tie-downs
LED light
400W power inverter with outlet
Cup and iPad holders molded into tailgate
Ford Ranger by the numbers
The Ranger and Ranger Raptor are in dealerships now.
A four-door crew cab and 5-foot bed are standard on the 2024 Ranger. Ford dropped the smaller extended cab model from the U.S. lineup due to slow sales.
The base model comes with rear-wheel drive and a 270-hp 2.3L turbocharged four-cylinder engine. A 315-hp 2.7L twin-turbo V6 will be available this summer.
Prices start at $32,565 for a rear-drive 2.3L Ranger. Shift on the fly four-wheel drive adds around $3,500, depending on the model. A locking rear differential is available.
The Raptor gets a 3.0L twin-turbo V6 production 400 hp and 430 pound-feet of torque.
All Rangers come with a 10-speed automatic transmission.
I spent a day driving a well-equipped 2.3L Ranger Lariat 4x4 in the hills and highways around Salt Lake City.
Fitted with comfortable seats, attractive and durable-seeming upholstery, my test vehicle stickered at $50,415. All prices exclude $1,595 destination charge.
I didn’t test a Raptor due to a case of flu that made jumping off sand dunes and testing its race-tuned suspension seem unwise. I look forward to taking a Raptor off-road, and possibly airborne, later this spring.
2024 Ford Ranger powertrain choices
2.3L 4-cylinder: 270 hp, 320 pound-feet of h torque
2.7L V6: 325 hp, 430 pound-feet (available h summer, 2024)
3.0L V6: 405 hp, 430 pound-feet (Raptor h only)
10-speed automatic transmission standard h
Driving the 2024 Ford Ranger
The Ranger competes with midsize pickups, including the Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon Nissan Frontier and perennial class topselling Toyota Tacoma. Honda’s pleasant Ridgeline remains an outlier among midsize pickups, despite years of service and satisfied customers.
Ford emphasized increased comfort and capability in the 2024 Ranger. The stiff frame enabled
a comfortable ride over a variety of surfaces.
The 2.3L engine provided plenty of power driving in the city, on highway and twisting mountain roads.
2024 Ford Ranger top features
Backup assist
Increased cargo space between wheel wells
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto Wireless charging
Surround view cameras
Up to 12-inch touch screen
Adaptive cruise control
Lane centering
Comfortable, quiet cabin
The roomy five-passenger cabin was quiet, even at highway speeds on optional 18-inch allterrain tires.
I found the steering well weighted and direct, with a good on-center feel at highway speed. The new lane-centering feature may have contributed to that. Adaptive cruise control also is new for the 2024, model, along with trailer backup assist, a feature that makes it easy for even novices to back trailers up precisely.
There are also 360-degree cameras for parking.
The seats are comfortable. A combination of 10- or 12-inch touch screen and traditional controls for volume and climate provide easy access to a wide range of features.
In addition to under-seat storage, the rear seat folds flat for cargo
Second-row storage includes a flat-folding seat back and storage bins under the seat.
Safety and driver assist features
Adaptive cruise control
Lane centering
Trailer backup assist
Trail control for off-road
Automatic high beams
Automatic emergency braking Reverse brake assist
Forward collision alert
Blind spot alert with trailer coverage Cross traffic alert
Rearview camera
Intersection assist
Evasive steering assist
Post-collision braking
Why get a 2024 Ford Ranger?
The 2024 Ford Ranger is quiet, comfortable, capable and built to withstand anything from the Baja 1000 off-road race to a trip to the grocery store. Electronic aids like trailer backup assist and adaptive cruise control make both everyday driving and occasional tasks easy.
Contact Mark Phelan: 313-222-6731 or mmphelan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @ mark_phelan. Read more on autos and sign up for our autos newsletter.