The 2019 Ford Ranger: What the critics say

The Ranger has finally returned, “and it’s not the stripped-out little truck we all remember.” Ford took note when Chevy and GMC recently reintroduced midsize pickups that sold surprisingly well, and the first Ranger in six years delivers everything potential buyers could want: best-in-class payload and tow ratings, “super-comfortable” seats, plus the latest safety tech. It is, all in all, “a lot more sophisticated than the last Ranger.” “The first thing you notice about the new Ranger is that it is remarkably well screwed together”—quiet on the road, with no squeaks or rattles. There’s only one power train available—a 270-hp turbo four paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission— but in two-wheel drive, this truck averages a best-in-class 23 mpg, and it’s also plenty powerful, towing up to 7,500 pounds and hauling up to 1,860. A Ranger, in short, “could do a lot of what you might think you need an F-150 to accomplish.” It won’t be the final solution, given that

Ford has simply rejiggered its global-market Ranger while it prepares a North America– specific variant. Still, this Ranger feels right-sized for a circa 2019 work-and-play truck: “There’s fluidity to the truck’s moves that you won’t find in a full-size pickup”— or even in the best-selling Toyota Tacoma.