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One of many major advantages of a midsize truck is its dimension. Whether or not you could match it in your storage, or wend your approach alongside a slim path, the smaller truck has loads of benefits over a full-size pickup–assuming you don’t must tow heavy stuff.
The 2024 Ford Ranger is the final of the current-generation midsize vehicles to get a whole overhaul, and it’s a doozy. From garability to trailability, this next-gen midsize Ford will get a severe replace for ’24, and gives trim ranges, gear packages, and value factors to suite most truck buyers’ wants.
Let’s begin with the powertrains. The 2024 Ford Ranger carries over Ford’s “EcoBoost” 2.3-liter, 4-cylinder powerplant, which is rated at 270 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. This engine is easy and powerful, and does nicely in stop-and-go driving. There may be some lag in energy supply in freeway driving—for passing and merging–nonetheless, but it surely’s not pronounced.
For those who’re in search of somewhat extra muscle, there’s now an up-level 2.7-liter V6 EcoBoost engine that delivers 315 horsepower and a wholesome 400 pound-feet of torque. This engine will probably be out there beginning on the XLT trim degree, however on the time of this writing Ford hadn’t introduced when it could come to market, or what the associated fee add can be.
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Now, if you would like the ult in Ranger powertrains, you’ll should go all in with the Ranger Raptor.
The off-road prepared Raptor boats a 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6 that delivers 405 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque. Primarily based on my restricted publicity to the Raptor, I can say it’s a blast to drive in off-road conditions, and can carry a smile to your face when executing on-road passing maneuvers. Plus, that exhaust notice once you toggle over into Sport mode will get a chef’s kiss.
One of many largest areas of enchancment (in my e book) is to the inside. The earlier technology Ranger felt previous, low-cost, and dated when it was model spanking new within the U.S. in 2019. However although this new-generation Ranger has been out for a 12 months in different elements of the world, it’s nonetheless a breath of contemporary air within the phase.
Scraping my nails over the dashboard now not provides me an icky chalkboard feeling, and despite the fact that you get material seats on the bottom XL mannequin, they feel and look sturdy somewhat than low-cost.
The up to date cabin contains intelligent options like a touch tray on your telephone, two glove bins, in addition to under-seat storage within the 2nd row, and fold-flat seatbacks for giant bins.
One other good function is the out there 12-inch vertical display with massive high-def digital camera screens, an out there around-view digital camera, and full-screen navigation functionality.
No matter seating supplies or sprint accents–and no matter trim degree–the very last thing I’d name this 2024 Ford Ranger is reasonable.  There are additionally a few actually cool options that set this midsize truck aside from the remainder of the phase.
First, let’s speak concerning the out there Zone Lighting. We’ve seen this on each the F-150 and the F-250, however that is the primary time we see it on Ranger. Activated via the in-vehicle touchscreen or the out there FordPass App, this function permits you to gentle up completely different areas across the automobile–which is superior if you could work at nighttime or arrive at your campsite after the solar has set.
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Nonetheless, considered one of my new favourite options needs to be the customary Professional Trailer Backup Help and Trailer Reverse Steerage. I don’t tow, and I’m undoubtedly not backing a ship into water on the common. So, when Ford arrange an train backing up a trailer with its new system and a aggressive midsize truck, I believed: How arduous might it’s? Seems, actually flipping arduous.
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I began making an attempt to again up the trailer in a 2024 Toyota Tacoma, and if cones had been individuals, let’s simply say we’d have a mass casualty state of affairs. You need to flip your wheel to the left to go proper and vice versa. Plus, the littlest twist of the wheel creates an enormous path change for the trailer–usually in the other way you meant. Granted, I’m a neophyte tower. However nonetheless.
Once I swapped over into the 2024 Ford Ranger, I ended up trying like a professional. As an alternative of steering with the wheel, there’s a dial you utilize on the console. And, get this, once you flip it to the suitable, the trailer (gasp) goes to the suitable. It was so intuitive. I nonetheless needed to transfer slowly, however I might see how this might make backing up with a trailer a lot simpler.
With the replace, Ranger is promoted to the Raptor membership, which already contains Ford’s Bronco SUV and F-150 full dimension pickup. The off-road-ready Ranger competes straight with such midsize-truck fashions because the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2, and GMC Canyon AT4X. And although the Ranger Raptor prices greater than these vehicles, it’s nonetheless competitively priced, beginning at $57,065—this given the Raptor’s almost 100-horsepower benefit over the Chevy and GMC.
This new Ranger Raptor has loads of cool tech and is a blast to drive off highway. Throughout our half-day expertise on the Raptor Assault college in Salt Lake Metropolis, Utah, we pushed the rugged off-roader via its paces on a rocky mountain move, via high-plains desert terrain at excessive speeds, and, sure, over a bounce. When you undoubtedly really feel the jostle served up by the rugged terrain, a lot of the roughest bumps are smoothed out. And, after I went via the bounce train, I didn’t really feel like I left the bottom as a result of the touchdown was, nicely, uneventful.
The Ranger Raptor contains drive modes that vary from Rock Crawl to Baja to Slippery, with best-case use eventualities for every. We used Rock Crawl and Baja probably the most throughout our drive expertise. And once you hit the off-road button, the front-facing digital camera pops up on the infotainment display, exhibiting the observe your entrance tires will hit. That is tremendous useful on rocky terrain to make sure you don’t slice a tire on a sharp bit.
What is actually particular about this truck, nonetheless, is the on-road drivability. You would possibly assume the highway noise from the beefy 33-inch tires can be overwhelming–but it surely isn’t. The Raptor is definitely remarkably quiet. Plus, with the 405-horsepower, 3.0-liter engine, the Ranger Raptor can transfer. Acceleration is peppy, and the game exhaust–once you toggle over to Sport mode–is aggressively throaty.
Whereas the common Ranger is a pleasant midsize truck that can do truck issues whereas nonetheless becoming in your storage, the Ranger Raptor is pure delight. And it’ll nonetheless slot in your storage.
One of many solely misses I discovered in my transient time with the 2024 Ford Ranger was the gear selector. Ford equips the entry-level XL and XLT fashions with a special shifter, and I’m cool with it. Within the Lariat and Raptor nonetheless, the selector is extra of a nudge/slide mechanism, and the button to interact shifting is on the prime of the deal with somewhat than on the aspect—the place it’s generally discovered.
This drove me nuts, as I used to be always toggling into manual-shift mode, after I actually simply needed to place the automobile into drive. One other journalist on the drive stated he saved hitting the shift button pondering it was “park.” Granted, this can be a muscle reminiscence problem that house owners would (ultimately) get used to. But it surely was so unintuitive. I don’t assume I hit that button accurately as soon as within the 24 hours I used to be driving it.
Lots of people will inform you the 2024 Ford Ranger is overpriced, however once you evaluate apples to apples, the Ford truck gives extra energy and extra customary facilities that its goal competitors for roughly $3000 more cash. The worth appears to be there.
The trim-level/value breakdown for 4X2 fashions, together with vacation spot, is as follows per the buyer web site configurator:
- XL: $34,265 (+$3,645 for the 4X4)
- XLT: $37,205 (+$3,485 for the 4X4)
- Lariat: $45,225 (+$3,485 for the 4X4)
- Raptor: $57,065 (4X4 solely)
Observe that for 2024, all Rangers, no matter trim degree, comes completely in 4-door crew cab configuration with a 5-foot mattress.
The 2024 midsize truck phase is the most popular it’s ever been, and albeit, there aren’t any unhealthy selections proper now. General, the 2024 Ford Ranger is a strong win for Ford Motor Co. Whereas I feel the design of the brand new Toyota Tacoma is healthier, the drivability and vary of performance provided by the Ranger is healthier. Plus, there’s the Raptor.
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2024 Ford Ranger Gallery
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