Ford Ranger Road Test Report

Performance

The most popular engine with buyers, reckons Ford, is the 140bhp 2.5-litre turbodiesel coupled to the five-speed manual gearbox. There is an auto available, but it blunts the already mediocre performance so is best avoided. A 3.0-litre turbodiesel with 153bhp is also on the price list but we could spot little discernible advantage in oomph and the larger engine is less refined than the already borderline 2.5-litre unit. As a commercial vehicle that will appeal to some private buyers, the Ranger doesn’t have the get up and go or transmission finesse to compete with the likes of the Land Rover Freelander. However, the Ford has bags of low-down pull (243lb ft at 1800rpm) to haul the Ranger up any slope, carry one tonne in the load bed and tow up to three tonnes, so it certainly cuts it as a workhorse.

Ride & Handling

Compared to other pick-ups available to private buyers who might want to use the Ranger as a family car, the Ford acquits itself reasonably well. The soft-ish suspension wallows and lurches its way along the road, soaking up most bumps but with little in the way of sophistication or astute control. Similarly, the steering feels remote and needs a fair few turns even with power assistance as standard. As for corners, these are best approached in a leisurely manner to avoid excessive body lean. Stack up the Ranger against the likes of the Nissan X-Trail or Land Rover Freelander, however, and the Ford loses out badly. On the upside, the Ranger is superb when it comes to off-roading. There’s a choice of high-ration two- and four-wheel drive, plus low-ratio four-wheel drive for serious dirt defying acts. With good ground clearance and front and rear overhangs that don’t catch too readily in tight gullies, the Ford Ranger is more than up to its intended task.

Build Quality & Reliability

Most Rangers are likely to spend their time as working vehicles, so the load bed needs to be a tough cookie. It looks well made and sturdy and Ford offers a load liner plus an armadillo-style concertina-ing cover to keep loads dry and secure. Inside the cabin, the plastics are functional and rugged, so the Ranger should still be in one piece after a few years’ of hard graft. The leather seats of the Thunder model are better suited to family use than a million builders’ bums, but Ford has incorporated all of its commercial vehicle know-how into the Ranger to make it a solid proposition. The engine, gearbox and rest of the mechanical parts all have a proven track record so should not give any concerns.

Safety & Security

In double cab form, the Ranger is best viewed as a four-seater as the rear bench only comes with two three-point seat belts – the middle passenger has to make do with only a lap belt. The XLT, Thunder and Wildtrack models come with six airbags, and anti-lock brakes are fitted to every Ranger. In the load bed, there are securing hooks to tether goods. All Rangers come with remote central locking, immobiliser, visible vehicle identification number and a fuel filler flap that can only be opened by a lever in the cabin.

Space & Practicality

This is what the Ford Ranger is all about and when it comes to hauling loads, it’s a great buy. The load bed can carry up to one tonne and you can choose from three different load bed lengths, depending on which body style you choose. The longest load bay is with the two-door single cab version, while the double cab model has the shortest cargo bed, though even this is more than 1.5-metres long. Inside, the driver has a comfortable pew, though there’s not as much adjustment in the driving position as in some rivals’, and the view out is typically commanding for this type of vehicle. Plenty of cubbies, boxes and bins provide ample cabin storage, but space for rear seat passengers is adequate at best. Those in the rear will also find their knees forced up towards their chin due to the high floor and rear bench being set low to the floor.

Ownership & Value

The fashion for buying pick-ups as family transport has waned now, largely as a result of there no longer being any Benefit in Kind tax advantages. Accordingly, the Ranger makes most sense for business users who can claim back the VAT, which makes the Ford Ranger one of the best value pick-ups on the market. In Thunder Double Cab guise at £22,540 (or £19,600 excluding VAT), it comes with leather seat, air conditioning, decent CD stereo alloy wheels, reverse parking sensors and enough chrome brightwork to look snazzy. Combined fuel economy of 30.4mpg and carbon dioxide emissions of 255g/km for the 2.5-litre turbodiesel engine are hardly impressive but they’re on a par with the Ranger’s rivals’.