The mid-size pickup truck segment is back in business and Ford bringing back the Ranger is the best proof of that we can find.
As we noted in our 2019 Ford Ranger review, there’s a lot to like about Ford’s latest truck. It has plenty of power despite not offering a V6, and it has a ton of towing capacity and capability.
We really don’t have a lot of bad things to say about the new Ranger with the exception of its bland and sad interior that already looks dated. That wouldn’t be enough to stop us from buying a 2019 Ranger, and if we were to do that this is how we would spec it.
Engine
There’s not a lot to think about here. The 2019 Ford Ranger gets a 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine right out of the box with 270 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. A 10-speed automatic and 4×4 are also standard. You can tow up to 7,500 pounds which is better than any four-cylinder in this segment and any V6 as well.
Fuel economy is impressive given how much the new Ranger can tow and carry, and how much torque it has. With an average fuel economy rating of 11.8 liters per 100 kilometers in the city and 9.8 liters per 100 kilometers on the highway, you won’t be complaining too much about your Ranger’s cost of fuel.
2019 Ford Ranger First Drive
Version
As noted previously, all Rangers get a EcoBoost engine, automatic gearbox and four-wheel drive. That’s already decided for you and no, you can’t get a naked Ranger with no equipment and a manual gearbox you’ll just use to haul wood around your lot.
You do have to choose what type of cab you want and what kind of equipment qui need. For us, we’d go with a 2019 Ford Ranger XLT SuperCrew with a five-foot bed. We want the convenience of four doors and we can live with the 5-foot bed in the back.
The XLT gets you 17-inch aluminium wheels and Ford Co-Pilot360 active safety and driver assistance features which is what we want, but there’s still a bit of features lacking which will have to add through the options catalogue.
2019 Ford Ranger First Drive
We’re adding a package called “301A” to get SYNC3 and satellite radio, and we’re adding another packaged called “302A” to get heated seats, remote start for our cold Canadian winter mornings and the cool sliding rear glass. The price comes out to $42,739 as 302A cancels 301A.
Hey Ford, can’t we get some “premium package” and “tech package” as opposed to 301A and 302A? Anyway.
We cringe a little and we won’t be adding the FX4 package. We like that it adds Terrain Management and Trail Control, but we won’t be doing too much hardcore off-roading and our Ranger is expensive enough as is.
The fact is, the Ranger isn’t cheap. Moreover, the base model doesn’t really have a lot of features so you have to go up in the trims and packages to get decent equipment.
Color
2019 Ford Ranger Build Your Own | Photo: Ford Website Screen Capture
We’re going with Saber, the launch color. It doesn’t cost anything extra, it looks young and cool, and you can’t get it on an F-150. Everyone will know we’re driving the new Ranger.
Lease or Finance?
As we were configuring our 2019 Ford Ranger, we checked leasing rates and terms only to be told Ford doesn’t have any leasing in our area. Not sure what that means, but in any case we’re still going to finance the Ranger regardless.
Trucks like this tend to have decent resale value and we don’t mind buying it. We will stay clear of Ford’s 3.99% APR available on 84 months (never do that) and go with 60 months at 2.99% APR. Total price comes out to around $807 per month for 60 months with $0 down and everything included.
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: the 2019 Ford Ranger is not cheap.
2019 Ford Ranger Images
