2024 Ford Ranger First Drive Review: Lots To Like, But It Misses The Mark

2024 Ford Ranger First Drive Review: Lots To Like, But It Misses The Mark

America’s love affair with pickup trucks has been happening for nearly a century and Ford has played a critical role from the beginning. The Blue Oval makes a big deal of the statement that its full-size F-Series has been the best-selling vehicle in the USA for 47 consecutive years. The mid-size Ranger arrived in 1982 and disappeared from the US market from 2012 until 2019, when it returned as an Australian-developed truck riding on the T6 platform, which also underpins the Bronco.

Heavily redesigned for 2024 but not entirely all-new, the latest Ford Ranger features boxier styling, a fresh interior, and many other improvements to what’s now dubbed the T6.2 platform. The 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine has been carried over and the optional, more powerful 2.7-liter arrives this summer. But is this enough against fresh competition like the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon twins which we’ve test driven, the Nissan Frontier, and the recently revealed all-new Toyota Tacoma?

Ford flew CarBuzz to Salt Lake City, Utah, to drive the latest Ranger on mountain roads and some highways. Although there was no serious off-roading on the itinerary, we did get to stretch the Ranger’s legs. There’s certainly a lot to like, but the 2024 Ranger is unlikely to become the segment leader unless a few vital improvements are made.

Perhaps the previous Ranger’s single biggest styling criticism was that it was too curvy for American tastes. Remember, it was initially designed for non-US markets. This time, American customer feedback played a significant role in the styling direction as two key themes emerged: tough and rugged.The much improved 2024 exterior design is more on par with the larger F-Series. Riding on the same frame as the outgoing fifth-gen model, the latest Ranger features a C-clamp headlight design that flanks the handsome honeycomb mesh grille where the Blue Oval emblem is parked in the center of a dual horizontal bar.

We tested the Lariat trim, which, like the less expensive XLT, boasts LED headlights and taillights. The Lariat also tacks on 18-inch wheels over the XLT’s standard 17-inchers. At present, the SuperCrew and a five-foot bed is the only body style configuration for all Ranger trims. Supposedly, a SuperCab is on the way but a Ford spokesperson declined to comment when we asked about its ETA.

Ford also enhanced cargo accessibility with a wider tailgate that can now fit a sheet of plywood – another direct customer request. The bed features a spray-on liner and now-familiar bottle openers and other hooks for securing gear. There’s a total of 400 watts of power available in the bed, along with LED lights on the sides. Ford told us the new box side steps can hold up to 300 lbs. Also new is a power sliding rear window that’s standard on the Lariat and optional on the XLT.

One of the best things about the 2024 Ranger is the Pro Trailer Backup Assist feature, which works in conjunction with the 360-degree camera. It’s the same tech found on the F-Series and works great in the smaller Ranger. Simply by turning the dial located on the center console, Ranger drivers can easily maneuver in reverse with a loaded trailer attached. The rearview image is projected onto the touchscreen display in the center stack. Controlling the speed with your foot on the brake and turning the dial in the direction you want the trailer to go is much easier than the analog way of having to turn the steering wheel with your hands in the opposite direction of the trailer’s intended path. This was the first time I used the tech, and it took a bit of getting used to. I bumped into a few cones on the first and second attempts. You quickly get the hang of it, though, and once you’re used to it, it’s a breeze and quite fun to use. Speaking of trailering, the Ranger has a maximum 7,500-pound towing capacity.

Ford had an example of the all-new 2024 Toyota Tacoma on hand for a trailer reversal comparison; the Tacoma still requires owners to reverse a trailer the old-fashioned way. The hands-down winner in my opinion: Ranger.

The redesigned interior was a huge focus for Ford and it shows. Described as “durable, clean, and comfortable,” it boasts all-new cloth seats and maximized storage opportunities. The center console has been redesigned and is much larger than before. There’s an upper glove box now, and the rear seats have under-seat storage bins – and can fold fully flat.

Unfortunately, I did see noticeable uneven panel gaps on each side of the column leading toward the touchscreen. I confirmed with Ford that this was a pre-production model, however, so there’s still time to resolve build issues like this. The upper dashboard and lower glovebox are hard plastic and felt cheap, but I was happy to see soft padding in several places, like the center console lid.

The Ranger Lariat’s cloth seats had a very nice textured, premium feel and were relatively comfy. My driving loop, despite a navigation system issue, took around an hour and a half to complete, and I never felt uncomfortable. It’s easy to find the ideal driving position and to see over the hood for a commanding road view. The heated steering wheel on this chilly day was great to have because I forgot my gloves. The new truck comes with a standard and fully digital eight-inch driver’s gauge cluster on lower trims, while the Lariat gets the larger 12-inch cluster accompanied by a larger infotainment display. Both displays are excellent, and there’s no unwanted glare or other problems to report.

Lariat models get a 12-inch touchscreen display as standard, and it features the Sync4 infotainment system. I prefer the vertical orientation over the previous horizontal design and had zero issues with Sync4 except for one critical thing: the Navigation system. Ford had a pre-planned driving route for journalists that took us on a loop through mountains and highways. Once I reached the mid-way point, the system’s voice kept directing me to turn around and go back the way I came, instead of continuing on the blue-colored route the screen showed. A confused map with multiple blue-highlighted routes was the result.

Other journalists confirmed that they too experienced the same problem and, as it turns out, we all had the same solution – we used our phones instead. Turning off the Nav system wasn’t safe while driving and I still couldn’t figure it out when I pulled into a parking lot. I dug a little deeper and found out it’s possible to change the system’s settings to adjust from a pre-planned route automatically, but it should be by default. Models with the FX4 Off-Road Package added also have a convenient off-road screen and a “shortcut” button on the screen’s interface to specific controls.

The Ranger retains the tried and true body-on-frame architecture. “A Ranger customer is not a Maverick customer,” said Ranger chief engineer Juan De Pena. The T6.2 platform’s wholly boxed frame has been enhanced with more high-strength steel, a two-inch increase for the track and wheelbase, and repositioned rear suspension damper packages. The tires, however, are the same width as before.

Overall, the Ranger drove nicely with a smooth ride and a better-than-expected turning radius. I initially thought the brakes were a bit light but quickly got used to them. Buyers have a choice between 4×2 and 4×4 drivetrains, and opting for the latter enables competent off-roading (which is why the majority of buyers tick this box). Power, unfortunately, is the Ranger’s biggest drawback.

As mentioned, the base 2.3-liter EcoBoost turbocharged inline-four with 270 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque lacks sufficient power for this truck. It’d probably be suitable for daily driving around town, but not for hilly terrain that requires more oomph. De Pena told me that 76% of surveyed Ranger customers wanted more power and he emphasized that the hydroformed engine bay can accommodate larger engines. The 2.7-liter twin-turbo V6 with a healthier 315 hp and 400 lb-ft, slated to arrive this summer, sounds much better on paper. It should enable a six-second 0-60 time. The only other engine in the lineup is a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6, but that’s reserved for the Ranger Raptor. A 10-speed automatic transmission comes standard on the regular Ranger.

The 2024 Ford Ranger is better than its predecessor in every category. That’s true, and that’s the good news. The bad news is that with only the 2.3-liter EcoBoost available at present, Ford’s midsize truck remains underpowered. The less-than-ideal interior build quality and Navigation system issues added to my disappointment. The first two should be resolved when production kicks off this summer, so Ford has its work cut out for it with the other minor niggles. If these issues can be resolved, the Ranger would be a more formidable rival to what’s on the market.

Pricing begins at $32,670, not including the $1,595 destination fee. That’ll get you the base XL, while the XLT and Lariat start from $36,110 and $43,630, respectively. These are fair numbers for any new midsize truck, although we’ll have to see how much the more powerful, optional engine adds to the bill. Still, we’re pretty sure the new-generation Ranger will be a sales success. It could be even better and, in part thanks to the excellent Pro Trailer Backup Assist, has the potential to be the segment leader. That’s no small feat considering Tacoma customer loyalty and the impressive all-new Colorado and Canyon. It’s up to Ford to make that happen.