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2019 Ford Ranger First Drive Review


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Well I did see the Edmunds hatchet job a few days ago and I can't think of a review that was more negative.  Actually this guy Edmunds was "nasty" rather than negative.  Setting my Ford prejudices aside, I have to agree with him on the folding rear seat situation.  Full bench with no split seat option and a bigger fault in my opinion is the fact you can't fold it flat to get a decent storage space.  Makes me wonder-how much bench marking did they do with the competition?

 The other thing they made a big deal over was the poor wheel articulation.  They had a wheel off the ground and had to lock the electronic dif.  I have also viewed a couple of other reviews that had  encountered the same condition but did not dwell on it the way Edmunds did.

So while I will dismiss it as a bullshit review, some fence sitters might be influenced.  I should also say that this is the first You Tube review that I have seen that was outright negative.

 

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MotorTend has  this thing about the Ranger not being all new, a "hack" as they called to get a mid-sized truck into  the US market.  The moment I read that, I knew that MT would lose any objectivity and their tone through several reviews  tells me that Ford didn't have an "advertising" check for them...

I actually find it ironic that Tacoma, the truck they put last is in fact the people's choice by a long way.

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I don’t blame Ford for capitalizing on what could be considered a growing segment.  I have no real world experience with the Ranger (other than looking at one at the dealership), but to say that all of these  reviews are not objective is complete bullshit.  The reality is the “new” Ranger is a stop-gap until the all new Ranger arrives in a few years.   Ford is hoping to use the nameplate to draw customers.  It will succeed no doubt, but for those who do not believe this truck is a compromise, you must be close-minded.  

Edited by 02MustangGT
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8 minutes ago, 02MustangGT said:

I don’t blame Ford for capitalizing on what could be considered a growing segment.  I have no real world experience with the Ranger (other than looking at one at the dealership), but to say that all of these  reviews are not objective is complete bullshit.  The reality is the “new” Ranger is a stop-gap until the all new Ranger arrives in a few years.   Ford is hoping to use the nameplate to draw customers.  It will succeed no doubt, but for those who do not believe this truck is a compromise, you must be close-minded.  

I've seen and driven the current Ranger for the past eight years, it's far from perfect but a damned site better than the previous global Mazda based Ranger.

The kind of niggly crap MT goes on with is indicative of finicky buyers, th global Colorado is a steaming pile of shit yet they laud up the US one?

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10 hours ago, Bob Rosadini said:

Well I did see the Edmunds hatchet job a few days ago and I can't think of a review that was more negative.  Actually this guy Edmunds was "nasty" rather than negative.  Setting my Ford prejudices aside, I have to agree with him on the folding rear seat situation.  Full bench with no split seat option and a bigger fault in my opinion is the fact you can't fold it flat to get a decent storage space.  Makes me wonder-how much bench marking did they do with the competition?

 The other thing they made a big deal over was the poor wheel articulation.  They had a wheel off the ground and had to lock the electronic dif.  I have also viewed a couple of other reviews that had  encountered the same condition but did not dwell on it the way Edmunds did.

So while I will dismiss it as a bullshit review, some fence sitters might be influenced.  I should also say that this is the first You Tube review that I have seen that was outright negative.

 

I agree about the rear seat not being split fold or folding flat. They could have fixed that before launching it in the North American market. Not doing anything there was just cutting corners. Maybe they will offer a split fold rear seat for 2020. That would be a simple, but welcome change.

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Yup, I will give them the rear folding seat.  There are times you want to put stuff in the cabin but still not get your seats dirty (toolbox, etc...). That should have been one of the first things they rectified.  There's a couple other items that I've noticed that should have had some work done for the US market, but very minor.  (I was actually thinking of developing a better articulating hinge for the rear seats to allow them to fold flat.  Something I may still look into.)

But to say that the truck is a hack-job is just outright dumb.  Just because it has been offered elsewhere and now is offered in the US with changes that are not super obvious doesn't make it a hack-job.  That's just "look at me " talk.  Do people even know what hack-job means?   A hack-job is the completion of a task in the quickest possible time at the expense of quality or attention to detailNOT the completion of a task in the quickest possible time with minimal changes.

  • Expense of quality?  It's not like they duct-taped the new front bumper or put the US-only 2.3 turbo in there with chewing gum.  They took a successful,  existing truck that already had great quality, and made refinements for the US market.  It is still, without a doubt, a quality product.
  • No attention to detail?  Again, is the truck a colossal piece of junk because it has existed for the past 8 years?  Do some people even realize what it takes to federalize a vehicle in the US these days? The panel gaps are great, the interior is comfortable and perfectly suited for what the market.

Sure, you can argue they left out some minor features that the US market would appreciate (like the folding rear seat or a heated steering wheel), but its not like they "forgot" to include them (which would fall under attention to detail).  They purposely did not invest time time or money in order to release a vehicle within a certain budget.  That does not make the vehicle a "hack-job". 

 

 

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35 minutes ago, Anthony said:

Yup, I will give them the rear folding seat.  There are times you want to put stuff in the cabin but still not get your seats dirty (toolbox, etc...). That should have been one of the first things they rectified.  There's a couple other items that I've noticed that should have had some work done for the US market, but very minor.  (I was actually thinking of developing a better articulating hinge for the rear seats to allow them to fold flat.  Something I may still look into.)

But to say that the truck is a hack-job is just outright dumb.  Just because it has been offered elsewhere and now is offered in the US with changes that are not super obvious doesn't make it a hack-job.  That's just "look at me " talk.  Do people even know what hack-job means?   A hack-job is the completion of a task in the quickest possible time at the expense of quality or attention to detailNOT the completion of a task in the quickest possible time with minimal changes.

  • Expense of quality?  It's not like they duct-taped the new front bumper or put the US-only 2.3 turbo in there with chewing gum.  They took a successful,  existing truck that already had great quality, and made refinements for the US market.  It is still, without a doubt, a quality product.
  • No attention to detail?  Again, is the truck a colossal piece of junk because it has existed for the past 8 years?  Do some people even realize what it takes to federalize a vehicle in the US these days? The panel gaps are great, the interior is comfortable and perfectly suited for what the market.

Sure, you can argue they left out some minor features that the US market would appreciate (like the folding rear seat or a heated steering wheel), but its not like they "forgot" to include them (which would fall under attention to detail).  They purposely did not invest time time or money in order to release a vehicle within a certain budget.  That does not make the vehicle a "hack-job". 

 

 

The Ranger isn’t a hack job. They did cut a few corners that should have been fixed prior to launch, but overall it’s a well built, solid vehicle with some nice features. I also like the styling a lot compared to some of the over-exaggerated styling we’ve seen come to the market recently. It’s a very handsome truck. 

When someone says a vehicle is a hack-job the first thing that always comes to mind for me in automotive history is the AMC Gremlin. That was quite literally a Hornet with half the car hacked off to make a subcompact. That’s a classic hack-job of an automobile. The new Ranger isn’t that.

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It's also the first year. They can always add stuff going forward. Maybe not the seats folding Flat due to engineering limitations but stuff like a heated steering wheel. Now this is Ford we're talking about here so I have zero confidence in that actually happening but it is possible. 

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23 hours ago, rperez817 said:

I also pre-ordered a Ranger without test driving one (XLT 2WD). If you set your expectations properly about new 2019 U.S. Ranger, you should not have buyers remorse.

  • First, acknowledge that 2019 U.S. Ranger is not an all new truck. It's a hack job of the global T6 Ranger. Ford rushed it to market so it could have something to offer customers who would otherwise get a Colorado, Tacoma, Ridgeline, etc.
  • Everything about 2019 U.S. Ranger's ride and handling is old school "trucky". Have you owned an older Ranger? If so, you should find the new one just fine.
  • Is off roading something that you plan to do with your Ranger? As mentioned in the Edmunds review, Ranger 4x4 has quirks in off road situations that Colorado and Tacoma don't. But as also shown in the Edmunds video, the Ranger  can make it through moderate off road trails OK.

Best wishes 2005Explorer sir, hope you get your Ranger soon! Mine is supposed to arrive at my dealership in April or May.

What? A truck that handles like a truck? They have some nerve.

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3 hours ago, 2005Explorer said:

The Ranger isn’t a hack job. They did cut a few corners that should have been fixed prior to launch, but overall it’s a well built, solid vehicle with some nice features. I also like the styling a lot compared to some of the over-exaggerated styling we’ve seen come to the market recently. It’s a very handsome truck. 

When someone says a vehicle is a hack-job the first thing that always comes to mind for me in automotive history is the AMC Gremlin. That was quite literally a Hornet with half the car hacked off to make a subcompact. That’s a classic hack-job of an automobile. The new Ranger isn’t that.

Thank you 2005Explorer,

You've just articulated perfectly what set me off earlier in the thread  and sorry if my passion boiled over there...

Bottom line is that compromises were made to get a Ranger ASAP instead of waiting another three years.

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8 minutes ago, jpd80 said:

Thank you 2005Explorer,

You've just articulated perfectly what set me off earlier in the thread  and sorry if my passion boiled over there...

Bottom line is that compromises were made to get a Ranger ASAP instead of waiting another three years.

My favorite YouTube reviews for trucks are the TFLtrucks guys. They are always pretty fair and do some interesting comparisons.

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I’ve had 3 ecoboost vehicles - there is no turbo lag because the turbos are very small, which hurts them at higher RPM.  But off the line they’re rockets.  He might have been feeling the normal ETC lag that is usually programmed in from the factory, but it’s not turbo lag.

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6 minutes ago, akirby said:

I’ve had 3 ecoboost vehicles - there is no turbo lag because the turbos are very small, which hurts them at higher RPM.  But off the line they’re rockets.  He might have been feeling the normal ETC lag that is usually programmed in from the factory, but it’s not turbo lag.

I haven't driven the 2.0 or 2.3, but I have a 2.7EB and don't feel any lag at all, which surprised me. Off the line it feels no different from the 3.0 supercharged engine I had in my previous Audi Q5, except the twin turbo 2.7 is noticeably more powerful, doesn't sound as rough, and has a smoother power curve.

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8 hours ago, wildosvt said:

Anthony, So you dont shift to S if you need some giddy up? Leave in D all of the time?

I just leave it in D all the time.  I'm not super concerned about going fast.  I'd rather get the best fuel economy I can.  I have no complaints about the way it takes off from a stop, because I really wouldn't go any faster even if it could!

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19 hours ago, HotRunrGuy said:

That review is going to upset some people who claim the 2.3EB does not have any turbo lag,,,,,,,

HRG

I don't think anybody seriously claims that Ford 2.3L Ecoboost does not have any turbo lag. Ford did a good job reducing the lagginess compared to older EcoBoost engines. The twin scroll turbo and tuning of the engine software help a lot. While I haven't test driven a Ranger with the 2.3L Ecoboost, I did experience a Mustang with the same engine and transmission. Day and night difference compared to the old 2.0L Ecoboost with single scroll turbo.

No turbo engine is going to behave like a normally aspirated engine off the line, completely free of lag. It's just the physics of how turbos operate.

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3 minutes ago, brucelinc said:

Rperez, it doesn't sound like you have any experience with the twin turbo V6s.  Off the line punch is superior to naturally aspirated engines of much larger displacement.   

Exactly, my 3.5LEB def has more punch then the 4.6L V8 in my old Mustang-even though its an auto and in a much heavier car.

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