What is a Ranger? A Ranger is a midsize pickup truck built in the Wayne, Michigan Ford Truck assembly plant and sold by Ford Motor Company. As a truly global product, the Ford Ranger is manufactured in five production hubs around the world: at the Ford Thailand Manufacturing assembly plant, plus the Auto Alliance assembly plant in Thailand, the Silverton Assembly Plant in South Africa, the Wayne, Michigan Assembly Plant in the U.S., and the Pacheco Assembly Plant in Argentina. In truck sales outside the Americas, Ranger is typically the only Ford pickup truck offered for sale worldwide.
In overall size, the Ford Ranger is smaller than the Ford F-150, and larger than the Ford Maverick. In North America, the Ford Ranger competes directly with the Jeep Gladiator, Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon, Nissan Frontier, Honda Ridgeline, and the Toyota Tacoma. Next year, RAM is bringing back the Dakota midsize pickup truck and that will make the midsize pickup class even more competitive. Today, the Ford Ranger is the number 2 best selling midsize pickup truck in the United States, and Ford wants to stay at and near the top of the sales charts.
To prove that point, this week Ford sent me a new 2024 Ranger Supercrew pickup truck to test drive and review. The base window sticker price for this Lariat 4×2 Sport edition is: $43,525. The options on the test truck are: the 3.73 locking rear differential for $420, the advanced towing package for $825, the floor liners with weather and carpeted floor mats for $200, the integrated cargo box side steps for $215, the secure code keyless entry key pad for $95, and the Toughbed spray-in bed liner for $495. The manufactures suggested retail price (MSRP) including the $1,959 destination charge, is: $47,734.
After adding in the state and local sales tax, plus the DMV and dealers fees, the out the door and in your driveway total purchase price came to: $53,701. At just under $54 Grand, you get an upscale, midsize pickup truck with a lot of options that has a towing capacity up to 7,500 lbs, with a maximum payload of 1,805 lbs. This all comes with the advanced tow package, and it includes a class 4 hitch receiver and a wiring harness. It has everything you need to tow your camper to the lake or take a trailer to Home Depot.
Power comes from a 2.3 liter EcoBoost inline 4 cylinder gas engine with 270 horsepower and 310 lb.ft of torque, bolted to a 10 speed automatic transmission, then routed to the rear wheels into a 3.73 rear axle assembly with a locking differential.
This truck has the Lariat Sport equipment package which includes: a set of 255/65R 18″ T/A all terrain tires mounted on 18″ machined aluminum alloy wheels with dark painted pockets, the sport appearance package, the pro trailer back up assist system, the sandstone leather trimmed seating package, the velocity metallic paint, and the remote tailgate lock.
The interior is upgraded with: a 12″ center stack touch screen, ambient lighting, a digital instrument cluster, dual zone climate control, a heated steering wheel, drivers power front seat with memory, power door locks and windows, a 12 volt power port, USB A & C ports, a one touch up and down drivers window and a wireless phone charging pad.
Safety is covered with: a cross traffic alert system, anti-lock brakes with load control, intelligent access with push button start, lane keeping assist, pre-collision assist with automatic emergency braking, a rear view camera, remote keyless entry, remote start, SiriusXM satellite radio, a safety canopy air bag and a passive anti-theft system.
The performance and technology upgrades on the new 2024 Ford Ranger make it well worth the price, plus the Ford Ranger made the KBB list of Best Resale Value Awards. After five years of ownership, the average new vehicle retains only 43% of its original value. A used and in good condition Ranger is projected to retain 56.7 % of its value after five years. That’s a way better return than the average vehicle and you get to drive a great midsize 4 door crew cab pickup truck with a 5 foot bed and a 7,500 lb. towing package.
Call, click or visit your local Ford dealer for a test drive, and a Bottom Line price review, on the all new 2024 Ford Ranger SuperCrew 4×2 Lariat Sport pickup. And remember that the base price for a new Ranger starts at only $32,670. Ford Ranger – not too big, not too small, it’s just the right size, and as always, it’s Built Ford Tough.
Be smart, stay safe, and just breathe. Remember, You Are What You Drive, and maybe, just for those reasons alone, you should Drive one, Buy one, Today. Have a great day, drive safely, and enjoy the ride, as the future looks nice and bright – Tony the Car Guy.
This Bottom Line new vehicle review is a Nut & Bolt and Dollars & Sense editorial provided by Tony Leopardo. Tony the Car Guy is an automotive writer, editor and publisher in the San Francisco Bay Area. If you have a question, or comment for Tony, send it to tonyleo@pacbell.net and visit AutoWire.Net at www.autowire.net
