Your Thoughts after First Test Drive

[RodSlinger]

I was able to drive one just a short while ago. It is a 4x4 Lariat quad cab from the link below.

2019 Ford Ranger Sightings at Dealerships Tracker & Map

Overall the Ranger is a damn good truck.

My impressions and comparison are based off my current truck. It is a 2011 Dodge Dakota, 2WD, quad cab with the 4.7 V8. These are rated at about 305 hp and 320 ft/lb of torque and isn't too far off of the Ranger in size and weight either. I've also swapped in a 4.56 rear gear and a 93 octane premium tune. It has Ram 20" wheels with 285-50R20 Continental CrossContact street tire and added a rear sway bar with about a 1" front drop and about 2" rear. This is a hard working, good handling and fast truck so I was really interested to try out something that might finally be an upgrade.

The Ride - The Ranger rides better. No question. WAY better. No frame oscillations going over uneven pavement or after hitting a bump. Didn't notice any wild axle hop or skips after hitting a pothole or bridge joints. Very well controlled. It is a nice riding truck. My Dakota can sometimes feel like it wants to kick out the rear a little when hitting some bridge expansion joints. There can also be a random frame shake depending on the speed and terrain. Seems there are situations where the harmonics of the frame, spinning wheels and irregularities in the road sync up perfectly and you get a jiggle that is annoying as hell. Didn't feel any of that on the same stretch of road in the Ranger.

Handling - The Dakota has an edge on this one but I'll concede that my tires, alignment and setup makes a difference. A 2WD Ranger on a better set of tires would probably equal or beat it for grip and response. This 4WD Ranger felt like it sat high and had those offroad type tires. It just didn't feel as responsive to input and leaned more than what I was used to in corners. Seemed to nose down quite a bit when braking also. Overall I wasn't disappointed. It handled well. It just didn't feel like it could be tossed around the same way my Dakota could.

Power - The Ranger was pretty fresh and only had 35 miles on it. I do not know if it had premium or regular unleaded or what kind of time these things take to fully break in. Overall power was OK. It wasn't the wow moment I hoped for. Not as strong as the Dakota and certainly didn't sound as good but it is certainly better than the Colorado and Ridgeline I'd tested a few weeks before. It also had some surging when accelerating. I've felt this sometimes on various turbo engine vehicles. Some are worse than others and hoping this is one of those things that goes away after break in or can be tuned out. Despite any of this I would still be satisfied with it. It had good low RPM torque and pulled up some decent grades without having to scream for dear life like a Ridgeline V6. To be honest I wouldn't be surprised if it is still faster than my Dakota. The Ranger rides so much quieter and smoother it may be tricking me into thinking it isn't as quick as it is. The transmission also seemed a little indecisive and had some abrupt shifts. Again I'm guessing this is just a break in thing as I've driven a Mustang with the 10-speed and it felt great.

Comfort - Damn that thing is comfy. Seats are GREAT. I heard they were good and drove my Chevy Volt up there to get a comparison. The Volt seats are very comfy and when I got in the Ranger I was not disappointed. They do feel very good. All the controls are in good reach but in typical Ford fashion, too many damn buttons on the steering wheel. The interior plastics didn't look or feel as cheap as so many mention. But I'm comparing my Dakota also which has some CHEAP plastics in the interior. Side mirrors are a good size and work well. Visibility was OK except for the rear. That jacked up bed height and squashed rear window take away a good amount of rear view mirror use. Not as much as the Colorado but still more than I prefer. The entry height is a little too high also. I'm used to just sliding into my Dakota versus getting UP into the Ranger. The back seat seemed even higher and can tell the kids would struggle with that without a step. The back seat itself was firm but relatively comfortable also. Leg room was OK and think it would work well for the kids on a road trip.


After driving it I think I'm definitely sold on them. I'll wait for a 2WD Lariat, get some good street tires and hopefully someone comes up with a 2 or 3 inch suspension drop kit so I can make it more ST'ish. This will make for a damn fine replacement for the Dakota.

Sponsored

 

[StAugKid]

I was able to drive one just a short while ago. It is a 4x4 Lariat quad cab from the link below.

2019 Ford Ranger Sightings at Dealerships Tracker & Map

Overall the Ranger is a damn good truck.

My impressions and comparison are based off my current truck. It is a 2011 Dodge Dakota, 2WD, quad cab with the 4.7 V8. These are rated at about 305 hp and 320 ft/lb of torque and isn't too far off of the Ranger in size and weight either. I've also swapped in a 4.56 rear gear and a 93 octane premium tune. It has Ram 20" wheels with 285-50R20 Continental CrossContact street tire and added a rear sway bar with about a 1" front drop and about 2" rear. This is a hard working, good handling and fast truck so I was really interested to try out something that might finally be an upgrade.

The Ride - The Ranger rides better. No question. WAY better. No frame oscillations going over uneven pavement or after hitting a bump. Didn't notice any wild axle hop or skips after hitting a pothole or bridge joints. Very well controlled. It is a nice riding truck. My Dakota can sometimes feel like it wants to kick out the rear a little when hitting some bridge expansion joints. There can also be a random frame shake depending on the speed and terrain. Seems there are situations where the harmonics of the frame, spinning wheels and irregularities in the road sync up perfectly and you get a jiggle that is annoying as hell. Didn't feel any of that on the same stretch of road in the Ranger.

Handling - The Dakota has an edge on this one but I'll concede that my tires, alignment and setup makes a difference. A 2WD Ranger on a better set of tires would probably equal or beat it for grip and response. This 4WD Ranger felt like it sat high and had those offroad type tires. It just didn't feel as responsive to input and leaned more than what I was used to in corners. Seemed to nose down quite a bit when braking also. Overall I wasn't disappointed. It handled well. It just didn't feel like it could be tossed around the same way my Dakota could.

Power - The Ranger was pretty fresh and only had 35 miles on it. I do not know if it had premium or regular unleaded or what kind of time these things take to fully break in. Overall power was OK. It wasn't the wow moment I hoped for. Not as strong as the Dakota and certainly didn't sound as good but it is certainly better than the Colorado and Ridgeline I'd tested a few weeks before. It also had some surging when accelerating. I've felt this sometimes on various turbo engine vehicles. Some are worse than others and hoping this is one of those things that goes away after break in or can be tuned out. Despite any of this I would still be satisfied with it. It had good low RPM torque and pulled up some decent grades without having to scream for dear life like a Ridgeline V6. To be honest I wouldn't be surprised if it is still faster than my Dakota. The Ranger rides so much quieter and smoother it may be tricking me into thinking it isn't as quick as it is. The transmission also seemed a little indecisive and had some abrupt shifts. Again I'm guessing this is just a break in thing as I've driven a Mustang with the 10-speed and it felt great.

Comfort - Damn that thing is comfy. Seats are GREAT. I heard they were good and drove my Chevy Volt up there to get a comparison. The Volt seats are very comfy and when I got in the Ranger I was not disappointed. They do feel very good. All the controls are in good reach but in typical Ford fashion, too many damn buttons on the steering wheel. The interior plastics didn't look or feel as cheap as so many mention. But I'm comparing my Dakota also which has some CHEAP plastics in the interior. Side mirrors are a good size and work well. Visibility was OK except for the rear. That jacked up bed height and squashed rear window take away a good amount of rear view mirror use. Not as much as the Colorado but still more than I prefer. The entry height is a little too high also. I'm used to just sliding into my Dakota versus getting UP into the Ranger. The back seat seemed even higher and can tell the kids would struggle with that without a step. The back seat itself was firm but relatively comfortable also. Leg room was OK and think it would work well for the kids on a road trip.


After driving it I think I'm definitely sold on them. I'll wait for a 2WD Lariat, get some good street tires and hopefully someone comes up with a 2 or 3 inch suspension drop kit so I can make it more ST'ish. This will make for a damn fine replacement for the Dakota.

My last truck was a Dakota with the 4.7L V8 as well, so I'm naturally going to make the same comparisons. That 4.7L sure did sound amazing. Always ready to be driven hard and fast and never had issues. I also hope the Ranger is going to be a natural upgrade to it. I had an electric blue sport and a black stampede model, both regular cab 2wd.

 

[Toytec]

You had me at "comfy". And I need that. Toyota (used to) have the best in the car biz. When I'm in back pain, my old truck gives me more comfort than a lazy boy.
Sounds like a win win by your description. Can't wait. (yes I can, no I can't)

 

[djrobb]

I drove a 4x4 non-Fx4 Black Lariat with chrome today at Cowles Ford in Woodbridge, VA. They just got it and it’s the only one they have there.

Likes:
Overall driving experience
Steering
Visibility
Engine/transmission
Torquey is power
Comfortable seats and lumbar
Head room
Quiet road noise
Safety features and driving aids
Engine growl (enhanced or not)
No turbo noise
Seamless auto stop/start
Rear seat room

Dislikes:
Wish adaptive cruise was stop/go
Tow/haul mode but no trailer brake
Rear window not powered even on lariat
No sunroofs even on lariat
Elbow can’t rest on console and reach stearing wheel
No 60/40 rear seat
Didn’t really love the lariat center screen

Overall I really liked the truck. I just enjoyed driving it. It was pretty fun, quite smooth, easy to drive and great visibility. I currently drive an ‘06 Taco. It feels like Ford got all the fundamentals right and missed a few things with the finish. The Lariat is nice, but doesn’t feel like a true top trim like the GMC Denali. Some of the things like not dampening the tailgate, not making the seats 60/40, having the console too far back are mysteries to me. They could have gotten those things right with extremely little additional build cost/complexity. I’m also haunted by the “whatif” of the 2.7L EB instead of the 2.3. I’d bet Chevy puts the 2.7 in soon.

If you look at the new Explorer it surprises me some of the nice features on that SUV and the larger engine are nowhere to be found on the Ranger. Anyway, I left the drive experience feeling like I want one. I really liked it and the things I disliked are pretty minor for me. I think it’s class leading right now, but it certainly hasn’t reinvented the segment.

I’m going to drive an XLT with FX4 when they have one. Not sure the Lariat is nice enough to reach for the top trim. I think if I can get an XLT with tow package, FX4, tech package and 302A package it will be the right fit. If I could get it at $35k I’d probably buy it new. $40k feels like too much when comparing to what you can get with F150. Will be interesting to see if GM puts the 2.7 in the Colorado, what the Jeep pricing is, and what the new Frontier is like. But all in all I really did like the Ranger very much and would feel good about owning one.

 

[FULLSCALE]

Finally had a chance to take one out this morning. It was an Oxford White Lariat w/ 501a and sport package. I came away very impressed with the huge power upgrade from my current truck. The stereo system sounds great and all controls are very easy to use. I couldn’t push the truck very hard due to weather conditions but I was very impressed with how quickly it corrects itself with the safety systems on. The seats are about the most comfortable of anything I’ve driven. My brother in law came with me for the test drive, he’s about 6’2” and with the passenger seat as far forward as he felt comfortable, he could still comfortably sit in the rear seat behind it with plenty of head room.

Nothing much to complain about... I don’t like the factory running boards. They stick out too much and make it more difficult to get out of the truck. I can get past the back seat not folding flat, but not having a 60/40 split is just stupid. I wanted to take a peek at the sub behind it and this one wouldn’t latch back up when we were done looking.

I’m not buying yet but one will very likely be my next vehicle. I’m holding off for some better incentives and I want to drive the Gladiator first... I like the idea of still keeping my manual transmission so it’s worth a look.

 

[JoshE]

I did a test drive tonight of an XLT FX4, arrived at the dealer an hour before I got there.

Positive:
I was mostly impressed with it. It handled well, like an SUV, and rode good, like a well put together truck. Had good steering feel too. Acceleration was good, didn't get on it being brand new and 10*F out, but the transmission seemed to act kind of funny - gear searched, shifted hard especially when pulling away, hopefully because it wasn't drove enough yet. The seats were quite comfortable, driver, passenger, and rear. The interior is quiet. The speakers were quite good, much better than expected. I was impressed with the lighting, the halogen headlights and fog lights are bright and a nice white light, taillights looked sharp, the interior lighting is all LED. The brake feel was decent.

Negative:
One thing I can confirm that is pretty sad cost cutting by Ford is the XLT's do not ship with an engine cover. One major thing I noticed is the tailgate has a massive gap, at least an inch, between it and the bed, I picked up on the gap in the dark... If you haul dirt, small stones, etc. in the bed, they would get in around the sides of the tailgate in the latch and cables, and run out. This is particularly concerning for using a cap with both exhaust coming in and cold air if sleeping or pets in the back. At first glance, I'm not sure how easy it would be to put some kind of gasket on it. I'm hoping this is something that can addressed by the aftermarket with a gasket. One last complaint is there is plenty of space for the rear seat back to fold flat with the front seats all the way back, there is no excuse Ford didn't take advantage of this and make a flat loading area.

Overall:
I walked away definitely interested in getting one, but that is if I can get one at the right price in 6 moths or so, I feel they are very overpriced - this one was a base XLT FX4 with a few options trailer tow, spray in bed liner, and rubber floor mats - MSRP was about $38,500 - I think $32,500 would be more like it, and I wouldn't pay more than $30,000 as it was equipped.

 

[RodSlinger]

I found a 4x2 crew cab today and took it for a spin. I've already driven a 4x4 and will basically cover what In thought was different.

The 4x2 was also very new with about 35 miles on it. It was an XLT with the sport appearance package (18" wheels). No tow package or locking diff.

I personally liked it better than the 4x4. It felt a little firmer and had better steering response. Just thought it handled a little better overall. It also seemed to give more road feel in general. There were some certain spots on the route that had cracks or imperfections on the road that the 4x4 did a better job of smoothing out.

Not sure if this was a weight issue, different springs/shocks on the 4x4, tire difference or something as simple as tire pressure difference between them.

Either way I liked it. It just felt a little bit more lively and gave better feedback to what is going on around you. It also seemed a little quicker but do not know if someone put premium gas in it versus the 4x4 possibly having regular. A different PDI guy may do things differently.

 

[StAugKid]

I found a 4x2 crew cab today and took it for a spin. I've already driven a 4x4 and will basically cover what In thought was different.

The 4x2 was also very new with about 35 miles on it. It was an XLT with the sport appearance package (18" wheels). No tow package or locking diff.

I personally liked it better than the 4x4. It felt a little firmer and had better steering response. Just thought it handled a little better overall. It also seemed to give more road feel in general. There were some certain spots on the route that had cracks or imperfections on the road that the 4x4 did a better job of smoothing out.

Not sure if this was a weight issue, different springs/shocks on the 4x4, tire difference or something as simple as tire pressure difference between them.

Either way I liked it. It just felt a little bit more lively and gave better feedback to what is going on around you. It also seemed a little quicker but do not know if someone put premium gas in it versus the 4x4 possibly having regular. A different PDI guy may do things differently.

Unfortunately, most dealerships put the cheap stuff in the tank regardless of what is recommended. It'd be nice to test the Ranger with premium in the tank, but when I worked at Chrysler they had us put 5 gallons of regular in everything. The regular hemi engines recommend 89 and the SRT hemi recommends 93.

 

[StAugKid]

I just drove an Oxford white XLT crew cab with the FX4 package today while getting an oil change. It only had 9 miles on it and they wouldn't let me drive outside of the dealership parking lot since it was "their only one". The interior room up front was fantastic. Rear visibility was crap, but so is my Fiesta. Side mirrors are really nice and large. Back seat was definitely good for a midsized and seems like it'd fit a car seat with a passenger up front. I'm kind of concerned over the bed size, though. I couldn't get on it but at low speeds it felt slightly sluggish and the brakes felt really soft or squishy. I only got to get to about 40 mph, though, so I'll have to really make my judgements once they get more in and I can drive one on the road.

 

[Tra1969]

I just drove an Oxford white XLT crew cab with the FX4 package today while getting an oil change. It only had 9 miles on it and they wouldn't let me drive outside of the dealership parking lot since it was "their only one". The interior room up front was fantastic. Rear visibility was crap, but so is my Fiesta. Side mirrors are really nice and large. Back seat was definitely good for a midsized and seems like it'd fit a car seat with a passenger up front. I'm kind of concerned over the bed size, though. I couldn't get on it but at low speeds it felt slightly sluggish and the brakes felt really soft or squishy. I only got to get to about 40 mph, though, so I'll have to really make my judgements once they get more in and I can drive one on the road.

I can’t believe they wouldn’t let you take it on the road. I drove a Lariat and they had just gotten in an we went all over town over 10 miles and I even told them I wasn’t going to buy on till next year and the sale guy said let’s take it for a spin.

 

[rangerdanger]

Let me first say I didn’t drive it today, but I did drive one on November 10th.

My dealer let me know they got a SuperCrew Lariat FX4 501A, so I went over to take a look. MSRP is $44,990.

https://shop.ford.com/inventory/ran...300?zipcode=94015&year=2019&ownerPACode=05727

Pros:

• Lots of legroom/headroom in the front and rear for an adult. I think the passenger seat extends further back than driver’s side (can anyone confirm?)
• Power controls and lumber adjustments were precise and easy to use.
• Leather seats were softer and more comfortable than I was expecting.
• Bed has very deep sidewalls and tailgate is light weight and easy to lift.
• Rear visibility with rear headrests folded down is decent, not as bad as I expected.
• Getting in and out was easy, didn’t really need to use the sidesteps.
• Leather steering wheel is very comfortable and soft.
• Like the bed light and power folding side mirrors.

Cons:

• Hard plastic on door panels, console and dash. Sounds hollow & cheap when you tap it.
• Headliner by windshield was already fraying, like it wasn’t cut cleanly on the edge. You can’t see it when driving but if you look for it you can see it.
• Factory bedliner doesn’t cover area where tailgate meets bed.
• No driver’s side grab handle (I knew it didn’t have it but still wish it did).
• Rear windows don’t go down all the way, there is about 2” of the glass showing.
• Cup holders in rear door panels are too low to the floor to be useable, and I prefer not to have center armrest down permanently.

The first thing I checked out was the rear driver’s door to check fitment (no issues). When the salesmen dropped the rear seatback however, we experienced the infamous rear seatback latching issue. We tried about 20 times slamming it with force from the driver’s side, but it seems easier to latch from the passenger’s side, since the latch is on that side. I’m expecting a recall on that issue honestly.

Ultimately I came away happier about my preorder than before. I still plan to buy my Ranger when it arrives and I’m glad I ignored the naysayers.

 

[Pathung]

@rangerdanger, I've been eyeing that Serramonte silver one for a while now from Ford's inventory website, but will not be pulling any trigger till after June, when stock goes up and prices drop a bit.

I did however test-drive my first Ranger today in Santa Cruz, a white Lariat SuperCrew FX4 with 501A, spray-on bedliner, tow package, and running boards. I loved it! I'd echo everything you wrote above, though in truth I missed half the stuff you observed. From reading these forums, I tested the non-latching rear seat-back, and of course it wouldn't latch! I gave up on it right away. I had a good look at the spray-on bedliner, and it's very nice and smooth. One impression that I had while driving it was how spacious it was inside - I felt like I was driving my long-sold 2001 F-250 SuperDuty again. I didn't use the running boards to get in the truck either, but they brushed against my pants each time, which was annoying and unnecessary (I'm 5-foot 7).

After about 5 miles of combined freeway and city-street driving, I felt the truck to be well-built, designed, and a good value (compared to a Taco). I can't wait to own one.

 

[RedlandRanger]

I was finally able to test drive one today. It was a blue XLT supercab. I have to say, I LOVE IT! I can't really think of anything during the drive that I didn't like. My son noticed that when I hit it hard, when it was coming back down the transmission seemed to kind of be lost for a second - but I didn't notice it too much until he mentioned it. The other thing was the auto stop. The first time I did it (at a light) I didn't even realize it until I went to start up - but it was very seamless.

Hit it pretty hard getting on the freeway, and it has LOTS of zip! The seats were comfy, the ride is nice - you still know you are in a pickup, but I drove my 2005 Ranger to the dealer (so I had a fresh memory of it driving) and there is a night and day difference between the two. It is a very comfortable ride and the cabin was very quiet.

I've seen some complaints on the console and armrest positions for people who like to rest their arms on them while driving. I did not have any problems with either one. In one of "Mr Truck" (the youtube guy from TFLTrucks) he complained about the position of the window switches - I did not find them to be in an awkward place. I could see if they were a bit farther forward it might be a little more natural, but where they are was not awkward at all for me.

Anyway, to sum up my test drive - LOVE IT! It just makes the wait for mine that much harder!

 

[R G]

These responses are encouraging. Motortrend absolutely savaged the truck on their first test drive review. They said the ride without weight in the bed was horrible, and the transmission sucks. Modern cars have learning transmissions, and they generally get better at shifting with use. The gearbox issues don't scare me.

One thing they said which I would dearly love to hear confirmed or denied, they claim the truck dove badly under braking. My '05 Tundra does this. You hit the brakes, and braking feel does not begin until the front end squats down. This gives a full heart beat's worth of "NO BRAKES!" before you feel the truck slowing. That's not good. I hope they were wrong.

Another area they highlighted, which doesn't appear here, is they claimed the drive train has a great deal of NVH. My local dealer has a 4X4, but haven't seen a 2WD yet. I'll go for a drive and draw my own conclusions when they get one, but that MT review is scary.

 

[SRAces]

These responses are encouraging. Motortrend absolutely savaged the truck on their first test drive review. They said the ride without weight in the bed was horrible, and the transmission sucks. Modern cars have learning transmissions, and they generally get better at shifting with use. The gearbox issues don't scare me.

One thing they said which I would dearly love to hear confirmed or denied, they claim the truck dove badly under braking. My '05 Tundra does this. You hit the brakes, and braking feel does not begin until the front end squats down. This gives a full heart beat's worth of "NO BRAKES!" before you feel the truck slowing. That's not good. I hope they were wrong.

Another area they highlighted, which doesn't appear here, is they claimed the drive train has a great deal of NVH. My local dealer has a 4X4, but haven't seen a 2WD yet. I'll go for a drive and draw my own conclusions when they get one, but that MT review is scary.

Well I'm buying mine without ever taking a test drive. Yes, my local dealer has a Lariat SuperCrew 4X4 on the lot, but I was buying it regardless. Why? Because this isn't a brand new from scratch truck. It has a lot of proven areas based on the worldwide version and components used in the F-150. The vast majority of the reviews by both automotive experts and individual reviews has been overwhelmingly positive. Everyone is going to knock something as they personally were hoping for something else to be in the truck.

It fits my needs as I probably fall into that segment Ford says they are marketing to. On my 3rd F-150 since 1992, so I don't change vehicles often...lol! Current truck has lasted me 15 years and 225K miles. I am confident my new Ranger will last just as long. My biggest concern on my new Ranger was the bumper alignment at the front of the truck...lol!

Sponsored