For many years, the Ranger was Ford’s small pickup truck and played the second fiddle to the larger F-150- Ford’s flagship pickup truck. With the dipping demand for small pickup trucks, the Ranger was eventually discontinued in the United States by the end of 2010. However, as the market for small pickups started reviving at the end of the decade, Ford drove back an entirely refreshed and updated Ranger to the country last year in 2019.
The market currently has a lot of sophisticated & premium pickup trucks like the GMC Sierra and the Chevrolet Colorado but the Ford isn’t really that kind of a vehicle. The Ford Ranger was and still is pretty much a bare-bones and practical pickup truck. In this quick 2020 Ford Ranger review, we shall explore it inside out & see if it is any good.
What’s new for 2020?
The 2020 Ford Ranger has an all-new FX2 package on offer. The FX2 package takes the off-road abilities of the Ranger to the next level. The FX2 package offers stuff like off-road tires, body decals, electronically locking rear differential, and specially tuned off-roading suspensions. The 2020 Ranger also gets a pickup box extender as an accessory along with three new exterior paint schemes.
How does the Ford Ranger perform?
The 2020 Ford Ranger comes with a turbocharged 2.3 liter 4 barrel engine that churns out 270 horses and delivers 310 lb-ft of torque. The engine is mated to a 10-speed automatic gearbox and power as standard is sent to the rear wheels only but you can always avail the all-wheel-drive system. The powertrain as a whole is smooth and buttery and the overall power delivery is quite linear but it’s a shame that a more powerful engine isn’t on offer. The gearbox too is quick to react and perfectly manages to meet your power and torque demands. Additionally, there’s Ford’s Terrain Management system that tweaks the performance of the vehicle depending upon the terrain you’re driving. There are four selectable drive modes namely- Normal, Grass/Gravel, Snow, Mud/Ruts, and Sand.
This isn’t really a sports car and no owner would ever really bother about the acceleration timings of the Ranger but just in case you happen to be a number nerd, we’ve got the figures covered for you in this 2020 Ford Ranger review. The Ranger goes from rest to 60 mph in about 7 seconds and on the drag strip, it hits the quarter-mile mark in about 14.7 seconds which is pretty decent for a 4500 lbs. pickup truck. The truck also gets a rated towing capacity of 7500 lbs.
The handling and driving dynamics of the Ford are also fairly decent and handles all sorts of terrains pretty well. The truck gets a ground clearance of 8.9 inches which just adds up to its off-roading capabilities. The steering of the truck too is well designed and offers a decent amount of feedback and is confidence-inspiring on all sorts of terrains.
The truck in the city driving conditions can haul up to 20 miles on a gallon of fuel while on the highway it can go for up to 24 miles. The pickup gets a combined EPA rating of 22 mpg which again is pretty decent.
Trims and Features
The Ranger is offered across 3 trim levels with each trim being offered with 2 different cab styles and bed lengths. All the trims get the same engine and gearbox with rear-wheel drive as standard while all-wheel drive can be availed by paying extra. The base spec XL trim level is priced at $24410 and comes with features like single-zone manual air conditioning, automatic headlights, reverse sensing system, 2.3 inches productivity screen, dome light, cloth trimmed seats, FordPass Connect with 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, AM/FM stereo with Bluetooth and 4 speakers.
The next XLT trim is priced at $28460 and comes with Ford’s Co-Pilot360 Technology which is a pretty unique feature for a truck like this. The Co-Pilot360 Technology system comprises advanced driver-assist features like cross-traffic alert, pre-collision assist, automatic emergency braking, and rearview camera which help the driver navigate easily and safely through crowded roads and highways. Other standard features offered with the XLT trim level include power locking tailgate, halogen fog lamps, dual-zone electronic automatic temperature control, 4.2 inches color productivity screen, 8 inch LCD touch screen in the center stack with SYNC3, SiriusXM satellite radio and a 6 speaker audio system
The top of the line Lariat trim level is priced at $32500 and is a slightly upscale version of the Ranger. It gets heated, leather-trimmed, 8-way power-adjustable seats at the front and also gets leather-trimmed seats at the rear. Other standard features that make way on the Lariat trim include LED headlights and foglights, forward and reverse sensing system, dual-zone automatic climate control, color-coordinated carpeted floor mats, push-button start-stop, leather-wrapped steering wheel, optional Band & Olufsen 10 speaker Premium audio system.
2020 Ford Ranger Safety Features
The NHTSA and the IIHS haven’t yet tested the Ranger but we know Ford and they’re not a brand who would side-line safety of the passenger in the vehicles that they make and so one can be assured of the safety quotient of the truck. The pickup also gets some advanced safety features which further up its overall safety quotient.
Some advanced safety features:
- Rearview camera
- AdvanceTrac with roll stability control
- Automatic emergency braking
- Curve control
- Cross-traffic alert
- Lane -keep assist
Warranty
The Ranger gets a 3 years/36000 miles basic warranty. It also gets a 5 year/60000 miles drivetrain warranty and a 5 years/unlimited miles corrosion warranty.
Should you buy the 2020 Ford Ranger?
The purpose of this 2020 Ford Ranger review is to help you decide if you should buy the pickup or not. In simple words, we would say that if you’re in search of a no-frills and practical pickup, then the Ford Ranger is really a great buy. It has got adequate power, it can take on bad and undulated roads, it offers good fuel economy numbers and also comes with some great safety features. On the flip side, if you want a truck that is a bit more fun, has a little bit of premium touch to it and also gets some good infotainment features, then you probably shouldn’t opt for the Ranger and consider its rivals like the Honda Ridgeline or the Toyota Tacoma. All-in-all, the 2020 Ford Ranger is a great truck for its price tag and perfectly fits its purpose.
