Pickup trucks have become so luxurious, stylish, and expensive over the years that it's refreshing to see a new entry, like the revived Ford Ranger, that hasn't forgotten what a truck is all about. Smaller, cheaper, and less capable than its big brother the F-150, the Ranger is of course available with all manner of fancy optional features and appearance packages that drive its price into the $45,000 range—but we're most interested in what the Ranger offers closer to its base price of just over $25,000.
To that end, we've spec'ed out a 2019 Ranger with a few key options to improve its capabilities, but without any frivolous extras only meant to enhance its looks or technology quotient. We appreciate the idea of an honest, unpretentious truck—and we figure many buyers in the mid-size-truck segment do, too.
MODEL WE'D PICK:
- Ranger XL SuperCab 4x4 (base price: $29,655)
The way Ford structures its lineup, you get the same basic powertrain in every Ranger, meaning the stripped-out base XL model benefits from the same turbocharged 2.3-liter inline-four engine and 10-speed automatic transmission as bigger, heavier, better-equipped models. We stuck with the XL and added four-wheel drive, choosing the SuperCab model for its longer bed, which measures six feet to the crew cab's five feet. The XL doesn't come standard with much, but it does have a backup camera, Bluetooth, a USB port, and steel wheels that lend it a decidedly work-oriented look.
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OPTIONS WE'D CHOOSE:
- 101A package ($1135)
- Second-row seat delete (-$240)
- Manual-sliding rear window with privacy glass and defroster ($225)
- Electronic locking rear differential ($420)
- Trailer Tow package ($495)
- Bed Utility package ($395)
Yeah, we said we wanted a no-frills Ranger, but we went for the $1135 101A package anyway, which adds cruise control, keyless entry, power mirrors, and an anti-theft alarm—useful basic features to have. Because the rear seats in this model are useless to begin with, we ditched them and saved $240 to gain a bit of extra cargo space in the cab. A sliding rear window seemed like a good deal for $225, as did the limited-slip rear differential for $420. And to enhance the truck's capability, we added the Trailer Tow package, which includes a wiring harness and Class IV hitch to bring the Ranger's towing capacity to 7500 pounds, and the Bed Utility package, which adds a drop-in bedliner and a 12-volt power outlet in the bed.
All this adds gives us a final price of $32,085, which may not seem cheap at first but is less than the average price of a new car these days. Plus, it's a far cry from the $41,725 version of the Ranger that we tested recently. The biggest argument against this stripped-out Ranger may be a new F-150, which arguably offers more value at its starting price of $29,750—but that's another story for another day.
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Despite being raised on a steady diet of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or perhaps because of it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive industry throughout his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He found a way to write about cars for the school newspaper during his college years at Rice University, which eventually led him to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first professional auto-writing gig at Automobile Magazine. He has been part of the Car and Driver team since 2016 and now lives in New York City.
