Experienced by Adrian McQueen
Photography by Adrenaline Lifestyles
The 2020 Ford Ranger is built for work and for fun. It is stylish, fast and off-road ready. We were able to take the Ford Ranger Lariat for a week and really get some good seat time with it. This is definitely an attention grabber and ignites the conversation on how this truck measures up in tough Ford line up including the F-150 and the Raptor.
The Ford Ranger is a nameplate that has been used on numerous vehicles sold by Ford. The Ranger was introduced for 1983 as the first compact pickup truck produced by Ford. The Ranger the smallest Ford pickup truck but seen as a mid-size pickup truck.
Upon first look you immediately recognize the Ranger from the bold grill and the“Ranger” applique plastered across the tailgate. The Ranger sits on 18” Black painted aluminum wheels to help move this beast around. This truck includes a spray-in bedliner and Tonneau folding hard cover. Our Raptor came in a Lightning Blue hue with the FX4 Off-Road package and the Black Appearance package. The crew cab model that we had, offers you four doors and enough space to experience the Ranger as a daily driver hauling the family around and a performance truck that can’t be stopped.
The interior is spacious and nice with the dual bucket seats, easy to find gauges, an 8.0” touchscreen, two USB ports and a 12-volt/110-watt power outlet. The Ranger comes with 8-way, heated, power front seats, leather upholstery, power adjustable pedals and a power sliding rear window. We even had ambient lighting that jazzed the inside up a bit.
The Ranger’s cabin design is plain but the controls are easy to identify and use. The SuperCrew model that was offered to us, help tremendously has we drove around the city delivering thanksgiving meals. The Ranger Lariat SuperCrew model seats five people and comes with four full-size doors. This cab style offers a lot of leg room along with wide door openings to get in and out easily.
The Ranger is equipped with a Wi-Fi hotspot that can connect up to 10 devices. The Lariat includes an 8 inch touchscreen, SiriusXM, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto smartphone integration, navigation and an 8.0-inch touchscreen with swipe capability. The 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system was definitely a nice added touch to the ride.
A turbo charged 2.3-liter Ecoboost V4 engine with the 10-speed transmission comes in the Ranger and delivers 270 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. The Lariat model delivers performance and value. It is quick and smooth, with excellent ride quality. The Ranger is perfect for darting around the city, where the F-150 or Raptor could be a bit large. The Ranger is available with a Terrain Management System that manages engine responsiveness and transmission gearing. Four selectable drive modes are offered: Normal, Grass/Gravel/Snow, Mud/Ruts, and Sand. Gas Mileage in the Ranger clocks in at 22 mpg in the city, 24 on the highway and 22 mpg combined. The Ranger can tow up to 7500 pounds with the tow package.The Ranger handled well in the city and on rural roads but I have to admit that I had the most fun off road with it.
Safety is a must with Ford. In crash testing conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the 2020 Ford Ranger earned four out of a possible five stars overall. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety did not name the Ranger a Top Safety Pick. The Ranger comes equipped with safety systems such as Standard forward-collision warning and automated emergency braking, Available blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert and Available adaptive cruise control
The Ford Ranger has a competitive warranty. The Limited warranty covers 3 years or 36,000 miles, the Powertrain warranty covers 5 years or 60,000 miles but there is no complimentary scheduled maintenance
In its’ class, the Ranger goes up against trucks such as the Toyota Tacoma, the Chevrolet Colorado, and the GMC Canyon. One thing that is not up for debate when comparing them all to the Ranger is the speed. Overall, the Ranger is a flat out fun truck that is easily at the top my list. Please enjoy the photo gallery.
