2024 Ford Ranger Road Test and Review

2024 Ford Ranger XLT ・ Photo by Brady Holt

The Ford Ranger didn’t look much like other American Fords when it showed up on our shores as a 2019 model. This mid-size pickup was developed for international markets, then it got rushed over to the U.S. when sales for this once-sleepy segment took off. 

For 2024, the Ranger gets a comprehensive overhaul that not only brings mechanical upgrades – including a revised suspension and a newly available V6 engine – and new features but also a new face that looks more like other Ford trucks. We just spent a week testing the redesigned Ranger to explore how it fares against similarly new competitors. Keep reading to learn more about the new Ranger’s pros and cons and whether it sounds like the right mid-size pickup for you. 

Wider Range of Models, But Just One Body Style

Last year's Ranger let you choose an extended cab with a 6-foot-long bed, and much earlier Rangers were popular as two-door regular cabs. But the 2024 Ford Ranger is now available in a single body style, the one most folks were buying last year anyway: a crew cab with four full-size doors and a 5-foot bed. 

Still, its range of models has grown this year. The biggest change is an all-new Raptor model with extra off-road capability and a wild 405-horsepower V6 engine. Inspired by the wildly successful full-size F-150 Raptor, it’s built for rock-crawling, jumping, and overall grin-inducing activities that the all-business Ranger never aspired to in the past. Three other trim levels start with the $32,820 XL, followed by the mid-level XLT like our test vehicle ($36,260) and the lavishly equipped Lariat ($43,780). Four-wheel drive is a steep upcharge of about $3,400, and the 4WD-only Raptor starts at $55,720. 

Our four-wheel-drive XLT came to about $45,000 including the mandatory $1,595 destination charge and options such as GPS navigation, heated and power-adjustable front seats, automatic climate control, and adaptive cruise control. But that price didn’t include leather upholstery, push-button starting, or a sunroof. The former two are only available on the Lariat, and the sunroof isn’t an option at all. 

2024 Ford Ranger XLT ・ Photo by Brady Holt

New F-150 Inspired Design

The 2024 Ranger has most of its changes under the skin. But it also has a wider body, a squared-off front end inspired by the larger Ford F-150, and boxier taillights. We got to park next to an identically equipped 2023 model during our test to highlight the differences (as well as the similarities) between the two generations. 

To our eyes, the new Ranger looks more purposeful and defined. It wears what Ford calls “c-clamp” headlights, and we also like its smaller, more attentively detailed taillights more than last year’s casually styled blobs. The Ranger's more mature look isn't purely styling magic. As we mentioned, the new Ranger is also bigger than its predecessor – wider by about 2 inches. But it still doesn’t feel any bulkier than the modern competition. It won’t appeal to every fan the pre-2019 Ranger, which was a size smaller than this truck and its top competitors. But Ford does sell the light-duty Maverick for folks who prefer something less trucky, more maneuverable, and less expensive. 

2024 Ford Ranger XLT (right) and 2023 Ford Ranger XLT ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Big New Touchscreen

The Ranger is also redesigned inside, headlined by a vertial touchscreen infotainment system in the center of the dashboard. Measuring 10 inches on base models and 12 inches as an available upgrade, including on our test vehicle, it’s easy to use and supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration. We also appreciated the simple physical controls that complement the system. You don’t have to use the touchscreen for most common functions. 

The Ranger’s interior isn’t luxurious. Trim pieces on the center console don’t line up smoothly, the glovebox plops open and bounces against its stop, the roof makes a tinny echo when you fold up the sun visor, and the big screen’s graphics are plain. But to some tastes, an ambiance of simplicity beats the glitzier dashboard in, say, the latest Chevrolet Colorado.  

2024 Ford Ranger XLT ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Comfortable Cabin

We think everyone will get comfortable in the Ranger’s interior. Our test truck’s well-shaped cloth seats were heated, and they provided 10-way power-adjustability for the driver and eight-way power adjustability for the front passenger. Even the base model includes eight-way manual adjustability for the driver and six-way adjustability for the front passenger. 

The Ranger also has one of the most usable backseats in its class. You won’t stretch out and relax back there, but Ford carefully carved extra knee clearance out of the front seatbacks. You can also flip up the rear seat cushion against the rear seatback to create an enclosed cargo hold or access hidden storage areas under the seat, or you can fold the rear seatback down for an alternative cargo configuration. 

2024 Ford Ranger XLT ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Useful Capabilities

The Ranger is also one of the most useful mid-size pickups for hauling cargo as well as people. It supports a best-in-class 1,805-pound payload with rear-wheel drive, 1,711 pounds with four-wheel drive, and 1,411 pounds in the Raptor model. Towing capacity is also near the top of the class at 7,500 pounds on most trim levels and 5,510 pounds on the Raptor. (The Raptor is the toughest truck in many ways, but its suspension is optimized for off-road fun rather than on-road work.) 

Ford also says that the newly widened Ranger is the only traditional mid-size pickup that can hold plywood or drywall panels flat in its bed (with the tailgate down). The 5-foot-long bed includes an available 400-watt power inverter, too, for powering toys or tools alike. However, unlike the Toyota Tacoma or Nissan Frontier, you can no longer get the Ranger with a 6-foot bed. 

2024 Ford Ranger XLT ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Choose Your Turbo

We mentioned that the Ranger comes in a choice of three turbocharged engines. The standard engine carries over from last year: a 2.3-liter four-cylinder with 270 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. That was the only available engine on the old Ranger, and it’s a pretty good one. It’s lively and sounds better than the Chevy Colorado’s new four-cylinder, and it gets decent gas mileage: an EPA-estimated 21 mpg in the city, 25 mpg on the highway, and 22 mpg combined with rear-wheel drive and about 1 mpg less with four-wheel drive. Our four-wheel-drive test vehicle beat that estimate to average 23 mpg in a weeklong test. 

New this year is a pair of six-cylinder turbos, starting with a 2.7-liter V6 that costs $2,195 extra on four-wheel-drive XLT and Lariat models. This engine, shared with the larger Ford F-150 pickup and Ford Bronco SUV, makes 315 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque – outstanding output for a mid-size truck. It gets an EPA-estimated 19 mpg in the city, 23 mpg on the highway, and 20 mpg combined, just 1 mpg off the four-cylinder 4WD Ranger. The Raptor is sold exclusively with a 3.0-liter V6 with 405 hp and 430 lb-ft of torque, which manages just 16 mpg city, 18 mpg highway, and 17 mpg combined. 

2024 Ford Ranger XLT ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Easy Ride and Handling, Excellent Available Capability

With its wider body and revised suspension, the Ranger has become one of the steadier-riding mid-size pickups on smooth pavement. It still jostles you around when it hits bumps, though, including at low speeds. Overall, it’s comfortable and easy to drive, with a natural feel to its handling if you don’t push it to its limits. 

What’s more, you can option up the Ranger with excellent off-road capabilities. That starts with the FX4 Off-Road Package, which includes extra underbody protection, a retuned suspension, off-road tires, and selectable driving modes for sand and mud/ruts. Then there’s the Raptor, whose rebuilt suspension and wider stance are built for everything from clambering over obstacles to jumping into the air. 

2024 Ford Ranger XLT ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Competitors to Consider

The Ranger is freshly overhauled at the same time that two key competitors enjoyed nose-to-tail redesigns: the Chevrolet Colorado (and its GMC Canyon twin) and the Toyota Tacoma. 

Both of them follow the Ranger’s lead in switching to only turbo four-cylinders – just in time for Ford to reintroduce a now-rarer V6. The Ranger is also roomier and quieter than these rivals, and it beats both for payload capacity and the Toyota for towing. On the other hand, the Tacoma gets better gas mileage and the Colorado tends to cost less and has a slicker infotainment system. Also, both have better-finished interiors and more available luxury features. 

Other rivals include the more basic, simple V6-powered Nissan Frontier; the quirky Jeep Gladiator with a removable roof and doors; and the spacious, comfortable, light-duty Honda Ridgeline. 

2024 Chevrolet Colorado Z71 ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Quietly Improved

The 2024 Ford Ranger isn’t radically revolutionary. People won’t turn their heads and stare at it, except perhaps the pricey new Raptor model. But it quietly improves the truck’s ride quality, infotainment offerings, interior comfort, and (in our opinion) styling – without compromising any of the things we already liked about this truck. 

The Ranger isn’t the cheapest mid-size truck. It’s not the flashiest or the fanciest. But it’s one of the most comfortable, functional, capable, powerful, and economical. To us, that’s a pretty compelling list of virtues. 

2024 Ford Ranger XLT ・ Photo by Brady Holt