The Ford Ranger is one of the best pickup trucks on sale in Britain. This current version has been around for more than a decade, but continues to offer those after a practical, heavy-duty working vehicle everything they could wish for.
It looks good, with more style than a typical commercial vehicle, and it feels more akin to a posh SUV than a building-site-friendly pickup on the inside. Pickup truck rivals include the Toyota Hilux and Nissan Navara.
Ford is readying a replacement, but this current Ford Ranger still offers a broad range of models to choose from – and prices are good value, too.
The Ford Ranger is a very highly regarded pickup, both in new and used guises. The extensive line-up seems to offer something for everyone, from the builder looking for a practical workhorse, to their manager who wants something more luxurious so they can travel long distances from site to site – and save on their company car tax in the process.
Because the Ford Ranger has a payload of over one tonne, it qualifies as a light commercial vehicle (LCV). This gives it a fixed-rate Benefit in Kind (BiK) tax rate of £3000, plus £564 if the driver gets free fuel. Motorists will save a fortune in tax, as will businesses. Leasing or buying a Ranger is made cheaper as the VAT can be reclaimed.
The core Ford Ranger is the Double Cab, which has four doors and an accommodating rear seat. The Super Cab has a more rudimentary second row of seats for carrying two people over short distances. The Single Cab is a conventional two-seat pickup with a large rear load bay.
The Ranger is a large vehicle, measuring almost 5.3 metres long even in regular guise. It is nearly two metres wide and at least 1.8 metres tall. As a working vehicle, the size of the pickup load bay is important: the Single Cab has a load length of 2.3 metres, the Super Cab offers 1.8 metres and the Double Cab has a 1.6-metre load length. Ranger buyers can add load liners and top boxes to make things safe and secure.
A muscular 2.0-litre Ecoblue turbodiesel engine is available in 130PS, 170PS and 213PS guises. All models have selectable four-wheel drive and cheaper versions have a manual gearbox, while a self-shifting automatic is available on higher grades.
Ford offers a broad array of trim levels. XL is the lead-in version, with XLT offering more equipment as standard, and Limited proving positively lavish. The Ranger Wildtrak and Raptor offer even more.
The Ford Ranger is a rightly popular pickup. The choice of models is broad, and all models offer plentiful abilities across all types of surface.
They are great working vehicles, with a robust, unbreakable nature and ultra-practical load bays that are well supported by a huge range of accessories. We also like how tax-conscious buyers can save money without having to scrimp on car-like luxuries, thanks to Ford’s range-topping models.
The Ranger even drives in an engaging way; the familiar Ford magic is still evident in the way it steers neatly and remains controlled through bends. The diesel engines offer a good blend of pulling power and fuel economy, plus four-wheel drive and the convenience of an automatic gearbox on higher-grade versions.
The number of competitor models in the pickup sector isn’t what it was, but you still shouldn’t feel short-changed by the Ford Ranger. It’s a really strong and solid all-rounder.
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Unlike its stateside cousins, the Ford Ranger has never officially been sold with a petrol engine in the UK. And with good reason, the latest fuel prices would make a petrol pick-up extremely expensive to run. That means your options are limited to diesel.
The Ranger is available with 3.2-, 2.2- or 2.0-litre turbodiesel engines. The 2.2 engine was phased out in 2019 and is the weakest engine in the Ranger line-up, with the powerful 3.2 and punchy but efficient 2.0 'EcoBue' diesels being far superior. We rate the 170PS 2.0-litre diesel as the best all-rounder, but the 213PS version is recommended if you plan to use your Ranger for lots of towing or off-roading.
Most versions of the Ranger get a six-speed manual gearbox as standard. A six-speed automatic was added to the range in 2015 and upgraded to a much-improved 10-speed torque-converter automatic in 2019.
Ford Ranger 2.0L Ecoblue 130PS: The most affordable Ford Ranger uses a 130PS version of the 2.0-litre Ecoblue engine. It has a six-speed manual gearbox, does 0-62mph in 11.1 seconds and averages up to 40.9mpg. Like all Rangers, it has four-wheel drive as standard.
Ford Ranger 2.0L Ecoblue 170PS: The 170PS Ecoblue engine isn’t any faster than the 130PS engine in terms of acceleration, but it does have a higher top speed, so it’s more relaxed at speed. It has significantly more pulling power, yet is still capable of averaging 40.9mpg. You can have it with a 10-speed automatic gearbox instead of the six-speed manual.
Ford Ranger 2.0L Ecoblue 213PS: The high-performance engine of the range, the 213PS Ecoblue engine does 0-62mph in 9.0 seconds, which is easily achieved thanks to its 10-speed automatic ’box. It has a significant hike in pulling power as well, yet is still capable of 36.7mpg in the official test.
Other used Ford Rangers can be found with an older 2.2-litre TDCi diesel engine, which was available in various different power outputs from 125PS to 160PS. The company also offered a rugged 3.2-litre diesel with a 200PS power output, but this has been replaced by the more powerful 2.0-litre Ecoblue 213PS.
The Ford Ranger is offered in a broad array of trims. The basic model is very much a cost-conscious version, with only the essentials fitted as standard. It’s a pickup aimed largely at utility companies.
As you move up the range, Ford builds on the standard equipment of the vehicle. Top-grade models are positively luxurious, with a kit list more comparable with a posh SUV.
The Ford Ranger XL is the most affordable model, with a standard spec that includes manual air conditioning, but doesn’t have luxury features such as alloy wheels. It is available in Single Cab, Super Cab and Double Cab formats, with either 130PS or 170PS engines.
The Ford Ranger XLT has a more comprehensive array of standard equipment and is the effective entry-level model for user-choosers or businesspeople looking to save money on tax. Take it in Single Cab or Double Cab guises, with a single 170PS engine choice.
The Ford Ranger Limited is a much more luxurious model, offered in Super Cab or Double Cab forms. It has glitzier exterior features and the Ford Sync 3 infotainment touchscreen inside.
The Ford Ranger Wildtrak is the style-conscious version, with a titanium-effect grille, aluminium roof rails and, inside, part-leather seats and ambient lighting. It’s only available in Double Cab guise, and with the most powerful 213PS engine.
The Ford Ranger Raptor is the ‘Focus RS’ of the line-up, There’s no missing it, with its wider track, flared wheelarches and Fox Pro dampers, while the interior has had a makeover as well. It shares the same 213PS engine as the Ranger Wildtrak.
The Ford Ranger’s dimensions are:
Length: 5,282-5,363mm
Width: 1,977-2,028mm
Height: 1,800-2,028mm
Ground clearance: 230mm
The Ford Ranger’s load box depth/width/height are:
Single Cab: 2,317/1,560/511mm
Super Cab: 1,847/1,560/511mm
Double Cab: 1,613/1,560/511mm
Pick-up trucks are taxed as commercial vehicles, which means you'll pay a flat rate of £275 for 12 months VED and £143 for six months tax.
As a working vehicle, the Ford Ranger is a little more expensive to insure than a conventional hatchback or SUV. Insurance groups start from 37 and move up to group 42 for the powerful Wildtrak. The Range Raptor is also more expensive than the mainstream versions, due to its bespoke features and greater desirability. All models come with a volumetric anti-theft alarm and the Ford double-locking system.
Read our full Ford Ranger review