2019 Ford Ranger Review

It's been almost a decade since there was a new Ford Ranger at dealerships. A lot has changed in that time. Midsize pickup trucks are larger than ever before. They also offer more towing and hauling capability, more passenger comfort and more modern tech inside. With the debut of the 2019 Ford Ranger, expectations are high for what this latest entry can do.

The 2019 Ford Ranger isn't entirely new, though. Ford may have pulled the Ranger from the U.S. market back in 2011, but it didn't stop building and selling Rangers in other parts of the world. That same year consumers in some markets outside of North America could buy an all-new and suitably enlarged midsize Ranger that was developed by Ford Australia. Ford gave this world-market Ranger a face-lift for 2015, and it is that truck that forms the basis for our 2019 Ranger.

A lot of what you'll see on the Ranger will be familiar if you've spent any time in its big brother, the F-150. On the inside, the Ranger will get Ford's Sync 3 technology in addition to available features such as smartphone connectivity, blind-spot monitoring and even in-car Wi-Fi. The Ranger also comes with a healthy number of advanced safety features including forward collision mitigation and lane keeping assist.

Under the hood, the Ranger is currently slated to get only one engine: a turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder that produces 270 horsepower. While we'd prefer to have a few powertrains to choose from, this new mill certainly satisfies. It's gutsy and it provides plenty of power for accelerating quickly or pulling a heavy trailer. Maximum towing capacity is a stout 7,500 pounds.

In other ways, however, the 2019 Ranger fails to live up to the expectations set by an all-new debut. The truck's chassis and the interior design come across as carryovers from several years back, not something originated to expressly serve the needs of U.S. market customers in a competitive midsize-truck field.

Overall, the new Ranger ends up as a midpack offering. It's worth checking out if you want a midsize pickup with a strong standard engine and the latest advanced safety features. Otherwise, the more well-rounded Chevrolet Colorado, Honda Ridgeline and Toyota Tacoma will likely serve you better.

Notably, we picked the 2019 Ford Ranger as one of Edmunds' Best Trucks for Towing and Best Gas Mileage Trucks for this year.