2020 Ford Ranger

Price as tested: $45,915

Engine specs: 2.3 liter EcoBoost Turbo 4. 270 hp and 310 ft/lbs of torque

MPG as observed: 18 in mixed driving

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Text/Photos/Video: Yousef Alvi and FoMoCo

The 2020 Ford Ranger is finally here.  Does it live up to it’s lofty expectations?  Is a word.  Yes.  Yes it does.  The 2020 Ranger builds on the legacy of it’s fore-bearers and drops kicks the segment into the 21st century.  

The compact pickup truck market has been stuck in a rut for years now.  Sure, there are new models of the Tacoma and Colorado out there but they were all evolutionary changes…nothing gave either of them an ‘oh wow’ factor.  They, along with the Ridgeline, all have roughly the same power, torque, and gears.  

The Ranger goes against the grain and with that delivers an unexpected and surprising driving experience.  Instead of an obligatory V6, the Ranger comes with Ford’s workhorse of a motor the EcoBoost 2.3 Liter Turbo 4 Cylinder.  It delivers roughly the same power but a crapton more torque than its competitors.  That torque number makes all the difference in the world.  The Ranger just gets up and goes at any speed.  It’s just plain fun! That fun factor is the key here. But let’s go ahead and breakdown the rest for you:

The Good:  Glory be to that powertrain.  The 2.3 liter EcoBoost makes 270 hp and more importantly 310 ft/lbs of torque.  That torque number along with a perfectly paired 10 speed automatic, makes the Ranger one of the most fun trucks on the road today.  Add that along with lively steering, exceptional ride quality and surprisingly comfortable seats, makes the Ranger one of the best pickup trucks on the road today.  

The Bad:  No glory be to that engine note.  The 2.3 EcoBoost is not a sexy sounding motor.  Sounding agricultural if anything…doesn’t really give a sense of harmony of what is going on under that hood.  The interior in the Lariat is fine-ish.  Just below the infotainment screen is a sea of hollow, cheap and scratchy plastic. Exterior styling, unfortunately, is rather forgetful looking and a bit boring.

The Ugly:  The gauges.  It looks like it came from a 6 year old Fusion.  They look cheap, old and are hard to decipher.  

The uhhh overall?  There is no question.  Other than the stupid gauges…factoring in the stellar drivetrain, excellent dynamics, brilliant seats, and all the tech you need…the 2020 Ford Ranger is the best compact pickup truck on the road today.