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I drove a $45,000 Ford Ranger to see if it's ready to take on the Chevy Colorado and Toyota Tacoma - here's the verdicthttps://www.businessinsider.in/miscellaneous/i-drove-a-45000-ford-ranger-to-see-if-its-ready-to-take-on-the-chevy-colorado-and-toyota-tacoma-heres-the-verdict/slidelist/69012842.cms2019-04-23T20:48:32+05:30

I drove a $45,000 Ford Ranger to see if it's ready to take on the Chevy Colorado and Toyota Tacoma - here's the verdict

Apr 23, 2019, 20:48 IST

Our 2019 Supercrew Lariat 4x4 Ranger was nicely equipped and stickered at almost $45,000. The base-price pickup is a little more than $24,000.

The Supercrew configuration sports a five-foot bed, but the Ranger can be had with a two-door cab and a six-foot bed,

The Ranger is a handsome pickup, especially in "Lightning Blue."

The Blue Oval and the Ranger nameplate share space on the blacked-out grille.

Sleek headlights and a bit of styling across the hood define the front end.

The Lariat series packaging adds about $2,000 to the price tag.

Ford hasn't stopped using its push-button entry codes!

The Ranger boasts a solid four-wheel-drive system — FX4 — with a locking differential. The package adds another grand or so.

Our tester came with stout offroad rubber.

But the Range also enjoys Ford's EcoBoost engine tech, which uses turbocharging to retain power with good fuel-economy. In this case, that 20 mpg city/24 highway/22 combined.

The Ranger nameplate is a bit larger on the tailgate.

And the Blue Oval is back there, as well.

This step bumper enables easy access to the bed.

I actually used the Ranger to make a run to Costco for a few supplies ...

... And to haul some furniture. The five-foot box isn't gigantic, but for this sort of weekend duty, it's perfect.

The interior of our tester was a no-nonsense "Ebony," but the upholstery was leather. The front seats are heated.

The rear bench seat is snug.

But the rear seats could absorb a decent amount of cargo — the kind of things you wouldn't want to put in the bed.

Overall, the Ranger's interior space and appointments were on par with the well-equipped Chevy Colorado. The Ranger was also much nicer than the Toyota Tacoma.

Sadly, no sunroof on my tester.

A bit more Ranger branding.

And yet more Ranger branding!

The leather-wrapped steering wheel felt premium, and you'll notice that the cluster presents a speedometer along — no tachometer, and that's fine. Tachs aren't very useful on pickups.

A ten-speed transmission handles the shifting duties ...

... And the Ranger has a nice, old-school parking brake.

Ford's SYNC 3 infotainment system runs on an eight-inch touchscreen.

SYNC 3 is one of the best in the industry. It provides superb navigation, easy Bluetooth connectivity, and provides AUX/USB device-connection options.

I sampled both SiriusXM satellite radio and old-fashioned terrestrial radio during my testing.

SYNC 3 also offers a suite of apps and has both CarPlay and Android Auto available.

The ten-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system is a terrific extra. It sounds too good for a truck this small!

These simple knobs and buttons are welcome!

Let's have a look under the hood!

The 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine is a turbocharged powerplant that cranks out 275 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. Towing capacity is 7,500 lbs. — enough to tow just about anything owners of the Ranger would want to.

So what's the verdict?

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