Sacramento,
California -- Generally speaking, I'm not the truck driving type ... not
because I don't like them, but my current urban/suburban lifestyle doesn't
necessarily lend itself to parking a sizable pickup in the driveway.
Unless, say, I
need to pick up a full-size couch at the furniture store.
But a recent
week in the new 2019 Ford Ranger XLT SuperCrew 4X2 went a long way toward
tempting me to consider a long-term relationship with a pickup.
The Ranger is
back after a seven-year layoff. With
pickups a hot-selling item these days, Ford figured a midsize truck would be a
popular option for folks who don't necessarily need a work site/ranch-size
truck.
Works for
me. With its easy-to-handle size and a
cargo-convenient, five-foot bed, the Ranger hits the right notes for the
urban/suburban jungle. And yes, it would
be a good addition to anyone managing ranch acreage or a busy building site.
My tester
looked sharp in "Hot Pepper Red" exterior paint and attractive sculpting on
the front end.
As a driver,
the 2.3-liter, turbo-4 engine made significant noise in the low gears but
settled into a nice rhythm in freeway cruise mode. Also, the ride was considerably truck-like in
low revs, but smoothed out in the higher end.
Performance
was no problem with the 270-horsepower power plant giving me all I needed when
it was time to enter the freeway wars.
Hill climbs were likewise brisk and relatively effortless. The Ranger held the line well on twisty
mountain roads.
Fuel mileage
on my ride was 21 miles per gallon in the city and 26 mpg on the highway. The tester's bottom line price of $36,190 was
pretty much spot-on, given the solid safety/security/drive-assist features;
those included hill-start assist, cross-traffic alert and lane-keeping assist. My
ride also had the Sport Appearance Package.
Dash controls
were thoughtfully laid out, and interior space in the back of the passenger cabin was pretty good for
a midsize truck.
One annoyance
was a quick-on-the-draw pre-collision sensing system that lit up behind my
steering wheel a couple of times when a vehicle well ahead of me was making a
normal turn into a driveway. I
appreciate a warning, but truth be told, I was never in danger of an imminent
crash.
Overall, it's good to see the Ranger back on the road. It's a nice effort by Ford, offering a sensible
truck option for those who like their pickups a little less large.
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