The 2021 Ford Ranger US

The 2021 Ford Ranger is basically the same as the 2020 Ranger, with one exception: There’s a new Tremor off-road package that you can add. It boosts the Ranger’s off-road abilities with a plethora of features such as a lifted suspension, off-road tires, skid plates, a locking rear differential, and more.

The Ford Ranger is a good truck. It has a powerful engine, handles well, and gets good gas mileage. The Ranger is a solid off-roader, and its towing and hauling capacities are good for the class. Inside, the seats are comfortable, and SuperCrew models have more rear-seat space than many competitors. There are plenty of user-friendly features available as well.

Ranger Performance: Easy and Enjoyable to Drive

Ranger Engine

The Ranger features a turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 270 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. A 10-speed automatic transmission comes standard. The engine provides quick acceleration, and there’s almost no turbo lag. It also feels plenty powerful when the Ranger is towing or hauling. The transmission shifts smoothly and rarely has to hunt for the correct gear.

Ranger Gas Mileage

Most class rivals can’t match the Ranger’s fuel economy ratings. With rear-wheel drive, this Ford gets 21 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway. With four-wheel drive, ratings drop to 20 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway.

Ranger Ride and Handling

This Ford rides more stiffly than some other compact pickups, but the suspension soaks up most road imperfections without disturbing occupants. This truck is more fun to drive than many rivals thanks to its sharp steering and poised handling, and some say it feels more like driving a crossover SUV than a truck.

Ranger Off-Road Performance

The Ranger can’t keep up with some of the elite off-roaders in the class, like the Jeep Gladiator, Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro, and Chevrolet Colorado ZR2, but it’s fairly capable in off-road situations. Instead of an off-road specialty trim, the Ranger lets you add option packages that include features like an off-road-tuned suspension, special off-road tires, a locking rear differential, skid plates, a terrain management system, and crawl control.

If off-roading is a high priority for you, you’ll want to add the FX2, FX4, or Tremor package, with the Tremor package providing the most capability of the three.

Ranger Hauling and Towing Capacity

The standard extended-cab SuperCab Ranger comes with a 6-foot bed, while the crew-cab SuperCrew model has a 5-foot bed. Payload capacities range from 1,560 to 1,860 pounds, the latter of which leads the class by a long shot. For the most utility, go with a SuperCab model and rear-wheel drive.

The Ranger can tow up to 7,500 pounds, which places it among the class leaders in that regard. The Chevrolet Colorado and its 7,700-pound limit is one of a few compact pickup trucks that can tow more than the Ranger.

Ranger Interior: With the Right Upgrades, It’s Pretty Inviting

Ranger Cargo Space

The Ford Ranger comes with a 6-foot bed in SuperCab models and a 5-foot bed in SuperCrew models.

How Many People Does the Ranger Seat?

The Ford Ranger seats four people in the SuperCab model and five in the SuperCrew. The front seats are roomy and delightfully comfortable. The driver sits up high, affording them a commanding view ahead. SuperCab models have confining rear seats that are mostly for show. SuperCrew models, however, have more back-seat space than some competitors provide, and adults can comfortably ride back there.

Ranger and Child Car Seats

With both cabs, the Ranger has two complete sets of LATCH connections for the rear outboard seats. Lower anchors in the SuperCab are on a panel behind the rear seats. In the SuperCrew model, the attachments are in the seat cushion where the bottom meets the backrest. SuperCab models have two upper tether anchors that are located above the backrest of the seat. The Ranger SuperCrew has three tether anchors in the form of brackets behind the seats.

Ranger Interior Quality

The Ranger’s cabin doesn’t look as stylish or modern as some rival interiors. Materials quality is OK for the class, but you won’t confuse this for a luxury vehicle, as there are plenty of hard plastics sprinkled about.

Ranger Infotainment, Bluetooth, and Navigation

The Ranger’s standard features list is pretty paltry, and you’ll want to upgrade. The voice-activated SYNC system is decent, but it has a small display and pales in comparison to rival systems. The SYNC 3 infotainment system is the one you want. It has an intuitive interface and a large, responsive touch screen. There are also physical controls for some functions.

Standard infotainment features: a USB port, Bluetooth, four speakers, and a Wi-Fi hot spot

Available infotainment features: a 4.2-inch display, an 8-inch touch screen, navigation, a six- or 10-speaker audio system, a 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system, satellite radio, HD Radio, two USB ports, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto

Other available features: dual-zone automatic climate control, remote start, and push-button start

Ranger Reliability

Is the Ford Ranger Reliable?

The 2021 Ranger has a predicted reliability score of 85 out of 100. A J.D. Power predicted reliability score of 91-100 is considered the Best, 81-90 is Great, 70-80 is Average, and 0-69 is Fair and considered below average.

Ford Ranger Warranty

Ford covers the Ranger with a three-year/36,000-mile basic warranty and a five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty.

Ranger Safety

Ranger Crash Test Results

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the 2021 Ford Ranger an overall safety rating of four out of five stars, with five stars in the side crash test, four stars in the frontal crash test, and three stars in the rollover test.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the 2021 Ranger the highest rating of Good in four crash tests and the second-highest rating of Acceptable in the passenger-side small overlap front test. The Ranger also earned the second-lowest rating of Marginal for how well its headlights illuminate the road ahead.

The IIHS uses a different scale for grading collision avoidance features. The Ranger earned the highest rating of Superior for its standard vehicle-vehicle front crash prevention system and the second-highest rating of Advanced for the standard vehicle-to-pedestrian system.

Ranger Safety Features