About the Ford Ranger
Lloyd bought this Ford Ranger new for $62,000 (including all on-road costs). Lloyd would buy this car again because: “This car was bought from Rebel Ford in South Australia in 2017 for $62,000, including all on-road costs. At the price of these things on the second-hand market today because it’s insane at the moment.”
How reliable has your car been? Let us know about any issues.
Having had this ute for over five years, it has been a great experience with no major issues. No paint fading or plastic fading on the Ranger’s exterior.
Interior wise it is still in very good condition with only the usual driver seat plastic cracking.
What about the ownership experience with your car?
I’ve had a ranger for 160,000km since new and it’s been a dream, a car that can go anywhere and carry anything.
Yes, it may not be a driver’s car and won’t win you drag races, but it’s a great car.
How has the purchase and aftercare experience been with your car?
The shopping experience was simple and straightforward, as there were a lot of Rangers at the time of shopping.
Every time the Ranger went back for a service he was always taken to a dealer who always offered a new car loan. All servicing was done within a day and never had a problem with the dealer.
It’s important to note that Ranger parts are also easy to come by, I experienced this first hand when I hit a kangaroo that caused extensive plastic damage to the front of the vehicle.
Are you happy with the price and features of your car?
Yes, 100 percent, while Rangers were starting to get expensive at the time, I managed to pick up a Wild Trek before the covid craze tax was put on everything and before utes became the ultimate vehicles to own. In 2017, the Ranger was well-specified, even today, it holds its own against today’s generation of utes.
What do you think about your car’s performance and economy?
Whether you’re towing or emptying the Ranger’s straight line speed leaves a lot to be desired, it’s not a 0 to 100 demon…
Honestly, this is to be expected when the ute is shaped like a brick, but where it becomes an issue is in the front. If you want to overtake a vehicle, you need to know that it requires more than loudly stamping the pedals and it requires planning.
You need to ask yourself, how long is the overtaking road, is it hilly, what is the wind direction and then give yourself a good run-up to go ahead when ready.
The overall driveline is smooth and the six-speed auto will, for the most part, shift into the right gear when needed.
In terms of fuel the Ranger averages 9.6L per 100km with city and country driving. When towing you’re looking at around 10L per 100km.
What about the technology in your car?
Back in 2017, the Ranger PXII offered both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, which is a godsend as both platforms allow you to connect to your media quickly and seamlessly, while the standard Ford Sync 2 system Great for a factory infotainment system, it doesn’t. Compare with one of these platforms.
At the time of release, the Ranger earned a five-star safety rating with the Wild Trek getting some amazing tech at the time like autonomous braking, adaptive cruise control, lane assist, and a ton of airbags all around.
Oh and as a bonus, the Rangers rearview camera is in fantastic position, you can literally flip the ute up to the trailer and have the tow ball in the perfect position… you have no idea how satisfying that is. .
How about your ride comfort and handling of your car?
Well, while the Ford Ranger and dynamics should never be discussed in the same sentence unless you’re calling it dynamically challenging, the car is fun to drive.
It’s a big beast with a lot of weight in the front and nothing in the back.
This is immediately noticeable when you take it on a country drive, the Ranger will struggle around corners, either understeering through them or breaking into oversteer in the blink of an eye… in the dry. It can be a challenge if pushed, but once one learns its shortcomings and how to get around them it can be quite fun to control this huge beast.
A really important thing to keep in mind is that if you’re either pushing the Ranger or you misjudge a corner and have a bump mid-corner, you could be in all sorts of trouble. , with the rear end of the ute bouncing violently into oversteer, which can make it a brown-pants type of moment if you weren’t prepared for it.
When towing the Ranger is in its element, the 3.2L happily pulls whatever load you want with such minimal fuss you’ll only be looking back to double-check. Everything remains. When the tub is fully loaded, the Ranger sits well on the road, with predictable road manners that make it more composed and a joy to roam on any road/surface you want to put it on. are
Finally off-road… in short it’s a beast when switching to its various 4×4 modes the Ranger is happy to do so in the mud or on the beach with minimal effort or drama.
Do you have any additional comments about your car?
If you’re doing regular night driving in the country, please buy some better lights for the love of god.
The Ranger’s low beams are as good as a set of candles strapped to the front of the ute and the high beams can pass as low beams… they’re shocking.