Right now, mid-size pickup trucks are trendy. Since Ford, General Motors, and Toyota have all just released new versions of their mid-size cars, the stars have finally aligned as the segment’s mainstays have grown in recent years. We’ve only been able to test drive the 2023 Chevy Colorado and the 2023 GMC Canyon. Also shown are the Ford Ranger 2024 and Toyota Tacoma 2024. Ford’s website for consumers has an online configurator for the Ranger. We gave our crack team of car nerds free reign and asked them to build their dream Rangers while we waited to drive the other two trucks. Notably, the Ranger’s optional 310-hp turbocharged 2.7-liter V-6 is currently out of stock, so all of the models we chose—except for the 405-hp Raptor, of course—come standard with the 270-hp turbo 2.3-liter four-cylinder, a 10-speed automatic transmission, and either rear- or four-wheel drive. Austin Irwin spent $39,290 to buy a Ranger XL. This is how I would tell my dad about the 2024 Ford Ranger. The winner is Pops’ Jewel Green 1991 F-150 custom cab, which was built in 1991. For 35 years, he used it to hang, tape, and mud walls in almost every Michigan home north of the 45th line. In the same winter, it was stolen, found, and hit by a Consumers Energy repair truck. It wasn’t just a business car; when I was a kid, it was important for fishing, camping, and hockey games. You can’t hide my dad’s love of trucks from someone who used to listen to Alan Jackson’s Mercury Blues when it was still a new album—his days of sheetrocking are long gone. I’d choose the XL Ranger with the most basic trim level. A 2.3-liter inline-four engine with 270 horsepower, a 10.0-inch touchscreen screen (don’t worry, Dad, it plays both country and western music), keyless entry, and LED headlights are all standard. At this trim level, the seats are black cloth and can be adjusted by hand, which I know my dad likes better than the bulky power chairs. I’d also add the $495 Trailer Tow package, which comes with a class IV hitch receiver, an electrical harness, and four-wheel drive, and costs $3,645. The Ranger can pull up to 7500 pounds for his pop-up camper and 14-foot fishing boat. He could make one for $25 and a trip to the lumber yard, but I’d add the spray-in bedliner. Also, when it comes time to fix things, the Ranger’s five-foot bed can hold a stack of four-foot sheets of gypsum. This truck costs $39,290 and is more than enough for Dad. Let’s hope that the $495 “Hot Pepper Red” paint will keep the Consumer’s Energy trucks away. The $41,175 Ford Ranger XLT owned by Joey Caparrella I wanted to put the extra 2.7-liter twin-turbo V-6 engine in the base Ranger, but it will be ready in the late fall of this year. The base XL model only comes with a turbocharged 2.3-liter inline-four engine. The V-6 will finally be available on the XLT trim, but it isn’t listed on the configurator yet. Only a few of the changes I added are on my truck. With four-wheel drive, a spray-in bedliner, and Ford’s smart keyless entry keypad, my Ranger costs $41,175. The exterior of my automobile is currently painted in cactus gray, while the interior is painted black. The Ranger XLT FX4, owned by Eric Stafford, costs $44,905. Even though the loud Raptor model is tempting, I wanted to talk about the least expensive Ranger that can go off-road. This meant that the entry-level XL in the FX4 Off-Road package had to be changed to the XLT. The rear-drive XLT starts at $37,100, but when four-wheel drive and FX4 extras like knobbier 31-inch tires on black 17-inch wheels, significant underbody armor, unique shock absorbers, and driving modes for trails are added, the price goes up to $41,880. That’s a reasonable price for a pickup truck with extra features, and I could have or should have stopped there, but I was convinced to spend an additional $3K on luxuries. Because it includes front seats that are heated and power-adjustable, dual-zone climate control, and a digital instrument cluster that is 12 inches in size in addition to the 12.4-inch touchscreen that is standard, the XLT High Equipment Group, which costs an additional $1445, is challenging to pass up. I also made the interior look more excellent by choosing the Sandstone cloth furniture instead of the all-black set. The glossy Hot Pepper Red paint, which costs $495, looks good with the sand-colored seats. My Ranger XLT with the FX4 kit stickers costs $44,905 with the spray-in bedliner ($495), keyless entry pad ($95), and a towing package ($495) added on. $59,485 Ranger Michael Simari Raptor The new 405-hp Ranger Raptor starts around $30,000 less than the 418-hp Bronco Raptor, even though it has the same twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6. Because of this, the Ranger version is an excellent deal for a mid-size pickup truck that can go off-road. The Raptor models have an excellent ride quality that can be enjoyed daily, whether you are an expert off-roader or live in a place with bad roads like southeast Michigan. Since the Ranger Raptor comes with everything it needs right out of the box, there are only so many different versions. That means the most important things for me were the color, wheels, and extras. I paid an extra $195 for 17-inch beadlock-capable wheels, a spray-in bedliner for durability and security, and cargo management rails. At the moment, the grand sum is $59.485. If a Bronco isn’t a must-have for you, buying a Raptorized Ranger is a great way to save cash for more specialized off-roading and other equipment.
