Thoughts on my Ranger XLT FX4 after 7 months, 8800 miles

[markal49]

Meant to do this at six months but forgot. I bought this truck in April and have driven 8800 miles, including lots of road trips, towing a teardrop camp trailer, off road, a tiny bit of snow, and daily driving. This is my first truck and my first real 4x4 after three Subarus (two Outbacks and one Forester). It's completely stock except for a Truxedo hard roll-up Tonneau and spray-on bed liner (with new tires coming next week).

Bottom line - it's good, not great. I'll keep it a while but I'm not sure if I'm committed to it for the long haul. I do wonder if I should have sprung for a Lariat or even a Raptor.

Things I like:

1) pretty good ride and handling for a truck, smoother than the competition IMO (I tested them all a lot, except the Ridgeline)
2) for my uses, it has a good balance between power/acceleration and fuel economy (I tend to average 23 mpg most of the time, about 19 when towing)
3) love the screen - it's responsive, clear, and I prefer this configuration to the horizontal, higher orientation in the Tacoma and others
4) I like the drive modes - "sport" when I want to have fun, eco when I want to be efficient and slow.
5) the towing mode works very well with my 1700 pound camp trailer, especially up and down mountain passes here in Colorado.
6) the 360 degree camera and other camera views (with the tech package) are great for parking, hitching up to trailer etc.
7) the interior to me is very pleasant (with one key exception, see below). it's bright, good visibility, nice steering wheel and other touch points, not overdone with colors or weird design elements
8) the looks. to me the Ranger is the best looking in the current market (IMO, the new Tacoma is seriously fugly...and I almost bought one!)
9) buttons/dials for temp settings and fan speed (my Subaru had everything on touch screen and I didn't like that)


Things I don't like (in order of major to minor)

1) the transmission - too many hard shifts, especially when rolling to a stop or first accelerating when the truck is cold. and some sort of weird throttle hesitation when gently accelerating and the truck is cold. I'll ask the dealer to look into it but I"m not expecting any results. Others in this forum experience similar issues.
2) the front seats don't work well for me, unfortunately - the bolsters on the seat bottom are too narrow for how I sit (and I'm thin), the seat bottom is too short, the seat back is too narrow at the shoulder, and the headrest leans too far forward. You'd think I would have noticed this on test drive, but it takes me a while to reach these conclusions.
3) wind noise at highway speed (50 mph and up) right outside the driver window, maybe coming over the pillar. window visors might help, or they might not.
4) the tires. I'm about the replace them but for $47k I think Ford should stock better off-road tires with the FX4 package.
5) keyed ignitiion (no push start). Ford, WTF? Did it really save any cost putting a keyed ignition in the XLT when you have push button in the Lariat (it also cracks me up that I can start this truck from my phone, but I need to stick the key in to drive).
6) the instrument cluster is not good - cheesy graphics remind me of a '90s video game
7) the fact that I need to buy and install bed reinforcements to install a cop or bed rack. That's just horrible. I may to try a cap next year and so I'll have to do this. it's only a few hundred buck but just so annoying
8) the lack of aftermarket suspension upgrades. I realize these will come, but the downside of not buying a more popular truck is the long wait for aftermarket support.

I'll try to address some of my dislikes (new tires, seat covers that might improve comfort, wind visors) and maybe that'll take it over the top for me.

The Raptor is super cool but probably more power than I want/need (or care to pay for). I do wonder if the seats in the Lariat would have been better for me (didn't test one). One reason I opted for XLT was cost and I didn't want 18-inch wheels that come with the Lariat. I'm also wondering if the Frontier would have been a better option for various reasons.

Given Ford's track record, I worry about the transmission - are the early flaws a sign of trouble down the road? Hard to say.

For those considering a Ranger XLT, it's worth testing and comparing it to the competition. It's not a bad truck. I think the pricing advantage over the Tacoma (and maybe the Taco's transmission issues) make it a winner over that truck. I'd also recommend comparing it to the Frontier Pro-4X.

Gratuitous pictures because...why not?

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[stemplar]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on your truck; until mine arrives I'm living vicariously through those of you who already have theirs.

I hear you about the tires. There aren't many people who actually appreciate the tires that we get on the rangers. I wonder though, what a "good choice" would be for Ford. More off-road capable? Then folks would complain about road noise or on-road handling. I've always purchased a second set of wheels and dedicated snow tires for my vehicles, and will do so for my lariat too. Depending on when I get it, I'll either put better AT tires on new rims or on the stock rims. Speaking of road noise, I've seen some folks putting sound deadening material in the doors and they seem to appreciate the results. I'm wondering if that'll help with your wind noise at highway speeds? The ranger does seem to have bigger mirrors than the competition which is great, but it's at the expense of more wind noise.

 

[JT58]

Thanks for sharing. I test drove a brand new Ranger XL 3 months ago to replace my tiny Miata as my daily driver. It was good but for 35K it was pricey. Then I had to add a $600 bed liner on top of that. (My wife and I like base vehicles- tend to like bare bones to be specific- we like performance and power. Comfort counts too though). End up going with a 2023 Chevy Colorado the Ford dealer had used on the lot for 30K. It had only 12K miles on it. My mistake it has the low output L2R engine instead of the L3B. Its features are great as it is an LT but underpowered with only 237 HP and 260 torque. But gets an impressive 35 MPG as my daily commuter.

I know what you mean about the transmission in the Ranger- I have a 2022 Bronco, 2.7 with the 10 speed. It can be "choppy" at times but we love the Bronco. I only get 22.7 MPG in it though- not good enough to be my daily driver.

I am very interested in a Raptor. 400 HP and 405 torque is sweet and will keep up with most traffic around where I live. But if I get 19 MPG it will cost me too much for gas. A trade off MPG for power. I still would love one and have not dismissed it entirely.

I also know what you mean about the seats in vehicles. I am thin and tall with long legs. My way around it is to fabricate custom seat spacers to raise the front of the seats for more thigh support. Electric seats I don't have to do this but with base vehicles and manual seats this is what I often must do, then I am very comfortable

 

[markal49]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on your truck; until mine arrives I'm living vicariously through those of you who already have theirs.

I hear you about the tires. There aren't many people who actually appreciate the tires that we get on the rangers. I wonder though, what a "good choice" would be for Ford. More off-road capable? Then folks would complain about road noise or on-road handling. I've always purchased a second set of wheels and dedicated snow tires for my vehicles, and will do so for my lariat too. Depending on when I get it, I'll either put better AT tires on new rims or on the stock rims. Speaking of road noise, I've seen some folks putting sound deadening material in the doors and they seem to appreciate the results. I'm wondering if that'll help with your wind noise at highway speeds? The ranger does seem to have bigger mirrors than the competition which is great, but it's at the expense of more wind noise.

Having done a bunch of tire research (for my Subaru and this Ranger) I can say there are plenty of tires that have a better balance of on-raod and off-road performance than the Wrangler Territory ATS, which is summarily pilloried as a terrible tire everywhere you read. I'd suggest the BF Goodrich Trail Terrain T/A as a stock tire. I almost bought these but decided on something a little more aggressive.

I'll look into the sound insulation. Good luck with your Lariat!

 

[markal49]

Thanks for sharing. I test drove a brand new Ranger XL 3 months ago to replace my tiny Miata as my daily driver. It was good but for 35K it was pricey. Then I had to add a $600 bed liner on top of that. (My wife and I like base vehicles- tend to like bare bones to be specific- we like performance and power. Comfort counts too though). End up going with a 2023 Chevy Colorado the Ford dealer had used on the lot for 30K. It had only 12K miles on it. My mistake it has the low output L2R engine instead of the L3B. Its features are great as it is an LT but underpowered with only 237 HP and 260 torque. But gets an impressive 35 MPG as my daily commuter.

I know what you mean about the transmission in the Ranger- I have a 2022 Bronco, 2.7 with the 10 speed. It can be "choppy" at times but we love the Bronco. I only get 22.7 MPG in it though- not good enough to be my daily driver.

I am very interested in a Raptor. 400 HP and 405 torque is sweet and will keep up with most traffic around where I live. But if I get 19 MPG it will cost me too much for gas. A trade off MPG for power. I still would love one and have not dismissed it entirely.

I also know what you mean about the seats in vehicles. I am thin and tall with long legs. My way around it is to fabricate custom seat spacers to raise the front of the seats for more thigh support. Electric seats I don't have to do this but with base vehicles and manual seats this is what I often must do, then I am very comfortable

I test drove a Bronco Badlands with the 2.7L last year and, man, I was really tempted by that thing. It's noisy, but pretty fun even on road and I'm sure it would be great off road. But the price and limited towing capacity made me pass on it.

 

[JT58]

I test drove a Bronco Badlands with the 2.7L last year and, man, I was really tempted by that thing. It's noisy, but pretty fun even on road and I'm sure it would be great off road. But the price and limited towing capacity made me pass on it.

We love our Bronco but the issue is it's towing ability is very limited as you said. So I was looking for a 4 door pick up that would tow a small camper and Ranger was my first choice. But price and that Colorado being so much cheaper I went with the Colorado- totally unaware of the 2 different 2.7 engines. Completely my bad. So I still have pretty much now towing capacity and have to go with the Ranger anyway (Raptor preferred) or another Colorado with the real 2.7 engine.

 

[markal49]

We love our Bronco but the issue is it's towing ability is very limited as you said. So I was looking for a 4 door pick up that would tow a small camper and Ranger was my first choice. But price and that Colorado being so much cheaper I went with the Colorado- totally unaware of the 2 different 2.7 engines. Completely my bad. So I still have pretty much now towing capacity and have to go with the Ranger anyway (Raptor preferred) or another Colorado with the real 2.7 engine.

That’s a bummer! Check out the frontier, base models are reasonably priced and good towing.

 

[hand-filer]

Thanks for the honest assessment.
I have the Lariat FX4 with the 2.7 and find the seats fit me very well. That said I think they are the same basic shape as the XLT seats.
The transmission is one of the smoothest shifting automatics I've owned, and I've owned many.
Coming from a Lincoln Nautilus that is bank vault quiet, I find the the wind noise more than acceptable for something shaped like a brick. Maybe your doors are not aligned quite right?
I haven't owned the truck long enough to offer an opinion on the tires. I haven't noticed any glaring issues with them. They're fairly quiet for what they are.

 

[FreezingFlatlander]

For the most part I am liking the Ranger FX4 with the 2.3 engine. At 18,931 miles I have more likes than dislikes and appreciate the smooth ride, comfortable seating, and decent gas mileage (averaging between 21-22 mpg). My only complaints being poor seals on the doors that make for lots of dust seeping in, covering the dash, floors, and everything else, and the poor access to the oil filter. For me the engine seems well matched to the Ranger and I have no desire to trade for the 2.7 although I had a 2.7 in an F150 and loved it. I have not found the transmission to be anything but smooth with no harsh shifting of any kind. I did manage to get stuck in a drift of hard, windblown snow but that was my fault as had not engaged the locking rear axle nor turned off the traction control.

 

[markal49]

Thanks for the honest assessment.
I have the Lariat FX4 with the 2.7 and find the seats fit me very well. That said I think they are the same basic shape as the XLT seats.
The transmission is one of the smoothest shifting automatics I've owned, and I've owned many.
Coming from a Lincoln Nautilus that is bank vault quiet, I find the the wind noise more than acceptable for something shaped like a brick. Maybe your doors are not aligned quite right?
I haven't owned the truck long enough to offer an opinion on the tires. I haven't noticed any glaring issues with them. They're fairly quiet for what they are.

Yeah, seats are a personal preference issue. I don’t know if the Lariat has the same Goodyear Wranglers but I can attest that they are horrible off road. They lose traction too easily on loose ground and on rock. Reviews suggest they’re not great in wet or snow, but I haven’t experienced that yet.

 

[Ranger43931]

Good review!

It sounds like the Raptor solves or mitigates nearly every 'con' you noted in terms of seats, tires, push button start, suspension, with the addition of 4A and even more drive modes. I don't have egregious wind noise in my raptor. But it sounds like price is a major factor and eliminates this option.

 

[markal49]

Good review!

It sounds like the Raptor solves or mitigates nearly every 'con' you noted in terms of seats, tires, push button start, suspension, with the addition of 4A and even more drive modes. I don't have egregious wind noise in my raptor. But it sounds like price is a major factor and eliminates this option.

I didn't even consider a Raptor. I actually had a deposit down for a Tacoma TRD Off Road and while I waited the Rangers started showing up at local dealers and we decided after a test to grab the XLT.

Would I upgrade to a Raptor? I doubt it. I think there are other options in that price range I would prefer.

 

[MJE]

2) the front seats don't work well for me, unfortunately - the bolsters on the seat bottom are too narrow for how I sit (and I'm thin), the seat bottom is too short, the seat back is too narrow at the shoulder, and the headrest leans too far forward. You'd think I would have noticed this on test drive, but it takes me a while to reach these conclusions.

Don’t beat yourself up too much over it. I find the same thing with my current car, which is why I’m here researching the Ranger. You’d think I’d have noticed on the test drive just how poor a fit it was for me, but I didn’t. It does take awhile to really reach the conclusion that something isn’t working. What you describe though is exactly what I hoped to avoid on my next car purchase, without having to size up to an F-150.

 

[markal49]

Don’t beat yourself up too much over it. I find the same thing with my current car, which is why I’m here researching the Ranger. You’d think I’d have noticed on the test drive just how poor a fit it was for me, but I didn’t. It does take awhile to really reach the conclusion that something isn’t working. What you describe though is exactly what I hoped to avoid on my next car purchase, without having to size up to an F-150.

I really don't want a full-size pick-up because it won't really fit in my garage. The thought of keeping a $60k+ vehicle out in the driveway in Colorado just ain't right. But my neighbor has a Ram 1500 and man that thing is comfortable.

 

[Freedom Beast]

***Quick background - I came from over 25 years of F-150 size down to this***

I have a 2024 Ranger XLT FX4 2.3. 6 months and 9900 miles. Copied your post and will fill in some of my thoughts (in CAPS).

OP
Things I like:

1) pretty good ride and handling for a truck, smoother than the competition IMO (I tested them all a lot, except the Ridgeline) - AGREED
2) for my uses, it has a good balance between power/acceleration and fuel economy (I tend to average 23 mpg most of the time, about 19 when towing) - AGREED
3) love the screen - it's responsive, clear, and I prefer this configuration to the horizontal, higher orientation in the Tacoma and others - AGREED
4) I like the drive modes - "sport" when I want to have fun, eco when I want to be efficient and slow. - AGREED
5) the towing mode works very well with my 1700 pound camp trailer, especially up and down mountain passes here in Colorado. - WISH I KNEW. STILL WAITING FOR THE 7 PIN WIRING HARNESS FORD PROMISED ME.
6) the 360 degree camera and other camera views (with the tech package) are great for parking, hitching up to trailer etc. - I DON'T HAVE THIS FEATURE
7) the interior to me is very pleasant (with one key exception, see below). it's bright, good visibility, nice steering wheel and other touch points, not overdone with colors or weird design elements - SAME - SEE NOTES BELOW
8) the looks. to me the Ranger is the best looking in the current market (IMO, the new Tacoma is seriously fugly...and I almost bought one!) - AGREED
9) buttons/dials for temp settings and fan speed (my Subaru had everything on touch screen and I didn't like that) - AGREED


Things I don't like (in order of major to minor) - NO PARTICULAR ORDER FOR ME

1) the transmission - too many hard shifts, especially when rolling to a stop or first accelerating when the truck is cold. and some sort of weird throttle hesitation when gently accelerating and the truck is cold. I'll ask the dealer to look into it but I"m not expecting any results. Others in this forum experience similar issues.
2) the front seats don't work well for me, unfortunately - the bolsters on the seat bottom are too narrow for how I sit (and I'm thin), the seat bottom is too short, the seat back is too narrow at the shoulder, and the headrest leans too far forward. You'd think I would have noticed this on test drive, but it takes me a while to reach these conclusions. - SEATS WORK GREAT FOR ME - 5'10 / 180lbs. JUST WISH THE HEADREATS TILTED
3) wind noise at highway speed (50 mph and up) right outside the driver window, maybe coming over the pillar. window visors might help, or they might not. - AGREED, BUT NOT BAD
4) the tires. I'm about the replace them but for $47k I think Ford should stock better off-road tires with the FX4 package. - STOCK TIRES SEEM TO ALWAYS SUCK
5) keyed ignitiion (no push start). Ford, WTF? Did it really save any cost putting a keyed ignition in the XLT when you have push button in the Lariat (it also cracks me up that I can start this truck from my phone, but I need to stick the key in to drive). - I DON"T CARE EITHER WAY, BUT WOULD BE NICE
6) the instrument cluster is not good - cheesy graphics remind me of a '90s video game - WISH THE CLUSTER WAS THE SAME AS THE LARIAT
7) the fact that I need to buy and install bed reinforcements to install a cop or bed rack. That's just horrible. I may to try a cap next year and so I'll have to do this. it's only a few hundred buck but just so annoying - I BATTLED FORD&DEALER AND GOT MINE ALL FOR FREE
8) the lack of aftermarket suspension upgrades. I realize these will come, but the downside of not buying a more popular truck is the long wait for aftermarket support. - AGREED - WANTING FOX 2.0

Some additions:
Wish the front cup holders were bigger - like the F-150
Wish the back cup holders were same size as front ones. I can fit my thermos in the front but not the back? Stupid.
I'm not a designer/engineer, but I don't like the rear "hump" on the floor board
I wish the gears on the shifter itself were lit up - like the F-150
Love the heated seats. Quick and warm/hot
For the FX4 package, I'd like to see metal skid plates instead of heavy plastic - cheap out
I like the fact my left arm can rest on the door seal. Can't do that in a new F-150
I wish ALL vehicles had side mirror blinkers as a safety measure (and to help remind those idiots to turn them off when they leave them on)
Wish the XLT had the extra glove box - couldn't be that much to add it since there is limited space to begin with
I'm sure there is more that will come to mind, but this is it for now.
Overall, I like it a lot. Just has some quirks I'm not happy with.

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