Each Monday, my boys (14-year old and 6-year-old) wait with anticipation to see what their dad will be driving for the week. And without fail, if I’m in a pickup, they run outside with a “Whoa!” or a “Niiice!” Their imagination runs wild with the possibility of what adventure we can have or what kind of off-road mess we can get into. They jump into the bed first, then into the cabin to immediately start poking and pushing every button they can find with a barrage of “what’s this; show me that” questions. And why shouldn’t they?! Pickups have forever been magical in that way.
But my boys almost always see me pull up the driveway in a full-size or heavy-duty pickup. Rolling up in the Lightning Blue 2020 Ford Ranger was different site for them to see. And I’m so used to full size pickups, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about Ford’s midsize offering. After a multi-week loan experience, I’m here to say I’m a believer. Sure, a full-size pickup is more capable, more powerful, more spacious, etc. But as much as I’d like to say I “need” a full-size pickup, the truth is a midsize would work just fine. And the 2020 Ford Ranger is a fantastic choice.
Styling
Ford made sure to give the Ranger a distinctly different look from its full-size counterparts in the F-series line, and that helps set this midsize pickup apart as a distinctly different vehicle. The headlights wrap around the sides and are centered by a bold hexagonal grille. The 17” magnetic painted aluminum wheels matched the wheel well trim, lower fascia, grille and rear bumper, giving it a very clean and understated sleekness.
Our SuperCrew Ranger is the full 4-door variant that comes with a 5-foot bed and offers more legroom to rear passengers. As a family of 5, I would rather sacrifice bed space to make sure my passengers were comfy. While the cabin was certainly functional and spacious, it lacked in the “surprise and delight” department. Not a terrible thing but any prospective buyers need to know this is a no-nonsense pickup that is here to get the job done with no frills. Some of the more functional aspects included deep cupholders throughout, a deep center console, and an easily accessible catch-all tray to hold things you want quick access to. Included in the tray are two USB ports for easy connectivity to your devices.
Performance
The 2020 Ford Ranger comes standard with a 2.3-liter EcoBoost turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, producing 270 horsepower and 310 lb. ft. of torque. Power gets routed through an incredibly smooth 10-speed automatic transmission to the rear wheels (RWD). Depending on which option you go with, the Ranger can tow up to 7,500 pounds and haul as much as 1,860 pounds.
The standout performance note was its acceleration response. The Ranger was quick and nimble when it needed to be. I never felt a lag in throttle response, regardless of what speed I was already going. The beloved EcoBoost engine did the job well and acceleration was always smooth thanks to the 10-speed transmission.
Safety
As a dad who often has my non-driving kiddos in tow, safety ranks high in my consideration. The 2020 Ford Ranger comes standard with forward-collision warning and automatic emergency braking – a system that I can say works with incredible effectiveness. Let’s just say the truck “thought” I didn’t see the car in front of me was about to turn so I didn’t bother to slow down. It was quite a jolt to experience the audible warning and immediate emergency braking but instead of being annoyed, I was quite excited to get to experience the Ranger’s safety features firsthand. I don’t recommend this “test”, but kudos to Ford for creating a safer journey for us all. The 2020 Ranger also included a reversing camera, traction control, front and side-impact airbags, blind-spot monitoring, automatic high beams, adaptive cruise control, and front and rear parking sensors (also very helpful when squeezing into tight spaces).
Summary
BASE PRICE: $30,635
PRICE AS TESTED: $37,290
ENGINE: 2.3L ECOBOOST
TRANSMISSION: 10-speed automatic
FUEL ECONOMY: 21 city / 26 highway, 23 combined
Our loaner came equipped with the FX2 package, now offered for the 2020 model year. If you’re the weekend warrior type, the FX2 package includes functional performance upgrades like an upgraded off-road suspension, off-road tires, and an electronic-locking rear differential. The 2020 Ford Ranger may not have the slickest interior appointments of the bunch, but this pickup delivered where it mattered most. A very capable, roomy, and fuel-efficient pickup that suits this city-slicker and his city-slicker kids just fine.
See you on the road
Fabian has been an automotive journalist for the last 10 years and is also the co-founder of Denton Moto Collective, a unique motorcycle company located in Denton, Texas.
