2024 Ford Ranger Supercrew 4X2 Lariat - Review by Bruce Hotchkiss +VIDEO

It Ain't Small, But It Is Nice

Bruce Hotchkiss

By Bruce Hotchkiss
Special Correspondent- Western Bureau
THE AUTO CHANNEL

Ford says the 2024 is a mid-size pickup truck. Parked next to my 1997 Mazda B4000 (a Ranger from another mother) it sure looked like a big truck to me. But compared to a F-150 and the Maverick I guess it is mid-size. Maybe this is why no one ever hired me to be an ad writer.

I'll admit it, I do not understand why every pickup has to need a step ladder to get into - the 4X2 Ranger has the same ground clearance, 9.3", as a 4X4 version. I even question why most 4X4s need that much ground clearance. As one of my grandmothers used to say "The older I get the less I know."

But the Ranger is what it is. You can just call it a pickup and be done with it.

I give kudos to the 2.3-liter, 4-cylinder, EcoBoost engine. Even with a curb weight of 4,200 lbs. its 270 hp provides very good acceleration - 0 to 60 mph in around 6.3 seconds. More important is the towing capacity of 7,500 lbs., and its load capacity of 1,805 lbs. The only transmission is a 10-speed automatic. For those who want some extra oomph there is a 2.7-litre EcoBoost V6 with 315 hp.

The fact that so many pickups are 4-door models tells me that many are being bought as dual purpose - work and family - vehicles. A very unscientific survey shows that many are driven by women. The Ranger, at least with the 4-cylinder at least promises fairly good fuel economy; the EPA rating is 20-mpg in the city and 24 on the highway.

The Lariat that I drove is the top of the line (excluding the Ranger Raptor) and as such is a very nice truck. In fact, in many ways, it is more luxurious than a full-on luxury car from 30 years ago.

Your first clue that the Ranger Lariat is not a work truck would be the white (Ford says "Sandstone" with leather trim) seats. (I'm not a card-carrying PETA member but is leather really necessary? Modern leather seats are so over processed most would not be able to tell the difference between leather and high quality vinyl.)

I'm not picking on Ford but does anyone really need all this? Where is the simplicity? I have an iPhone, and yeah it's four years old, but I use it as a phone, camera, and music storage device. That's out of the 64 apps on my phone. Oh sure every now and then I use a few others but all I really need is those three. I really do not need a thousand choices when I'm driving. Keep It Simple ...

It sure is nice to have a gear shift lever though. No fumbling for the correct dial or button.

Maybe the one aspect of the '24 Ranger that says the most about its intended use is the bed length; just 59.6". There is no 2-door model anymore with a longer bed (I'm guessing the 2-door extra cab just did not sell in sufficient numbers). You can still fit the 4X8 sheet of plywood in between the wheelhouse, and it will lay flat with the tailgate down. There are tie-downs, electric outlets, and bedlamps. The spray-on bedliner is extra.

Did I like the 2024 Ranger Supercrew 4X2 Lariat? Yes with some caveats. One - for a 2WD version it sits too high; drop it down about 2-3" and it would be just fine. Two - bring back the 2-door, extended cab model. And in my perfect world make it smaller and lighter. (I know, the Maverick fixes some of my caveats. I guess I want a small pickup like the small Ranger of yore.)

A base '24 Ranger XL starts at $32,980, a Lariat starts at $43,780. At ford.com there are also prices for the mostly unchanged 2025 Rangers and it looks like the prices are the same at the time this is being written.