Bob Corrigan with the 2019 Ford Ranger in Calgary.Al Charest / Postmedia Small trucks such as the original Ford Ranger, last sold in North America in 2011, are a distant memory as pickups continue to morph into oversize haulers. As such, the small and useful light-duty truck segment has languished.With a 2019 model-year truck, however, Ford has returned the Ranger nameplate to Canada and the U.S. Like its full-size brethren, the Ranger has grown in size.According to Bob Corrigan, thats not a bad thing. Corrigan recently drove a SuperCrew 2019 Ranger Lariat 44. Regarding the Rangers growth, he says buyers are simply looking for more room in a vehicle. I spent a lot of time driving smaller trucks in my younger days when I was delivering newspapers to paper boys, the Calgarian says. They were useful vehicles for the size.Corrigan also owned a 2007 Ford Ranger, one of the last generations of the truck that first launched in 1983 as a replacement vehicle for the Mazda-built Ford Courier. Originally sold with a. 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine and four-speed standard transmission, the Ranger could also be had with a V6 powerplant. The truck quickly gained a faithful following and became a best-selling compact pickup for Ford.I bought my 2007 Ranger as a utility vehicle, but I only kept it for a year and a half before it transitioned into being my sons truck, Corrigan says. He drove it to university and used it as a work truck for his painting business.We just sold it this spring.According to a Ford media release, the automaker chose to return the Ranger name on a midsize truck because theres a new generation of midsize truck buyers seek(ing) more manoeuvrable, fuel-efficient pickups.Although absent since 2011 in Canada and the U.S., a Ford Ranger truck has been available in other global markets for years. Ford based their new North American version on the global platform but says theyve developed the Ranger specifically for our market.For example, while the North American Ranger does have its similarities to the global product, including styling cues and a high-strength steel backbone frame, the new truck is equipped with steel, frame-mounted front and rear bumpers the global Ranger lacks these.Power comes from a 2.3-litre EcoBoost four-cylinder engine and power is transmitted through a 10-speed automatic transmission. An available FX4 four-wheel drive package adds off-road tuned suspension components, all-terrain tires and frame-mounted steel bash plates and Dana Trac-Lok differentials. The truck can be had in two-wheel and four-wheel drive in SuperCab and SuperCrew cab configuration. Trims include the base XL, next level XLT and well-equipped Lariat. Pulling up to the 19 Ranger, equipped with the $3,000 Lariat package and a host of options including the FX4 off-road package for a total of $51,859 before taxes, Corrigans first thought was of the overall size.Its significantly bigger than the old Ranger, he says, and adds, But, given that, I think it will be a truck for people who have occasional use for such a vehicle without being in the full-size truck market.His tester was painted in Fords Hot Red Pepper metallic.Red might be the name, but its more of an orange and I think its a very attractive colour, Corrigan says. Overall, the Ranger has solid, clean looking lines, almost like a scaled-down F-150.Corrigan says its a step up to get into the cab, but one thats not awkward. Once in the leather-covered drivers seat, he adds that it took him little time to become comfortable and familiarize himself with the controls.Although I owned that older Ranger, Ive never been much of a Ford guy, Corrigan admits. But, with this 2019 Ranger, Im very impressed with how Ford has set up the controls and touchscreen system it was easy to set up and very intuitive, even better than our 2019 Toyota Camry.Fit and finish was rated as excellent, with the contrast stitching on the all-black interior receiving a favourable comment. The fitted floor mats, which were a $170 tray-style floor liner option from Ford, would protect the interior nicely in all kinds of conditions and Corrigan approved.Immediately after picking up the Ranger, Corrigan and his wife drove 300 kilometres to their vacation home in Fernie, B.C.Although this Ranger has the FX4 off-road package, in regular drive mode with the tires it had, it was very quiet Fords done a great job on the sound-deadening, he explains. You can talk and just enjoy the ride without a lot of noise, road or wind, from entering the cabin.Power supplied by the EcoBoost engine was rated as excellent.Driving down Highway 22, we had the opportunity to pass several times and I never had any concerns about pulling out and the 10-speed automatic never felt like it was hunting for gears, Corrigan says. I think Fords done a great job with these four-cylinder engines to get the power out of them.Plus, the Ranger is capable of towing a maximum 3,400 kilograms (7,500
Origin: Reader Review: 2019 Ford Ranger Lariat Supercrew