2012 Ford Ranger

[R.Paul]

At the 2013 Manila International Auto Show...



More photos at http://www.facebook.com/turtlewaxphilippines

Talaga? magbebenta sila ng single cab dito? same power naman kaya ?

[shawarma7]

Iaattach lng naman po dito db? Copy paste nio na lng po ung link. Mga 5 pics po un sa photobucket ko

[koyuryeta]

Iaattach lng naman po dito db? Copy paste nio na lng po ung link. Mga 5 pics po un sa photobucket ko

Tulungan na kita mag embed ng images dre...

shawarma7's Wildtrak!
Swabe man!

[shawarma7]

Thanks bro! May upload pa ako isa.

[shawarma7]

[shawarma7]

Ang ganda ng automatic features ng ranger lalo na ung headlight. Pag pasok ng covered parking mag iilaw agad tapos nung pababa sa parking nag HDC kami tapos neutral, kusang nag bbrake na sia at hinay hinay lng pababa.

[koyuryeta]

Thanks bro! May upload pa ako isa.

Swabe dre... masyadong swabe!

[koyuryeta]

Ang ganda ng automatic features ng ranger lalo na ung headlight. Pag pasok ng covered parking mag iilaw agad tapos nung pababa sa parking nag HDC kami tapos neutral, kusang nag bbrake na sia at hinay hinay lng pababa.

Ang hassle lang eh around ~45sec bago mamatay ang parking light if I forgot to switch it off (or by headlight flashing) after parking. ...tipid-battery mode syempre..

[shawarma7]

un nga matagal mamatay tama yan tipid mode sa battery tsaka ung ilaw sa side mirror, naiilawan ung gilid kaya ndi ka mapapatid or makikita mo ung gilid ng sasakyan bago ka sumakay

[jhoel_e]

Ang ganda ng unit mo ser

[jut703]

Finally got to spend good time with the Ranger XLT MT. It's more crude and rugged than I expected, but I still liked it.



With the Wildtrak now out, the XLT does look a bit plain in comparison. I'm not exactly sure how I'd approach the Ranger's exterior, but probably if I do get one, it'd be in white, and I'd have the grille painted matte black, as well as the lower part of the bumper (or maybe the middle like the Wildtrak, not sure). Tires look a bit skinny, and would probably look better if it were a bit wider with 18" rims (not a fan of oversized 20" rims that everyone else has). I was pretty shocked that its bed was actually shorter than our 1991 L200's. My bike certainly wouldn't fit unless I take the front wheel out, or perhaps I load it diagonally.



One thing I noticed with the interior was that it was mostly plastic, with very little fabric on the doors. It's actually a good thing if you plan to subject the truck to heavy use, since it's much easier to clean. Bluetooth worked fine and I had no problem syncing my phone and iPod, just like with the Fiesta. However, what sucks is that they didn't improve the voice recognition from the Fiesta either - dialing numbers still remains to be an irritating experience and you're better off just using the d-pad or keypad to find the contact you're looking for. Overall, the interior looks more modern than that of the Strada or Hilux, despite being rugged in nature. Rear legroom was also better than the Strada's by a few inches, though I think the latter still has more reclined seats. The under-seat compartment was also a nifty touch, especially since you don't really get a secure trunk with a pickup.



Taking the truck out for a drive, the first thing I noticed was the rather, er, agricultural driving position. I'm a small guy and finding the right driving position was a bit hard with the large dashboard and low seats. Looking out through the windshield of this tall and wide truck would take some getting used to. Certainly, the Strada's driving position was more intuitive and car-like. The clutch also takes some getting used to - somewhere halfway through its pedal travel, you'd feel some sort of resistance, as if there was a hump. At first I thought that was the clutch's friction point, but it wasn't (friction point was deeper through the pedal range). It made smooth shifts hard, since it's harder to modulate the clutch through that "hump". One more thing I noticed was that the gears were placed really close to each other. Not in terms of the gear ratios, but to how they're slotted on the shifter. It's easy to mistake 2nd gear for 4th, so this too takes some getting used to. Overall, in terms of driving ease, the Ranger isn't an intuitive car. Heck, I found it much easier to drive our old L200, and that too is a truck - a more ancient one at that.

On the open road, I expected the Ranger to be underpowered like what everyone's been saying. That wasn't the case. The engine revved happily so it was easy to find yourself in the powerband as long you find the right gear for it. Below 2000 rpm, there's adequate power to go strutting about at normal speeds, but if you wanna stretch the truck's legs a bit, you'd have to shift up to maximize the engine. That said, it has none of the push-you-in-your-seat power of the Strada, even at the redline. 28 hp on paper does translate to a noticeable difference on the road, at least in this case.

I wasn't able to take the truck out hill-climbing, but I don't think it should be a problem. Again, our 70-hp pickup has no problem (as long as you're in the right gear) so the Ranger should find it easy especially with double the horsepower. One thing that puts the Ranger ahead of older pickups is how quiet it is inside the cabin. Below 3000 rpm, there's barely any audible noise from the engine. Interestingly, when pushed to the redline, the sound was quite pleasant, certainly a big improvement from the stressed clatter of older diesels.

I tried throwing the Ranger into a corner at speed, and surprisingly, it turned without much struggle, with some tire screeching on the way out. On normal road humps though, the suspension is too stiff for my rear passengers, and even in the driver's seat I felt the stiffness of the rear suspension as it shook the cabin. As others have pointed out previously, the Strada's still the better choice when it comes to comfort.

At the end of the drive, the Ranger isn't the runaway winner I expected it to be. There are some things that I have to get used to, but looking at the bigger picture, this is still the best mid-range pick-up out there. Its eye-catching looks, decent handling and competitive feature set are enough to offset its crude quirks, so-so performance and stiff ride. At 1.069M, it's actually affordable too.



As a side trip, I also tried the 3.2 Wildtrak. I expected it to be a powerful beast that's tough to handle. It has 200 horsepower after all. However, the Sportage CRDi which I drove right after felt faster and more agile despite a 23hp deficit. The Ranger does feel much torquier than a Strada, though I think the latter can match it on the highway. It would've been nice if there was a 3.2 MT Ranger, since the AT failed to have the same pep and verve that I felt from the 2.2 XLT MT.

[Freakyeric]

Something weird happened to my 2.2 xlt Ranger today...bigla nalang hindi gumana yung voice command/recognition,bluetooth audio,aux using ipod.then after 5 hours bigla nalang siya gumana bigla.does anyone experienced this kind of incident sa Ranger nyo mga sir?thanks

[manilamako]

Awesome review sir jut! My family and i will go this sunday. Good to know the ranger has a test drive unit! We plan on buying the manual xlt around july so this would be a great hands on experience / comparo on which pickup suits us the best. Still hoping this would perform better than the others. I have a truck crush on the ranger

[bilog]

Finally got to spend good time with the Ranger XLT MT. It's more crude and rugged than I expected, but I still liked it.



With the Wildtrak now out, the XLT does look a bit plain in comparison. I'm not exactly sure how I'd approach the Ranger's exterior, but probably if I do get one, it'd be in white, and I'd have the grille painted matte black, as well as the lower part of the bumper (or maybe the middle like the Wildtrak, not sure). Tires look a bit skinny, and would probably look better if it were a bit wider with 18" rims (not a fan of oversized 20" rims that everyone else has). I was pretty shocked that its bed was actually shorter than our 1991 L200's. My bike certainly wouldn't fit unless I take the front wheel out, or perhaps I load it diagonally.



One thing I noticed with the interior was that it was mostly plastic, with very little fabric on the doors. It's actually a good thing if you plan to subject the truck to heavy use, since it's much easier to clean. Bluetooth worked fine and I had no problem syncing my phone and iPod, just like with the Fiesta. However, what sucks is that they didn't improve the voice recognition from the Fiesta either - dialing numbers still remains to be an irritating experience and you're better off just using the d-pad or keypad to find the contact you're looking for. Overall, the interior looks more modern than that of the Strada or Hilux, despite being rugged in nature. Rear legroom was also better than the Strada's by a few inches, though I think the latter still has more reclined seats. The under-seat compartment was also a nifty touch, especially since you don't really get a secure trunk with a pickup.



Taking the truck out for a drive, the first thing I noticed was the rather, er, agricultural driving position. I'm a small guy and finding the right driving position was a bit hard with the large dashboard and low seats. Looking out through the windshield of this tall and wide truck would take some getting used to. Certainly, the Strada's driving position was more intuitive and car-like. The clutch also takes some getting used to - somewhere halfway through its pedal travel, you'd feel some sort of resistance, as if there was a hump. At first I thought that was the clutch's friction point, but it wasn't (friction point was deeper through the pedal range). It made smooth shifts hard, since it's harder to modulate the clutch through that "hump". One more thing I noticed was that the gears were placed really close to each other. Not in terms of the gear ratios, but to how they're slotted on the shifter. It's easy to mistake 2nd gear for 4th, so this too takes some getting used to. Overall, in terms of driving ease, the Ranger isn't an intuitive car. Heck, I found it much easier to drive our old L200, and that too is a truck - a more ancient one at that.

On the open road, I expected the Ranger to be underpowered like what everyone's been saying. That wasn't the case. The engine revved happily so it was easy to find yourself in the powerband as long you find the right gear for it. Below 2000 rpm, there's adequate power to go strutting about at normal speeds, but if you wanna stretch the truck's legs a bit, you'd have to shift up to maximize the engine. That said, it has none of the push-you-in-your-seat power of the Strada, even at the redline. 28 hp on paper does translate to a noticeable difference on the road, at least in this case.

I wasn't able to take the truck out hill-climbing, but I don't think it should be a problem. Again, our 70-hp pickup has no problem (as long as you're in the right gear) so the Ranger should find it easy especially with double the horsepower. One thing that puts the Ranger ahead of older pickups is how quiet it is inside the cabin. Below 3000 rpm, there's barely any audible noise from the engine. Interestingly, when pushed to the redline, the sound was quite pleasant, certainly a big improvement from the stressed clatter of older diesels.

I tried throwing the Ranger into a corner at speed, and surprisingly, it turned without much struggle, with some tire screeching on the way out. On normal road humps though, the suspension is too stiff for my rear passengers, and even in the driver's seat I felt the stiffness of the rear suspension as it shook the cabin. As others have pointed out previously, the Strada's still the better choice when it comes to comfort.

At the end of the drive, the Ranger isn't the runaway winner I expected it to be. There are some things that I have to get used to, but looking at the bigger picture, this is still the best mid-range pick-up out there. Its eye-catching looks, decent handling and competitive feature set are enough to offset its crude quirks, so-so performance and stiff ride. At 1.069M, it's actually affordable too.



As a side trip, I also tried the 3.2 Wildtrak. I expected it to be a powerful beast that's tough to handle. It has 200 horsepower after all. However, the Sportage CRDi which I drove right after felt faster and more agile despite a 23hp deficit. The Ranger does feel much torquier than a Strada, though I think the latter can match it on the highway. It would've been nice if there was a 3.2 MT Ranger, since the AT failed to have the same pep and verve that I felt from the 2.2 XLT MT.

Nice review on the Ranger bud... I just have to comment on some of your observation. You mentioned something about how plasticky the interior of the Ranger , but can you tell me any pickup out there which isn't? If you can find one I am pretty sure it is going to cost you more than 1.069M probably in the range of 3 mill. As for the push on the throttle, I would say the Ranger can push me off my back when i step on the throttle which is noticeable at the 2,000 rpm range. Some people would mistake that first kick of a vehicle for its power but they don't realize that most high rev vehicles can easily catch up with the low rev units since their power or torque is exhausted earlier then high rev ones. Just like in the case of the ranger...

[JX290]

Finally got to spend good time with the Ranger XLT MT. It's more crude and rugged than I expected, but I still liked it.



With the Wildtrak now out, the XLT does look a bit plain in comparison. I'm not exactly sure how I'd approach the Ranger's exterior, but probably if I do get one, it'd be in white, and I'd have the grille painted matte black, as well as the lower part of the bumper (or maybe the middle like the Wildtrak, not sure). Tires look a bit skinny, and would probably look better if it were a bit wider with 18" rims (not a fan of oversized 20" rims that everyone else has). I was pretty shocked that its bed was actually shorter than our 1991 L200's. My bike certainly wouldn't fit unless I take the front wheel out, or perhaps I load it diagonally.



One thing I noticed with the interior was that it was mostly plastic, with very little fabric on the doors. It's actually a good thing if you plan to subject the truck to heavy use, since it's much easier to clean. Bluetooth worked fine and I had no problem syncing my phone and iPod, just like with the Fiesta. However, what sucks is that they didn't improve the voice recognition from the Fiesta either - dialing numbers still remains to be an irritating experience and you're better off just using the d-pad or keypad to find the contact you're looking for. Overall, the interior looks more modern than that of the Strada or Hilux, despite being rugged in nature. Rear legroom was also better than the Strada's by a few inches, though I think the latter still has more reclined seats. The under-seat compartment was also a nifty touch, especially since you don't really get a secure trunk with a pickup.



Taking the truck out for a drive, the first thing I noticed was the rather, er, agricultural driving position. I'm a small guy and finding the right driving position was a bit hard with the large dashboard and low seats. Looking out through the windshield of this tall and wide truck would take some getting used to. Certainly, the Strada's driving position was more intuitive and car-like. The clutch also takes some getting used to - somewhere halfway through its pedal travel, you'd feel some sort of resistance, as if there was a hump. At first I thought that was the clutch's friction point, but it wasn't (friction point was deeper through the pedal range). It made smooth shifts hard, since it's harder to modulate the clutch through that "hump". One more thing I noticed was that the gears were placed really close to each other. Not in terms of the gear ratios, but to how they're slotted on the shifter. It's easy to mistake 2nd gear for 4th, so this too takes some getting used to. Overall, in terms of driving ease, the Ranger isn't an intuitive car. Heck, I found it much easier to drive our old L200, and that too is a truck - a more ancient one at that.

On the open road, I expected the Ranger to be underpowered like what everyone's been saying. That wasn't the case. The engine revved happily so it was easy to find yourself in the powerband as long you find the right gear for it. Below 2000 rpm, there's adequate power to go strutting about at normal speeds, but if you wanna stretch the truck's legs a bit, you'd have to shift up to maximize the engine. That said, it has none of the push-you-in-your-seat power of the Strada, even at the redline. 28 hp on paper does translate to a noticeable difference on the road, at least in this case.

I wasn't able to take the truck out hill-climbing, but I don't think it should be a problem. Again, our 70-hp pickup has no problem (as long as you're in the right gear) so the Ranger should find it easy especially with double the horsepower. One thing that puts the Ranger ahead of older pickups is how quiet it is inside the cabin. Below 3000 rpm, there's barely any audible noise from the engine. Interestingly, when pushed to the redline, the sound was quite pleasant, certainly a big improvement from the stressed clatter of older diesels.

I tried throwing the Ranger into a corner at speed, and surprisingly, it turned without much struggle, with some tire screeching on the way out. On normal road humps though, the suspension is too stiff for my rear passengers, and even in the driver's seat I felt the stiffness of the rear suspension as it shook the cabin. As others have pointed out previously, the Strada's still the better choice when it comes to comfort.

At the end of the drive, the Ranger isn't the runaway winner I expected it to be. There are some things that I have to get used to, but looking at the bigger picture, this is still the best mid-range pick-up out there. Its eye-catching looks, decent handling and competitive feature set are enough to offset its crude quirks, so-so performance and stiff ride. At 1.069M, it's actually affordable too.



As a side trip, I also tried the 3.2 Wildtrak. I expected it to be a powerful beast that's tough to handle. It has 200 horsepower after all. However, the Sportage CRDi which I drove right after felt faster and more agile despite a 23hp deficit. The Ranger does feel much torquier than a Strada, though I think the latter can match it on the highway. It would've been nice if there was a 3.2 MT Ranger, since the AT failed to have the same pep and verve that I felt from the 2.2 XLT MT.

Some of the points you discuss like that "hump" on the clutch is not present in my unit, and the gears you said placed so close to each other-this I find contrary to your views.

[jut703]

Awesome review sir jut! My family and i will go this sunday. Good to know the ranger has a test drive unit! We plan on buying the manual xlt around july so this would be a great hands on experience / comparo on which pickup suits us the best. Still hoping this would perform better than the others. I have a truck crush on the ranger

I'm also eyeing the XLT MT so that's what I test drove. Be sure to maximize your test drive time as that's where you'd really get a feel of how the truck rides. Too bad there aren't many other pickups in MIAS available to compare - there was the BT-50 and the Foton Blizzard, but nothing else if I remember correctly.

Nice review on the Ranger bud... I just have to comment on some of your observation. You mentioned something about how plasticky the interior of the Ranger , but can you tell me any pickup out there which isn't? If you can find one I am pretty sure it is going to cost you more than 1.069M probably in the range of 3 mill. As for the push on the throttle, I would say the Ranger can push me off my back when i step on the throttle which is noticeable at the 2,000 rpm range. Some people would mistake that first kick of a vehicle for its power but they don't realize that most high rev vehicles can easily catch up with the low rev units since their power or torque is exhausted earlier then high rev ones. Just like in the case of the ranger...

I didn't take the plasticky interior as a bad thing, and yes, most pickups are finished in the same way. Like I said, it's better that way, since it's easier to clean.

The Ranger isn't underpowered, but as I've caught on video, and from what I recall myself, the speedometer doesn't creep us as quickly as it would with a Strada. When I drove the GLS-V Strada (also MT) before, I'd daresay it could catch up with our Altis 2.0 once the turbo has kicked in. Not the case with the Ranger. Don't get me wrong, it's not worlds slower, but the difference would be noticeable if you pay attention. I have a feeling it's because of the truck's weight (200kg heavier than its contemporaries), so low end acceleration (below 100 kph) does suffer. Not sure how it behaves on the highway since I haven't tried it. In any case, I still think the Ranger's performance is just right - it's not mind-blowing, but it was in line with my expectations.

[Djerms]

Some of the points you discuss like that "hump" on the clutch is not present in my unit, and the gears you said placed so close to each other-this I find contrary to your views.

Me too. The voice command for me is one of the best features of the car. Every time I drive I feel like calling someone via the hands free voice command due to ease of use. Regarding the interior being plasticky, well compared to the strada, the ranger's plastic is a notch higher IMO. The door handled also have a soft padding, which is quite comfortable as an arm rest.

Only downside I see in this truck is the harsh ride. Well its good for the heavy haulers...its a hauler anyway.

[jut703]

Some of the points you discuss like that "hump" on the clutch is not present in my unit, and the gears you said placed so close to each other-this I find contrary to your views.

Interesting - might be a case of an abused test unit. Though even the display unit inside WTC had the same clutch feeling. For the gears though, the display unit's shifter seemed easier to play with than the test unit. Hopefully it's just a quirk of the test unit, since I appreciate the seamless transition through gears.

[Djerms]

I'm also eyeing the XLT MT so that's what I test drove. Be sure to maximize your test drive time as that's where you'd really get a feel of how the truck rides. Too bad there aren't many other pickups in MIAS available to compare - there was the BT-50 and the Foton Blizzard, but nothing else if I remember correctly.



I didn't take the plasticky interior as a bad thing, and yes, most pickups are finished in the same way. Like I said, it's better that way, since it's easier to clean.

The Ranger isn't underpowered, but as I've caught on video, and from what I recall myself, the speedometer doesn't creep us as quickly as it would with a Strada. When I drove the GLS-V Strada (also MT) before, I'd daresay it could catch up with our Altis 2.0 once the turbo has kicked in. Not the case with the Ranger. Don't get me wrong, it's not worlds slower, but the difference would be noticeable if you pay attention. I have a feeling it's because of the truck's weight (200kg heavier than its contemporaries), so low end acceleration (below 100 kph) does suffer. Not sure how it behaves on the highway since I haven't tried it. In any case, I still think the Ranger's performance is just right - it's not mind-blowing, but it was in line with my expectations.

I agree, the strada is faster than the ranger but its also .3cc bigger not to mention the ranger's body looks heavier. Yep speed is adequate. For speed freaks, get a hyundai Excluding hyundai, I think the problem with small diesel engines fitted with big turbo is the lag before turbo kicks in. Its hell for both the Strada's vgt and the Ranger's. Gapang talaga specially on an incline.

[jut703]

I agree, the strada is faster than the ranger but its also .3cc bigger not to mention the ranger's body looks heavier. Yep speed is adequate. For speed freaks, get a hyundai Excluding hyundai, I think the problem with small diesel engines fitted with big turbo is the lag before turbo kicks in. Its hell for both the Strada's vgt and the Ranger's. Gapang talaga specially on an incline.

I wish Ford just kept the Ranger's 2.5 and then massaged it for more power. Sure, paper specs look better, but this is a case of "there's no replacement for displacement". Especially since this is much heavier, as the Strada GLS-V makes 97 HP/Ton while the Ranger XLT only makes 78 HP/Ton.

For inclines, it's really a matter of finding the right gear to get into the powerband.