The Ford F150 has been the best-selling truck in the United States for over forty years. But not everyone needs a large truck. In the past ten years, more manufacturers have been producing mid-size trucks that are fun and functional for the whole family.
My neighbor owned a large truck. Sheri was part of the search and rescue for the Sierra Nevada. She would tow her horse trailer and two horses wherever was needed to help search for anyone that needed to be found. She was also a volunteer group member, Sweepriders for the Western States run, and Tevis Cup, a 100-mile endurance ride.
In an article, Sheri described the challenges of sweep riding; they use their own horses, buy their own gas and use their own pickups and trailers. “We’re all jockeying for space in the little areas that we have to park our rigs and unload our horses,” Sheri lamented. “Once I was trying to park my 12-year old Dodge 1500, and I hit a tree, and the quarter panel pressed into the tire. I had to tie a chain around a tree and pull the panel out so that I could drive home.”
Large trucks can do large things that allow events to go off without a hitch, such as above. They help you build your house, or have a great time on the water, once you have hauled your boat there. Large trucks aren’t known for great fuel economy or a great turning radius. And most of the time, most of the people don’t need a large truck. That is why mid-size trucks are becoming so popular.
Most people do not need a full-size bed on their truck or over 12,000 lbs of towing capacity. For them, the 2021 Ranger is the perfect compromise between an SUV that seats five, and a full-size truck. The Ford Ranger is powered by a 2.3-liter EcoBoost, creating 270 horsepower and 310 lb.-ft. of torque is paired to an efficient 10-speed automatic. The Ranger gets up to 21 city / 26 highway. While Ranger enthusiasts wished for either a V6 or V8, unfortunately, it did not happen this year.
Ford has gone all-in on the Ford Ranger with many configurations and trim levels. You can buy the all-new Ranger with either a SuperCab or a SuperCrew. It can be optioned with 4×2 or 4×4 and comes in three trim levels; XL, XLT, and Lariat. There are three appearance packages available; Chrome, Sport, and STX. New for 2021 are the STX Special Edition Package, and the Black Package gets new black Ford ovals and darker box decals. There is a Ranger for everyone!
New colors: Cactus Gray, Carbonized Gray, Cyber Orange, Velocity Blue
I drove the 2021 Ford Ranger Lariat Supercrew 4X4 in Cactus Gray with a starting price of $38,785.00. The Ranger, with $8,130 of optional equipment, including $4,290.00 for the illustrious Tremor off-road package, including destination and options, the total MSRP is $48,110.00.
What is the Ford Tremor-off road Package?
If you do like the size of the Ranger but want more towing, you are in luck. With the addition of the Tremor package, there is a maximum payload of 1,430 pounds and best-in-class towing of 7,500 pounds.
Features include a lifted suspension with off-road-tuned FOX 2.0 monotube dampers and rear piggyback reservoirs. Ford has also included a specially tuned front coilover and rear multi-leaf springs, 32-inch Continental General Grabber A/TX all-terrain tires, and dash-mounted six-switch auxiliary power pack.
Tremor also features magnetic-painted alloy wheels, hoop-style steps, rear recovery hooks, magnetic painted grille with black crossbars and red nostril inserts, and optional hood and body graphics.
The Ranger Tremor interior includes package-exclusive seats with Miko suede inserts and Tremor stitching with black accents. Tremor has a wider stance than the base Ranger SuperCrew 4×4, improved ground clearance, front and rear suspension travel, and a greater approach, departure, and breakover angles.
Ford Ranger Competitors to Consider
Chevrolet Colorado
GMC Canyon
Toyota Tacoma
Nissan Frontier
Honda Ridgeline
Safety on the Ford Ranger
Air Bag – Safety Canopy includes:
Air Bag-Front-Driver
Air Bag-Front-Passenger
Air Bag-Side Body-Front
Air Bag-Side Head-Front
Air Bag-Side Head-Rear
Perimeter Alarm
Blind Spot with Cross-Traffic Alert
Brakes-ABS
Brakes-Type-4 Wheel DISC
Child Safety Rear Door Locks
Daytime Running Lights
Engine Immobilizer
Headlights-Automatic
Lane Keeping system
Parking Aid
Pre-collision Assist
Security System
Traction Control
Tire Pressure Monitor System
2021 Ford Ranger Specs, Trim and Pricing
Engine
2.3L ECOBOOST
Horsepower Ft3
270 @ 5500 RPM
Torque
310 @ 3000 RPM
Max Towing Capacity 1
3,500 lbs
Drivetrain
Four Wheel Drive
Transmission
Electronic 10-Speed Selectshift Auto
Fuel Tank Capacity, Approx
18 gal
Engine
2.3L ECOBOOST
Transmission
Electronic 10-Speed Selectshift Auto
EPA Fuel Economy Est (MPG)
City: 20 / Hwy: 24
Body Styles
SuperCrew 4×2 – 5′ Box
SuperCrew 4×4 – 5′ Box
Tremor SuperCrew 4×4 – 5′ Box
SuperCab 4×2 – 6′ Box
SuperCab 4×4 – 6′ Box
2021 Ford Ranger Trim levels and price
XL: $24,820
XLT: $28,870
Lariat: $32,910
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