After a seven-year absence, a Ford Ranger has finally returned to the U.S. market. The North American-spec Ranger is based on the Ranger sold elsewhere, and bears a strong resemblance to that recently refreshed international-market truck. But Ford says our Ranger features a design unique to this market since the body panels had to be sourced from different suppliers. Whether it looks different or not, the Ranger is a welcome addition to the segment. But how does it compare to its midsize pickup competitors, the Chevrolet Colorado and Toyota Tacoma? Compare for yourself below.
Instead of adopting the F-150’s front end look, the Ford Ranger does its own thing with more traditional-looking headlights and Ford’s hexagonal grille. The headlights are available with LED lowbeam lamps and come standard with an LED accent strip at the bottom. One thing that sets the U.S.-spec Ranger apart from its global counterparts is its solid steel front bumper. The Colorado gets an equally conservative front end, while the Tacoma might be the most aggressive-looking of the bunch with its angled-in headlights and large grille that dominates the front fascia.
When viewed from the side, all three trucks feature a beltline kick-up at the bottom of the rear door window (or rear quarter window in the case of a regular-cab variant)—a styling trend that has become all too common among pickups. The Ranger has a vent on the front fender below the A-pillar that helps differentiate it from the other two trucks, but otherwise all three midsizers look pretty similar from this angle.
In back, the Ranger’s taillights draw some inspiration from the F-150 with similar LED accents. The aluminum tailgate has the Ranger logo stamped on the bottom in big, bold letters, and the bumper is made out of steel just as it is in the front. Similar to the Ranger, the Tacoma has its name engraved across its tailgate. Black accents on the tailgate and rear bumper give the truck a two-tone color scheme that helps it stand out from behind. The Colorado is arguably the least interesting to look at from the rear, but then again these are trucks designed to do work first and look pretty second, and the bed looks functional with Chevy’s bumper-integrated corner steps.
The 2019 Ford Ranger’s interior doesn’t go for the chunky look seen in Ford’s big trucks and SUVs, but instead adopts a sleek and modern aesthetic, with a dash that uses glossy trim and stitched soft-touch materials. The Ranger can be had with an 8.0-inch touchscreen and Ford’s Sync 3 infotainment system, which must be where many of the truck’s functions can be accessed as the center stack has minimal buttons. The Tacoma’s cabin looks rugged, though you could argue some parts like the steering wheel and instrument cluster are dated. Once again, the Colorado isn’t terribly exciting from the inside.
So what do you think? Does the 2019 Ford Ranger have what it takes design-wise to challenge the Tacoma and Colorado? Tell us in the comments on Facebook!
The post Refreshing or Revolting: 2019 Ford Ranger vs. Chevy Colorado, Toyota Tacoma appeared first on Motor Trend.
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