Ford Trucks Are Great If Better Safety Isn’t A Concern
The Ford F-150 has been winning tons of awards, and the Ford Ranger is doing alright, only these trucks seem to excel in every area but advanced safety. On the list of the safest trucks for 2020, the Ford Ranger and F-150 claim the last two spots.
Ford Trucks Lack Safety
Heavy trucks may create a false sense of safety, but in reality, they cause more significant impacts during wrecks, making it difficult for trucks to score well during crash tests.
The more substantial, unibody frame construction generally causes safety ratings to be lower, especially in the overlap front passenger safety area.
Also, even though the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety (IIHS) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) haven’t tested all of the 2020 trucks yer, so far none have earned the Top Safety Pick Pick award.
Ford Ranger Safety
The Ford Ranger is safer than the Ford F-150, even though it’s an aging platform with its body-on-frame, isn’t exactly the most reliable design.
In crash tests administered by the IIHS with the use of realistic crash dummies, the Ford Ranger seemed to get average scores.
Across the board, the Ranger scored ‘Good’ in most areas, which is required for the truck to pass. Trucks can also receive a superior rating.
However, the Ford Ranger only scored ‘Acceptable’ for protecting the front passenger in a frontal collision. It failed to protect the crash dummy’s lower legs and feet well. Plus, the headlights and latch for child seats only scored with a marginal rating.
From the NHTSA, the Ford Ranger was also average for safety. It scored only four stars out of five for overall safety, and only scored three stars for its rollover risk. So, don’t take curves too quickly in the Ford Ranger, or you may find yourself upside down.
Safety features in the Ford Ranger for every trim level include Ford 360 Co-Pilot, curve control, automatic emergency braking, forward collision prevention, front airbags, front side airbags, side airbags, and a rearview camera. You’ll have to upgrade to a higher trim for more.
Ford F-150 Safety
The Ford F-150 extended cab model has not been tested, but the crew cab model did fine. It scored Good in most areas of the IIHS safety crash ratings. However, the headlights scored poor, and the child latch scored marginally.
Even though the F-150 is on an older platform from 2014, the 2020 model has a new extended aluminum cross frame member to improve strength and safety.
With the NHTSA, the Ford F-150 crew cab model scored five stars in all areas, but the rollover risk, where it only scored four stars. All other Ford F-150 models were only able to earn four stars in all crash safety areas.
All Ford F-150 models come with forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking. To access Ford Co-Pilot 360, pedestrian detection, lane-keeping assistance, blind-spot monitoring, and more, you’ll have to select a different trim option and safety package.
Safer trucks for 2020 include the Ram 1500, Toyota Tacoma, and Honda Ridgeline.
