There are many great trucks for customers to choose from, and Ford has recently introduced a new one to the market. The Ford Ranger is a midsize truck, and while it’s smaller than full-size trucks like the F-150, it shouldn’t be ignored. Here’s a look at why customers need to respect the 2021 Ford Ranger more. 

One of the newer midsize trucks on the market

Like Autotrader mentioned, the current generation of the Ranger is now about two years old, and it’s still the underdog in the truck world. While the F-150 dominated the full-size segment, Ford didn’t really have much to offer in the midsize truck segment for a long time.

As a result, many great and notable midsize trucks lead the class, and many customers are choosing those tried and true midsize trucks over the Ranger. 

The Toyota Tacoma is probably the most popular midsize truck in the U.S., so many customers are choosing the Tacoma over the Ranger right now. On top of that, like Autotrader said, the F-150’s popularity hasn’t necessarily translated into the Ranger’s popularity.

There are many possible explanations for that, but it’s possible that Ford fans don’t need a midsize truck since they already have the F-150, which is simply bigger than the Ranger is. 

Despite these things, Autotrader said that the Ranger is still a very capable truck. Customers shouldn’t ignore the Ranger just because the Tacoma exists or because there are full-size trucks available. The Ranger is not only capable, but it also offers many features that make it a great buy for customers. 

The 2021 Ford Ranger is very capable

According to Autotrader, the 2021 Ranger has a 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that gets 270-hp and 310 lb-ft of torque. While these numbers seem small compared to the engine on a full-size truck, it’s actually quite powerful for a truck of the Ranger’s size.

Autotrader wrote that the 2021 Ranger can tow up to 7,500-pounds of cargo and it can also hold up to 1,800-pounds of stuff in its truck bed.

Those towing and payload figures are class-leading, according to Autotrader, but at the same time, the Ranger also gets a pretty good fuel economy. With the optional four-wheel drive, the Ranger gets an EPA-estimated 24 MPG on highways and 20 MPG in the city, for a combined 22 MPG. The Ranger gets an estimated 23 MPG combined with the standard front-wheel drive, but most customers will probably want four-wheel drive.

The 2021 Ford Ranger also has a lot of great features

While some folks will buy a truck just for work, other folks will use their trucks for daily driving. Since the standard version of the Ranger is intended for folks who are using their trucks for work, it’s the cheapest version and there are very few standard features.

The standard Ranger starts at about $24,000, but for $2,000 more, customers can get the XL trim and equip their Ranger with a lot more features.

The XL trim for the Ranger has a lot of critical smart safety features, such as forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and a pedestrian detection system, according to Autotrader.

The XL trim also improves the interior of the truck slightly so that it’s more comfortable to sit around in, and it also adds a ton of convenient features such as a 3.5-inch touch screen display.

Autotrader wrote that there are many more options and trims available for the Ranger, and each one will spruce up the Ranger’s interior. Features aside, Autotrader also said that the Ranger has a very quiet cabin compared to most other trucks, and that’s just a sign of how comfortable it is.