Ford Ranger (2011-2022) review

You’re not going to be buying a Ranger for the tactility of its materials. It’ll matter far more to you that they wipe clean easily and don’t fall apart. Ford understands this, and has given the Ranger a cabin that’s long on large, useful storage, short on design frills. 

But you’ll cope because if you get the spec right, you’ll have your phone hooked up. Better doing it through Android Auto or Apple Carplay than Ford’s own software. That said, the screens and menus are mostly logical. On the dash the centre physical dial is flanked by two screens, with corresponding control thumb pads on either side of the steering wheel. Lots of functionality available without taking your hands from the wheel and you’ll have that fathomed in 10 minutes. 

Is it comfortable? Does it feel big to drive? 

Fair play to Ford, the leather may be as slippery as soap, but the seats actually have more support than most, especially under thigh. The driving position is fine, and because you sit high relative to the bonnet, the view forward is lofty and dominating. You see clean over the roofs of cars, sit higher than any SUV. Rearwards you’ve got a long deck to see past. Rely on the camera when reversing.

Will passengers be happy?

The rear doors of the Double Cab are small, and the floor is quite high, but once in three can sit abreast very happily. The Ranger also has Isofix mounts for child seats.

What about the special editions?

Ford's myriad of special-edition Rangers includes the Wolftrak, the Stormtrak and the MS-RT. The former is more off-road focused and gets a rugged interior with all-weather floor mats and the like, while the latter two are road-biased and get luxo-kit with slightly fancier materials and stitching.