Matthew DeBord/BI
- The Ford Ranger and Chevy Colorado are the two biggest competitors from the major pickup-truck makers in the US.
- I’ve tested three Colorado trucks in different trims and one all-new Ford Ranger.
- The Colorado truck eked out a win this time over the Ranger, but the truth is that both pickups are outstanding.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
The Ford versus Chevy rivalry is a familiar one to pickup-truck customers. In the full-size segment, the mighty F-150 has been the bestselling vehicle in the US since Ronald Reagan was President, while the Chevy Silverado has usually been number two.
Decades ago, there was robust competition in the compact pickup segment, as well. But more recently, the Detroit automakers have all but abandoned the market in the US.
That all changed when Chevy rolled out the Colorado in 2014. Suddenly, the old compact segment became a midsize battleground (the trucks were larger than the entry-level, stripped-down pickups that I drove when I was in college). Toyota was well-established, but with the Colorado and its GMC sibling, the Canyon, General Motors offered more plush, high-tech, yet still versatile and robust small pickups.
Honda revamped its Ridgeline to be more pickup-like, and just like that Ford looked like it had fallen behind the curve in its bread-and-butter realm.
Not to worry, however, as the Ranger midsize was on sale outside the US, so all the Blue Oval had to do was bring the vehicle back to America. In the first three months of 2019, Ford sold almost 9,500 Rangers, a respectable debut. Colorado sales tallied about 33,500 for the same period.
I personally love midsize pickups. They’re the ideal vehicles for suburban weekend home-improvement duty, and if you’re an outdoorsy person who doesn’t need to tow a large boat or horse trailer, they’re ideal for getting out into nature (as long as you go for the 4×4 versions). When equipped for offroading, they can be comfort-challenged, but you can also opt for a cheaper, rear-wheel-drive base model that’s will provide easier driving dynamics.
Having driven several Colorados in the past four years, coming away impressed with them all, I recently enjoyed the new Ranger — so naturally, it was time to compare pickups. Read on to find out how they matched up.
First up is the newcomer. The 2019 Lariat SuperCrew four-wheel-drive Ranger was nicely equipped and stickered at almost $45,000. The base-price pickup is a little more than $24,000.
Matthew DeBord/BI
Read the review.
The SuperCrew configuration sports a 5-foot bed, but the Ranger can be had with a two-door cab and a 6-foot bed. The Ranger is a handsome pickup, especially in "Lightning Blue."
Matthew DeBord/BI
You could call the Ranger’s front end "snouty," but it’s also pretty truck-like for a midsize.
Matthew DeBord/BI
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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Source: Business Insider – feedback@businessinsider.com (Matthew DeBord)