2024 Ford Ranger XLT Sport Review: Mid-Size Pickup Performer
2024 | ford | ford ranger | pickup trucks

Bookended by the Ford Maverick and F-150, the Ranger is a right-sized pickup for drivers who want real truck utility and something more garage-friendly than a 1/2-ton truck. Measuring 210.6 inches long, the Ranger is comparable in size to the Nissan Frontier, Toyota Tacoma, and Chevy Colorado.
Ford’s mid-size truck has a handsome look, and its design is neutral enough to have staying power for years. There are several Ranger trim levels available for 2024, including XL, XLT, Lariat, as well as the souped-up Ranger Raptor. The Ranger XLT Sport that Ford lent me for review sits in the middle of the lineup.
Available only as a SuperCrew configuration, the Ranger seats five adults. Our Sport-trimmed XLT came with beefy 17-inch wheels in dark grey and painted in a vibrant metallic color called Hot Pepper Red. Ford offers the Ranger with a 2.3-liter 4-cylinder EcoBoost or 2.7-liter 6-cylinder EcoBoost engine. This truck came equipped with the smaller, more fuel-efficient engine, which still manages to produce an impressive amount of power.
The 270 horsepower 4-banger sends 310 lb-ft. of torque to the wheels via a 10-speed automatic transmission. While the Ranger is available in a 4×4 configuration, I tested the rear-wheel-drive truck with the optional locking rear differential. The EPA-rated fuel economy for the 2.3-liter engine is 21 MPG in the city, 25 MPG on the highway, and 22 MPG combined. I averaged 24 MPG during a whole week of driving. With an 18.7-gallon fuel tank, it’ll easily go more than 400 miles between fill-ups.
The Ranger’s electric power steering feels nice and direct, though its leaf-spring rear suspension and body-on-frame construction results in a fair bit of body roll. Road noise and vibrations are well managed, and the cabin is nice and quiet.
Inside, the Ranger has a modern and purposeful design. While most of the materials are plastic, there are some nice design touches, like the textured door panels and the zig-zag pattern on the vents. A handy shelf on the passenger side of the dash comes in handy for holding a phone. Forward visibility is good, thanks in part to the narrow A-pillars. There’s a crisp 12.4-inch digital instrument panel and a vertically-mounted touchscreen for the Sync 4A-based multimedia system. There’s built-in support for wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well. Up front, you’ll find USB-C and USB-A charging ports and a wireless charging pad.
The front seats are wide and comfortable and came wrapped in a sandstone-colored cloth with a unique quilted pattern that stands out from the crowd. However I would never buy a vehicle with light-colored seats – especially not a truck where things have a good chance of getting dirty. Fortunately, Ford offers their cloth seats in black, too. If you prefer leather seats, you’ll need to upgrade to the premium Lariat trim.
Rear seat legroom is reasonable for a smaller truck. I could sit in the back without my knees hitting the front seats, though just barely. I’m six feet tall and had the front seats set to a comfortable position for my height. The headroom is very good in the second row, too. If there’s any disappointment in the back, it’s not very useful for carrying cargo. The rear seat cushions fold up, but storage space is limited to a couple of small bins, and there’s no flat floor area for larger items.
Speaking of the bed, the Ranger has a 5-foot bed (59.6 inches to be exact), and there’s 48.2 inches of space between the wheel wells. That means you can use it to carry 4×8 sheets with the bed open and tie-down straps in place. The bed has a durable spray-in lining and includes 12-volt DC and 120-volt AC outlets. With an 1805-pound payload capacity and a 7500-pound towing capacity, the Ranger is useful for the kinds of everyday asks most people have, like hauling lumber or bags of dirt from the Home Depot. Our truck came with the optional side step which makes it easier to access the bed, as well as the advanced tow package.
Because I don’t need a truck for my everyday job, I prefer the size of trucks like the Ranger. Even with its smallest engine, it has a reasonable amount of power and a bed that is big enough for typical homeowner tasks. I thought it drove nicely and is more manageable than larger trucks on the road, especially when parking.
The 2024 Ranger XLT starts at $36,210, and the upgrades on this review truck brought its total to $43,339 after a rather hefty $1959 destination and delivery fee.