2019 Ford Ranger boasts best-in-class gas fuel economy
The new truck delivers up to 26 miles per gallon on the highway.
The Ford Ranger puts up great numbers in EPA testing.
Add another important spec to the 2019 Ford Ranger's roster: best-in-class fuel economy, at least when it comes to city and combined EPA ratings among its gasoline-powered competition. Ford announced Tuesday that the new Ranger will be rated for 21 miles per gallon city, 26 mpg city and 23 mpg combined when equipped with rear-wheel drive. Four-wheel-drive Rangers will score EPA ratings of 20/24/22 mpg.
Of course, there are some important caveats with the Ranger's fuel economy win. While it is the gasoline midsize-truck champ, it's not as efficient as the diesel-powered Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon , which are rated for 22/30/25 mpg with rear-wheel drive and 20/28/23 mpg with four-wheel drive.
It's also worth noting that the Honda Ridgeline posts similar highway fuel economy numbers to the Ranger -- it delivers 26 mpg highway with front-wheel drive and 25 mpg with all-wheel drive. The Chevy Colorado also can return 26 mpg highway with its four-cylinder engine and rear-wheel drive.
Still, as the chart below shows, the new Ranger's fuel economy figures do put it right at the top of the class among its gasoline competition. (For brevity, only automatic-transmission variants are shown, and the GMC Canyon was skipped as it matches the Colorado's numbers.)
Midsize truck fuel economy
| Truck | Drive | Engine | Horsepower | Torque (lb-ft) | City MPG | Highway MPG | Combined MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Ranger | RWD | 2.3L Turbo I4 | 270 | 310 | 21 | 26 | 23 |
| Ford Ranger | 4x4 | 2.3L Turbo I4 | 270 | 310 | 20 | 24 | 22 |
| Chevrolet Colorado | RWD | 2.5L I4 | 200 | 191 | 20 | 26 | 22 |
| Chevrolet Colorado | 4x4 | 2.5L I4 | 200 | 191 | 19 | 24 | 21 |
| Chevrolet Colorado | RWD | 3.6L V6 | 308 | 275 | 18 | 25 | 20 |
| Chevrolet Colorado | 4x4 | 3.6L V6 | 308 | 275 | 17 | 24 | 19 |
| Honda Ridgeline | FWD | 3.5L V6 | 280 | 262 | 19 | 26 | 22 |
| Honda Ridgeline | AWD | 3.5L V6 | 280 | 262 | 18 | 25 | 21 |
| Nissan Frontier | RWD | 2.5L I4 | 152 | 171 | 17 | 22 | 19 |
| Nissan Frontier | RWD | 4.0L V6 | 261 | 281 | 16 | 23 | 19 |
| Nissan Frontier | 4x4 | 4.0L V6 | 261 | 281 | 15 | 21 | 17 |
| Toyota Tacoma | RWD | 2.7L I4 | 159 | 180 | 20 | 23 | 21 |
| Toyota Tacoma | 4x4 | 2.7L I4 | 159 | 180 | 19 | 22 | 20 |
| Toyota Tacoma | RWD | 3.5L V6 | 278 | 265 | 19 | 24 | 21 |
| Toyota Tacoma | 4x4 | 3.5L V6 | 278 | 265 | 18 | 22 | 20 |
The 2019 Ford Ranger uses a 2.3-liter turbocharged inline-four engine rated for 270 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque, with a 10-speed automatic transmission standard. It also will tow up to 7,500 pounds and has a payload rating of 1,860. Both those figures are, again, best-in-class among gasoline-powered rivals.
The 2019 Ford Ranger starts at $25,395. Stay tuned to Roadshow for a first-drive review of the new truck soon.
