Ford Ranger: Then and Now

I recently had the opportunity to conduct a direct comparison between two Ford Rangers.

Both had V6 engines, four-wheel-drive, second row seating and were at or near the top of their respective trim levels for the year.

The older one was a mint 2008 in FX4 trim, the newer a fifth generation 2024 XLT model.

Times have changed, but in most respects for the better.

Love my little truck.

I love my 2008 Ranger, have coddled it for all these years and driven it less than 5,000 km per year. It sits for lengthy periods of time and gets detailed several times a year.

It is driven in winter, but rarely.

I have replaced the tires, brakes and spark plugs. The oil is changed annually, but that is it for expenditures over the years.

The tilt wheel no longer tilts, but that is the only malady.

I am a devoted fan of Rust Check. As a result of annual applications, the truck is rust free after all these years in the tough salty Maritime climate.

The new Ranger is bigger, longer, wider, taller and heavier.

Enter the current version – A loaded 2024 Ranger XLT with an extensive standard equipment list topped off with $13,000 in options.

That is obvious the minute you climb into the cab. You feel like you are sitting inside the truck with lots of room to spare for shoulders, hips and legs.

In the older Ranger it feels more like you are wearing it. Ford has learned a great deal about space utilization!

That bigger interior is also a lot more pleasant place to spend time.

It is far quieter at all speeds. Material quality is higher and the use of plastics thankfully lower.

The information supplied to the driver and the infotainment available is in a different league. No screens, navigation, wireless anything in the old truck.

The new Ranger is more powerful yet more fuel efficient.

My Ranger was a top-of-the-line version back in 2008. It has the largest engine available at the time, a fuel-injected V6 displacing 4.0 litres. It is smooth, quiet and has plenty of pep.

Until you sample the new Ranger, with its twin-turbo 2.7-litre V6.

My Ranger boasts 207 horsepower and more importantly 238 lb. ft. of torque. The new Ranger’s smaller V6 belts out 315 horsepower and a whopping 400 lb. ft. of torque, thanks to those turbos.

You’d think all that power and an extra 150 kilos of truck to move would use more gas. Wrong!

My old truck was rated by Environment Canada to use 15.7 litres of fuel per 100 km in the city and 11.7 on the highway.

The new Ranger is rated at 12.6 in the city and 10.2 on the open road – significantly better. Most of the improvement over the years can be attributed to a transmission with twice as many gears allowing the engine to work less, staying within a narrow efficiency band.

The new Ranger can tow and carry more.

More power and all those gears means the new Ranger can tow something weighing up to 7,500 lbs, 1,500 more than my old truck. The rated payload rating is 400 lbs. greater.

The new Ranger is a LOT more comfortable to drive and be driven in

Ride quality is perhaps the one area where engineers have made greater strides than any other.

My truck rides like a truck, or more accurately a buckboard. The FX4 package brought stiffer gas-filled shocks, thicker springs and skid plates. The goal was to equip it for offroad travel. All well and good but the on-road ride is terrible!

The rear end can actually change lanes if you encounter a bump mid-turn at speed!

I recently spent a week with the new Ranger Raptor – a seriously capable offroad machine.

The supple, long travel suspension allows it to absorb major surface blemishes with complete aplomb. On public roads the ride is positively limo-like. Racing does improve the breed!

One more gripe. My old Ranger has power steering, but only in the amount of power it takes to move the wheel. No finger light steering in 2008 – both hands, wrists and forearms required.

The new Ranger costs a LOT more!

Big surprise. I bet you were all waiting for this comparison. Obvious as it is, there are nuances worthy of note.

Let’s deal with base prices, forget the number of optional doodads and gadgets added to the new truck. Even in base price, the new Ranger offers a lot more standard equipment. And let’s not even talk about all the safety features!

The numbers are alarming! There is a $20,000 difference in those base prices.

Some of that can be explained away by saying you get what you pay for. But a bigger factor is inflation. Everything cost less 17 years ago.

Based on the Bank of Canada Inflation Calculator, my 2008 Ranger would cost $40,343 in 2025 dollars. That is not far off the $47,140 for the new Ranger XLT. Especially when you consider the extra power, refinement, fuel efficiency and convenience features.

Even with that in mind, I still love my old Ranger.

FACTS & FIGURES  – NOW: Ford Ranger SuperCrew 4X4 XLT 128-in wheelbase

FACTS & FIGURES – THEN: 2008 Ford Ranger FX4 4×4 SuperCab 126-in wheelbase

PRICE

Base NOW – $46,120

Base THEN – $25,090

As tested: NOW – $59,125 including freight

As tested: THEN – $28,319 including freight

INFOTAINMENT

NOW 110-volt outlet, satellite radio, Ford Pass Connect, SYNC 4,

THEN 6-disc CD player with MPS capability

SAFETY

NOW

Auto dimming rear view mirror, blind spot information with cross traffic alert, lane keep system, pre-collision assist with automatic emergency braking, rear park sensors, reverse brake assist

THEN

ABS, tire pressure monitoring system.

NOW – STANDARD EQUIPMENT

Electric rear window defroster, dual power mirrors, LED box lighting, tilt & telescope steering wheel, cruise control, power windows and locks, remote keyless entry.

THEN – STANDARD EQUIPMENT

Power windows, locks and mirrors, remote keyless entry, tilt steering wheel, cruise control, air conditioning, fog lamps, tow hooks, step bars, block heater, gas-filled shocks, skid plates, trailer tow package

NOW – OPTIONS

Equipment group 301A (XLT series, power sliding rear window, dual zone automatic climate control), $1,900; Hot Pepper Red paint, $600; 2.7-litre turbocharged V6, $2,250; FX4 off-road package (off-road suspension tuning, 3.73:1 locking rear axle); Advances tow & tech packages (ProTrailer backup assist, navigation), $3,415; floor liners, $250; integrated box side step, $295; spray-in bedliner, $600

THEN- OPTIONS

Five-speed automatic transmission, $1,400

NOW- MECHANICAL

Turbocharged 2.7 litre V6, 315-horsepower, 400-lb.ft. of torque, regular fuel; 10-speed automatic transmission, four-wheel-drive, NRCan rating (litres/100km city/highway):12.6/10.2.

THEN – MECHANICAL

4.0 litre V6, 207-horsepower, 238 lb.ft. of torque, regular fuel, five-speed automatic transmission, four-wheel-drive, EnerGuide rating (litres/100 city/highway) 15.7/11.7

DIMENSIONS

NOW – Length, 5,350-mm; wheelbase, 3,270-mm, width, 2,203-mm; weight, 1,975 kg

THEN – Length, 5,170 mm; wheelbase. 3,197 mm; width, 1,762 mm; weight, 1,834 kg