MOTORS: I’d rather have a Ford Ranger Tremor pick-up than any pretentious and overpriced SUV
I have a confession to make. I like pick-ups and given the choice I’d rather have one of these workhorses over any of the pretentious and overpriced SUVs on the road today.
In my experience not only are they far more capable than the average SUV, but they are also more adaptable and as comfortable - or even more so - than many of the big beasts which will rarely see anything more challenging to tackle than the local supermarket car park.
The problem is which pick-up to buy if you decide it’s for you.
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The irony is that while the number of manufacturers producing pick-ups for the UK has dwindled with the loss of the likes of Mitsubishi and their once market-leading L200, Nissan and their Navara and the short-lived Fiat Fullback and Mercedes X-Class, there’s still quite a choice of models.
There are really only four makes left – the robust Isuzu D-Max, the Hilux from Toyota, the superb value-for-money Musso from KGM (formerly SsangYong) and the Ford Ranger.....oh and the revived VW Amarok, which is basically a Ranger under the surface, so it doesn’t really count.
They all have separate editions with gritty-sounding names for varying degrees of off-road tasks and none more so than the Ranger.
I’ve just spent a couple of enjoyable weeks in the company of two of them and while I’m also a fan of the D-Max and the Musso, I was pretty impressed with them.
The first was the basic XL, although that’s something of a contradiction bearing in mind the level of equipment and comfort which although it comes with tell-tale 16in steel wheels, also has an amazing list of features.
Like most of the range it’s a double-cab - forget the single cab unless you want it just a load-lugger - and there’s stacks of room inside for five full-size adults.
You’ll also find a multi-function steering wheel and central 10-inch touchscreen, a heated rear window and camera, adaptive cruise control and twin powered door mirrors.
The test vehicle came with essential sidesteps for the leap into the cab, a £120 option, and once inside I found the fabric seats remarkably comfortable.
I wasn’t too keen when I discovered it had a six-speed manual gearbox as everything seems to be automatic these days, but over a few days I got quite used to it, not least because of its precision and silky-smooth operation.
Stepping from that I went into the beefier and fearsome-sounding Tremor version which has similar dimensions and the same 2-litre 4-cylinder EcoBlue diesel engine but with 202 bhp power rather than the 168 bhp of the XL. It also had a superb 10-speed automatic gearbox with seamless changes although the fuel consumption is higher than in the XL losing about six miles for every gallon.
It’s £6000 more but you do get a lot for your money and it feels like a more substantial beast with a ride height 26 mms higher and much greater presence, thanks to its more offroad-focused suspension. The track is also wider to help with rough ground and it rides on 17-inch black alloys shod with All-Terrain tyres which lie within the large flared wheelarches.
Talking of tackling the rough stuff, you can do it with confidence through the tried-and-tested and very capable four-wheel-drive system with high and low ratio and if you fancy or are forced to take a dip, all Ford Rangers have a wading depth of 800mms.
With the ride height you get a great view of the countryside and despite its size, it felt remarkably nimble on the open road and quite happy in two-wheel-drive to help go a bit easier on the fuel.
And of course, you’ve got the big load bay at the back which is brilliant for trips to the rubbish tip or several months’ shopping - but you’ll need the sliding cover to keep it secure.
Ford Ranger Tremor 2.0 litre EcoBlue 10 Speed automatic 4WD
PRICE: £35,865 ex VAT (£43,578 inc VAT as tested)
ENGINE: 1995cc 4 cyl diesel
POWER: 202 bhp
TORQUE: 500 Nm
TOP SPEED: 111mph
0-62mph: 10.5 secs
ECONOMY: 27 mpg combined
CO2 EMISSIONS: 270 g/km
