Test drive Ford Ranger 1992 - 2010 compartment

Ford Ranger

Only by getting into the Russian hinterland, you can understand why pickups are sold in our country. In distant Karelian villages, a powerful Ford Ranger looks as organic as a small sedan or hatchback in the capital
The idea of \u200b\u200bconducting a test of the updated Ford Ranger pickup in Karelia was justified one hundred percent. Firstly, a 750-kilometer march from St. Petersburg to the places where the cult film was shot and the dawns here are quiet, and vice versa allowed to fully feel the car-its comfort, ergonomics, and behavior on the highway. Secondly, from the point of view of road conditions, this route turned out to be very balanced. There was a asphalt of different quality (from ideal to almost broken), and a primer with a length of 40 km, and a forest clearing, where only a tractor or a full -fledged SUV (which is Ranger is). At the same time, the profile of the tracks is no less diverse: there were high-speed straight and forest serpentines, protracted slides and steep descents, and even areas where, three to four hundred meters laid to a dozen bedridle police officers.
In addition, Karelia made it clear: the pickup is not a luxury and not the whim of the rich, transporting jet skis or snowmobiles in the back. This is a car that really plows both in winter and in summer. Moreover, sometimes this is the only option to survive where thick dirt, river fords, snow waist -waist and dozens of miles from the city - the standard of life. I have never met so many laborers at once as in Karelia (it seems that there are almost more than other city cars there), and therefore looked at this class of cars in a new way-as a really universal, practical and practical and At the same time, a fairly comfortable vehicle.
Not beauty for the sake
When Ranger passed the renewal procedure two years ago, everyone noted his mature appearance. In the current version, the 2009 model, the designers developed this topic: the new bumper, and the headlights, the radiator grille, and the wings are designed to emphasize the power, reliability and partly even the sports of the car. I must admit: the goal has been achieved. If such a pickup on the highway sits on the tail, then in the rear -view mirror you will never guess a truck in it - Anfas it looks like a one -to -be passenger SUV.
Meanwhile, the aesthetic aspect of innovations is by no means the main one. As the Ford engineers explain, each altered part carries a functional load. So, the head optics not only looks more modern, but also works much more efficiently. This is a response to the comments of the owners of pickups of previous generations. After all, they are exploited for the most part where there is no additional lighting (in forests and steppes, on lanes, on the banks of rivers and mountain passes), which means that the lives of people depend on how the headlights shine.
Another example is the radiator grille. Large, with three horizontal crossbars, with additional vertical nostrils on the sides and increased opening below the bumper. At first glance, the successful course of designers who decided to strengthen the aggressive appearance of the machine, in fact, is a design solution that made it possible to increase the flow of air to the motor and thereby increase its effectiveness. And the foglights are now built into the altered lower panel of the bumper.
In general, the front of the Ranger has become more streamlined and, accordingly, gained higher aerodynamic characteristics. And this is a direct path to improving dynamics and reducing fuel consumption. Our test confirmed both. In direct sections of pickups with a double 5-seater cab (but with an empty body), it takes speed and can accelerate to 140-150 km/h. At the same time, on the highway, he spends only about 8 liters of diesel fuel per hundred, which with a 70-liter tank allows you to ride on the principle of refuel and forgot.
Toroshka or one and a half?
In Russia, the updated Ford Ranger will be sold in eight versions. They consist of two types of cabs - double (Double CAB) or one and a half (Rap CAB) and four configuration options (finish materials, the color of external mirrors and bumper, the presence or absence of chromium in the cabin and tinting of glasses). Depending on the cabin, the size of the body also vary: with the same width and depth (1456 and 465 mm) in the first case, its length is 1530 mm, in the second - 1753. During the test, both options managed to test, and, as expected, in the movement The main difference is how much the back of the car thumps on irregularities. Softly overcoming the front -line wheels of the lying policeman, the pickup is powerfully clapping the stern, and in one and a half it feels stronger. However, it is impossible to write this into shortcomings - this is how all representatives of this class of machines behave if the body is not loaded. But it is enough to throw a few bags of cement into it, and the car will go on the bumps smoothly, like a boat on water in calm weather. If you load all 100 kg permitted, you will feel like in a representative limousine.
But the differences between Double Cab and Rap Cab in terms of passenger comfort are much more significant (I mean the rear seats, since the front ones are identical). In the second row, three people can accommodate in the double cab, while the two will have full seats (although not very comfortable: the back is straight, knees are too high). There is no question about the chairs in the one and a half version - what is standing there is popularly nicknamed the mother -in -law with a bench, and even the child will be inconvenient on it. But the seats of such benches can be thrown back - to the backs, and due to this, get a roomy trunk in the cab.
Another thing is the place of the driver and the front passenger. In this zone, there are practically no complaints about either landing, nor to the location of the governing bodies, nor to visibility. And this despite the fact that the adjustments of the seats are manual, and the position of the steering wheel varies only in height. Apparently, a new design of the seats played a role here: they became not only safer, but more convenient: having passed more than five hours one way, I was not even tired. The only thing that embarrasses from the habit is the exhaust poker of the hand brake, located under the right knee (although it does not interfere during the driving, being drowned).
But the purpose of any other button or lever (radio, air conditioning, heating the driver's seat) you understand intuitively, you don’t need to get used to it. Like most other elements of the cab, inherited from the predecessor: there are three cup holders on the central console, and a retractable table above the mess, and boxes in the central armrest, and pockets in the door panels and on the backs of the seats, and two 12-volt rosettes. But the updated lateral mirrors are especially good: you look at them like a TV - a luxurious panorama, and you can even see the rear wheel of your car. By the way, now the mirrors have the function of heating, and their electroregulation is included in the basic pickup kit.
And only one element of the Ranger salon caused bewilderment. This is the very chip that Fordovites are so proud of - a block mounted at the top of the dashboard with three round liquid crystalline indicators. In the center is a compass, on the sides of the craneomers, designed to show the levels of transverse and longitudinal rolls of the machine, as well as the temperature in the cab and overboard. Having tested several new pickups, I have to state: in each of the cars, all five indicators lie more or less. This reminded the light music on Chinese tape recorders of the 90s: it flashes fun, but does not fall into the rhythm (and here it also distracts from the road).
Hidden reserves
The current modernization of the Ford Pikap affected not only design, but also the engine. First of all, I am talking about the motor supplied to Russia. This is a 2.5-liter Duratorq TDCI with a capacity of 143 hp. He stood on this model before, he was also used on the twin brother of Ford Ranger-the Mazda BT-50 pickup (these cars are even assembled at the same factory in Thailand). But now Ranger has gained an additional advantage - the designers optimized the transfer numbers, reducing them by 10% in the first gear and about 7% to the second (another reaction to the wishes of the owners previous version of the car). Thanks to this, a fully loaded car is getting better off, and on deep off -road it can feel more confident. Alas, this could not be checked during the test, and it remains only to trust the company's representatives. And they argue that Ranger has the best traction effort in the class: the maximum mass of the trailer he towed is 3000 kg.
As for the light off -road (a decent broken forest clearing), the soil coating, and even more asphalt, the pickup showed himself from the best side. He overcomes mud puddles, stones and snags without problems, enters the turns (permissible rolls), as it is covered in a straight line, easily rolls onto the slides and remarkably (without jerking, but smoothly and reliably) slows down. The steering wheel of the car is absolutely not heavy - the pickup reactions to it are adequate (unless, of course, to try to compare with sports hatchbacks). And even in the parking lot of Pulkovo Airport it was not difficult to maneuver - the diameter of the turn is small, and the steering wheel drive works effectively. By the way, there is a parking sensor here - on more than a 5 -meter machine, the thing is relevant.
In principle, there are no particular complaints to a 5-speed mechanical transmission: to get used to its algorithm, 10-15 minutes are enough. True, sometimes the hand involuntarily grabs the leverage (it is located closer to the driver), but such a nuance does not seem critical. By the way, the protracted battle of the Russian importer Ford with the company’s European office ended with the victory of the first: already in 2010, they will still begin to supply Ranger with a 5-band automaton to Russia, and probably this will be able to increase demand.
Although it should be understood that at the same time a considerable price will increase at the same time: now the car in the initial configuration costs from 978,400 rubles. True, according to Alexei Likhachev, marketing manager and sales of commercial cars Ford Motor Company, Ranger surpasses competitors in a number of parameters. Among them is the best cost of ownership and a large interval interval (one year or 10 thousand km of run), low fuel consumption, developed dealer network, as well as a large selection of completion, additional equipment and body colors (there are now ten instead of five). All this will be available to customers since December - it is at the end of the year that the first commodity cars will come to Russia. But dealers are already accepting orders.

Technical characteristics of Ford Ranger
Dimensions, mm 5175x1805x1795
Wheel base, mm 3000
Clearance, mm 205
Equipped mass, kg 1845
Diesel L4 engine type with turbocharged
Working volume, cubic meter. cm 2499
Max. Power, L.S./rpm 143/3500
Max. moment, nm/rpm 330/1800
Mechanical transmission 5-speed
The drive is connected full
Max. Speed, km/h 158
Acceleration time 0-100 km, with 12.5
Fuel consumption (average), l/100 km 9.3

Andrey Bezverkhov
Photo of the manufacturer

   
   

A source: Avtopanorama magazine