Ford seemingly builds trucks of every size, capability, and comfort from its compact Maverick through the mid-size Ranger, iconic full-size F-150, and super capable Super Duty pickups. Commercial buyers can even step up to the F-650 and beyond. Our subject here is on the smaller size, definitely luxurious and surprisingly capable. It’s the 2025 Ford Ranger Lariat.
It takes F-150 design cues like stacked LED headlamps, wide grille, and high bedsides, but it also reveals luxury leanings with chrome bling across its face, 18-inch wheels, mirror caps, and window surrounds. Keeping style clean, there are no step bars to clutter its looks or off-road capability. Around back, spray-in bedliner, power plugs in the bedsides, pre-wiring for trailers, and a built-in hitch signal a dedication to hard work.
Luxury continues inside with heated front seats, heated steering wheel, and dual-zone automatic climate control. Crank up 660 watts of B&O audio for an aural delight. Bringing in tech are flatscreen gauges, tablet-style infotainment screen, and wireless phone connections for Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and console charging. If you tap-tap around the cabin you’ll find some hard plastic, but most key surfaces are plush stitched simulations of leather for a very upscale air.
Earning demerits are the gear selector with release button at the top of your fingertips and manual shift buttons where a release button should be. Odd. And I appreciate redundant buttons and knobs for climate control and volume, but wish we also got a tuning knob. You might also expect a head-up display, but the Ranger doesn’t have one. It has automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise, blind spot warning, and cross path detection, but no hands-off Blue Cruise.
We’ve covered size and luxury, but this truck is also quite capable for its size. Behind its flashy grille is a 2.7-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine connected to a 10-speed automatic transmission. If you’re not impressed by a four-cylinder pickup, you might better appreciate its 315 horsepower and 400 lb.-ft. of torque – enough to pull 7,500 lbs. Getting onto the freeway, or clicking through morning traffic, is no problem. Unloaded, it achieves 19/23-MPG city highway.
It drives pretty nice too. For a 4×4 pickup with solid rear axle, it rumbles over rough pavement without drama, feeling more like an SUV or crossover than a four-door pickup. It’s on-road refinement belies the fact it can tackle some pretty tough trails with four-wheel-drive, including 4Lo, and a locking rear differential. Being just a little bit smaller pays off in both off-road maneuvering and tight downtown side streets. It definitely fits better in my urban driveway and local parking garage than it’s more famous full-size sibling.
For some, even the Ranger may be too capable. To tow and haul, it rides on a full frame with which there are slight compromises in on-road comfort. If you just want a little dirty space for mulch or camping gear, also check out the smaller Maverick that’s available as a hybrid…with a starting price $9,000 below the Ranger’s!
And, what about the Ranger’s sticker? A base price near $33,000 is $4k less than a base F-150, but our luxury-oriented Lariat trim came to a stout $53,070. You may also consider the Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon, Nissan Frontier, Toyota Tacoma, and Honda Ridgeline.
Storm Forward!
Send comments to Casey at AutoCasey@aol.com; follow him on YouTube @AutoCasey.