Ford Ranger XL Crew Cab 4X4 and XLT Super Cab 4X4 compared

Our testing revealed that the new Ranger passes the work function with flying colours in both automatic and manual specifications and it's only the compromises created by this work ethic that warrant closer consideration.

To contain costs with the big boost in mechanical and chassis specifications, Ford has obviously simplified the body detailing to the point where it might look too cheap for top of the range XLT buyers. In XLT spec, the painted grey wheel arch extensions don't look much different from the XL's black plastic finish and it's only when you pick one of the optional two-tone finishes that you get any detailing on the XLT's plain body sides.

The XLT's twin chrome grille bars, chrome mirrors, side steps, chrome exterior handles, fog lights and rear sports bar struggle to lift the plain appearance and generally reduce the XLT's practicality. The removal of the rugged external tie down rails (a distinguishing Courier feature from day one) from the XLT pick-up is a big disadvantage for many operators. The sports bars that replace it can get in the way and their method of attachment makes them of little practical value.

The acreage of shiny plastic that offers only token protection to the front won't suit everyone either. At least Ford's bull bar option not only lifts the Ranger's front styling but improves panel protection.

In combination with unpainted wheel arches, plain steel wheels, external tie down rails and no side steps to get hung up on a ridge, a bull-bar equipped XL would get our work truck vote. Consider too that the standard cloth trim and interior detailing is not subtsntially different to the XLT's offering.

Watch the options, however, as the $6000 saving between XL and XLT can soon disappear. The desirable items missing in the XL include the bedliner, remote keyless locking, alarm and immobiliser, external 12 volt socket in the load bed, alloy wheels, six-stacker CD and power mirrors. Try adding any of these as spare parts or options and the XLT starts to look like better value.

My tradey passengers laughed at the fist-sized holes in the Ranger's grille which had left the air-conditioning condenser of both test examples already looking like a battleground. The new protective grille over the turbocharger only highlights what is missing from the rest of the intake area. When all Ranger rivals at even the most basic levels offer some protection over the whole front intake, this might be enough to force rural drivers to shop elsewhere. The Ford Australia of old would never have tolerated this.

The Super Cab is a clever compromise when it offers temporary but relatively safe seating for dropping off kids to school or shuttling workmen back to base. No one pretends that anyone would want to spend extended time in the back but the extra rear doors make it more practical than rivals.

It also offers under seat storage and the ability to store a large tool box, fridge or sports equipment inside the vehicle. Its 1753mm load length offers a full 223mm extra length over the Crew Cab which can be the difference between fitting recreational equipment and work tools within the vehicle's length.

The Crew Cab still offers a generous 1530mm load length with a rear seat that has been improved but is still only suitable for two adults. Because the Ranger body in white is still built around Japan's 1700mm width restrictions, its cabin width and height has more in common with something like a Nissan Tiida – though without the legroom.

Access is also tight with the narrow rear doors. However, after 10 hours of climbing in and out of the vehicle, the consensus was that it was good enough for a work vehicle.

The big difference in the way the auto and manual drove was a surprise. Part of this can be attributed to the fact that the auto was fitted with Bridgestone Desert Dueler tyres and the manual featured the grippier Michelins from the previous Courier.

The abrupt take-up of the auto seemed to multiply the new 3.0-litre turbodiesel's massive torque and overwhelm rear end grip with little provocation. With a police car sitting next to me at the lights, I had to punch the auto's shift on the fly to engage 4WD to stop it slewing sideways in the wet. With an empty load bed and such an abrupt auto with this much grunt, it requires considerable care and won't tolerate dry weather throttle inputs in wet corners or while leaving a wet intersection.

On the move, it will cruise at 100km/h under 2000rpm with less noise and fuss than the manual but in stop-start city work it needs some serious weight in the rear to tie it down.

The manual was the pick with its huge improvement in shift quality over Couriers past. Although it has similar grunt to the auto, the extra clutch control and Michelins ensure that loss of traction is usually intentional -- not a nasty surprise as it was in the auto. The Ranger is now quick enough off the mark to give some passenger cars a fright.

Detailed fuel tests for the manual revealed the first stop-start 238km section around town took only 22 litres for an average of 9.24lt/100km -- at least 1.5 litres/100km better under these conditions than the previous model. The second leg which went for 454km fully loaded and combined freeway work with 250km of stop-start work stops with some four-wheel driving delivered a remarkably consistent 9.33lt/100km.

The auto delivered similar figures while cruising with only a slight increase around town. The new engine has so much grunt that it cruises at the same revs at 100km/h as the previous one did at 80km/h, effectively delivering an extra 20km/h in cruising speed for 'free' without dropping off on the hills. Previous Courier owners riding in the vehicle marvelled at how quiet and easy going it was when cruising even if it is more raucous while working through the gears.

The lever selection of the high-low 4WD functions in the manual is a basic but welcome feature in a work vehicle where ruggedness and simplicity are valued more than convenience.

The stiffer springs dictated by the Ranger's extra load and towing capacity ensured that the improvement in ride comfort and rear end grip while loaded was dramatic compared to empty. In this area, the new Ranger is the exact opposite to the D40 Navara which is quite civilised when unladen but droops as soon as you add serious weight. Their respective load capacities reflect these differences with the Ranger enjoying a big advantage when loaded, negated by the truck-like ride when empty.

Where the Ranger falls down is its cheap-feeling cabin. The dash top tray and lower console box are both a waste of time when their hard plastic finish and lack of covers ensure that their contents are soon launched throughout the cabin.

The centre control panel is raised and brought usefully closer to the driver but the overhang restricts what will fit into the cupholders. And although the twin 12 volt outlets are welcome, their location makes them next to useless. My iPod docking cradle which travels with me in every test vehicle wouldn't fit yet it does so easily in the previous model.

The bi-level centre console bin is outstanding for this type of vehicle, thanks in part to the under dash handbrake which now has a more substantial feel and is light years ahead of the dreadful equivalent in the latest Rodeo.

The deep vertical centre dash vents punch out significantly more air than previously but the driver's left hand can't escape their cooling breeze. Although the instrument calibrations are clear, having only one calibration inside each 20km/h increment is a formula for multiple speed camera fines in Australia. The slide-out tray on the passenger's side was useful for writing and eating but is not deep enough for serious storage.

The lack of reading lights in the previous model has been addressed with a set of extra lenses added to the centre cabin light, not an extra set at the front. This is typical of the Ranger. At almost every level, it takes two steps forward and then one back which is why it is still not good enough to take on the equivalent ML Triton, D40 Navara and HiLux as a second 'family' car.

However, as the final and only current development (along with its Mazda BT50 twin) of the previous, smaller light commercials (check out how much the HiLux and Navara have grown), it raises the bar by a substantial margin in terms of cabin height and length, load length and height, diesel grunt and economy, towing and load capacity, looks and cabin styling while retaining an overall size that is usefully smaller than its all-new rivals.

Providing this is matched by a useful price advantage when the haggling stops, Ford's new Ranger could be exactly what many hard-working operators are looking for.

Model: Ford Ranger XL 4x4 Crew Cab
RRP: $39,990
Price as tested: $41,010 (metallic paint $310, bedliner $493, 12V auxiliary power socket $217)
Also consider: Mazda BT50, Nissan Navara, Holden Rodeo, Toyota HiLux, Ssangyong Actyon Sports, Mitsubishi Triton