Kia Tasman rival..Ford Ranger, High Speed Rides Are Bad because
Apr 19, 2025
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I first met the 25-year-old Ford Ranger at Auto Express, an overseas automobile media outlet. The test drive is a 2025 Ford Ranger MS-RT trim. It has a nice design, but it's not the Raptor alternative I expected. The exterior looks great, but the Rangers MS-RT lacks dynamics to properly digest the title of a sports truck.
Source-Auto Express
Thanks to the lower suspension and significantly increased wheels, the ride comfort of the wild track is slightly lower, but it is not enough to establish itself as an alternative to the Raptor. It is perfect for maintaining the load and traction of general pickup trucks while wanting a sporty appearance.
If you're looking to buy a ranger, you have a very wide range of choices. For the Ranger, Ford's popular pickup truck, there's also a basic to top-end platinum, a richly speculated wild track, and an off-road specialized wild track X.The Ranger Raptor is the best option for those looking for a high-performance pickup truck.
The Ranger MS-RT, promoted by Ford as a 'Street Truck', conjures images of the neon-lit 'cool cars' that were popular in the United States in the 1980s and '90s. The Ranger is a more modern reinterpretation of the theme.
Ranger wild track is based on the V6 diesel version. It is definitely different from the Rangers Raptor after extensive improvement work, but it has all the off-road performance. It has a large 21-inch wheel with 40mm lower suspension than the underlying wild track and equipped with Continental Sport Contact tires.
This change is aimed at making the most of the customized bodykits mounted on MS-RT.The bodykits are self-made by MS-RT, which was spun off from M-Sports, a motorsport company that ran Ford's global rally program. The front and rear wheel arches were wider and a deep apron and smoother grille were applied to the front.Deeper side skirts and electric side steps increase indoor accessibility.
Auto Express
At the rear, the tailgate and the rear of the cap were fitted with a dugtail spoiler. Tailgate lip was applied with custom molding graphics over its entire width.The diffuser-style rear bumper feels somewhat exaggerated. The test truck is equipped with a tow ring to complete an aggressive and sporty appearance.
Auto Express
The interior has also been upgraded. Finished nicely with the soft leather used on the wild track and an alcantara with the MS-RT corporate logo.The steering wheel has also been refurbished. The 12 o'clock direction has a blue leather marker attached and the MS-RT exclusive brand carpet mat gives it a luxurious feel.
That's all for the upgrade.The MS-RT is mechanically identical to the wild track, except that the suspension is lowered.It is equipped with a 3.0-liter eco-blue diesel engine and Ford's 10-speed automatic transmission, which are not found in the Ranger Raptor, for strong performance.
However, thanks to various gear ratios, automatic transmissions work more accurately than manual operation. There is no paddle shift behind the steering wheel, so it is somewhat inconvenient to operate seawater only when a blunt drive selector is used.
The linear driving performance is fine. The suspension was lowered by 40 mm and the configuration with double wishbone on the front wheel and rigid axle and leaf spring on the rear wheel remained the same.
It is somewhat unstable as the ride is shaken when it is not on a smooth road surface.That feeling is especially noticeable in the back. Even if the damper is full of luggage at the back, it cannot properly hold the movement.
The front wheel also moves slightly unstable, but the rear part bounces more prominently. This is a typical case of complaints that have been raised in pickup trucks in the past.In the basic ranger, there was no problem because these symptoms were alleviated, but it is a pity that this disadvantage appears in the test drive.This phenomenon is likely to worsen due to large wheels.When driving at high speed, additional road noise from wider tires is added to make it worse.
The Ranger MS-RT has the upper hand over the Raptor is that it is a commercial vehicle.Maintaining the same weight and dimensions as the wild track, the maximum towing weight is 3.5 tons and the loading capacity is 1.1 tons. While recent changes to UK tax rules have reduced the benefits of owning a double-cap pickup truck, it is still an attractive option for business users.
But the price burden is not easy.MS-RT, which costs just over 52,000 pounds (about 97.69 million won), is 6,000 pounds (about 11.27 million won) more expensive than the basic wild track.Although the exterior has been improved, it is quite a high price considering that it degrades driving performance.At 62,500 pounds (about 117.41 million won), including VAT, it is the same price as the Ranger Raptor, which boasts much better performance.
Meanwhile, Ford's flagship mid-size pickup Ranger is also on sale in Korea. It is 63.5 million won for the wild track and 79.9 million won for the Raptor. Raptors sold in Korea are not high-performance versions sold overseas. Based on the performance of the wild track, it is a vehicle with a Raptor look design and sports suspension.
Editor Song Moon-cheol mc.song@carguy.kr
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
