Ford Ranger still best for towing

It’s official!

Ford’s top-selling Ranger is the best dual-cab ‘one tonne’ 4x4 ute for towing, according to the results from the latest comprehensive, 10 vehicle comparison conducted by caravancampingsales’ sister site, Carsales.com.

After impressing the towing judges in previous Carsales’ Dual Cab Ute mega-tests, including a win in 2015, the popular Ranger has come out tops again in 2019.

This time, though, the winning vehicle was powered by the latest 157kW/500Nm 2.0-litre, four-cylinder Bi Turbo engine, in lieu of the older 147kW/470Nm, 3.2-litre, five cylinder turbo-diesel. The 2.0-litre version also replaces the six-speed auto with a fast-shifting 10-speed transmission.

Judged on a range of criteria including engine and transmission performance, vehicle stability, ride quality and towing tech and specs, the Ranger WildTrak achieved an impressive final score of 19/20, beating the Holden Colorado Z71 (16.5/20) and Volkswagen Amarok TDI580 Ultimate 4MOTION (16.0/20).

Also in the mix was the latest Mercedes-Benz X 350 d POWER 4MATIC (15.0/20), while the cheapest ute on test, the SsangYong Musso Ultimate (15.0/20) scored better than Isuzu’s popular D-MAX LS-T (14.5/20).

Rounding out the bottom three were the Mitsubishi Triton GLS Premium (13.0/20), Toyota HiLux Rogue (12.0/20), and Nissan Navara ST Black Edition (11.0/20).

Carsales’ judge and regular Caravancampingsales tow tester, Phil Lord, praised the Ranger’s overall performance, fuel economy and smoothness when towing a caravan weighing close to three tonnes..

“It is very stable, has a composed ride and its engine performs well, in combination with a transmission that picks the right gear at the right time.” he said.

For the full report and video, click here.