Ford is celebrating 60 years of the F-Series trucks in Canada this year, and they have flooded press fleets with every flavour of F-Series, from hybridized half-tons all the way up to thinly disguised commercial tow rigs, and while I’ve liked them all, I think this 2026 Ford Ranger Lariat V6 remains my favourite Ford truck,
Out of all them, it’s the one I’d most want to actually live with, and most willing to drop my own money on - and that’s not just because it’s the least money out of the lot, but it sure doesn’t hurt.
Exterior design
The Ranger soldiers into 2026 completely unchanged, and that’s fine. It was already a handsome truck that did a very effective job bridging the gap between the lil’ Maverick and the big boys of Ford’s truck lineup, and this tester's stealthy-spec Black Appearance Package (which adds more body-colour accents along with removing any and all brightwork to enhance the monochromatic theme) looks especially handsome.
I don't know why Ford insists on calling this paint Marsh Grey, despite the fact that it is very obviously brown. Maybe Ford thinks brown is a bad word in marketing. Either way, I’m into it.
Size matters
The Ranger is five inches narrower and very nearly two feet shorter than a comparable F-150 (SuperCrew, short box). The slight intimidation that comes with getting into a modern half-ton is gone, and visibility is markedly better, especially up front with the lower hood line.
The fact that Ford sells so very many F-150s tends to make us forget that an F-150 is a very large vehicle. It’s a relief to have a truck that still looks handsome, still feels like a truck, can still do truck things, and isn’t at all awkward to park or maneuver. Sure, you get used to having to deal with an F-150’s size, but not having to get used to it, not having to subconsciously manage and plan for it, is a delight.
Cabin accomodation
The cabin feels right-sized too, with a good amount of storage and stash spaces, ample leg, knee, and shoulder room, and decent rear seats, too. No it’s not nearly as airy as a half-ton, but there’s more than enough to be comfortable, and the back seat space is decent; about on par with Nissan, and a distinct leg up over GM and Toyota.
Our loaded Lariat model adds niceties like heated and powered leather seats, leather steering wheel, leather gear shifter, a Bang & Olufsen sound system, surround-view cameras, and a wireless charging pad. A 12.4-inch portrait touch screen running Ford Sync 4A and 12-inch digital gauge cluster are standard, and there’s a healthy amount of physical controls to augment the digital toys, too.
Powertrain
Mid-size trucks have mid-size powertrains, and everything mid-size these days is powered by a turbocharged four-cylinder. The Ranger’s base 2.3L four-cylinder is a good little engine, but the Ranger makes itself an exception to the rule by also offering the 2.7L EcoBoost V6 lifted directly out from under the much larger hood of its F-150 brethren - as is the case with this tester.
It produces 315 horsepower and the same 400 foot-pounds of torque as the much larger truck this engine usually belongs to. Not only does this make the unassuming Ranger very nearly as fast as the more radical Raptor, it also gives it a distinct leg up on its competitors in the form of refinement. To that end, this engine doesn’t have to work very hard to move the Ranger, and it gets pretty impressive fuel economy as a result; I averaged 12.3L/100km without trying at all, and we’ve seen better with a little effort.
Truck Capability
Whether it’s the (good!) 2.3L base engine or the brawny 2.7L upgraded powerplant, the Ford Ranger can tow 7,500 lbs, and has a payload capacity of 1,800 lbs. If you do tow with any regularity, the Advanced Towing Package adds the same clever trailer management systems as Ford’s flagships, including the same backup controls, cameras, trailer brake management, and more.
All Rangers (for the time being) have the same four-door, short-bed body style, with the being five feet long. Tie-down hooks and attachment points are standard across the line, and Ford went out of their way to completely re-engineer the rear suspension in order to make sure the bed spans a full 48-inches between the wheel wells, so you can drop a 4x8’ sheet flat in this truck. A simple hidden torsion spring softens the tailgate opening and eases closing, and integrated cutouts in the bed ease access, are large enough to accommodate a pair of steel-toes, and can bear 300 pounds. It can get the job done just as well as the big kids.
Driving Impressions
Part of why people like trucks is because trucks feel like trucks. If you were somehow able to pilot a truck blindfolded, you probably would be able to tell pretty quickly you’re driving a truck, rather than a crossover SUV; this is part of why the Toyota RAV4 and Grand Highlander are well-liked vehicles, but the 4Runner and Land Cruisers are icons with a cult following. The Maverick is a very good vehicle, and is objectively and subjectively better than the Ranger in a lot of ways specifically because it’s not a truck… but it’s also not a truck.
The Ranger feels like a truck. It is so well-mannered to the point that all the typical truck drawbacks, like the buckboard ride and shuddering inherent to a ladder frame, are almost eliminated, but it is still a truck and is satisfying all the same. It’s comfortable, smooth riding, quiet, easy to drive leisurely, fun to drive in a hurry; it hits all the right points the right way.
Money & Wrap it up
A base Ford Ranger XL starts at a very affordable $43,370, with an XLT including some nice-to-have essentials $47,080, and luxuriously appointed Lariat starting at $55,595. The 2.7L EcoBoost V6 engine option adds $2,895 to the bottom line of a Ranger XLT or Lariat, and is worth every penny.
This tester, with every option short of a powered moonroof and the FX4 off-road package, rings up at $61,315. The only other mid-size truck that offers a V6 is Nissan’s Frontier, and as much I admire that truck, I admire it because it feels like such a classic truck, which isn’t necessarily, you know, a good thing. This loaded Ranger also undercuts similarly-loaded competitors from GM and Toyota, despite offering more engine, more back seat space, more bed utility, for less.
This 2026 Ford Ranger Lariat V6 almost an entire Corolla cheaper than an F-150 Lariat with the same engine. Might be something to think about.
