4 Ways Ford Made Sure the New 2019 Ranger Could Take a Beating
Ford tested its new 2019 Ranger mid-size pickup in extreme environments, and in some cases had to use robot drivers to protect human drivers from potential injury. So, when The Collapse happens and the robots take over, be sure to partially blame Ford as your Roomba starts spitting fire.
Related: Would You Rather, Ford Edition: F-150 Raptor or Ranger Raptor?
Here are four ways Ford abused its Ranger test mules to make sure it will survive your quick run to Home Depot:
1. Rough Road Testing
This is the test too risky for human drivers; Ford’s proving grounds in Michigan hosted the Ranger for a test of its performance over roads so rough you’d have to go to Chicago to find anything comparable.
2. Shaker Table Testing
Not to be confused with a different kind of Shaker table, this one just shakes the test vehicle for days on end to ferret out any potential squeaks, rattles, snaps, crackles or pops that might annoy the average Ranger driver.
3. Davis Dam Towing Tests
The Davis Dam on the Arizona/Nevada border is famous for its steep grades and is the perfect place to see how well a truck can handle towing in high temperatures. Our sister site PickupTrucks.com often uses it as a location for its own testing, too.
4. Hooning in the Australian Outback
Finally, test drivers took the new Ranger to the Australian Outback to see what it can do off-road. This is probably the most fun form of vehicle testing; if Ford ever needs extra drivers for this, I’m happy to help.
The 2019 Ford Ranger should be appearing on our shores early in 2019 — and we can’t wait to put it through our own tests.
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