Top 5 Reviews and Videos of the Week: Ford Ranger Trucking Toward Telluride

Pickup trucks were popular on Cars.com this week, and it’s no wonder why: The Ford Ranger — last seen in the 2011 model year — has returned, all new, for 2019. While the Kia Telluride SUV still tops our list of most popular reviews of the last seven days, the Ranger gave it a run for its money.

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Also happy to see the return of the Ranger was Cars.com reviewer Aaron Bragman. He came away pretty pleased with Ford’s decision to give its compact pickup only one available powertrain, a turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission.

“Put your foot down, and the snorty turbo motor spools up quickly and shoots you forward — the 10-speed auto may have a lot of gears and does indeed shift frequently to make use of all of them, but it’s extremely smooth and barely perceptible in its action,” Bragman writes. “The truck is a genuine joy to drive; it’s astonishing that this is the base powertrain — it’s torquier, more responsive and far more enjoyable than the optional V-6 engines in competitors such as the Chevrolet Colorado, Toyota Tacoma or Nissan Frontier.”

Bragman said the rest of the truck is just as enjoyable: It rides smoothly, steers responsively and brakes fairly well. Its one fault may be its outdated interior, however, which Bragman said looks straight out of 2012.

For all the details, check out the full review via the link below.

The truck theme continues in our list of top videos this week. Our review of the 2019 Ram 2500 Power Wagon sits at No. 1 and is followed by a First Look at the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500 heavy duties. Returning this week is our 2019 Compact SUV Challenge at No. 3, as well as First Drives of the 2019 Chevrolet Blazer and the 2020 Jeep Gladiator, which take the fourth and fifth slots, respectively.

For a full rundown and links to the stories, here are the top five reviews and videos of the week: