It’s been a busy few months of tow-testing the Ford Ranger. Our outright 2022 AA DRIVEN NZ Car of the Year, we’d grabbed a few different models of New Zealand’s favourite vehicle over Jan, Feb and March, to not just see if the long-term love faded (it didn’t!), but to put its three key engines to the towing test.
Having the ability to keep a constant tow subject has been helpful, the same Mazda MX-5 racecar and trailer that we’ve been racing and borrowed for the MX-5 Racing NZ Summer series, spanning Manfeild, Taupo, Pukekohe - and finishing at Hampton Downs, May 6-7.
And for those first three rounds, we were able to put three models of Ford Ranger to the test, including the Raptor with its twin-turbo petrol 3.0-litre V6, the Sport 3.0 V6 turbo diesel, and lastly, the 2.0 BiTurbo four-cylinder diesel, with its carry-over engine from the previous Raptor.
In short, while the links will reveal the full stories, while towing, the Raptor used around 15-16l/100km, and the Sport V6 managed around 10.1l/100km, so the question was whether the smaller capacity, more fuel efficient four-cylinder would provide overall better consumption figures, be overworked in comparison, or remain similarly by offsetting it working harder on the hills, by being more efficient on the flats. Questions, questions.
READ MORE: Towing with the Mazda BT-50
READ MORE: Tow-testing Ford Ranger Raptor
READ MORE: Tow-testing Ford's Ranger Sport V6
With a better claim of combined fuel use around town and highway, the BiTurbo 2.0 does offer more economy around town and when not hauling a load, and the actual fuel use reinforced this, with almost a full litre per 100km less used.
Hooked up with our standardised ballast of 1200kg of MX-5 racecar and trailer, we selected the Tow drive mode via the rotary dial, which neatly turns the gauges yellow along with other more important aspects like 4WD mode, and reversed it into place, with the very handy and helpful guidelines on the reversing camera screen.
Though our journey was shorter than previous trips, a 200km round trip from south Hamilton to Pukekohe Park Raceway for the final race meeting, with a mix of 90 per cent 100/110km/h motorway and 20 per cent suburban roads, it was a similar ratio to previous journeys, able to offer comparable – if not scientifically accurate - results.
With the 10-speed working a little more vigorously, but still perfectly capable, on the 110km/h flats exiting Hamilton on SH1 at the legal towing speed of 90km/h, the Wildtrak version of the Ranger barely raises a sweat – nor should it, carting just one-third of its maximum tow rating. More a comparison than an outright muscle test, the 2.0 really gets its first workout climbing the Bombay Hill, when it shuffles down a few gears and fuel use spikes from a cruisy mid-10l/100km towel over 20l/100km for the few kilometers of the climb.
It’s here where its relatively lower capacity and torque work harder than the V6 versions - though it never falls below 80km/h, and a few seconds of floored throttle and temporarily over-riding the radar cruise control quickly gets it back up to 90km/h for the full hill climb to the top at the Pukekohe turnoff.
Sunny, dry and with clear roads, it was probably the cleanest run we’ve had from our three tow tests, but the results were reasonably conclusive and comparative, given the three different test routes and roads.
The 2.0 BiTurbo did a great job, as it did in the previous Ranger and Raptor, with its strengths of day-to-day useability and economy. If towing were a seldom task, and fuel prices a decent consideration for long-term ownership, it’s still a great package and value for money, possibly the preferred choice. But when called upon to tow and haul the load, it is working and burning more.
At the other end of the spectrum is the Raptor, a super fun, awesome machine that’s off the scale for extreme, but with its lower 2500kg tow rating, can handle the odd tow job - but with its high fuel use, it’s best left to enjoy without trailer in tow.
And that leaves us with a very sweet spot indeed, the diesel V6. Surprisingly economical around town, able to scrape under 10l/100km in real life use, its towing ability proved ringleader of the Ranger kids, barely increasing the fuel use during our towing test loops. If towing is your thing, then the Ford Ranger V6 is king.
READ MORE: Tow-testing Ford Ranger Sport V6
And for those three people wondering how our MX-5 went at the Pukekohe Final Fling race event, the last official race meeting after 60 years, we did rather well with a pole position and two race wins, including the final MX-5 race at Pukekohe, and putting us into the lead of the championship with one round to go. Click through to see some manic action.
FORD RANGER ECONOMY (l/100km; claim combined WLTP)
MODEL, ENGINE, TORQUE CLAIM TESTED TOWING 1.2t
Raptor 3.0TT V6 petrol, 600Nm 12.8 13.6 16.0
V6 3.0T V6 diesel, 583Nm 9.6 9.8 10.1
2.0 BiTurbo diesel four, 500Nm 8.3 8.9 11.0
TEARDOWN
Ford Ranger Wildtrak BiTurbo
ENGINE: 2.0 turbo diesel four
POWER: 154kW/500Nm
TOW RATING: 3500kg
PRICE: $75,990
