New Gen Ford Ranger Gains Accolades But Older Gen Keeps Gaining Plaudits Too

Sometimes, you wonder about things. For example, we all know that a new generation Ford Ranger is out and about now. The new Ranger is quite good, but there’s a but in there. As good as the new mid-sized Ranger, the older generation continues to get its share of plaudits and kudos.

Older Gen Ranger Called Most Reliable

For example, the Ford Authority (FA), quoting Consumer Reports (CR) calls the older generation Ranger one of the most reliable used vehicles. It is also called the “most reliable three-year-old model.

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Having won these plaudits from CR, the Ranger has also secured “the top spot in its segment” in the 2023 J.D. Power US Initial Quality Study (IQS).

And on top of all these accolades, the Ranger “has another feather to add to its proverbial cap, as that model ranged third in J.D. Power’s 2024 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS). This comes in a year that “both Ford and Lincoln ranked below the segment average, while the Ford Super Duty topped the heavy-duty truck segment, too.”

Ranger Ranks Third in Mid-Sized Segment

Still Scores Points: Who said the Ranger can't still win:

In the latest version of J.D. Power’s VDS, the Ranger ranked third in the mid-sized pickup segment, falling behind two of its rivals – the Toyota Tacoma and the Chevy Colorado. “It is worth pointing out that these rankings apply to the 2021 model year, which is notable given that Colorado was redesigned for the 2023 model year, while both the Ranger and Tacoma are all-new for 2024.

The 2024 J.D. Power U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study is based on the responses of 30l595 owners of 2021 model-year vehicles after three years of owners. The results were collected between August and November 2023. The VCS focuses on 184 specific problem areas across nine categories that include:

• Climate
• Driving assistance
• Driving experience
• Exterior
• Features/controls/displays
• Infotainment
• Interior
• Powertrain
• Seats

Nearly Two-Thirds Of Brands Declined

FA notes, “This year’s study found that overall, nearly two-thirds of all automotive brands suffered a decline in dependability year-over-year with the average PP100 increasing by four versus 2023.

“Historically, VDS model results mirror the results of the respective model year in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study, so a deterioration of vehicle dependability is unusual, FA noted.  This can likely be attributed to the tumultuous time during which these vehicles were built, and owners are keeping their vehicles for much longer. Today's average age of vehicles on American roads is approximately 12 years, underscoring the importance of building a vehicle designed to stand the test of time. Automakers must ensure new vehicle technology introduced today will still meet the customer’s needs years later.”

Marc Stern has been an automotive writer since 1971. His automotive articles have appeared in venues including Popular Mechanics, Mechanix Illustrated, AutoWeek, SuperStock, Trailer Life, Old Cars Weekly, Special Interest Autos, and others. You can follow Marc on Twitter or Facebook.