Ranger FX4 Blasts Through Snow Like It’s Nothing
Canadian YouTuber’s snow-heavy Ranger test proves Ford developed a perfect cure for wintertime blues, and a serious off-roader.
Ford put a lot of effort into making the Ranger a truly compelling mid-size truck. A key part of that was the inclusion of the 2.3 liter EcoBoost four cylinder engine. Paired with the 10-speed automatic transmission, it’s an incredibly capable truck that easily at the top of its class. As a result, it’s won a fair number of accolades. Basically, anyone looking for an excellent mid-size truck should check out the Ranger.
In addition to the Ranger’s excellent power, the truck also boasts a robust four-wheel drive system. The latest evidence of that fact comes courtesy of Canadian YouTubers Car Question. They recently subjected a Ranger FX4 to a round of spirited driving in fresh snow. From the looks of it, they had a lot of fun with the Ford. And the Ford appeared to basically swallow up anything mother nature threw at it.
It’s Snow Problem
Mathieu Thomas, the person responsible for the extended snow test, decided to take the Ranger off-road because the weather wouldn’t allow him to conduct a trailer towing evaluation. Fortunately, it looks like Thomas had the right Ranger for the job. He appears to be driving a Lightning Blue Lariat FX4 with the Sport Appearance Package. As a top spec Ranger, his truck comes equipped with plenty of luxury on the pavement. The optional packages round out those useful amenities with some serious off-road capability. Included with the FX4 Off-Road Package is everything he’s need for the Ranger to easily shrug off some snow-packed terrain. There’s skid plates for the gas tank, transfer case, and electric steering motor.
But perhaps the most important FX4 features for this application are the off-road tires, tuned suspension, and the 3.73 electronic locking rear differential. Based on the video, it’s that last inclusion that really allows the Ranger to showcase its potential. In what appears to be about four inches of relatively new snow, the Ranger exhibits impressive control when Thomas whips the steering to the side and stabs the throttle. At no point does the four-wheel drive appear overwhelmed. The only time the tires slip is when Thomas is accelerating up a pretty steep hill. There is one point where it almost gets stuck, largely due to a combination of deep ruts and the snow. But ultimately the Ranger powers through once it approaches the hill at an angle.
Taking Things up a Notch
On day two, even more snow is piled on to the “test course.” The snow is considerably deeper by at least several inches. Fortunately the additional snow actually improves the Ranger’s capability. That’s probably because the deep ruts get filled in by the snow. Regardless, the truck looks right at home on the hill. Thomas clearly felt emboldened after spending so much time with the Ranger and his driving is noticeably more aggressive. He plows right into some deep snow at speed. Clearly, he’s having fun. There’s a lot of excellent looking (and very intentional) slides. The best part of those maneuvers is seeing the Ranger quickly and confidently course correct. It’s blatantly allowing some wheel slip while making sure things don’t get out of hand. That’s the beauty of Ford’s Terrain Management System.
Thomas really puts the Ranger to the test. This is the video people need to see if they’re on the fence about buying a Ranger solely for its all-weather capabilities. The truck is an absolute beast when it comes to the white stuff. And the turbo whistle sounds great. Make sure to watch the entire video to see a very attractive Ranger perform admirably through some decent off-road shenanigans.
