Compare the2022 Ford RangerVS 2022 Jeep Wrangler

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Payload and Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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The Ranger has standard head airbag curtains for front and rear seats which act as a forgiving barrier between the driver and outboard passenger's upper bodies and the window and pillars. Combined with high-strength steel door beams and lower side airbags this system increases head protection in broadside collisions. The Wrangler doesn't offer side airbag protection for the head and are only available for the front seats.

The Ranger has standard Automatic Emergency Braking, which use forward mounted sensors to warn the driver of a possible collision ahead. If the driver doesn’t react and the system determines a collision is imminent, it automatically applies the brakes at full-force in order to reduce the force of the crash or avoid it altogether. The Wrangler offers an available collision warning system without the automated brake feature that would prevent or reduce the collision if the driver fails to react.

The Ranger’s optional lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. The Wrangler doesn’t offer a lane departure warning system.

The Ranger offers optional parking sensors to help warn the driver about vehicles, pedestrians or other obstacles behind or, optionally, in front of the vehicle. The Wrangler doesn’t offer a front parking aid.

The Ranger’s optional driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Wrangler doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Ranger and the Wrangler have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, rearview cameras, available four-wheel drive, blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Ford Ranger is safer than the Jeep Wrangler:

	Ranger	Wrangler
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	137	187
Leg Forces (l/r)	705/152 lbs.	926/731 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.6 inches
Leg Forces (l/r)	509/287 lbs.	380/742 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

A significantly tougher test than their original offset frontal crash test, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH small overlap frontal offset crash tests. In this test, where only 25% of the total width of the vehicle is struck, results indicate that the Ford Ranger SuperCrew is safer than the Wrangler 4-door:

	Ranger	Wrangler
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Restraints	GOOD	GOOD
Head Neck Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Peak Head Forces	0 G’s	0 G’s
Steering Column Movement Rearward	0 cm	2 cm
Chest Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Max Chest Compression	20 cm	23 cm
Hip & Thigh Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Hip & Thigh Injury Risk R/L	0%/0%	0%/0%
Lower Leg Evaluation	MARGINAL	GOOD

For its top level performance in all IIHS frontal, side, rear impact and roof-crush tests, and its standard front crash prevention system, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Ranger the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2017, a rating granted to only 214 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Wrangler was not even a “Top Safety Pick” for 2016.

Warranty

There are over 25 percent more Ford dealers than there are Jeep dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Ranger’s warranty.

Reliability

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the Ranger has an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of the 6.4 V8 in the Wrangler.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Ranger has a standard 720-amp battery. The Wrangler’s standard 650-amp battery and largest (optional) 700 amp battery aren’t as powerful.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Ranger’s reliability 43 points higher than the Wrangler.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Ranger second among midsize pickups in their 2021 Initial Quality Study. The Wrangler isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Ford vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford 22nd in reliability. With 11 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jeep is ranked 24th.

Engine

The Ranger’s 2.3 turbo 4-cylinder produces 15 lbs.-ft. more torque (310 vs. 295) than the Wrangler’s optional 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The Ranger’s 2.3 turbo 4-cylinder produces 50 lbs.-ft. more torque (310 vs. 260) than the Wrangler’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the Ford Ranger is faster than the Jeep Wrangler turbo 4 cyl. (automatics tested):

	Ranger	Wrangler
Zero to 60 MPH	6.3 sec	8.1 sec
Quarter Mile	14.9 sec	16.3 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	92.9 MPH	82.6 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Ford Ranger uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Wrangler Rubicon 392 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Ranger has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Wrangler doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Transmission

The Ford Ranger comes standard with an automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. Automatic costs extra on the Wrangler.

Brakes and Stopping

The Ranger’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs standard on the Wrangler 4x4 Sport are solid, not vented.

The Ranger stops much shorter than the Wrangler:

	Ranger	Wrangler
70 to 0 MPH	190 feet	198 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	122 feet	150 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	150 feet	163 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Ranger has larger standard tires than the Wrangler (255/70R16 vs. 245/75R17).

The Ranger’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 70 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Wrangler Sport’s standard 75 series tires.

The Ford Ranger’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Jeep Wrangler only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

Suspension and Handling

The Ford Ranger’s independent front suspension is much lighter than the Jeep Wrangler’s solid front axle, which allows the Ranger’s wheels to react more quickly and accurately to the road’s surface, improving both ride and handling.

For much better steering response and tighter handling the Ranger has rack and pinion steering, like Formula racecars, instead of the recirculating-ball type steering of the Wrangler.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Ranger SuperCrew’s wheelbase is 30 inches longer than on the Wrangler 2-door (126.8 inches vs. 96.8 inches). The Ranger SuperCrew’s wheelbase is 8.4 inches longer than on the Wrangler 4-door (126.8 inches vs. 118.4 inches).

The Ranger Lariat SuperCrew 4x4 handles at .75 G’s, while the Wrangler Rubicon 2-door pulls only .63 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Ranger Lariat SuperCrew 4x4 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 3.6 seconds quicker than the Wrangler Rubicon 2-door (27.7 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 31.3 seconds @ .48 average G’s).

Chassis

For excellent aerodynamics, the Ranger has standard flush composite headlights. The Wrangler has recessed headlights that spoil its aerodynamic shape and create extra drag.

Passenger Space

The Ranger SuperCab has 1.9 inches more front legroom, 1.9 inches more front hip room, .8 inches more front shoulder room and 10.3 inches more rear hip room than the Wrangler 2-door.

The Ranger SuperCrew has 1.9 inches more front legroom, 1.9 inches more front hip room, .9 inches more front shoulder room and .5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Wrangler 4-door.

Cargo Capacity

The Ranger SuperCrew has a much larger cargo volume than the Wrangler 2-door with its rear seat up (43.3 vs. 12.9 cubic feet). The Ranger SuperCrew has a much larger cargo volume with its long-bed bodystyle than the Wrangler 2-door with its rear seat folded (43.3 vs. 31.7 cubic feet).

The Ranger SuperCab has a much larger cargo volume than the Wrangler 4-door with its rear seat up (51.8 vs. 31.7 cubic feet).

The Ranger SuperCab has a much larger cargo area than the Wrangler 2-door with its rear seat up (51.8 vs. 12.9 cubic feet). The Ranger SuperCab has a much larger cargo area with its long-bed bodystyle than the Wrangler with its rear seat folded (51.8 vs. 31.7 cubic feet).

The Ranger’s cargo area is larger than the Wrangler’s in almost every dimension:

	Ranger SuperCrew	Ranger SuperCab	Wrangler
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	61”	72.8”	37”/65.8”
Max Width	61.4”	61.4”	42”
Min Width	44.8”	44.8”	39.5”
Height	20.8”	20.8”	30”

Payload and Towing

The Ranger’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Wrangler’s (7500 vs. 2000 pounds).

The Ranger has a much higher standard payload capacity than the Wrangler (1609 vs. 1233 lbs.).

The Ranger has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the Wrangler (1905 vs. 1351 lbs.).

Servicing Ease

The Ranger uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Wrangler uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

The Ranger’s standard power windows allow the driver or passenger to lower and raise the windows without leaning over or being distracted. Power windows are only available on the Wrangler Sport S/Sahara/Rubicon.

The Ranger’s driver’s power window opens or closes with one touch of the window control, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths. The Wrangler Sport S/Sahara/Rubicon’s power windows’ switch has to be held the entire time to close it fully.

The Ranger’s standard power window controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The Wrangler’s available power window controls are down in the center of the dashboard, away from the windows and mixed with controls for unrelated features.

The Ranger’s standard power locks allow the driver or passenger to lock or unlock all the doors at a touch without leaning over, or reaching to the back seat. Power locks are only available on the Wrangler Sport S/Sahara/Rubicon.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Ranger’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Wrangler doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its extra cost SiriusXM Guardian can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

The Ranger Lariat’s optional wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Wrangler’s intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

The Ranger has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The Wrangler has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the Sport S/Sahara/Rubicon.

Model Availability

The Ranger is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Wrangler doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Ranger is less expensive to operate than the Wrangler because typical repairs cost less on the Ranger than the Wrangler, including $37 less for front brake pads, $6 less for a fuel pump, $13 less for front struts and $180 less for a timing belt/chain.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Ford Ranger, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Jeep Wrangler isn't recommended.