Compare the2022 Jeep WranglerVS 2022 Ford Ranger

Full-time four-wheel drive is optional on the Wrangler. Full-time four-wheel drive gives added traction for safety in all conditions, not just off-road, like the only system available on the Ranger. Four-wheel drive of any type costs extra on the Ranger.

Both the Wrangler and the Ranger 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 collision warning systems, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors 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 Jeep Wrangler is safer than the Ford Ranger:

	Wrangler	Ranger
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	202	344
Neck Injury Risk	31.1%	41%
Neck Stress	188 lbs.	194 lbs.
Neck Compression	81 lbs.	110 lbs.

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

Jeep pays for scheduled maintenance on the Wrangler for 3 years and unlimited miles. Jeep will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance (up to 3 oil changes). Ford doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Ranger.

The Wrangler has a solid front axle with a floating power axle for durability that the Ranger 4x4’s independent front suspension and exposed front driveshafts don’t offer.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Jeep vehicles are better in initial quality than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Jeep above average in initial quality. With 13 more problems per 100 vehicles, Ford is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Jeep vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Jeep 3 places higher in reliability than Ford.

The Wrangler’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 15 more horsepower (285 vs. 270) than the Ranger’s 2.3 turbo 4-cylinder. The Wrangler 4Xe’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 105 more horsepower (375 vs. 270) and 160 lbs.-ft. more torque (470 vs. 310) than the Ranger’s 2.3 turbo 4-cylinder. The Wrangler Rubicon 392’s optional 6.4 V8 produces 200 more horsepower (470 vs. 270) and 160 lbs.-ft. more torque (470 vs. 310) than the Ranger’s 2.3 turbo 4-cylinder.

The Wrangler’s 3.0 turbo V6 diesel produces 132 lbs.-ft. more torque (442 vs. 310) than the Ranger’s 2.3 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Jeep Wrangler turbo 4 cyl. is faster than the Ford Ranger (automatics tested):

	Wrangler	Ranger
Zero to 30 MPH	1.9 sec	2.4 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	5.8 sec	6.5 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	6.8 sec	7.1 sec
Passing 30 to 50 MPH	3.5 sec	3.6 sec
Quarter Mile	14.6 sec	15 sec

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Wrangler Rubicon 392’s fuel efficiency. The Ranger doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the Wrangler 2.0 Turbo/3.6 eTorque/4Xe’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Ranger doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The Wrangler 4-door’s standard fuel tank has 3.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the Ranger (21.5 vs. 18 gallons).

The Wrangler offers a manual transmission for better acceleration, control and sportiness. The Ranger doesn’t offer a manual transmission.

The Wrangler Rubicon 392’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Ranger doesn’t offer launch control.

For better stopping power the Wrangler’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Ranger:

	Wrangler	Ranger
Front Rotors	12.9 inches	12.2 inches
Rear Rotors	12.9 inches	12.1 inches
Opt Rear Rotors	14 inches

In an emergency stopping situation, many drivers don’t press the brakes with enough force to stop the vehicle in the shortest distance. The Wrangler has a standard brake assist system to detect emergency braking situations (by how hard and how quickly the brake pedal is pressed) and then automatically apply maximum braking immediately in order to help prevent a collision. The Ranger doesn’t offer a brake assist feature.

The Wrangler stops shorter than the Ranger:

	Wrangler	Ranger
70 to 0 MPH	191 feet	193 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	133 feet	140 feet	Motor Trend

For better traction, the Wrangler’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Ranger (315/70R17 vs. 265/65R17).

The Wrangler Sahara 4-door’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Ranger’s optional 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Wrangler has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Ranger. The Wrangler Sahara 4-door’s optional 20-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels optional on the Ranger.

The Wrangler Sport S/Sahara/Rubicon offers an optional easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Ranger doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Wrangler has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Wrangler flat and controlled during cornering. The Ranger’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The Wrangler Rubicon has an active front sway bar, which helps keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnects at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Ranger doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The front and rear suspension of the Wrangler uses coil springs for better ride, handling and control than the Ranger, which uses leaf springs in the rear. Coil springs compress more progressively and offer more suspension travel for a smoother ride with less bottoming out.

The Wrangler has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Ranger doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Wrangler is 2.8 inches wider in the front and 2.8 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Ranger.

The Wrangler’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (50.7% to 49.3%) than the Ranger’s (57.3% to 42.7%). This gives the Wrangler more stable handling and braking.

For better maneuverability, the Wrangler 2-door’s turning circle is 8 feet tighter than the Ranger’s (34.5 feet vs. 42.5 feet). The Wrangler 4-door’s turning circle is 3.7 feet tighter than the Ranger Tremor’s (39.4 feet vs. 43.1 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Wrangler Sport 2-door has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Ranger SuperCrew (9.7 vs. 8.9 inches), allowing the Wrangler to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Jeep Wrangler may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs up to about 250 pounds less than the Ford Ranger.

The Wrangler 2-door is 3 feet, 8 inches shorter than the Ranger, making the Wrangler easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Wrangler 2-door has 1 inch more front headroom, 4.4 inches more rear headroom, 5.3 inches more rear legroom and 2.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Ranger SuperCab.

The Wrangler 4-door has 1 inch more front headroom, 2 inches more rear headroom, 3.8 inches more rear legroom and 3.2 inches more rear hip room than the Ranger SuperCrew.

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Wrangler easier. The Wrangler’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 29.7 inches, while the Ranger’s liftover is 35 inches.

All models of the Wrangler can be flat towed on all four wheels, allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Wrangler can be unhitched and driven around locally. Only the Ranger 4WD can be dinghy towed.

The Wrangler’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Ranger does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The power windows standard on both the Wrangler and the Ranger have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Wrangler is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Ranger prevents the driver from operating the rear windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Wrangler Sport S/Sahara/Rubicon’s available front power windows lower with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Ranger’s passenger windows don’t open automatically.

The Wrangler’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Ranger’s power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Wrangler’s speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Ranger’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Wrangler has a standard rear wiper. The Ranger doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

Consumer Reports rated the Wrangler’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Ranger’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

The Wrangler Sport S/Sahara/Rubicon’s power mirror controls are mounted on the door for easy access. The Ranger’s optional power mirror controls are on the dash where they are possibly hidden by the steering wheel and are awkward to manipulate.

On extremely cold winter days, the Wrangler Sport S/Sahara/Rubicon’s optional heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The Ranger doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

Both the Wrangler and the Ranger offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Wrangler offers optional rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Ranger doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

Bluetooth wireless connectivity is standard on the Wrangler, connecting the driver and passenger’s cell phones to the vehicle systems. This allows them to use the vehicle’s stereo and hand controls to place calls safely and easily. Bluetooth costs extra on the Ranger.

Insurance will cost less for the Wrangler owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Wrangler with a number “3” insurance rate while the Ranger is rated higher at a number “5” rate.

The Wrangler will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Wrangler will retain 73.16% to 86.03% of its original price after five years, while the Ranger only retains 56.16% to 59.51%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Wrangler is less expensive to operate than the Ranger because it costs $776 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Wrangler than the Ranger, including $117 less for a water pump, $87 less for a muffler, $309 less for a starter, $170 less for fuel injection and $462 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Jeep Wrangler will be $334 to $6278 less than for the Ford Ranger.

Motor Trend selected the Wrangler as their 2019 Sport Utility of the Year. The Ranger has never been chosen.

The Jeep Wrangler outsold the Ford Ranger by over two to one during the 2021 model year.