Ranger 2.3 power
 

Hi All. I am Rob in Winnipeg Canada. Brand new here . Looking to give up my Explorer Sport for a 2021 Ranger Tremor. Test drove a Lariat FX4 and Just today a Tremor. Only 2 negatives for me coming from the Explorer. Biggest is power and lack there’ of. I don’t expect it to be as quick as the Explorer but the way thei a tremor felt I can’t imagine it being able to tow much at all. To be fair the vehicle only had 120 km on it. Could I expect the power to improve once the mileage increases? At this point I can’t even say it was “zippy” as has been quoted in some of the reviews I watched. Second thing is the brakes, or the pedal travel to get initial bite might be more specific. Is that normal or is there a fix for that? Even if it is aftermarket. One thing that pleased me was fuel mileage. I did a test drive that.included 2 crosswind legs, another leg with the wind behind me and one into the wind. That was followed by about 15 minutes in heavy stop and go traffic with the end result of 10.8 litres per 100 km. Or 21.8 mpg for everyone south of the border.
alll comments welcomed.
Thanks

Welcome to the forum

Its a 4cyl engine, so.............................
Its rated as 270HP with the turbo but its still a 4cyl engine and the only engine option
Its 10-speed transmission helps but 3 are overdrive so................
4.6:1 1st gear which is good for towing, rated for 7,000+lbs

Curb weight is 4,400lbs for the 4 door crew cab
2020 Explorer is about the same, but explorer also has a 400HP engine option

"Zippy" is a relative term so can't say much about that
Not sure I would call any production SUV or pickup truck "zippy", lol

Hah! This is exactly what I did. Traded in my 2018 Explorer Sport for the Ranger Tremor. There is plenty of power for this smaller truck. Haven't had any issues. Tow? The Ranger Tremor can tow 7500lbs.

Nope its not the Explorer. But I like driving my Ranger better.

Not sure about newer ones, but I have a 2019. I had to get used to it.

There are three factors with the power... although there is plenty of power.

1) there is a certain amount of shift lag when you floor it.

2) there is a certain amount of turbo lag when you floor it.

3) If you are cruising along, and just push the throttle a little, not much happens. You are at low rpm, with low exhaust volume, so the turbo is not so noticeable. The ECU may not close the wastegate. A little more push (does not take a lot) and you get more power, and you can also see the MPG take a dive to match.

The result is that with the turbo, the power is there, but it does NOT react the same way as a naturally aspirated V8. You get more immediate power with the V8 if you floor it. The turbo 4 waits a little, and then kicks your ass. Depending on what you are used to, that may not "seem like" power. But the power is there, and is very usable.

Power is always relative. SPEC wise its a capable truck.

1) never forget how far we've come. In the 80s a 200hp corvette was the norm. Little trucks could have as little as 80hp. The 2021 rangers put out roughly the same numbers as the early 2000s silverado and f150 lol. For a midsize that's impressive.

2) when buying new its important you are happy with performance or you'll just end up selling for a loss. While the truck is plenty capable there is no shame in wanting more. Id be disappointed if I went from my little 2000 ranger 2.5 down to say a 1970s Courier in terms of power. Lol

Put it this way. The 1990 Mustang GT was 225 HP. Hell the 2001 Mustang GT with the 4.6L was "only" 260 HP.