2009 Ford Ranger Pickup Truck Highlights

09 Ranger Sport 4x4 Truck driving through mud.
Ford Motor Co.

Ford’s midsize pickup from 2009 packs a surprising amount of capability into a very affordable package. Boasting fuel economy figures of 21 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway when fitted with the base 2.3-liter 4-cylinder engine, the aging Ranger continues to be one of the most fuel-efficient pickups you can buy in the United States. The Ranger’s competitors include the Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon, Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier.

Ranger Truck Trim Levels and Body Styles

The 2009 Ranger was produced in two different body styles. Regular cab models have two doors and can seat 3 passengers. SuperCab-equipped Rangers have four doors and can seat 5. Models fitted with the regular cab can have either the standard 6.1-foot long bed or the extended 7-foot bed, whereas SuperCab models only come with the 6.1-foot bed.

Ford’s mighty midsize was made in 4 different trim levels: XL, XLT, Sport and FX4 Off-Road. XL models are a “strictly business” affair, coming with features like a 40/60-split folding vinyl bench seat, vinyl flooring, a 2-speaker AM/FM radio, variable intermittent wipers, power steering and a clock. Functional touches include a trailer hitch and wiring, cargo tie-downs, 15-inch steel wheels and a tire pressure monitoring system.

The next trim level up, XLT, adds some creature comforts like cloth seating surfaces, air conditioning, carpeted floors, a passenger vanity mirror and 2 extra speakers for the sound system. The XLT’s exterior is treated to the body-color front and rear bumpers and a chrome H-bar grill is standard on 4x2 XLT trucks.

Sport models come with special badging inside and out, along with fog lights and a black grille that’s got a body-color surround. Inside, satellite radio is added to the sound system, along with an auxiliary input port. Sport models are also treated to 15-inch alloy wheels, and SuperCab-equipped Sport models come with standard step bars and skid plates. Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) is an important safety feature that’s reserved for Sport models, ensuring shorter braking distances through better controlling brake pressure at all four wheels.

Lastly, FX4 models add an impressive dose of off-road capability to the Ranger’s formula, keeping the skidplates and running boards while adding specially-tuned off-road shocks, all-terrain tires, and 16-inch alloy wheels. Creature comforts expand to include power windows/locks and mirrors, special sport-bolstered front seats, an adjustable lumbar for the driver’s seat, cruise control and a tilting leather steering wheel. The FX4 trim is only available for SuperCrew-equipped Rangers.

Ranger Powertrains

Ford’s midsize pickup for 2009 was available with two different engines. The more modest of the two is 2.3-liter I4 that develops 143 hp and 154 lb.-ft. of torque. While the 2.3-liter’s power stats are humble, Rangers equipped with the engine still dominate the fuel economy figures of the midsized pickup world, besting the field of midsize pickups as far as the 2015 Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier. The I4 came standard on every regular cab-equipped Ranger and 2-wheel drive SuperCab models.

4-wheel drive Rangers with a SuperCab are motivated by a more powerful 4.0-liter V-6 that produces 207 hp and 238 lb.-ft. of torque. Fuel economy for the 4.0-liter engine, available only with a 4-wheel drivetrain, is 15 mpg on city streets and 19 mpg on the highway.

A 5-speed manual transmission is standard with both engines; a 5-speed automatic is available.

Safety Features

Data is not available for the 2009 model, but virtually identical 2010 Ford Ranger scored 5 out of 5 stars in frontal impact testing for the driver and 4 out of 5 stars for the frontal impact on the passenger in NHTSA testing. The Ranger earned 5 out of 5 stars in NHTSA driver side-impact testing and 3 out of 5 stars in their rollover tests.

Standard safety features of the 2009 Ford Ranger include a 4-wheel anti-lock braking system (with front disc/rear drum brakes), a Tire Pressure Monitoring System and front airbags for the driver and the front passenger. Sport and FX4 trims add Electronic Brakeforce Distribution to the roster of standard safety equipment.

Ranger Towing Capabilities

The 2009 Ford Ranger's towing capacity ranges from 1,580 pounds for the 2.3L (4.20) with manual transmission to 6,000 pounds for the 4.0L model (3.55) equipped with an automatic transmission. A Class III Trailer Hitch and trailer wiring are standard on all trucks.

Edited by Jonathan Gromer