Ford Ranger Advice

Best 4WDs for towing
By Brendan Batty · 04 Nov 2020
It looks like we're going to be stuck on our island continent for a little while. Not that it's really a problem because between the exceptional beauty of places like the Victorian High Country and the remote paradises of northern Australia, we have pretty much everything we need for a great escape right here. 
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Which extra cab utes have child seat anchor points?
By Matt Campbell · 24 Jul 2020
One of our avid readers, Jasmine, is in the market for a space cab ute, but she’s been struggling to find one that has child seat anchor points in the rear seats.Most space cab (or extra cab, King Cab, Freestyle Cab or Super Cab) utes have two additional small seats behind the front seats, but the comfort and convenience varies depending on the variant. These utes offer you “sometimes” seats in the back, or alternatively, secure and weather-proof storage for expensive tools. It also means you get a longer tray - and these utes are available with either pick-up (styleside) tubs or in cab-chassis tray back design, depending on what you need. We’ll specify the options below.Surprisingly, there are many big-name omissions from this list.You won’t find a Toyota HiLux Extra Cab here, as it has no child seat anchor points in the Extra Cab models (available in Workmate, SR and SR5 trim). The facelifted model isn’t expected to have child-seat anchors in the Extra Cab models, either. Interesting tidbit: the HiLux is the only space cab model with pop-out rear windows on sale today.The Mitsubishi Triton Club Cab is available in a few trim grades (GLX and GLX+) and cab-chassis and pick-up body styles, but it doesn’t come with child seat anchor points in the rear row.The Nissan Navara King Cab models don’t come with child seat anchor points either, though there are five versions to choose from across RX, ST and ST-X trim levels.There might be 4x2 (SX) and 4x4 (SX and LS-U) Isuzu D-Max Space Cab models, but no variant in that current range has rear child seat anchors. Will that change with the new-generation model? We’ll have to wait and see. Here’s a list of the extra cab utes on sale in Australia in 2020 that have rear seats with child seat anchor points.The Ranger - which is our pick of the ute segment more broadly - has a space cab body with rearward opening back doors (often called suicide doors) with two seats in the back.The seats aren’t comfortable - it’s a pretty cramped space for adults, but that’s the case with all the utes in this story - and in the Ford Super Cab models there are two upper child seat anchor points, but because of the seat design there are no ISOFIX attachments.The 2020 Ford Ranger Super Cab is available in a number of different variants (all prices MSRP):No surprise to see the current Mazda BT-50 make the list alongside its twin-under-the-skin. This is specific to the model sold between 2012 and 2020.The Freestyle Cab model has identical rear-swinging back doors with two seats in the second row, as well as two top-tether child seat points (no ISOFIX).The 2020 Mazda BT-50 Freestyle Cab is available in a few different variants (all MSRP):
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Best new cars arriving in 2017
By Peter Anderson · 05 Jul 2020
Is 2017 the year of the new car for your garage? It's pretty easy to work out what's available now, but here are the most exciting models that are yet to arrive in showrooms.
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Beware of the waiting lists facing many popular new cars
By Paul Gover · 05 Jul 2020
Some models — and intending buyers — are victims of their own success. Can you wait two years?
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Best end of financial year ute deals
By Andrew Chesterton · 12 Mar 2020
The end of financial year might be the best time to nab a deal on any new car, but the deals on a spanking-new ute can be absolutely stratospheric.
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Best utes arriving in 2019
By Andrew Chesterton · 19 Dec 2018
I know it seems like the army of SUVs currently marching across Australia will never be defeated, but there is a pocket of resistance forming, and it's one that is genuinely fighting back against the rising tide of high-riders.
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Most exciting 4x4 and off-road vehicles arriving in 2018
By Andrew Chesterton · 31 Jul 2018
If we'd been writing a list of the most exciting cars due in the coming 12 months even a handful of years ago, four-wheel drives would be lucky to have rated a single mention.
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Why Thailand is the ute capital of the world
By Stephen Corby · 17 Jan 2018
Among Australia’s many, many gifts to the world - Rebel Wilson, Tony Abbott, the cork hat, Clive Palmer, Vegemite, Dame Edna - perhaps the most profound, yet sadly unrecognised, is the ute.
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Top five safest utes
By Marcus Craft · 14 Jun 2017
Safety should be foremost in your mind when buying a new ute. After all, it's a highly risky game of dodgem cars played out in fast-moving two-tonne tanks.
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The benefits of buying a 4x2 ute
By Matthew Hatton · 27 Feb 2017
It's no secret that Australians love their utes. These days, light commercial utes like the Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger and Isuzu D-Max are moving beyond their traditional rural and tradesman roles thanks to improvements in safety, refinement and efficiency, and often being used as family transporters or adventure
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