Ford Ranger 2012 News

Here are our top 10 cars released in the first 25 years of this century.

Buying a used car is difficult enough in normal times.

Hot on the heels of the Australian government's mandatory Takata airbag recall, Ford, Audi and Tesla have joined the list of carmakers to detail which of it's models are affected.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has announced its latest round of safety recall notices, with models from Nissan, Jeep, Ford, Mazda, Infiniti and Citroen affected.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has announced its latest round of safety recalls, with models from Subaru, Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, Mazda, Toyota and Ford affected.

Ford says their capped price service offer, MyFord, has been successful in bringing thousands of owners back to the brand -- 13,000 in 2013 alone. So they're taking the offer further, raising it to seven years and 135,000km from the six years/105,000km that rolled out in 2011.The revised program -- available on vehicles built from 2007 -- has been extended to cover brake pad replacements and rotor machining across the range except the sporty FPV, ST and XR5 variants and the light commercial Transit van. All eligible models will have front pads capped at $259 and rear ones at $219, except the rear-wheel drive Falcon and Territory rear pads, which will be capped at $259. Machining is capped at $88.Ford has also announced a year's free membership and roadside assistance with state motoring organisations -- NRMA, RACV, RACT, RACQ, AANT, RAA and RAC -- at participating dealers with the sale of any new car, except FPV and Transit.“The addition of the Auto Club Program is another customer-focused offering that Ford owners will enjoy,” Ford Australia general manager, customer service division, Stephen Kruk, says. “Customers expect this level of certainty from their dealers and we’re happy to say that since it was introduced in July 2011, the program has been very well received by our customers.”Owners can check the maximum price for a service, and all terms and conditions at www.ford.com.au/myfordcps.  MyFord Capped Price Servicing is available on the following vehicles.Ford Fiesta – WQ, WS, WTFord Focus – LS, LT, LV, LVIIFord Mondeo – MA, MB, MCFord Falcon – BF, BF FPV, BF MkII, BF MkII FPV, BF MkIII, FG, FG FPV, FG MkII, FG MkII FPVFord Escape – ZD, ZCFord Econovan - JHFord EcoSport - BKFord Kuga - TE, TFFord Territory – SY, SY F6X, SY MkII, SZFord Ranger – PJ, PK, PXFord Transit – VM, VNThis reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

The Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86 are joint winners, edging out the Hyundai i30 after an intensive three-day round of judging and more than 6000km of evaluation by nine COTY judges with more than 100 years of combined motoring experience.The result is no surprise, because the Japanese sports car twins have been COTY favourites since the day they were unveiled. They also embody the Carsguide mantra and COTY methodology: "Real cars, on real roads, for real people".The 86/BRZ is a landmark collaboration between Toyota and Subaru, classy engineering with a concentrated focus on driving enjoyment, and value packaging by both brands. That means a $29,990 starting price for the Toyota and driveaway pricing with free servicing on the Subaru."This is the era of the SUV and that makes the BRZ and 86 quite remarkable. It's a ground-breaking car, regardless of the badges it wears," says Carsguide editor, Paul Pottinger. "This car is a gift. Has anyone got out of either one without a smile on their face?" says James Stanford, summing up the majority feeling.The performance of the i30 is a surprise, as it edges the new Toyota Corolla to make the final four showdown alongside the Kia Sorento and Honda CR-V, which fly the flag for the SUV stars of 2012. "I really like the i30, and would give it my number one vote," says Chris Riley.The COTY showdown for 2012 involves 11 cars including The Twins -- as we dub 86 and BRZ -- nine judges, video and backup crews, and the photographer who insists on a 5am start on Day Two. The judging starts with a 120km run west from Sydney into the Blue Mountains, then laps around a testing and varied 44km loop from Mount Victoria.Each car has been chosen to reflect the best value and strongest sales, not just for the way it would look if it was fully loaded with an unrealistic bottom line. From the start, the troubled Ford Falcon is in trouble again. Its sales have slumped this year and, despite the addition of the excellent EcoBoost four-cylinder engine, it is still too old in too many ways to make much of an impact.But by even making the Top 10 COTY contest, it's a winner. It's a pity Ford has not done nearly enough to promote the car, and not enough people have driven a package that makes it the best riding and handling Falcon of its generation. The Ford Ranger, too, struggles. It's a pickup that can do double duty as a family car, and it led the world with five-star ute safety, but it cannot compete in such a classy field.From the Holden camp, the plug-in electric Volt is a window on the future that's not good enough for the present. We could live with the cramped back seat and the crimped boot and the confusing dashboard if the car was priced at around $35,000. But it's $59,990. "It's trying to be the car of the future but it falls down today," says Karla Pincott.The COTY crew is doing lots of laps on day one, cycling through the cars and usually going back-to-back with direct rivals such as the Honda CR-V and Mazda CX-5. This is one mini-contest that produces a surprising bias towards the Honda, as the Mazda is beaten on boot space with a lower loading lip, value and the little things that make a difference to families.At the end of the day, as push comes to shove and the preliminary scores are tallied, the four finalists become clear -- although The Twins make it five if you're getting picky. Leading the near misses is the Corolla, which is narrowly trumped by the i30. The CX-5 also falls, and we lose the fun little Volkswagen Up."The Up is a great city car. But there is no auto and you really can't drive it with any comfort beyond the city,'' says Pottinger. Day two begins early but the focus has shifted, even if some of the judges cannot resist more driving time in cars like the Falcon and the CX-5, and even the Up and Ranger."This is a great chance to cover some miles," says James Stanford. By Day two the judges are separating into two camps, as the shortcomings of the Sorento and CR-V take them out of the final fight. The Honda is not strong enough in the engine room for most. Despite the classy Australian suspension settings, the Sorento is not good enough to claim a COTY crown.The i30 scores for its classy cabin, its affordable starting price, and an overall package which edges the Corolla despite the Toyota's impressive $19,990 starting point. The result comes down to the final voting, with each of the cars scored 4-3-2-1 by each of the nine judges. The Twins win. "This car is brilliant, and it's such a great drive," says Stanford. The Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ are also real cars, on real roads, for real people.PAUL POTTINGER1) BRZ/862) Hyundai i303) Kia Sorento4) Honda CR-VPAUL GOVER1) BRZ/862) Hyundai i303) Kia Sorento4) Honda CR-VKARLA PINCOTT1) BRZ/862) Hyundai i303) Kia Sorento4) Honda CR-VCRAIG DUFF1) BRZ/862) Hyundai i303) Kia Sorento4) Honda CR-VSTUART MARTIN1) BRZ/862) Hyundai i303) Kia Sorento4) Honda CR-VJAMES STANFORD1) BRZ/862) Hyundai i303) Kia Sorento4) Honda CR-VCHRIS RILEY1) Hyundai i302) BRZ/863) Kia Sorento4) Honda CR-VNEIL DOWLING1) Hyundai i302) BRZ/863) Kia Sorento4) Honda CR-VJOSHUA DOWLING1) Hyundai i302) Honda CR-V3) Kia Sorento4) BRZ/86 

Ever more families are taking the work-and-play track into utes and the Ranger is best of the bunch. "The Ranger is the most car-like truck out there. The only thing that hurts it is the price, which means it can't be a finalist," Joshua Dowling said at the COTY judging.With a broad, squared off snout that says ‘I’m a truck and proud of it,’ its no surprise it’s not being sold in the US, as it would take plenty of sales from the F-Series. The big front-end isn’t pretty but it has presence and purpose, the latter being carried through its 5.3m of overall length to the high-sided and lined rear tray, which has tie-down points. The cabin is roomy enough for four adults, and the engineering teams efforts to keep it well-insulated and quiet paid dividends. While the seats are a little flat there is good storage in the doors, centre console and beneath the rear seats. The big Ford was engineered for the globe by the boffins at Broadmeadows and it shows as soon as you go for a drive. It has a decent ride quality, good body control and steering that doesn’t leave you wondering anywhere near as much as its predecessor, or some of its competition. Only severe bumps unsettle an unladen rump and send a judder through the frame, but it all feels tighter and stronger. Twisting country roads (sealed or unsealed) are not beyond it either.The six-speed automatic is the preferred transmission - the poor cousin to the Falcons ZF six-speed has a manual shift option but it was rarely required as the Sports mode acquitted itself well, removing much of the ‘snatch’ in the driveline that sometimes marred the manual.For towing or off-roading, there’s a mass of grunt, with the rear diff lock equipped 4WD system making short work of most terrain. With 237mm of ground clearance, it’s only the compromised tyres that let it down in on some slipperier surfaces. More purposeful rubber would be a good replacement for the Jack of All Trades tyres that come standard.Ford's new Ranger will give the HiLux some genuine competition, with passenger car safety and connectivity, as well as genuine off-road ability and muscular towing capacities some tough decisions to make.Ford Ranger XLT dual-cab autoPrice: from $55,390Engine: 3.2-litre turbodiesel five-cylinderTransmission: six-speed automatic, four wheel drivePower: 147kW @ 3000rpmTorque: 470Nm @ 1500rpmFuel use/emissions: 9.2 l/100km, tank 80 litres; 246g/kmBrakes/safety systems: Driver and front passenger airbags, front seat side/thorax, curtain airbags, stability control (Emergency Brake Assist (EBA), Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Traction Control, trailer sway control), rear parking sensorsDimensions: Length 5351mm, width 1850mm, height 1821mm, wheelbase 3220mm, weight 2159kgWheels/tyres: 17in alloy wheelsWin $5,000 in our People's Choice competition. 

All the judges involved rated the Ranger as the best nominee and were  particularly impressed by the Ranger's safety, towing ability,  performance on and off-road and its engine line-up.The Ranger finished in front of the Isuzu D-Max and Volkswagen Amarok."The Ford Ranger is a great all-rounder, combining the perfect blend of  on-road comfort and stability with off-road capability," said Irish  judge, Jarlath Sweeney.Ford also picked up a second gong, with the  all-new Transit Custom taking out the International Van of the Year award.

We’ve asked some dealers which are the best deals they have going – and why. It may be an extra equipment pack, it may be a great price, or it may be a fantastic finance deal. See the latest dealsTim Kennett at Belcar says their best deal is a Mercedes-Benz CLA 200. “Priced from $49,900 this highly sought-after immaculate update model has it all. Seat memory, sunroof, multi-spoke alloy wheels and suave black leather interior just to name a few features.” See the latest dealsChris Myers of Chris Myers Car Sales in Magill says his best deal is a Mazda 6 diesel wagon priced from $41,650. See the latest dealsScott Parker of Jim Best Ford in Clare says his best deal is a Ford Ranger XLT dual cab turbodiesel for $60,244. “This Ranger has had one owner, low kilometers and is immaculate,” he says. See the latest dealsSteve Vo at Peter Warren Toyota in Liverpool says the best deal he has this week is a Toyota Landcruiser GXL Turbo Diesel Auto for $83,990 driveaway. “Average wait time is 3-4 months to build, RRP is $94,414. Unbelievable clearance with drive away no more to pay price,” Steve says.See the latest dealsMark Courtney at Macarthur Kia in Narellan says the best deal he has this week is a Kia Rio S priced from only $15,290. “Featured packed, funky and cool, this the Reborn Kia Rio. This stylish little package has all the goods without breaking the bank,” Mark says.  See the latest dealsJon Clark-Monks for The Highway Autogroup has a wonderful Mercedes B180 CDI in Blue with full black leather interior. See the latest dealsStewart Rhodes of John Hughes Prestige in Victoria Park says the best deal he has right now is a Volkswagen Touareg priced from $62,990. See the latest dealsPeter Castieau of Warehouse Autos in Balcatta says his best deal is a Toyota FJ Cruiser for $52,476.85 drive away. “Impossible to find this good at this price. Travel around Australia tomorrow,“ he says.