Ford Ranger Wildtrak V6 long-term review

It’s been close to three years since we last ran a ute for a Chasing Cars long-term test. That very car was a GWM Ute Cannon X and by gosh did we test it properly. 

While we won’t be doing the same extreme trip to the Outback like we did with the GWM back in the day, a new ute into the Chasing Cars stable means that adventure is waiting for us.

This is an introduction to my new long-term test vehicle and, drum roll, it’s a 2024 Ford Ranger Wildtrak V6. It made a lot of sense to have a ute. After all, the ute segment is brimming with all sorts of competition right now, with plenty of newcomers lining up to enter the fray moving into 2025. 

So what’s it like to live with one of Australia’s top-selling vehicles? And is the Ranger worth all the fuss people give it?

Navigate this long-term Ranger Wildtrak V6 review 

• How we specified our long term Ford Ranger
• Month 1: The Ranger gets an unexpected trip north
• Month 2: Going exploring (and camping) with the Wildtrak V6

Month 2: Going exploring (and camping) with the Wildtrak V6

• Kilometres this month: 1935km
• Fuel economy = 9.58L/100km
• Running costs this month (fuel): $334.74

What does one do with a ute? Tow a trailer? Carry farm equipment? Go touring with a caravan and the family in tow?

Utes are obviously very multi-faceted. Some will just see the school run or a trip to Woolworths, others will be used solely for commuting. But utes are also used to do something very Australian and that’s going camping.

With a long weekend coming up, I packed the Ranger long-termer’s tray to the max with my swag, an Esky, a case of beer, a camping chair, plenty of tarps, tent poles and enough clothes for a few days.

Surprisingly, I filled the tray rather quickly (and easily). And while I thought it would be easy to fit a Kings Big Daddy swag into the tray of a ute, it only just fit and had to go in on an angle. Then I realised I could have just strapped it down to the roof rails. Duh.

Regardless, utes sure are still pretty handy things – when the tray was filled up, I could continue loading bits and bobs into the second row. Being a single man living in Sydney, I was grateful for that extra second-row space, but I understand for most families, this will just not be possible.

As I packed the ute pretty much to the brim (I don’t travel light… clearly), I realised how hard it would be for a family of four to go camping for the weekend. Without a trailer, you’re left with the tray and roof racks to store everything.

The Wildtrak has a retractable electric tonneau cover which you would be forced to stow away to give extra tray clearance. It would be a bit annoying, I’d imagine.

Anyway, I used an app I’d never used before called Hipcamp. I wanted to go camping near the Hunter Valley region, so I found a little four-site camping spot near Wollombi. I clicked ‘book’ and whoosh, off I went.

When I got to the camping spot, I was unaware of the fact that the camping sites were down a very long and steep hill. Because it was steep, I was unable to park the Ranger right by the camp site. I therefore spent the first hour huffing, puffing and carrying all my gear down this steep embankment to the site.

It was a gorgeous spot but my goodness was I exhausted. With the swag setup and my camping chair perfectly positioned, I cracked my favourite beer, Stone & Wood, and enjoyed the peace and quiet.

For me, Sydney is chaotic. Where I live, it’s loud and there are people shouting in the streets and hoons cruising the roads: it’s just chaos.

Camping gives me the opportunity to not just get back into nature, but to actually think clearly about things. Without sounding corny, reflecting is kind of important, especially in the busy world that is the automotive media space.

On the second day, I headed into Pokolbin, which is essentially the hub of the Hunter Valley wine region. I surprised myself by not consuming any wine – not one drop – but I enjoyed the drive regardless.

I liked the sound of the V6 engine whooshing and swirling away with the windows down, the effortless delivery of those 600 newton metres, the car-like ride and handling package and, as I’ve said already, the soulful tunes of Zak’s Tracks.

After my two nights at tranquillity base, I packed up all my stuff and climbed up the escarpment like a sherpa in Peru and loaded everything back into the Ford Ranger. Again, I was exhausted – okay, yes, I admit. I am unfit.

But all in all, I found that living with a ute really does come in handy, but I feel that a dual-cab ute is probably best served for a lone traveller or a couple, rather than a family of four or five.

With three little ones strapped safely into the back seats, I can’t see there being enough room for everything you would need on a family camping trip.

Unless you’re good at Tetris, that is!

Month 1: The Ranger gets an unexpected trip north

• Kilometres this month: 5069km
• Fuel economy: 9.2L/100km
• Running costs this month (fuel): $872.47

When Mum called me and told me that her brother had passed, she was understandably very distressed and upset. Being in Sydney, I was left with two options: hop on the next Virgin flight to the Sunshine Coast (and pay ridiculous school holiday prices), or board the good ship Ford Ranger and get myself north as quickly (and safely) as I could. 

And while it would take much longer to get home to the folks’ place, I committed to make the circa-1000-kilometre trek on road in the Ranger, from my door in inner Sydney to the Cotton Tree Beach in Maroochydore, Queensland. 

Eleven hours behind the wheel gives you a lot of time to think, and while I had a lot on my mind, the trip gave me the opportunity to have a play with the 12-inch touchscreen and get very acquainted with the Ranger’s cabin. 

Although it’s unlikely to ever fall under the premium category, the cabin materials and general fit and finish inside the Wildtrak was impressive. Particular highlights for me included the contrast stitching, Wildtrak insignias, rugged styling elements and a lovely multi-function steering wheel. 

And then there are the screens. Standard on the Wildtrak is a 12-inch portrait touchscreen, which I feel is the obvious centrepiece of the cabin. Smartphone mirroring is available either wired or wireless, even for Android Auto, which is a moment of joy for Android user number one: me. 

Android Auto and Apple Carplay integrate well into the 12-inch unit and work quite seamlessly. The Ford in-house infotainment is also decent, but I couldn’t help but think that very few people would opt to use the Sync4A infotainment content over the mirrored apps offered in the current Android or Apple systems. 

I had hit the road at 3am and by the time I’d hit Newcastle I was really ready for my next caffeine hit given the trek that lay ahead.

Regardless, I got through it thanks to a comfortable driver’s seat, Spotify and the (optional) Bang and Olufsen sound system. A good sound system in a ute? Surely not! Well, this system is delicate on the ears, and nicely balanced right out of the factory.

As I headed north through to Kempsey, then Coffs Harbour and then continuing up the Pacific Highway, I began to settle in with the Ranger. I also enjoyed playing with the 8.0-inch digital instrument cluster and its functions, although I feel the Wildtrak should get the larger 12.4-inch cluster offered on the Platinum for the money it asks for. 

Regardless, it’s a polished, crisp display that gives you all the information you’ll ever need. I really liked the way that Android Auto navigation and song choice copies over to the cluster. It’s the small things….   

Averaging a touch over 9.0L/100km for the highway cruise, I initially expected a bit better, but the reality is that a 3.0-litre V6 will only be so efficient. Even in turbo-diesel guise, I came to the realisation pretty quickly that the Wildtrak is a thirsty rig. 

I arrived in Cotton Tree Beach where my parents live by the early afternoon. I was knackered, but I got the impression that the Ranger could keep on going for hours and hours more. It became clear to me after 1000km of driving, more than anything else, that the Ranger is a fantastic touring vehicle.

Sure, I didn’t have a caravan or a trailer on the back, and the ute also wasn’t loaded to the hilt, but I feel the Ranger Wildtrak would be the right way to go for a round-Australia trip. Effortless, comfortable, safe and powerful – four words I will happily use to describe the first big trip with the Blue Power Ranger, as I now call it.   

I know Sydney to the Sunshine Coast sometimes feels like a slog, but giving Mum a huge hug when I got to the beach made all those kilometres worth it. 

I promised I’d be there for Mum, no matter what it took, and I was glad to support her in person after the devastating family loss.

My uncle Graham was a lover of adventures, a passionate four-wheel driver and admirer of utes, especially Nissan Patrols and Isuzu D-Maxs.

After all is said and done, I just wish I could have shown him this fancy new Ford Ranger Wildtrak. I think he would have been very happy. I think he would have loved it.  

Editor’s note: You may notice a lot of kilometres driven in just one month. The first month was a big one for the Ranger, also doing a trip to Bendigo with deputy editor Curt Dupriez at the helm.

How we specified our long term Ford Ranger

Our Ranger Wildtrak V6 is no bargain ute. As it stands, our example is an $87K driveaway offering, and is fitted with the following options:

• Premium Blue Lightning paint ($700)
• Premium pack ($2000) which includes
  • Six auxiliary switches
  • Premium Matrix LED headlights 
  • Bang & Olufsen sound system
• Flexible rack system ($2800)

Without the above options, expect to pay around $82,700 driveaway – before on-road cost price is $74,840.

There are many different configurations of Ranger in the Australian market. Buyers can choose from 4×2 or 4×4, super-cab, single-cab or dual-cab, and the choice of four different powertrains. 

While four-cylinder turbo-diesel engines power many of the lower tier Rangers, the more premium offerings from Ford use either a 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 engine, or for the flagship Raptor variant, a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine. 

My Ford Ranger Wildtrak is specced with the 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 that produces outputs of 184kW/600Nm and is paired to a 10-speed automatic transmission powering all four wheels. 

The Wildtrak variant also gains a full-time four-wheel-drive system that can operate in 2H or 4A (auto) on bitumen, while also offering 4H and 4L for the tougher off-road stuff. 

Grab something to eat or drink and enjoy the next three months of my Ranger ownership, which begins now!