FAMILY CAR REVIEW: 2021 Ford Ranger FX4 Max Dual Cab ute

How big is the tray of the 2021 Ford Ranger FX4 Max Dual Cab Ute?

The tray of the Ford Ranger FX4 Max Dual Cab feels surprisingly smaller than most utes, although of course it will carry multiple prams, dogs etc if you need it to. I found it will hold 26 shopping bags when empty, which is one more than the Nissan Navara that holds 25 bags, three less than the Isuzu D-Max, and four less than the Mazda BT-50 and Mitsubishi Triton that hold 30 shopping bags.

The boot space and its functionality are really important. I like to have a big boot space and little side wells or areas I can divide things into. So something I don’t want to move around while I’m driving such as Bub’s lunch bag or her wet swimming gear can be sectioned off in a little well where it’s not going to spill or get squashed by the rest of the things in the boot.

Hooks for securing shopping bags to are also favourites of mine, I like being able to secure the bag containing more fragile things like eggs so they don’t move around on the journey.

I measure the boot space in freezer shopping bags, prams and dogs. Not because I think all there is to a mum’s life is food shopping, prams and dogs. (Although it can feel like it sometimes!!) But because these are visually mesurable items we can all associate with. For me, the car company boot measurement of litres ia not an amount I can easily visualise and 400L in one car may differ in usability to that in another due to the configuration or shape of the space.

The Bugaboo Bee 6 slides nicely into the side of the tray with a large enough space beside it for 22 shopping bags.

The New Bugaboo Donkey 5 twin pram fits neatly in the tray of the Ford Ranger FX4 Max with the seats attached or removed and 13 shopping bags will fit too.

The New Bugaboo Donkey 5 Duo pram will fit neatly in the tray of the Ford Ranger FX4 Max with the seats and bassinet attached or removed and 12 shopping bags around it.

The New Bugaboo Donkey 5 mono pram will fit neatly in the tray of the Ford Ranger FX4 Max with the seat and basket attached or removed and 16 shopping bags beside it.

The New Bugaboo Donkey 5 mono pram will fit neatly in the tray of the Ford Ranger FX4 Max with the seat and basket attached or removed and 17 shopping bags around it.

If you have a family dog they will easily fit in the tray of your Ranger FX4 Max.

I found accessing the tray was a bit tricky over the sides for me, I'm 162cm, I did find I needed a step! Luckily the new Ranger has one built in!

How good is the storage in the 2021 Ranger FX4 Max Dual Cab Ute?

Inside the dual cab of the Ranger FX4 Max Ute, there are two cup holders in the central console. They will hold a reusable and disposable coffee cup.

There is a phone tray in front of the gear lever with a USB and 12V socket.

The central console box is a practical size.

The glove box is a generous size and will hold my iPad and wallet with the manual.

There is a glasses car in the ceiling which is great and mirrors in the front visors.

The door bins in the front will hold a large refillable water bottle.

The door bins in the back are slightly smaller but they will hold a refillable water bottle.

There are map pockets on the back of both front seats that will hold and conceal an iPad. In the back of the central console box there is are 150w and 12v sockets.

In a fold down armrest in the central seat back there are two cup holders. They will hold a reusable or disposable coffee cup.

How noisy is the 2021 Ranger FX4 Max Dual Cab Ute? How good is the media system in the Ranger FX4 Max Dual Cab Ute?

The Ranger FX4 Max Dual Cab Ute is a tractor-like, beast of a ute!! You kind of expect it when it feels so confident and capable off-road, the Ranger has no aires and graces around town.

Becoming a parent I soon realised there are some noises and sounds I feel are unnecessary and I could happily live without if it meant my baby stayed asleep!!

That often the distraction of my screaming, distressed baby is more dangerous when driving than not having a lane departure warning for example.

If it is the lane departure warning beeping that creates distress with my baby then which is safest?

It’s where I think we need to be able to strike a balance and choose when we can mute the warnings or swap them to a vibration in the steering wheel or flashing light perhaps?

A lot of these noises come with the increase in technology and especially linked to safety features and alerts. For me these all have their place.

Another thing I have realised is I spend my time in a lot more places where small children roam, parks, beaches, play gyms, swimming lessons, daycare centre etc. I have become more aware that when I’m reversing or manouvering in the car parks I have to tripple check for small children running around behind me or being in my blind spot when reversing. For this I LOVE reversing cameras, I just don’t like their beeping sounds!!

I have become so much more aware of safety and potential accidents or hazards since having a child and so I love the peace of mind that I get from the cameras and sensors combined with my own vision from windows and mirrors as I don’t trust cameras alone.

The biggest beeping noise is the rear-occupant alert, which sounds very strongly every time you turn the ignition off.

Compared to some utes I found the windows and doors of the Ranger FX4 Max were not especially noisy to close so they would not disturb a sleeping child!

With Bub asleep you want to be able to get in and out without worrying the doors will be too noisy and wake Bub up!

There is a seatbelt visual on the driver's display screen which is great for knowing if a rear passenger removes their seatbelt.

I find the media system in the Ranger FX4 Max dual cab ute quite basic to use and simple to navigate. The quick select bar along the bottom of the screen has your most used items for quick selection.

You can adjust the climate control within the media screen.

The Ranger FX4 Max Ute has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto so you can access your phone's navigation, audio and communication apps while driving.

I was disappointed by the reversing camera quality in the Ranger FX4 Max. The image is small and pixelated. The Ranger is due to be updated this year so I am sure the MASSIVE new media system and cameras will be brought up to date.

The Ranger is due to be updated this year so I am sure the MASSIVE new media system and cameras will be brought up to date.

How many child seats fit in the 2021 Ranger FX4 Max Dual Cab Ute?

The Ranger FX4 Max Dual Cab Ute has ISOFix points in the two outer rear seats and although they're not within plastic guides they are clearly labelled and easy to connect to.

There are two solid metal top tether anchorages behind the rear seatback, for the outer rear seats. (There is not one for the central seat so you can not put a child seat there that requires a top tether strap.)

The rear seatback comes forward as one whole piece (which can make it trickier for installing more than one seat compared with some utes that had a split-folding design) and I could install two Infasecure child seats in the back using the top tether anchorages. I installed the Infasecure Attain More rear-facing and the Infasecure Aspire More forward-facing.

I could fit the Infasecure Versatile Folding Booster seat in the central seat because its lightweight design means it does not require a top tether strap.

Attaching the top tether straps was not too difficult because there are only two child seats so I had the central seat space to work in, however, tightening the top tether straps was difficult because there is not enough space behind the headrest to do it, as is the case with most utes.

With the Infasecure Aspire More and Attain More child seats installed in the back of the Ranger FX4 Max there is just enough room between them for someone to sit there.

The Ranger FX4 Max Dual Cab is not as spacious as the GWM Cannon, we only had room for a 170cm driver in front of a rear-facing Infasecure Attain More child seat. Or on the passenger side, we could fit a 186cm passenger in front of a rear-facing child seat.

Posting Bub into a rear-facing child seat is nice and easy from inside and outside the Ranger FX4 Max ute.

Australia being a country of weather extremes- blazing sun and torrential rain, mean you may find it easier to put Bub into their seat from inside the car sometimes. If it’s hot you can get the air-con going, cool the car down and not stand out in the sun while you fasten them in or shelter from the rain and not get soaked yourself whilst you’re doing it. So it is important to test whether Bub can be easily installed from either direction!

There is plenty of room to feed Bub in the back of the Ranger FX4 Max Dual Cab Ute if you only have one child seat installed.

The seats in this Ranger FX4 Max Dual Cab Ute are leather and suede with chevron plastic panels and contrast stitching. This may make clearing up kids' crumbs and spills a bit tricky!

There is a hump in the central footwell which you have to straddle if sitting in the central seat.

For the first year of Bub's life when we would go out as a family, if I wasn’t driving, I would travel in the back with Bub so it’s important to check the back seat comfort as you may be spending a lot of time in them! They were never something I gave any thought to before but I definitely notice a good or bad back seat now!

How comfortable is a 2021 Ford Ranger FX4 Max Dual Cab Ute?

The front seats of the Ranger FX4 Max Dual Cab Ute are comfortable. I did find the plastic chevron effect panels across the back and seat sweaty.

The steering wheel is only adjustable up/down and not in/out in the Ford Ranger.

The cruise control panel is on the steering wheel and they are easy to use. I found the cruise control ran away with itself at lower speeds on undulating roads but was more accurate on motorways.

There are air vents on either side of the media screen and one at each end of the dashboard.

There are no air vents in the back of the Ranger FX4 Max. There is a 12V and 150Watt socket in the back of the central console box.

The climate can be controlled through the media screen easily.

Visibility is great in the Ranger FX4 Max Dual Cab Ute. The windows are large and even with rear-facing child seats installed, I can still see well out of the rear window.

I did find with my rear-facing Bub I put a window shade over the rear window so the sun was not shining in on her face.

The image quality of the reversing camera in the Ranger FX4 Max is quite pixelated which doesn't help when manoeuvring and parking such a big vehicle. However, I found the Ranger FX4 Max pretty easy to park.

I have realised I spend my time in a lot more places where small children roam, parks, beaches, play gyms, swimming lessons, daycare centre etc. I have become more aware that when I’m reversing or manouvering in the car parks I have to tripple check for small children running around behind me or being in my blind spot when reversing. For this I LOVE reversing cameras, I just don’t like their beeping sounds!!

There are handles above both back doors to hold a child's toy.

The Ranger FX4 Max Dual Cab ute scored a five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2015.

It has never been tested for child occupancy protection.

The Ranger FX4 Max Dual Cab ute comes with six airbags; dual frontal, side chest-protecting and side head-protecting (curtain) airbags are standard.

The Ranger FX4 Max Dual Cab also comes with anti-lock braking system (ABS), active cruise control (ACC), autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind spot monitoring (BSM), attention assist, automatic emergency call (e-call), automatic headlights, automatic high beam, daytime running lights (DRL), electronic brake force distribution (EBD), electronic stability control (ESC), emergency brake assist (EBA), emergency stop signal (ESS), hill launch assist, lane support system (LSS), reversing collision avoidance, roll stability system, rollover warning, manual speed limiter, traffic sign recognition, trailer stability control and tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS).