FAMILY CAR REVIEW: 2023 Ford Ranger Sport Double-Cab Ute
The 2023 Ford Ranger double cab makes a spacious and enjoyable family ute
By Tace Clifford
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BabyDrive Verdict
I am testing the BRAND NEW 2023 Ford Ranger Sport Double Cab Ute it is the second from top spec model with a 2litre diesel engine, let's get straight into it and  put it through our BabyDrive testing! Let's take a look at how it gets on as a BabyDrive…
Firstly on the outside, the new Ford Ranger looks good! It's a big beefy machine with some noticeable differences. It looks bigger and boxier than the previous model and has been increased by… As far as utes go this one looks pretty rugged.
There has been a step added behind the rear wheel arches, which makes climbing up into the tray easier and reaching things in and out of the tray easier too.
Also along the top of the tray door edge is a ruler and G-Clamp fixtures, so there can be no more lying about the size of the fish you caught being ‘This Big'! You can measure it now!!
On the inside the dash has changed with the noticeably large portrait media screen and additions of wireless phone charging and Apple CarPlay.
The media system is easy to use and navigate with screens for setting the drive assist features and noise and volumes in the vehicle exactly to your liking.
One of the other features we like in the new Ford Ranger is the Sketch Game screen.
Just like in the Tesla Model S. We loved playing on this when waiting at school pic up etc.
The interior has been made bigger too and it feels very spacious in the back. Ford have scooped out a lot of space including headroom, which makes a big difference for rear passengers.
It's also really helpful when installing child seats, because it gives you lots of room so you can get inside the cab and reach behind the rear seat back easily.
There are top tether anchorages and ISOFix for both the outer rear seats and nothing for the central seat so you can only instal two Infasecure child seats in the back of the Ford Ranger with top tether anchorages. I installed the Infasecure Attain More and Aspire More.
You can fit an Infasecure Versatile Folding Booster Seat in the central rear seat of the Ford Ranger because it does not require a top tether anchorage.
Double cab utes are renowned for being difficult to instal child seats in the back but when it came to installing child seats in the new Ford Ranger I was pleasantly surprised. The rear seat back folds forward as one piece and the top ether anchorages are metal anchorages a little way down behind it on the vehicle body.
I found them nice and easy to connect the two Infasecure child seats top tether straps to and then tighten them nicely.
Now I think I have found the ULTIMATE combination of Infasecure child seats for the new Ford Ranger, so if you are looking at this for your family then take note. Especially those with new babies because the Infasecure Adapt More capsule is perfect for a ute because the top tether strap is attached to the base not the capsule itself so once you have it installed you do not have to touch the top tether strap every time you take the capsule in and out.
Legroom is very good in the new Ford Ranger and a 184cm passenger can sit in front of a rear facing child seat or a 180cm driver.
If you want to learn any more about the Infasecure Child Seats used in this review, just click on the link here.
There is some great storage throughout the 2023 Ford Ranger Sport. Rear passengers get little phone storage pockets in the front of the central seat base which is clever.
There are map pockets on the back of both front seats that will hold and conceal iPads. The door bins are a good size in both the front and rear doors and hold large water bottles and an iPad fits too.
There is a good number of cup holders throughout the 2023 Ford Ranger…
There are two in the rear central seat back and two in the front central console that all hold a reusable or disposable coffee cup. The top spec model has dash board cup holders too which they don't have in this model unfortunately, there are just holes in the dash where they should be!
Also in the front you have a holder for your fries! We found a medium Macca's Fries fits nicely!!
In front of that is a wireless phone charging pad. I am pleased to see there is still a glasses case in the ceiling of the 2023 Ford Ranger. Most new cars have got rid of the ceiling glasses case and it's really frustrating to have nowhere to store your glasses where they won't get scratched!
The central console box and glove box are both generous sizes and there is a shelf in the dash in this model. The top spec model has a double glove box instead.
The tray of the 2023 Ford Ranger holds thirty shopping bags which is slightly bigger than the previous model Ranger which held 26 shopping bags, now the is an almighty family shop!
You can of course fit any size pram or stroller in the tray easily and the family shop and dog. The GWM Cannon and Toyota HiLux hold 29, the Triton, BT-50 and D-Max hold 30 too.
The 2023 Ford Ranger Sport has rear air vents which is really important for keeping rear passengers comfortable too.
The 2023 Ford Ranger is great to drive, for such a large vehicle Ford have done a great job of making it feel nippy and it has a tight turning circle so it is easily manoeuvrable. Which makes it good for everyday life and is easy to park in school, supermarket and multi-storey car parks. Visibility is limited out of the rear windscreen with two tethered Infasecure child seats installed in the back and the third Versatile Folding Booster seat in the middle because the seat backs cover the window so you definitely rely on the large side mirrors.
The reversing camera quality is very good and you have different angles available to view from however the image size on the media screen is VERY small! The quality of the image does make reversing, manoeuvring or parking easier and you can turn the parking sensors off easily down in the central console.
Overall the new 2023 Ford Ranger Sport Double Cab Ute makes a great family vehicle. I have loved being able to easily lift our stroller up and into the tray with no care about boot space and put in the kids bikes and scooters!
The interior comforts are good and the amount of interior space makes it very easy to live with, with know one compromised for legroom or personal space!
How big is the tray of the 2023 Ford Ranger Sport?
The tray of the 2023 Ford Ranger holds thirty shopping bags which is slightly bigger than the previous model Ranger which held 26 shopping bags, also we can compare it to the GWM Cannon and Toyota HiLux which both hold 29, the Triton, BT-50 and D-Max all hold 30 bags too.
You can of course fit any size pram or stroller in the tray easily and the family shop and dog. The twin stroller fits in the tray of the Ford Ranger Sport with twenty four shopping bags.
A modular, tandem stroller fits in the tray of the 2023 Ford Ranger Sport with twenty two shopping bags around it.
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 is 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.
A single pram fits in the boot of the 2023 Ford Ranger with twenty three shopping bags beside it.
The compact stroller fits in the tray of the 2023 Ford Ranger with twenty seven shopping bags beside it.
You can fit any size family dogs in the tray of the 2023 Ford Ranger Sport, it's not so good for the emergency nappy changes so we had to use the front passenger seat or footwell!
How good is storage inside the 2023 Ford Ranger Sport?
The storage inside the 2023 Ford Ranger Sport Double-Cab Ute is really practical for families. With two cup holders in the front central console that will hold a reusable and disposable coffee cup within easy reach.
In front of the cup holders is another storage slot that has a symbol of fries in it, so of course we tested it out and you can indeed get a MacDonalds fries in there!
In front of that is a wireless phone charging pad and USB and USBC charging sockets.
The glove box is a good size and it will hold a wallet and iPad easily with the manual. Above the glovebox is a shelf in the dashboard which in the top spec model the shelf is replaced by a second glove box. There is a hole at each end of the dashboard too in this model which is not the right size to hold a phone unfortunately, in the top spec model these holes house dashboard cup holders.
There is a lined glasses case in the ceiling, which I am sooooo glad to see this still in the Ford Ranger because most new cars have removed them and it's a real shame.
The central console storage is a practical size with a USB-C charging socket inside.
The front door bins will hold two large refillable water bottles with plenty of room for your iPad too.
Storage in the second row is good as well, with slightly smaller door bins that will hold a single refillable water bottle and still room for an iPad.
Underneath the rear seat base are two hidden storage areas. If your kids are old enough that they don't need child seats then this is a great hidden storage option. When your kids do need child seats this is almost redundant because you can't uninstall child seats just to access this storage space.
There is a fold-down armrest in the central seatback of the Ford Ranger Sport with two cup holders that will hold a reusable or disposable coffee cup or a refillable water bottle fits in them too.
In the front of the central seat base are three little pockets. The central one houses the hook to hold the seat base upright but the outer two are great for storing phones or small toys in.
In the back of both front seats are net map pockets that will hold and conceal an iPad.
BabyDrive Indepth - Noise
How noisy is the 2023 Ford Ranger Sport? How good is the media system in the 2023 Ford Ranger Sport?
The 2023 Ford Ranger Sport has a lovely new portrait media system which is easy to navigate and includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Pressing the Ranger icon in the top right corner of the screen, you can control and customise a lot of the vehicles settings. I found especially helpful in the driver assistance settings…
… and volumes and lighting to make my family comfortable.
Like the Tesla Model S, the Ford Ranger has a Sketch game which is great for keeping little ones entertained when you are waiting at school pick up etc.
The reversing camera image is very good quality and clear however it is a small size image. You can pick your angles of the camera which is great at it has a lowball camera too.
The digital driver's display in the Ford Ranger Sport tells you your distance to empty in the bottom right corner which is really useful, as well as the speed limit and seatbelt removal visual too. You can choose what information it shows easily.
The doors and windows of the 2023 Ford Ranger close quite gently for a ute, so they are not baby waking.
The doors close quite easily with a gentle close, which was surprising for a car of this size. With baby asleep you can get in and out without worrying the doors will be too noisy. The same for the windows their mechanism is not too noisy and I didn’t notice them having a loud opening or closing sound.
With baby asleep you want to be able to get in and out without worrying the doors will be too noisy and wake Bub up!Â
Road and wind noise are pretty good, Ford have done a great job of making the new Ranger Sport feel nippy and manoeuvrable rather than noisy and agricultural.
You can lock the doors and windows separately from the driver's door control panel. Also you will notice the door handles in the 2023 Ford Ranger are now removed from the flat of the door and hidden away in what is normally the handle wells. I really like this as it minimalists the doors however you need to ensure you have the child lock on the rear doors as it is very tempting for little fingers to fiddle with them!
BabyDrive Indepth - Car Seats
How many child seats fit in the 2023 Ford Ranger Sport?
There are ISOFix in the outer rear seats of the Ford Ranger Sport, they are not within plastic guides and are nice and easy to access and connect to.
Pulling a tab on the central back rest it folds forward and behind there are two metal top tether anchorages. Utes are renowned for being difficult to install child seats in and some have very difficult top tethers to use, however I can report the new 2023 Ford Ranger is really nice and easy to install child seats in and having metal top tether anchorages is great. You can read more about utes and their top tethers here.
The Ford Ranger double-cab ute is a two tethered child seats double-cab. However, I have found the winning combination of Infasecure child seats for you…
…I installed the Infasecure Aspire More forward facing on one side (using the top tether anchorage) and on the other side I have Infasecures brand new Adapt More capsule.
This is perfect for double cab utes because the top tether strap is attached to the base not capsule itself, so you do not have to re-adjust the top tether strap every time you put the capsule in and out of the vehicle.
You can learn more about and purchase the Infasecure child seats in this review here.
The roof of the new Ford Ranger has been scooped out giving great headroom and space when you are installing child seats too.
The new Ford Ranger double-cab ute does feel very spacious inside and legroom is incredibly good. We could easily fit a 180cm driver and a 184cm front passenger in front of rear-facing child seats.
Posting Bub into their child seat from outside the Ford Ranger Sport was easy, the doorways are nice and wide and there is no bending down into the vehicle which is nice! With the high ceiling inside it is easy to post them in from inside too.
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 Ford Ranger Sport if you only have one child seat installed. There is enough room for me (162cm in height) to sit between two child seats also.
BabyDrive Indepth - Drive & Comfort
How comfortable is the 2023 Ford Ranger Sport Double-Cab? And How good is the 2023 Ford Ranger Sport Double-Cab to drive?
The front cabin of the 2023 Ford Ranger Sport Double-Cab has lots of storage and the new portrait media screen brings it up to date.
The seats are comfortable and easily adjustable using the controls on the side of the seat base.
The headrests are not adjustable so I could not wear a ponytail while driving.
I had spent hours styling my hair this morning to get this ponytail just right too… said no new mum ever!!!
For a mum travelling in the back with Bub, the seats are quite comfortable too. The central seat has a firm backrest where the fold down armrest is. Legroom is good in the back and I had plenty of legroom behind a 182cm driver and I'm 162cm.
For the first year of my 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!
The steering wheel is fully adjustable in/out and up/down.
Across the front dashboard, there are four air conditioning vents, they can be easily controlled at the bottom of the media screen or with dials just below it.
In the second row, there are air-conditioning vents in the back of the central console box, I could reach the vents to adjust them for my children while driving.
Visibility in the Ford Ranger Sport is good in the large side mirrors and the cameras are good quality but the size of the image is small. I found the ride is very high so you have great visibility over the traffic which is great.
The Ford Ranger Sport feels nippy and light and has a small turning circle, which make driving around town and doing the school run just as enjoyable as off-roading.
When maneuvering or parking, the visibility out the windows is excellent and the different camera angles really helped.
One thing I have noticed since being a mum is I hate it when I reach a destination or get home from being out and Bub has either done really well in the car or she is screaming her head off and I have done really well to keep it together for the entire journey (usually the latter!!) and it takes 10 minutes to park the car! It can be really stressful. The 2023 Ford Ranger Sport is a BIG vehicle, it was relatively easy to park in our tight apartment block carpark.
The only thing I didn't like about driving the new Ford Ranger is the gear lever. There is a button at the front of it that you have to press to change the gear and there are three more buttons along the right hand side for manual gears. I found it extremely difficult to press the front button and move the gear lever. Ergonomically my hands just are not big enough. They can much more easily press the buttons on the side which they did constantly by accident and I found annoying.
BabyDrive Indepth - Safety
How safe is the 2023 Ford Ranger Sport?
The new 2023 Ford Ranger Sport has been given a five star ANCAP rating. Scoring 93% for child occupant protection, that is broken down into full points for both the frontal offset crash and for the side impact test. For restraint installation the Ford Ranger scored full marks also and 10 out of 13 for on-board safety features. For now, this makes the 2023 Ford Ranger Double Cab Ute the safest family car for kids on sale in Australia.
Nine airbags come as standard in the Ford Ranger Sport; Driver and passenger frontal, driver and passenger front-side airbags, driver and front passenger knee, front centre airbag and side curtain airbags in both rows of seats.
As standard, the 2023 Ford Ranger comes with anti-lock braking system (ABS)autonomous emergency braking (AEB), electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), electronic stability control (ESC), Emergency brake assist (EBA), fatigue reminder, fatigue monitor/detection, forward collision warning (FCW), lane-departure warning (LDW), lane-keep assist (LKA), road edge detection, blind-spot monitoring (BSM), rear cross-traffic alert (RCTA) and adaptive cruise control (ACC), Roll stability system, secondary / multi-collision brake, speed assistance – auto / intelligent speed limiter, speed assistance – manual speed limiter and speed assistance – speed sign recognition & warning.
Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) – Backover, blind spot monitor (BSM), rear cross-traffic alert (RCTA) and reversing collision avoidance (camera) are not available on the base model but standard on all other variants.
Some of these safety features are also features that drive me crazy as a mum! Like the lane departure and forward collision alert or the parking sensor beeping sound. I want all the safety technology AND to be able to mute the sound when Bub’s asleep!
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About Tace Clifford
Tace Clifford founded BabyDrive in 2017 after discovering a huge information gap in mainstream car reviews that left new parents and expanding families in the dark when it came to one of the biggest purchasing decisions of their lives.
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4 Comments
Love the reviews. Would it be possible to fit 2 forward facing child seats and a booster in the middle?
Don’t see why not and if you used an Infasecure Versatile Folding Booster for the central position it doesn’t require a top tether and there is no anchorage in the middle seat of the Ranger.
I know this is an old post, but was wondering if there are perhaps possibilities of having a third tether point professionally installed for the middle seat? I’m looking at options (incl. Mazda BT-50, Izuzu DMAX, VW Amarok) and noticed utes tend to lack the luxury of 3 tethers. It’s a bit of a problem if you have 3 kids in seats.
Love the reviews. Would it be possible to fit 2 forward facing child seats and a booster in the middle?
Don’t see why not and if you used an Infasecure Versatile Folding Booster for the central position it doesn’t require a top tether and there is no anchorage in the middle seat of the Ranger.
I know this is an old post, but was wondering if there are perhaps possibilities of having a third tether point professionally installed for the middle seat? I’m looking at options (incl. Mazda BT-50, Izuzu DMAX, VW Amarok) and noticed utes tend to lack the luxury of 3 tethers. It’s a bit of a problem if you have 3 kids in seats.
So true. Best to contact https://acri.com.au to check on options as it can vary state by state