Which Ford Ranger trim depreciates the fastest?

 

Martin Pretorius

Seeing as the Ford Ranger is highly sought-after in the South African marketplace, it’s only logical that this range will have decent resale values. Working-class Rangers are usually seen as consumable items, making it difficult to accurately gauge their value retention, but the depreciation of variants aimed at the leisure- and family markets are easier to determine, because they generally get treated as normal passenger vehicles.

We had a look at the depreciation of some of these leisure-focused (double cab) Ranger trim levels, as measured over three years. Taking the specific derivative’s prices from three years ago (in July 2016) as a baseline, we calculated the average values of those same derivatives as advertised here on AutoTrader, and express their value retention as a percentage of their new prices. 

To be eligible for this evaluation, vehicles had to be as close to standard as possible, have between 45 000 km and 60 000 km on their odometers (representing an average of 15 000 to 20 000 km per year), and with the cost of options or accessories disregarded. 

Ranger Double Cab 2.2 XL 4x2 manual

Percentage of value retained: 79.13%

This is about as basic a double cab Ranger as you’re likely to find. But, even though its creature comforts are quite sparse, there’s enough demand to keep its depreciation at a decently low level, with an average value retention of 79.13% reflecting its sustained popularity.

Ranger Double Cab 2.2 XLT 4x2 manual

Percentage of value retained: 76.92%

XLT trim is the fanciest you will find with the 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine, and it proved to be a very popular model when new. However, as is usually the case with higher-spec variants of popular vehicles, it depreciates a fair bit more than the more-affordable derivatives. 

Ranger Double Cab 2.2 XLS 4x4 manual

Percentage of value retained: 70.12%

This one is a bit of a surprise. XLS trim is about midway up the Ranger hierarchy, so it loses out on some of the XLT’s toys. But, with 4x4 as part of the package, you’d expect it to retain its value very well. This is however not the case, and with only 70.12% of its value retained after 3 years, it means that you can pick up a nice bargain on the used car market.

Ranger Double Cab 2.2 XLS 4x4 automatic

Percentage of value retained: 74.64%

The otherwise identical XLS 4x4 automatic does a little better than its manual-transmission sibling at 74.64%. This isn’t a terrible showing, but it still makes for some high-value shopping in the pre-owned market.

Ranger Double Cab 3.2 XLT 4x2 manual

Percentage of value retained: 73.04%

This is the lowest trim level for a double cab Ranger with the 3.2-litre engine. Pre-owned buyers clearly appreciate the more powerful engine in this trim, as its value retention comfortably eclipses that of the otherwise similar 2.2-litre variant.

Ranger Double Cab 3.2 XLT 4x2 automatic

Percentage of value retained: 75.52%

Buyers also prefer an automatic gearbox in their leisure-oriented Rangers, as the strong value retention of this derivative shows. After all, even if you don’t need 4x4 abilities, you’d still want the convenience of a self-shifting transmission on the shopping/school/sports run.

Ranger Double Cab 3.2 XLT 4x4 automatic

Percentage of value retained: 70.49%

It is difficult to explain why, but the 3.2 XLT 4x4 automatic doesn’t seem to command very high prices in the used market. This is bad news for sellers, but good news for those in search of a bargain.

Ranger Double Cab 3.2 WildTrak 4x4 automatic

Percentage of value retained: 76.43%

Going against conventional wisdom, the most-expensive Ranger also retains a lot of its value in the used-car market. Contrast this with the comparatively poor showing the lower-spec XLT variant, and it becomes clear that many shoppers prefer to get the full house when they buy a pre-owned Ranger.

While none of the Rangers perform particularly poorly in the depreciation stakes, the cheapest variants retain the most of their value, while the top-spec derivatives also do quite well. However, the biggest bargains are to be found in the mid-spec marketplace, where decently-equipped examples are available are reasonable prices. That leaves some change for accessories as well, meaning that you can get a personalised Ranger for a relative bargain.