New Ford Ranger MS-RT 2025 review: lacks the bite to match its looks

Verdict

It looks mega, but the Ford Ranger MS-RT lacks the bite to really do its sport truck classification justice. Adding lowered suspension and big wheels just spoils the otherwise decent ride of the Wildtrak, but isn’t enough to turn it into a Raptor alternative. It’s the only option if you want sporty looks and retain the cargo and towing weights of the standard pick-up.

If you’re in the market for a Ford Ranger, you’re certainly spoiled for choice. There’s a basic version of the firm’s big-selling pick-up, while at the other end of the spectrum is the plush Platinum, well-stocked Wildtrak and an off-road focused Wildtrak X, too, while the Ranger Raptor is the go-to option for a performance pick-up.

Now there’s a Ranger MS-RT in the mix, which Ford is marketing as a ‘street truck’. That tag conjures up images of neon-finished ‘rad rides’ in the US from the eighties and nineties, but this Ranger is a more modern interpretation of the theme. It’s based on the V6 diesel version of the Ranger Wildtrak, but has been given a significant makeover to help it stand out.

It’s certainly different from a Ranger Raptor. With that model covering the off-road performance angle, the MS-RT is a tarmac-biased offering. The suspension is lowered by 40mm over the Wildtrak on which it’s based, while substantial 21-inch wheels kitted out with Continental SportContact rubber are fitted at each corner. These changes have been made to make the most of the bespoke bodykit fitted to the MS-RT. This is manufactured in-house by MS-RT, the company founded as a spin-off from M-Sport, the motorsport outfit that ran Ford’s global rally programme.

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There are wider wheelarches front and rear, a deep apron up front and a new smoother grille, while deeper side skirts with pop-out side steps boost access to the cabin. At the rear there are duck-tail spoilers for the tailgate and the rear of the cab, while the lip of the tailgate has a bespoke moulded graphic across its full width. The diffuser-look back bumper seems a bit OTT when it’s more than a foot off the ground, and was joined by a tow hitch on our test truck, but it all ties in for an aggressively sporty look that stands out.

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The cabin has benefitted from upgrades, too, with the Wildtrak’s seats reupholstered in soft leather and Alcantara stitched with MS-RT’s corporate logos. The steering wheel is retrimmed, too, and includes a blue leather marker for the 12 o’clock position. MS-RT-branded carpet mats complete the internal makeover.

That’s where the upgrades stop, because apart from the lowered suspension, the MS-RT is mechanically identical to the Wildtrak. That means power from a 3.0-litre EcoBlue diesel – an engine that’s not offered in the Ranger Raptor – and Ford’s 10-speed automatic gearbox, so performance is strong, although the multiple ratios mean the auto is best left to its own devices, rather than trying to take manual control. It’s easy enough to do so because there are no paddleshifters behind the steering wheel, forcing you to use the stubby drive selector instead.

While performance in a straight line is decent, the suspension tweaks are the defining feature of the MS-RT, but they’re not entirely successful. While the suspension has been lowered by 40mm, the set-up of double wishbones up front and a live axle and leaf springs at the rear remains the same, and on anything other than a billiard-smooth surface, the ride jumps and fidgets endlessly at all speeds. 

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It’s especially pronounced at the rear, where the dampers fail to contain any movement, even when there’s a full load in the back. So while the front end will thump over motorway expansion joints and be a little unsettled, the rear will follow through with a more pronounced skip. This is a complaint that has been levelled at pick-up trucks in the past, but had been largely mitigated in the standard Ranger, so it’s a shame it’s so obvious here. This behaviour is likely to be made worse by the large wheels, while high-speed refinement is also spoilt by the additional road noise created by the wider tyres.

One area where the Ranger MS-RT still has an advantage over the Raptor is its classification as a commercial vehicle. It retains the same weights and measures as the Wildtrak, so it still has a 3.5-tonne maximum towing weight, and the payload is listed at 1.1 tonnes. While the benefits of double cab pick-up truck ownership have reduced with recent changes to UK tax rules, that will still mean it’s an attractive option for business users.

But the crunch will come with the price. At just over £52,000 excluding VAT, the MS-RT is £6,000 more than the standard Wildtrak, which is a pretty steep jump for a set of upgrades that enhance the looks, but also harm the driving experience. Adding VAT brings the price up to £62,500, which is identical to the Ranger Raptor, which is a much better resolved performance machine, albeit with thirsty petrol power.