If the exploration pillar were more sturdily supported in D&D I think it would be far easier to make a better Ranger. There just aren't a lot of knobs and dials there. As it is the Ranger takes an already under-served pillar of play and makes it, essentially, an exercise in handwaving. I think WotC can do better.
I mean to each their own, but it's more than just handwaving for my group. It's turning minutae into something palatable. Naturally every table and game has its own preferences, focuses and what brings it and its individuals fun and joy, but we find that particular aspect of the game ("pillar" if you must have a buzzword in there) monotonous. We're not looking for simulation, or a means to act out what is otherwise (to us) a far more mundane part of the fantasy at large. At best for us, it's a descriptive part of the game that requires very little mechanical or other focus. We let our imaginations do the heavy lifting there. We treat it like we treat encumbrance rules...we don't ignore it, but so long as you're not toting about a ridiculous amount of crap (and you can show your character has that innocuous nothing item that's perfect for the situation at hand on your character sheet), we just don't worry much about it or spend much time on it.
Would we if there was more published material for that pillar, or if it was more innately tied to the game as a whole? No. Because we find it monotonous no matter how good it looks in that suit, because previous editions have provided support for that pillar...and it was (mostly) boring as hell for us then too(1e-3e). We enjoy describing what our characters would be doing in those instances, factored in the skills and concepts for our characters, and if something more interesting happens (random hostile encounter, interesting hermit, discovery of a previously unknown ruin/cave, etc)....we move off of that pillar and into something far more interesting. If nothing more interesting happens, we still move out of that pillar again to something more interesting (i.e. arriving at our intended destination).
I can see where more specific rules for that pillar can be enormously fun for a lot of people, and perhaps even my own group. We're not so closed-minded we would always handwave it away. Say if the campaign itself was centered around the concept of the party being explorers, or paid trailblazers, seeking to open a new traderoute to a distant land or something akin to that....then I could see having those rules be useful. Even in that context though, we'd still find ourselves handwaving a LOT. We simply just don't find playing out, long form, the fun in hunting tonight's dinner....or making sure the wagon avoids that large divvit in the road...or how to navigate that narrow mountain path...or how to weather that thunder and hail storm. Some find that the best part of course, and power to them. I wouldn't complain about more rules to support that pillar and those who truly enjoy them, but they'd find little use at our table.
