Ford’s F-150 Raptor jumped onto the four-wheel-drive scene for the 2010 model year and re-wrote the rulebook of what a production off-road truck package could and should deliver. Nothing else came close to offering the Raptor’s blend of speed, suspension travel, and yeah, fun. It was in another class of capability compared to every other 4X4 produced at that time. The Raptor inspired a whole new generation of higher-speed production 4X4s like the Ram TRX. In 2022, Ford introduced a Raptor version of the Bronco SUV and it’s awesome on every level. But what about the Ranger pickup truck? Well, it’s time has come, and beginning with the 2024 model year, Ford is offering a Raptor-ized Ranger. Is the Ranger Raptor a serious rival in the off-road-centric midsize pickup truck world, or is it just wearing a pair of cool stickers? Read on for our first drive report.
For the 2024 model year, Ford injected the Ranger pickup with Raptor DNA.
The 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor Is Far Different Than A Standard Ranger
Let’s back up a bit. Ford never offered a Raptor model for the previous-generation Ranger. The best we got was the Tremor Off-Road Package. It debuted for the 2021 model year, and included a lifted suspension, 32-inch tires, and Fox shocks. Nowadays, there are some fairly incredible trucks in the midsize pickup space, like the Jeep Gladiator Rubicon, Chevy Colorado ZR2, and Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro. Ford knew that the Tremor package just didn’t offer enough capability to compete with its competition. So, for the first time, Ford has a Ranger Raptor. As one might expect, the Raptor version is a very different animal from the plain vanilla Ranger. It’s loaded with specialized off-road equipment and capability that’s far beyond the conventional truck.
We couldn’t wait to get our paws on a new Ranger Raptor. So, when Ford said a $59,540 MSRP Hot Pepper Red Ranger Raptor was available, we jumped (literally). We piled hundreds of miles on the odometer on the streets of LA and southern California trails. So, how’d the Ranger Raptor work? Read on to find out.
The Ranger Raptor’s foundation is an all-new, fully boxed frame that has reinforced frame sections and more.
The Hardware
The Ranger rides on an all-new, fully boxed frame with 128.7-inch wheelbase. This wheelbase is the same as a standard Ranger. Compared to a conventional Ranger, the Raptor version has reinforced front frame sections, front shock towers, rear shock brackets and suspension mounting points to stand up to serious off-road abuse. And like the F-150 Raptor, the Ranger Raptor has a unique suspension system with increased wheel travel.
The Ranger Raptor’s independent front suspension includes Fox internal bypass shocks and aluminum A-arms that contribute to a wider track.
Front Suspension And Axle
Up front, the Ranger Raptor uses an aluminum double-wishbone suspension with longer and stronger A-arms to deliver 10.1 inches of wheel travel and a wider 67.3-inch track (the standard Ranger has a 63.8-inch track). Fox 2.5-inch-diameter internal bypass shocks have the company’s live valve technology on the compression side (the F-150 Raptor has it for both compression and rebound) to make damping adjustments up to 500 times a second. Shock damping also changes when a new drive mode (Normal, Tow/Haul, Sport, Slippery, Off-road, Rock Crawl and Baja) is selected. And just in case you find yourself in Baja mode, soaring over jumps, rest assured that bumpstops are baked into the coilover shock setup at the front. The Ranger Raptor benefits from extensive skidplating up front too.
Ford uses a Dana Advantek M210 (8.26-inch) front differential in the Ranger Raptor, just like the Bronco Raptor. It has an electronic locker and a 4.27:1 gearset. Unlike some competitors, the front sway bar of the Ranger Raptor cannot be disconnected, so it’s bound to give up some articulation in slow-go four-wheeling compared to a disconnecting system.
There’s no leaf springs in the rear of the Ranger Raptor. Instead, there’s a multi-link coilover setup with Watts linkage design.
Rear Suspension And Axle
In the rear, Ford decided to scrap the conventional leaf packs of the standard-issue Ranger for a more sophisticated design. In its place is a multi-link, coilover suspension like that of the F-150 Raptor. Ford says the design shares similarities with the Bronco Raptor as well. This suspension delivers 11.3 inches of wheel travel and uses the same Fox 2.5-inch dampers. However, they include remote reservoirs for improved heat dissipation. Interestingly, instead of a traditional Panhard bar locating the Ranger Raptor’s axle from side-to-side, Ford spent some extra dough to develop a Watts linkage design that uses two shorter links attached to the center of the axlehousing and frame on either side. Ford says this provides more consistent axle positioning from side-to-side as the axle cycles.
And speaking of the axle, to an old-school four-wheeler this rear axle might bear a strong resemblance to a Ford 9-inch. After all, the backside of the pumpkin is smooth and there’s a dropout centersection up front. Well, it’s not a 9-inch. Instead, it’s a bit smaller. The axle comes from American Axle Manufacturing in Thailand (where Ford also sells this truck). It has an 8.9-inch ring gear, electronic locking differential, and 4.27:1 gears. The suspension and widened fenders make room for 285/70R17 (33-inch) BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO3 tires to cycle freely. And our truck came with those tires wrapped around forged beadlock-capable wheels, a $1,495 option (beadlock ring kit is optional). Brake sizes are the same as the standard Ranger with 12.24-inch discs up front and 12.12-inch discs in the rear. The Ranger Raptor uses twin-piston calipers up front and single-piston calipers in the rear.
The Ranger Raptor is propelled by a 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6 that makes 405 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque.
Under The Hood
Under the hood, the Ranger Raptor packs a 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6 with 405 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque. This is the same powerplant used in the Bronco Raptor but with 13 fewer horsepower and 10 fewer pound-feet of torque. Still, it’s a big jump over the regular Ranger’s 270 horsepower standard turbocharged four-cylinder and optional 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 with 315 horsepower. The Ranger Raptor’s V6 comes paired to Ford’s excellent 10-speed automatic transmission. The Ranger Raptor uses the Bronco’s optional transfer case with a generous 3.1:1 low range ratio instead of the Ranger’s transfer case with 2.7:1 gearing. That gives the Ranger Raptor a crawl ratio of 61.59:1, which is better than most midsize rigs.
We measured 10.5 inches under the Ranger Raptor’s front differential and 9.75 inches out back. Those are good numbers for this class.
Heavier Than A Standard Ranger
On the scales, the 5,325-pound Ranger Raptor is almost a half a ton heavier than the standard Ranger at 4,415 pounds. That seems like an awful lot of extra weight. But considering all the specialty parts on this truck, we’re not entirely surprised. Our Raptor carried a 6,790-pound GVWR and had a payload capacity of 1,321 pounds. Ford says the Ranger Raptor can tow a 5,510-pound trailer, which is down almost a ton from the standard Ranger’s 7,500-pound capability.
Inside, the Ranger Raptor’s seats are very supportive and we dig the soft dash pad and the cool orange trim. We like the big 12.4-inch infotainment screen but wish more functions could be handled by old-school buttons, knobs, and switches.
On The Street
It’s very easy to get comfy in the cab of the Raptor. The seats are very supportive and feel great. And we dig the soft dash pad and the cool orange trim around the cabin. The rear seat is typical of midsize trucks — there’s just enough room. We like the big 12.4-inch infotainment screen but wish more functions could be handled by old-school buttons, knobs, and switches. For example, locking the diffs requires going back into one of the screen menus to activate. Ford has a bank of beautifully tactile upfitter switches, so why couldn’t a pair of those be used for the locking differential functions?
The Ranger Raptor is certainly an off-road focused truck, but we found that it’s an excellent vehicle for the street, too. The Raptor’s long-travel (okay, mid-travel) suspension is tuned to deliver an amazingly supple ride. In fact, compared to our own daily driver, a two-door Bronco Badlands with the same size tire package, the Ranger is the smoother rider. We can’t remember a midsize truck that had a better street ride.
Sport Mode Makes It Feel Like A Muscle Truck
Toggle through the drive modes, or individually choose settings for the dampers, exhaust, and steering from buttons on the wheel and you’ll feel the personality of the Ranger Raptor morph. Spin the dial over to Sport and the transmission drops a gear or two and puts that torquey V6 right in its powerband. The exhaust gets rowdier, and the agility of the truck seems to increase. Suddenly it feels like a midsize muscle truck. This is a quick little machine when you plant your right foot. One criticism? The steering remains heavy on-center no matter what mode you choose.
Even though the Raptor has flared bodywork and an off-road-focused suspension, it’s not so wide and so tall that you can’t park it in normal parking spaces or thread it through traffic with ease. Overall, the Ranger Raptor is a blast to drive around town.
Outstanding Highway Traits, Poor Fuel Economy
On the freeway, the perfectly tuned suspension drowns out any bumps. The funky freeway hop we get in other pickups just isn’t here — and that’s a very good thing. It also tracks dead straight on the highway with very little course correction needed. Perhaps some of the credit for that goes to that fancy Watts linkage at the back of the truck? At 70 mph the Raptor shows 2,000 rpm on the tach. On highway-speed hills, the transmission downshifts to Ninth gear with the tach reading 2,100 rpm, but it never struggles to maintain speed.
Over the course of our mixed-terrain test, the Ranger Raptor averaged 14.5 mpg. That’s poor for any midsize truck. In fact, with the trip meter showing just 224 miles, the Raptor said we had just 20 miles to go before it would run out of fuel. That’s not great for a truck that’s likely to be used on longer-distance treks. Our advice? Mount a fuel canister or two in the bed or keep your expeditions short when you drive a Ranger Raptor.
Compared to a standard Ranger, the approach angle (33 degrees) is better by almost 3 degrees, departure angle (25.8 degrees) is a half degree better, and the breakover angle (24.2 degrees) is 2.2 degrees improved.
On The Trail
We climbed underneath the Ranger Raptor and measured 10.5 inches under the front differential and 9.75 inches out back. Those are good numbers for this class. Compared to a standard Ranger, the Raptor has improved off-road angles too. The approach angle (33 degrees) is better by almost 3 degrees, departure angle (25.8 degrees) is a half degree better, and the breakover angle (24.2 degrees) is 2.2 degrees improved. These are certainly very small improvements. But on the trail, every inch counts.
Pull onto a dirt road and the Raptor is instantly at home. It hooks up well, even in two-wheel drive. The ride is supple and smooth over most of the trail, and the truck feels very light and nimble. It’s a different personality from the big F-150 Raptor. That truck always feels a little too wide for most trails but has deep reserves of wheel travel. The Ranger is the perfect size for a typical 4WD trail but will run out of travel far sooner.
The Ranger Raptor uses the Bronco’s optional transfer case with a generous 3.1:1 low-range ratio instead of the Ranger’s transfer case with 2.7:1 gearing. That gives the Ranger Raptor a crawl ratio of 61.59:1.
On the roughest parts of the trail, we could feel a rear tire lifting into the air. Although the Ranger Raptor has substantial wheel travel numbers, that suspension doesn’t really twist much better than a normal midsizer. Speaking of articulation, the team at Car and Driver flex tested a Ranger Raptor on their own 20-degree articulation ramp and found it to deliver an RTI score of 443. That’s less than the scores they measured for a new Colorado ZR2 (461) and Tacoma TRD with disconnectable front sway bar (489). It would be interesting to see how the Ranger Raptor would score with its front sway bar detached.
Whoop-Eater And Trail Tamer
Articulation aside, the Ranger Raptor is really a joy to drive on the trails. And when you shift it into Baja mode it becomes a little beast. The exhaust note becomes downright menacing, those dampers feel like they can take-on much bigger bumps, and the traction of 4-Hi helps the little truck scamper up some rigorous climbs. Point the truck onto whoops and the Raptor can handle them at just over 20 mph in Baja mode. That’s impressive. And it feels great doing it, with soft landings and no crashing on the bumpstops. Click back to Normal mode and you’ll need to cut that speed back by at least 5 mph or the front suspension will bottom out and start to pogo. You can really feel the difference in shock tuning here.
And the impressive performance extends to the higher-speed fire roads. Locked in Baja mode, we noticed a sharper throttle response from the right pedal and those dampers working their magic. We were able to maintain speeds between 40 and 45 mph on this road with plenty of control. Although like most trucks, as we approached the limit of what it felt like the suspension could handle, the chassis starts to feel a little quaky. The Ranger Raptor is certainly good, but it doesn’t offer the same levels of cushy, almost pre-runner levels of suspension travel and damping as an F-150 Raptor.
We did notice a bit of controlled slip from the front tires on our twisty mogul section. With both axles locked, it was a cakewalk.
Baja Mode And Rock Crawl Mode
In the sandy wash, the Raptor Ranger is just silly fun in 2WD, with the rear of the truck sliding around shooting roosts into the sky. There’s no axle hop, and it felt like there was never a chance we’d get stuck. But the Raptor is even better in Baja mode where the truck hooks up and can pile on the speed with more control. The truck feels like it was designed for this type of terrain. If you’re looking for a midsize truck to take to the dunes of Glamis in California, Sand Hollow in Utah, or Silver Lake Michigan, the Ranger Raptor would be at the top of our list.
Later, we clicked the drive mode knob over to Rock Crawl, which automatically engages low range (you do still need to shift to Neutral) and locks the rear differential. It also turns on the off-road camera, so you have a good view of the trail ahead. On our hill climb, which had gotten torn up recently and was particularly loose, we did need the front locker to crawl as slowly as possible to the top. Sure, we could have done it with more speed and just the rear locker would have been enough, but that’s not really testing traction in the same way.
We used Rock Crawl mode on a twisty mogul section too. As we mentioned before, there’s not a lot of articulation in this truck, so you rely on that rear locker more. And we did notice a bit of controlled slip from the front tires. With both axles locked, it was a cakewalk.
The Bottom Line
The off-road performance midsize truck space has become super competitive over the last few years. There are impressive entries from just about every manufacturer. Some of them are certain to perform better off-road than the Ranger Raptor on certain types of trails and one day we hope to have the chance to line up a comparison test. But the Ranger Raptor offers an excellent blend of performance traits both on- and off-road that should make it a top choice for anyone shopping for a truck like this. It’s far more than just cool stickers.
At a base price of $53,365, the Ranger Raptor comes in $4,670 higher than the 2024 Chevy Colorado ZR2, $3,565 less than the 2024 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon, and $10,535 less than the 2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro. To us, this helps make the 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor an attractive value.
