The gentleman sitting next to me on the flight to Salt Lake City, Utah, where Ford was hosting the media to test drive America’s first-ever Ranger Raptor, noticed I was studying material related to this hardcore off-road truck. His name is Bill, and he had lots of questions as the proud owner of a second-generation F-150 Raptor. He has one chief complaint about that truck: “It’s such a big truck, and my wife doesn’t like it taking up so much garage space.” He said he’s seriously considering swapping it for a Ford Ranger Raptor but expressed concern that the smaller, midsize truck wouldn’t be as much fun. I figured I’d find out soon enough.
The 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor has come to North America for the first time, and it’s an absolutely fantastic product. Previously, it was an overseas model only, powered by a turbo diesel engine that was never homologated for this market. The new Ranger Raptor ditches the oil burner for a 405-horsepower twin-turbo gasoline V6, and it’s anxious to play outside. Our time at the helm consisted of some highway driving, an ultra-rocky mountain loop, a Baja-style off-road course, and a jump ramp for some air time. I’ve had far worse days.
Exterior Styling: Downsized F-150 Raptor
Ford kept a chunk of F-150 Raptor styling for that truck’s smaller sibling. It rides on the same T6.2 platform as the regular Ranger, Bronco, and, naturally, the Bronco Raptor. Compared to the regular Ranger, the Ranger Raptor has been beefed up with a wider stance, wide-mouth chassis, and lots more off-road ‘Raptor’ brand styling traits, starting with bold ‘FORD’ lettering slammed across the front grille.
I immediately liked the Ranger Raptor design even better than that of the latest F-150 Raptor. The LED projector C-shaped headlights look great, and the overall front-end design is less chiseled but equally handsome compared to its big brother. There are the must-have brand decals found above the rear wheels; 17-inch wheels are wrapped in 33-inch BF Goodrich all-terrain K03 rubber, and those flared fenders have functional vents. A Ford engineer told me the front end “wraps around the tires” and that the apertures were opened up to allow for increased airflow. The front and rear fenders are unique and the Ranger Raptor’s track width has been increased by over three inches.
Like the Ranger, the Ranger Raptor comes only in SuperCrew configuration with a five-foot bed. Underbody protection is kindly provided by a front bash plate made from high-strength steel covering the engine, fuel tank, and transfer case.
Off-Road: Fun For Everyone
With its bespoke frame, only the basics are shared with the regular Ranger. There are standard 2.5-inch Fox shocks on the Ranger Raptor, along with unique software systems that control the brakes and hardware. It includes the same drive mode system found in the Bronco Raptor and you can change the exhaust sound for different modes. Ford gave the truck a unique sound compared to the F-150 and Bronco Raptors, and the engineer noted that there is a lot of room for customization with the Ranger Raptor: There’s an R Custom Mode that lets you adjust your steering, damper, and exhaust settings.
Selecting a preferred drive mode depends on your needs, so trialing all the drive modes is vital. This is best done when using the Ranger Raptor for its intended purpose on Earth: off-roading. Working my way through those driving modes in ascending and descending terrain, it’s evident that Baja Mode has more slip angle. Off-Road Mode, as you’d expect, adjusts the suspension for rocky and generally abusive conditions.
For daredevils, you can turn off systems like traction control to experience the truck’s full capabilities. I enjoyed hitting cruise control at 3-4 mph while going uphill with the front and rear locks engaged plus Trail Control on. This provides much-needed off-road stability and never once did I feel like the truck was too much to handle. It’s one of the best things about the Ranger Raptor, because is means new customers can get a foot in the Raptor brand door without needing to be an expert – and since the Ranger Raptor is smaller than the F-150 Raptor, it cuts a better line through trees, tight canyons, and the like.
The Baja-style course and jump ramp designed by the Ford Performance team provided an excellent opportunity to experience the Ranger Raptor’s abilities. With the center console-mounted dial set in Baja Mode, the truck feels floaty with half the traction control turned off. Normal and Off-Road Modes are naturally more comfortable. There was heavy rain the night before, but it was bright and sunny the next morning, resulting in the course turning into soupy mud at many turns. We were advised to avoid those sections and stick to the driest mud possible, and the Ranger Raptor handled everything like a champ.
And then came the jump ramp – something I have never done before. The instructions were simple: Once given the all-clear, hit the throttle, and drive straight toward the ramp until reaching a green cone, then release the throttle and boom! You’re airborne. Slight pressure applied to the brakes upon landing kept everything in complete control. There are compression adjustable dampers for ride and handling situations such as this. Baja Mode, for example, has bespoke tuning for the dampers and features a jump detection looking for that rebound condition. This way, it’ll go to full compression damping to soak up as much of that landing as possible.
Ranger Raptor Assault School
Ford has just announced that 2024 Ranger Raptor buyers snag an invite to attend the Ford Performance Racing School in Tooele Valley, Utah, beginning this June. This one-day course, appropriately called the Ranger Raptor Assault School, is free for owners and features a variety of challenging terrains and maneuvers to “build knowledge, confidence, and off-road skills.” “This include rock crawling and Baja runs, climbing, side hilling, descending, and braking safely.
The Blue Oval will provide the Ranger Raptors and all necessary gear for the course, and owners are only responsible for lodging and transportation to the venue. After experiencing it myself, I highly recommend it – you’ll appreciate the off-road engineering marvel you purchased even more when properly instructed on what it can do, and how to use it for the weapon it can be.
Daily Driving Companion
On the road and highway, the Ranger Raptor is a very usable daily driver. Its turning radius, like the standard Ranger, is ideal for making turns in tight spaces, such as entering a parking spot. It’s much more nimble than the F-150 Raptor, and it’s easier to see over the hood.
And under the hood lies a twin-turbo 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6 pumping out 405 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque that’s channeled to all four wheels via a 10-speed automatic gearbox. This is the same engine found in the Bronco Raptor, and it’s bespoke to Ford Performance. The previous generation’s diesel engine has been dropped; this is the sole engine for the now global model. The truck doesn’t feel like it’s blowing you back in your seat during highway acceleration, but it has all the power you need.
Comfy, Tech-Rich Cabin
The Ranger Raptor’s interior resembles the base Ranger’s, but there are many enhancements. The front and rear seats and steering wheel are model specific. Ford went the extra mile with small but relevant details like magnesium alloy paddle shifters instead of cheap plastic pieces, and the steering wheel has an orange stripe at the 12 o’clock position. You’ll find lots of Code Orange trim throughout the cabin. Some hard plastics are present, but that’s forgivable in a truck like this.
The front seats are very comfortable and feature additional bolstering to keep occupants firmly planted. A 12.4-inch driver’s gauge screen is standard, as is a 360-degree front-view camera that comes in handy for plenty of off- and on-road situations. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a B&O Sound System by Bang & Olufsen, and a 12-inch main touchscreen further round out the package. As in my first drive of the base Ranger, I noticed the same build quality issues, specifically uneven panel gaps on each side of the center column near the grab handles. A truck costing this much shouldn’t have this blemish, but Ford confirmed this was a pre-production example, so let’s hope things are resolved before customer deliveries begin.
Conclusion: The Ultimate Ranger
Ford has delivered the goods. Period. The Ranger Raptor is an extremely well-engineered and well-designed off-road-ready weapon that doesn’t necessarily require a ton of driver experience to fully enjoy. Sure, having off-road credentials helps, but the Ranger Raptor is so good that you’ll immediately enjoy it straight out of the box. Learning how to utilize its long list of capabilities augments the fun factor, so you’d be missing out if you didn’t make use of the Assault School opportunity. The Ranger Raptor is so good, other automakers use it as a benchmark.
Gripes? I wish it had a bit more oomph on dry pavement, but the fact it’s so tame could prevent a conversation with a police officer; off-road is where the Ranger Raptor shines. Hopefully, the interior build quality issues won’t carry through to production models, as that’s one of the few things to complain about.
Pricing begins at $55,470, not including the $1,595 destination fee. That’s a solid bargain compared to the F-150 Raptor’s price of entry at $78,330. The Bronco Raptor, meanwhile, carries a $90,035 MSRP. Ford has kept mum on whether there’s a potential Ranger Raptor R model, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see one eventually. Fingers crossed.
So, back to Bill. Wherever you are, I can confidently assure you the Ranger Raptor is equally fun and, perhaps even easier to live with than the F-150 Raptor. Your significant other will approve – as the saying goes, happy wife, happy life, and we believe the 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor will make that happen.