2024 Ford Ranger Raptor Review
$55,720
3.0 Liter Twin Turbo V6
405 HP / 430 TQ
0-60: 5.3 Seconds
MPG: 17.8
Guy who did stuff: Yousef Alvi
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“Is this the best compact pickup truck on sale today?
Yes. and Yes.”
Yup. That’s about it. You don’t need to know anything else. My job is complete.
*phone rings*
Me: Ohai
The Man: You want to write moar
Me: Y?
The Man: Because we want you too
Me: But people’s attention span is like 4 seconds..
The Man: We don’t care.
Me: ugh
Okay, let’s try this again. This is the 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor. If it’s not obvious, it’s a Raptor-fied version of the Ford Ranger. What does Raptorification give you? Usually the following:
Fox Suspension
More Power
Gnarly Exhaust
Different Interior
Over Fenders
Huge Knobby Tires
So how does the Raptorfying of the Ranger work out?
The Raptorification of the Ranger doesn’t just transform the Ranger, it completely rewrites its DNA. It feels like an entirely different truck. From the way you sit in it, to the way you drive it and to the way it handles, performs, rides and brakes. It’s just absolutely stellar.
It’s so far ahead of all of it’s rivals, there is no reason to compare them. It’s so good in fact, it begs the question:
“If you live in the suburbs. Let’s be completely honest here...do you really need a F-150 Raptor? ”
It’s on another level of maneuverability (more on that later), it gets better gas mileage, it sounds so much better and be honest…how often do you really pack every square inch of a F-150’s bed? If you’re reading this from somewhere in suburbia, I’m betting it’s rarely if not ever.
What about the performance compared to the F150? Welp, the Ranger Raptor can beat it. To a blast to 60 mph, the F-150 does so in 5.6 seconds, or 0.3 seconds slower than it’s baby brother.
Now, that is just straight line performance. Let’s talk about handling. The F-150 Raptor handles great, for it’s size. And that size is always ever present. From navigating switchbacks to round-a-bouts. It will always feel ‘big’ in a not-so-good-way.
The Ranger Raptor, on the other hand, doesn’t just handle well, it handles so flatly, feels so adept in the bends, it’s feels more sport truck if anything else! The only thing holding it back from true sport truckdom is the tires. If you can somehow fit a V or Z rated tire on this thing, you could embarrass some other ‘sporty’ cars on the road.
Let’s talk about the way it sounds. The F-150 Raptor’s EcoBoost engine has always sounded like a lawnmower to me. It’s crude and agricultural on start up and around town, the sound only gets worst when you get on it. Winding out the F-150 Raptor’s engine causes me to wince, each and every time.
The Ranger Raptor, doesn’t just sound good. It’s sounds freakin’ fantastic! There is a howl to it that is more GTR than Briggs and Stratton. It sounds like a proper performance Import V6 and trust me, that is a huge compliment!
Finally, the Ranger Raptor costs $23,000 less than a similar equipped F150 Raptor. Which, anyway you slice it, is a lot of money.
In conclusion: The 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor isn’t just the best compact pickup truck on the market today. It’s so good, that it is better than the full size F-150 Raptor.
Yousef Alvi
