2024 Ford Ranger Raptor - 405 HP!

 

There is something about horsepower generated by an internal combustion engine. It is visceral, raw, and at times scary. It isn't just the "pin me to the seat" acceleration, no you can get that with an EV. It is more about the sounds that accompany the explosive leap forward when the gas pedal is mashed to the floor and all hell seems to break loose.

I have driven, and ridden in, some very quick gas-powered vehicles. Most recently a Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat. Make no mistake, the Ranger Raptor is vastly different than the Durango yet they both help clear the cobwebs from my brain. They make, just for a few minutes, the woes of the world disappear. They are time machines. 

The big plus to these vehicles is that they can also be daily drivers. They are the Jekyll and Hyde of the automotive world.

The heart of the Ranger Raptor is Ford's 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6. In the Ranger Raptor it is rated at 405 hp (max with premium fuel), and 430 lb ft of torque. Power is delivered via Ford's 10-speed automatic. There is a 2-speed transfer case in case you want to do some crawling.

You wouldn't, and shouldn't, expect a 5,300 lb, 405 hp vehicle to have great fuel economy but the Ranger Raptor is not bad for what it is. It is rated at 16-mpg city, and 18-mpg highway. Other makes with less power are in the same general range.

What the Ranger Raptor does have is darn good acceleration. Zero to 60 comes up in 5.3 seconds or so, and the 1/4 mile in 14.1 seconds @ 97 mph. Its top speed is limited to just over 100 mph. 

The Ranger, like most of its competitors, is now "mid-size." From my point of view it is large. It is 210.9" long, and has a 59.6" bed length. For whatever reason more and more pickups are being bought as family vehicles so the Ranger is only available as a 4-door.

The max payload is 1,375 lbs., and the Ranger Raptor can tow up to 5,510 lbs. 

The interior is nice, very nice. Yes some of the controls are small but I found the essentials (climate control, sound system, cruise control, wipers, etc) relatively easy to use and in logical (at least for my brain) places. 

There is a nice, big, meaty gearshift lever that is easily distinguished from the drive mode dial. The only quibble I have is Ford's insistence on using a digital owner's manual; I suppose I'd get used to it given time.

The interior is a nice combination of upscale, comfort, and sportiness. Like every auto-maker Ford says this is a 5-seat vehicle. No sir, this is a 4+ seat vehicle - four adults plus a wee one. 

If there was one thing I'd change on the Ranger Raptor it would be to lower it a few inches. As it is the minimum ground clearance is 10.7". Given that the vast majority of 4X4 owners never go off-road there is no reason other than optics for it to sit up so high. (I have no idea why so many people, primarily males, lift their trucks to a height that they need a step-ladder to get into them.)

Overall I liked the Ranger Raptor. I could see myself in one. It is a nice vehicle that needs a chairlift for an old guy like me.

One day I may get used to today's vehicle prices. Right now I have to keep telling myself that $40K + is not outrageous. A 2025 Ford Ranger Raptor (essentially unchanged from 2024) starts at $55,720 (ford.com). Like just about every vehicle made there are options available. Check it out.