Ford Ranger

The verdict: We finally have a smaller Raptor pickup truck that’s easier to live with in the city and folks, the 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor is nicer inside than the standard Ranger; all of the suspension wizardry that lets it catch mad air also makes it ride pretty nicely everywhere else.

Versus the competition: The off-road desert-blasting category has blown up among mid-size trucks, with the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison, Jeep Gladiator Mojave and Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro offering their own unique takes on high-speed fun. The Ranger Raptor is the most powerful of them all, and with the caveat that we haven’t tested the new Tacoma TRD Pro yet, the Raptor is possibly the most well rounded of the bunch, packing a ton of off-road features in a package that’s easy to drive on-road, too.

The allure of one truck that can do it all is real, and we know that’s a major motivator for a lot of truck buyers; after all, most non-work trucks spend more hours of their mechanical lives running basic errands than they do off-roading, hauling large items or towing. Yet for shoppers looking for one vehicle that can do a little bit of everything well, the 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor is an incredible option. There’s power for days, an upgraded suspension that’s comfortable off-road and on, tools that make off-road crawling a breeze and towing tech we love from the regular Ranger — all in a manageably sized pickup truck that’s easy to live with in civilization.

After all, who doesn’t want to jump a truck with the whole family along for the ride? That’s just wholesome entertainment if you ask us.

Related: 2024 Ford Ranger, Ranger Raptor Up Close: All in the Family

High-Speed Fun

Ford took us to its new 220-acre Raptor Assault school in Utah to test out both the high-speed and low-speed off-roadability of the Raptor, and let’s get the obvious take out of the way: It’s fun. This new off-road school opens to the public in June, and the cost of attendance is included with the purchase of a Ranger Raptor in case you want to check it out yourself. (Cars.com pays for its own airfare and lodging when attending manufacturer-sponsored events.) While Ford kept us on a short leash for our test day, it did provide us with space to open up the throttle, test out different drive modes and even get some air time.

Related Video:

Blasting around the few high-speed courses is where the Ranger Raptor’s 405 horsepower and 430 pounds-feet of torque really shine. That comes from the truck’s twin-turbo 3.0-liter EcoBoost V-6 engine, which has enough low-end torque to crawl over obstacles while still having a ton of power at the top end of the rev range to send it. The 10-speed automatic transmission shifts smoothly on its own, and there are also paddle shifters behind the steering wheel in case you want a bit more control.

The Ranger Raptor has seven different drive modes (Normal, Slippery, Sport, Tow/Haul, Rock Crawl, Off-Road and Baja) with different levels of permissibility when it comes to sliding the Raptor around on loose surfaces. These modes adjust all kinds of systems on the truck, including the engine, transmission, traction control, antilock brakes and steering (to name a few) to fit the conditions and type of driving you’re doing.

The simple Off-Road mode allows the truck to be a little more lively on slippery surfaces, but traction control still cuts in fairly early if you try to slide it around too much. This wasn’t too intrusive, though, and did a fairly good job of keeping the Raptor going in a straight line. If you want to have some fun but don’t fully trust yourself opening it all the way up, the Off-Road mode isn’t a bad option.

The harder-core Baja mode lets the Ranger Raptor slide around even more and enables the truck’s antilag system. Antilag is commonly used in rally racing to keep engine turbos spinning even when you let off the gas pedal, giving you all of the boost immediately when you get back on the power. Ford says the Ranger Raptor keeps its turbos spinning for up to three seconds after you let up, which I found to be enough time to brake for a corner and then exit said corner with max power. Fun-killing turbo lag wasn’t an issue on the high-speed courses Ford let us loose on.

The Ranger Raptor is a bit more tail-happy than the beater sedans and wagons I’m used to rallycrossing in part because there’s an empty bed over the rear wheels and most of the truck’s weight sits farther forward. Still, it’s pretty controllable with power running to all four wheels in Baja mode and — this should go without saying — the extra oversteer is downright fun. The Ranger Raptor comes with fat 33-inch BFGoodrich KO3 all-terrain tires mounted on 17-inch wheels, and they did a good job putting the power down at speed.

The Ranger Raptor’s slick long-travel suspension did a great job of handling the various bumps and lumps to the point where jumping the truck almost felt anticlimactic. Apparently, I caught decent air off the Raptor Assault school’s designated jump, but I came back questioning my send skills. I could have sent it harder. It felt like I could have sent it harder. The truck wants me to go harder, jump farther, send it more. I want to test this theory out. I could jump this higher, I just know it.

That’s the kind of confidence I had in the Ranger’s jump ability. Sure, this jump happened in fairly controlled conditions, with the truck in 2nd gear to minimize wheelspin on approach and with me letting off the gas after the jump’s crest to minimize shock to the drivetrain upon landing. Yet there was a second, less controlled place where I felt the truck go light on its suspension: a steeper downhill on the high-speed driving course. It, too, felt like no big deal for this truck despite my best efforts to blast down that straightaway as hard as I could. Frankly, I’ve had harder jolts from potholes in my daily-driver Mitsubishi Lancer. I could send it harder! Let me send it harder!

To this, I have to credit all of the reinforcement Ford did to the Ranger Raptor’s body and frame, the longer-travel rear suspension with a Watts linkage that helps maintain more contact with the ground over gnarly terrain and especially the 2.5-inch live-valve internal-bypass Fox shocks. Ford representatives explained that the shocks are designed to adjust their rebound response when they sense less load — say, because the wheels have left the ground — thus setting up the Ranger Raptor for these ideal, smoother landings after catching air.

See full gallery

Low-Speed Crawling

The Raptor Assault school’s long off-road loop wasn’t that challenging for seasoned off-roaders. We didn’t really get a chance to test the durability of the skid plates, the tires were only aired down about 10 pounds per square inch below what Ford set its on-road test trucks to, and there was really only one obstacle where the instructors got out to spot us and guide us through.

With 10.7 inches of ground clearance, a 33-degree approach angle, 24.2-degree breakover angle and 26.4-degree departure angle, it would have taken more than anything we encountered to reach any of the truck’s skid plates or frame rails. The Raptor’s dual exhausts are even located alongside the rear bumper to make them less likely to drag when coming off an obstacle, which is some pretty clever packaging on Ford’s part. However, the school’s course did offer some epic mountain views and an overland-style trail with slick rocks to climb up and down, making for a pretty approachable introduction to trail driving.

Every Ranger Raptor comes with a four-wheel-drive system combined with front and rear locking differentials and an electronically controlled two-speed transfer case. The 4×4 system is easily controlled using simple buttons atop the same dial you use for the Ranger’s brilliant Pro Trailer Backup Assist system (which you can read more about in our standard Ranger review), right there at an easy arm’s reach on the center console.

Another button next to this dial enables the Raptor’s Off-Road mode, which transforms the center infotainment screen into a forward-facing camera view and brings up controls to enable the locking differentials and Trail Control, which is Ford’s version of off-road cruise control. There’s no electronic sway bar disconnect like there is with the Bronco SUV, but then again, this is a truck designed more for high-speed desert fun than rock crawling.

See full gallery

While you can get a rough idea of where your tires are based on the edge of the hood, the camera is a huge help by letting you see through the Ranger Raptor’s front end — particularly if you’re a shorter driver. It also features helpful guiding lines that bend and show where your wheels are likely to go based on your current steering-wheel position. While the Ranger Raptor’s party piece is its high-speed hoonability, its steering ratio is still slow enough to place your wheels just where you want them on the trail. Steering feel is very light without feeling totally disconnected, which no doubt helped ensure our trail run didn’t turn into an upper-body workout.

Trail Control lets you set a speed that the truck will then maintain on its own without any brake or accelerator inputs, which is pretty useful on steep ascents and descents, or in places with a lot of bumps that might cause your foot to bounce around on the pedals. You can even apply more throttle or brake with Trail Control enabled in case you want to carry more speed or use more caution over an obstacle, with the system returning to the set speed once you’re off the pedals. The speed is easily controlled using a rocker switch on the steering wheel.

More hardcore crawlers can also option the Ranger Raptor with 17-inch wheels with beadlocks that allow you to air tires down further for extra grip. We didn’t test any terrain difficult enough to need that, though; the Ranger Raptor managed Ford’s mountain test course with its tires hovering around 28-30 psi.

On-Road Manners

The Ranger Raptor didn’t just shine off-road — it was pretty comfortable on pavement, too. The upgrades made to handle gnarly bumps off-road make the Ranger Raptor ride dramatically better on the road than the standard Ranger trims. In its Normal street mode, the Ranger Raptor has a soft and forgiving ride, but not overly so like a worn-out land yacht. Typical road bumps are no big deal.

The Ranger Raptor only comes in a four-door crew-cab configuration, but even our 5-foot-11-inch camera guy had adequate rear-seat legroom. Taller passengers may encounter issues (as they would with most mid-size trucks), but for most people, it’s not too cramped a place to sit.

As with the normal Ranger, the Ranger Raptor is a size you could actually live with in most settings. Even though it grew some muscular wheel arches to fit those 33s, parking it was easy, something that can’t be said of full-size performance trucks that take a bit more skill (and sometimes a bit of adjustment afterward) to fit within the lines straight enough not to be a source of frustration to anyone parked next to you. The Ranger Raptor’s taller stance may make climbing into the bed a bit tougher, and it unfortunately doesn’t offer the useful bedside step of the normal Ranger to help you get in the cargo box or reach items inside.

You can even adjust the exhaust system’s loudness down to a Quiet mode in case you want to be a kind neighbor in town. Alternatively, if your neighbor is a real thorn in your side, I recommend the wide-open Baja exhaust mode, which is as rowdy as it sounds.

Upgraded Truck, Upgraded Interior

The Ranger Raptor is simply a nicer place to sit than the regular Ranger, and for a truck that starts at $57,065 (including destination charge), it certainly should. The center console plastics and leather trim pieces are a bit smoother and nicer to touch. There’s extra leather trim throughout the cabin and some contrasting orange trim pieces that help set it apart. The Ranger Raptor’s leather-trimmed front bucket seats also have extra bolstering for added support when getting sideways in the dirt, but the bolsters are more widely set compared with some of the narrower sport seats on the market. As a smaller driver, they didn’t keep me completely in place, but they did keep me from sliding totally over — and they don’t look like they would prevent larger drivers from enjoying the truck, either.

An upgraded 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen stereo and the Ranger’s larger 12-inch infotainment touchscreen are standard, and there are also six auxiliary switches overhead for you to hook up whatever accessories you might add, such as lighting elements. The infotainment system is frustratingly the same one that’s in the regular Ranger, which I found distracting to use with its smaller on-screen buttons and redundant air-conditioning controls taking over the bottom portion of the screen. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity offer a workaround for some of Ford’s annoying user interface, but you still have a lot of screen real estate dedicated to tiny-circle infotainment buttons and climate controls that are mostly a repeat of the physical controls below them. For colder days like our test day in the mountains, taking your eyes off the road to press a touchscreen twice just to turn on the heated seats was a particular annoyance — and the heated steering wheel is hidden in that same menu.

More From Cars.com:

• Redesigned 2024 Ford Ranger Priced From $34,160, Raptor From $56,960
• 2024 Ford Ranger: New Engine, New Raptor
• Here Are the 10 Cheapest Pickup Trucks You Can Buy Right Now
• Research Pickup Trucks
• Shop for a 2024 Ford Ranger

Doing It All in a Smaller Package

While you might expect the Ranger Raptor to be a blunt instrument for hooning, it really feels like a do-anything truck in a macho costume. It’s a comfortable ride in a manageable size, and it has the off-road chops to offer much more than other trucks are capable of right off the dealership lot.

The one thing we didn’t get a chance to try was the Ranger Raptor’s towing ability. At 5,510 pounds, its maximum towing capacity is around 2,000 pounds less than the normal Ranger’s, which is down in that “this could technically tow an open car trailer, but you’ll feel it push you down hills” range, if it’s anything like other vehicles I’ve tested with 5,000-ish-pound towing capacities. However, that’s more than enough to handle a wide variety of weekend toys, from light campers to water skis. The Ranger Raptor includes the same Pro Trailer Backup Assist feature I loved when testing the regular Ranger, which can help you easily guide a trailer around corners while backing up.

With half-ton pickups becoming so huge that they can be frustrating to drive in town, it’s hard not to be excited that there’s a Raptor version of one of Ford’s smaller trucks. With EPA-estimated gas mileage of 16/18/17 mpg city/highway/combined, the Ranger Raptor is also more efficient than the F-150 Raptor, though just by a little bit. There’s always room to go even smaller, though. Can we have a Maverick Raptor next, please?

Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.