The Ford Ranger Raptor was Driven Women Magazine’s 2022 Car of the Year and I was keen for another drive to see if I would like it as much as I did the first time around. The short answer is ‘yes’, the Raptor is still the only ute I would recommend a family to buy. Its combination of comfort and versatility make it perfect if you are looking for a vehicle will take you far off the beaten track and get you home safely again.
The Ranger Raptor is powered by a 3.0-litre, V6 Twin-Turbo EcoBoost petrol engine with 292kW of power and 583Nm of torque combined with the new 2.5-inch active valve exhaust system, and delivers the performance that drivers always wanted from the Raptor. The Raptor uses full-time 4WD, but can be switched between 2H, 4H, 4L and 4A and also has multiple drive modes that are selected using the rotary knob on the centre console.
The drive modes are Normal, Sport, Slippery for on-road, and Mud/Ruts and Sand, Baja and Rock Crawl for use off-road.. The 12.4-inch customisable digital instrument cluster displays a different theme for each selected drive mode, with animated changes when the driver scrolls from one mode to another and it has a cool animation on start-up. You can also select ‘My mode’ by pressing the ‘Raptor’ button on the sporty-looking steering wheel. Under ‘My mode’ the Steering can be set to Normal, Comfort, Sport or Off-Road, and the Dampers to either Normal, Sport or Off-Road. And there are buttons on the steering wheel to individually adjust the exhaust sound, damper settings, and steering settings.
The ride quality of the Raptor is unlike any other ute I have driven because it is actually pleasant to drive and not jiggly like most other utes. This time around in the Raptor I spent all of my time in ‘4A’ four-wheel drive to see if there was any difference in my fuel use. Last year I used 14.1L/100km of petrol and this year I used 15.6L/100km, and although this is not a scientific test it may indicate that there is a difference?
The Ranger Raptor is a tall vehicle so you will need to use the side steps to get up into the cab, but once there you will find the cabin is a great place to be. With its sporty Ebony leather accented seats and steering wheel with metal wheel-mounted paddle shifters for ‘manually’ changing gears on the 10-speed automatic transmission. Both front seats are heated and have 8-way power adjustment for recline, forward/back, seat height front and rear, and two-way lumbar adjustment. Neither front seat has any memory positions though and this is something Ford could improve by at least giving the driver’s seat memory positions.
The large-format, 12-inch infotainment screen has a sketch feature that my daughter enjoyed, the only problem was the fingermarks that were plastered onto the screen once she had finished. Wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto projects your smartphone onto the central screen and the wireless charge pad is located in the deep cubby at the front of the centre console along with one USB-A and USB-C port for wired phone charging should your phone require it. Bluetooth connection is also available and music can be streamed via USB MP3 player or you can listen to DAB+ or AM/FM radio.
There’s plenty of storage space in the cabin of the Raptor with retractable cup holders on each side of the dash, an upper and lower glove box, room in the front door cubbies for two drink bottles, two cup holders in the centre console, with a removeable rubber mat under them, and even a chip holder for your fries at the front of the centre console. Under the arm rest there is one 12V outlet and wireless charging for the key fob. The Raptor comes standard with a six-switch auxiliary bank making it easier to install accessories like driving lights, a winch and more. Plus, all next-gen Ranger models feature a high-mounted USB outlet alongside the rear-view mirror.
The rear seats have ample head and leg room for me, but taller individuals may find the leg room a little tight, and I would prefer to have some more support under my thighs from the seats. The feature I still love on the Ranger Raptor are the two proper rear tether child seat restraint points, that are clearly labelled to avoid confusion, with two ISOFIX points. The centre seat can be folded down as an arm rest, but this is still hard to do in the Raptor. The arm rest has two rigid cup holders in it and the rear door cubbies can also fit two drink bottles. There are three pockets at the front of the rear seat for smartphone storage and under the rear seat, which can be easily hooked up for easy access, there is more storage space. The two central rear air vents have individual manual on/off and direction controls and below these there is one USB-A port and one USB-C port. One downside is rear floor mats are still not fitted as standard.
The Raptor tub comes with a spray-in bedliner and is 1,210mm wide at its narrowest point between the wheel arches and 1,445mm deep. It is worth noting that the optional powered roller shutter reduces the depth by around 290mm at the front of the tub. The roller shutter can be opened/closed from the button in the cabin or the button in the tub next to the 12V socket, which means you have to lower the tailgate in order to operate the roller shutter. Speaking of the tailgate, it is quite heavy and has to be manually lowered, so it would be nice to have the option for a powered tailgate on the Raptor.
The payload is 753kg and the tub has six substantial tie down points, two lights and a 12V outlet, but I would really appreciate some portioning in the tub because if you do use it for the grocery shopping it would just fall out of the bags and roll around in the tub. Externally the Raptor has dual rear tow hooks, a full-size spare tyre under the tub, and comes standard with the Tow Pack and has a 2,500kg towing capacity. I was disappointed though that the Raptor doesn’t have the access steps like the Ford Ranger Wildtrak.
The next-gen Ranger Raptor does not have an ANCAP safety rating, but there are plenty of active safety technology fitted to this ute. This includes Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keeping System with Road Edge Detection and Driver Alert System, Pre-Collision Assist with Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Evasive Steer Assist, Reverse Brake Assist and Blind Spot Monitoring with Cross Traffic Alert and Trailer Coverage. Plus, the Raptor has auto lights, auto wipers and a 360-Degree Camera with front and rear sensors that allows you to use the large centre display to choose from multiple camera views. This includes a bird’s-eye top-down view, 180-degree front and rear split view and rear trailer hitch view for easier and safer parking and manoeuvring.
All new Ford models come with a Five Years/Unlimited Kilometres warranty and Ford National Roadside Assistance & Auto Club Lifestyle Membership for up to seven years if an eligible General Service is undertaken at a participating Ford Dealer. The service interval for the next-gen Ranger Raptor is one year or 15,000kms, whichever occurs first, and the price per service ranges between $500 and $570 for the first five services.
The starting price of the Ford Ranger Raptor is $86,790 excluding on-road costs and as tested with the optional Code Orange paint ($700) and the power roller shutter ($3,500) this Raptor is priced at $90,990 excluding on-road costs. You can Build and Price your Ranger Raptor online or visit your preferred Ford dealer for more information including current delivery times.
| Pros | Cons |
| It’s the best ute I have ever driven | No memory position on the driver’s seat |
| The child seat tether points | Rear floor mats are an optional extra |
| The powered roller shutter | Roller shutter needs external open/close button |
Photographs by Driven Women Magazine.