Sorry Ford fans, the Ranger Raptor is an overhyped and overrated ute | Opinion

The launch of Ford’s latest-generation Ranger Raptor in September 2022 was greeted with a level of wild exuberance the likes of which I’ve never witnessed before.

And the high-performance ute has since been the subject of many a hyperbole-dense review from seemingly over-the-top excited automotive writers.

But is the Raptor really as good as it’s made out to be? I’m about to tell you why I think it’s not, so keep reading and I'll enlighten you.

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The Ford Ranger Raptor is not a good daily driver

Ford describes the Raptor as “the toughest and most capable Ranger Raptor yet” – and who are we to argue?

This ute has a 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbo petrol engine, producing 292kW at 5650rpm and 583Nm at 3500rpm.

It has a 10-speed torque converter automatic transmission and a selectable all-wheel-drive system, low-range transfer case, and locking front and rear differentials.

It has a reinforced chassis, new shock tower mounts, Fox 2.5-inch live valve internal bypass shock absorbers (“state-of-the-art internal bypass dampers [that] adjust electronically up to 500 times a second”, Ford states), 285/70 R17 BFGoodrich K02 high performance all-terrain tyres, “unique” upper and lower control arms, and a Watt’s link equipped coil-spring rear suspension.

Ford even offers 17-inch beadlock capable wheels as options.

On paper, the Raptor is a punchy power-and-torque beast purpose built for rally-style, fast driving on dirt tracks.

But none of those factors make it a good daily driver. In fact, all of those characteristics are entirely wasted when – let’s be honest – everyone’s Raptor will spend the bulk of its existence in a city, suburb, or, at best, in a rural area.

The Raptor has a kerb weight of 2475kg, and though its steering has a light, sporty feel to it, this ute has a 13m turning circle, so it’s an unwieldy vehicle to steer through a packed car park or even a busy city or suburban street.

The engine is gutsy and ready to rip you away from a boring life at the drop of your right boot, but when can you really tap into that power and torque, legally, on a city or suburban street? Never, is the answer.

The suspension is unreal – you simply can’t fathom how good it is until you feel it in action at gloriously high speeds on a dirt track’s most severe lumps and bumps – but when can you really experience that, legally, on a city or suburban street? Never, is the answer.

The Raptor has selectable drive modes, one of which is Baja Mode – priming the engine, 10-speed auto and shocks for optimal off-road performance and the exhaust even adopts full attitude in this setting – but when can you really experience all of that, legally, on a city or suburban street? Never, is the answer. (Imagine how many neighbours would have a full-blown whinge if you blasted along your street in Baja Mode, with the engine and exhaust howling…)

It’s also petrol – don’t forget that – and it has listed fuel consumption of 11.5L/100km of premium unleaded petrol. If you’re driving as if you’re Vin Diesel on a CGI road, then your fuel consumption will likely be a lot higher than that figure.

Here’s the simple truth about the Raptor: it’s a whole lot of fun … but only on an off-road race track.

Sure, it goes fast and it’s a hilarious good time, in a bouncy-bouncy-bouncy way at speed through whoop-de-dos and the like, but you can only do that legally on an off-road race track or during something like a Raptor Owner’s Experience at South Australia’s Loveday 4x4 Adventure Park (where Ford engineers actually tested the Raptor during its development).

Drive the Raptor as it should rightly be driven anywhere other than on a designated off-road racing track and you’re an absolute idiot, and you deserve the whopping fines – or worse – coming your way.

The Raptor is a wasted opportunity when driven in a city, town, or suburb – it’s not a good daily driver.

The Ford Ranger Raptor is not a good ute

Utes are intended to carry and tow loads – as work trucks or recreational vehicles. If they can’t do either very well, then what’s the point of having one? A ute needs to be able to carry loads. On any given week, my ute will carry in its tub at different times: firewood, landscaping rocks, building rubbish, surfboards, kayaks and more.

The Raptor can legally tow 750kg unbraked and 2500kg braked – that’s pretty ordinary, especially when many other mainstream utes can tow 3500kg.

But payload – the manufacturer-specified maximum amount of weight you can have onboard your vehicle – can be even more of a crucial figure for those who use their utes as work trucks or touring vehicles.

Payloads on other dual-cab utes range from 1050kg (GWM Ute Cannon-X), 1004kg (Nissan Navara PRO-4X) and 988kg (Isuzu D-MAX LS-U+), through to 985kg (Mazda BT-50 SP), 940kg (Toyota HiLux SR5) and 901kg (Mitsubishi Triton GSR).

The Raptor’s payload is 655kg. (3130kg (GVM) - 2475kg (kerb weight) = 655kg.) Throw four people, two dogs and some camping gear into the Raptor and you’re probably over your legal payload limit.

The Raptor is underdone as a work truck – it’s not a good ute.

The Ford Ranger Raptor is bloody expensive

At time of writing, the Raptor’s price-tag is $86,790 plus on-road costs.

That’s a hefty chunk of cash for a vehicle that’s inadequate and unsuitable for daily driving or being used as a ute.

What I reckon

The Ford Ranger Raptor offers a whole lot of fun for those who have the cash and the inclination.

But for those of us in the real world, it represents pie in the sky, wishful thinking and frivolity of the highest order.

This is a very niche vehicle in an already very niche-ish part of the market: a petrol-only high-performance ute with lower payload and towing capacities than its rivals, that can only be driven to its full potential in very limited and controlled circumstances (i.e. a designated off-road race track).

The Raptor is fun, sure, but it’s nowhere near as good as you’ve been led to believe.