2024 Ford Ranger vs 2023 Nissan Navara

What's the difference?

The Ford Ranger Raptor is a purpose-built adventure ute. It is comfortable to drive on-road and very capable off-road. 

It’s a high-end, high-performance ute with a V6 engine, an upgraded suspension set-up and drive modes aimed at making it a built-for-purpose adventure machine.

It is, however, laser-focused on doing one thing supremely well – driving at speed on unsealed surfaces – and that means it falls short in a few other areas. 

It's day-to-day drivability is less than ideal because of its size and fuel consumption and it lacks some potential as a touring 4WD because of its payload and the fact its towing capacity is below the industry standard.

But those factors aren't going to sway someone who is truly keen for the fun and thrills of driving a Raptor. 

The SL Warrior is a good-looking, well-engineered and practical package that provides an alternative entry point to Warrior ownership. 

However, its low-$60K pricing also pitches it against more upmarket rivals like the Ford Ranger XLT, Mazda BT-50 GT and Toyota HiLux SR5.

So, when comparing relative values, do Premcar’s unique body/chassis enhancements compensate for the SL’s shorter safety menu and vinyl-floored workhorse cabin to justify its price? 

That comes down to intended use and personal priorities - and only a buyer knows what they are. 

The Raptor is 5380mm long (with a 3270mm wheelbase), 2208mm wide, 1926mm high and it has a listed kerb weight of 2473kg.

This ute has been engineered – and marketed – as a high-performance off-road vehicle, so, in line with that it has a wide stance (with a 1710mm wheel track front and rear), big wheel arches, chunky side-steps and substantial tyres (BFGoodrich K02 high performance all-terrains, 285/70R17 on 17-inch alloys).

The Ford Performance Seats are embossed with the Raptor logo and there’s Code Orange accented stitching on the trim – so there’s Buckley’s chance of forgetting you’re in a Raptor.

The Raptor is one of the more distinctive-looking utes in a mainstream market flooded with vehicles of very similar appearance and, in terms of overall design, it easily takes on the likes of the Nissan Navara Warrior and Toyota HiLux GR Sport, if not besting them.

Its simpler specification results in a less cluttered appearance than the fully-loaded PRO-4X, with the SL’s lack of side-steps visually accentuating its higher ride height. 

We like the work-focused look and its wipe-clean vinyl floor would be well suited to tradie duties.

The interior, with fabric-trimmed two-tone upholstery, offers a visually pleasing and practical mix of contrasting chrome, satin chrome and textured hard surfaces, which show how base-grade ute interiors are moving increasingly upmarket. 

The front seats are supportive but a more prominent left footrest for the driver would enhance this. 

With adjustable air conditioning vents in the rear of the centre console, rear seating is also comfortable, but head and shoulder room are marginal for tall adults, particularly when travelling three-abreast. 

For those that draw the short straw and end up seated in the higher central position, with their knees squeezed together between the front seat backrests and head pressed into the roof lining, this will only be tolerable for (very) short trips. 

The Raptor’s interior is spacious but has a welcoming cosy feel and (despite Raptor logos and Code Orange stitching throughout) the cabin retains a low-level, cool atmosphere.

All controls are easy enough to operate – a lot of functions are accessed and adjusted via the 12-inch multimedia touchscreen and sometimes you have to repeatedly jab your finger at the screen to work your way through menus and sub-menus to reach the function you need. Thankfully, plenty of functions are via tangible off-screen buttons. 

There are USB ports and a power socket up front and storage spaces in all of the usual places you’d expect: a two-level glove box, some hidey-holes (for your wallet, keys etc), a centre console, cupholders and bottle receptacles in the doors.

The sporty front seats are comfortable enough for long-distance trips and the back row is easily big enough for three kids or two adults and one man-child.

Rear-seat passengers have air vents, a fold-down armrest with cupholders and a space for a bottle in each door.

The Raptor’s tub is 1541mm long, 526mm deep, and 1578mm wide (with 1218mm between the wheel-arches). Load height is 870mm.

The tray has a spray-in tub-liner that seems quite durable, four tie-down points and a 12V socket.

Our test vehicle also had the optional power roller shutter ($3800). In the past, in any utes with a power or manual roller shutter, the storage drum for the roller shutter occupied quite a lot of otherwise useable space in the tub, but that’s no longer the case.

With its 2033kg kerb weight, the SL Warrior’s useful 100kg GVM upgrade to 3250kg means it has an enviable 1217kg payload rating. 

It’s also rated to tow up to the category's benchmark 3500kg of braked trailer but to do that would require a huge and impractical 840kg reduction in payload to avoid exceeding its 5910kg GCM (or how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time). 

That would leave only 377kg of payload capacity, which could easily be used up by a crew of four large adults without luggage.

As a result, we reckon braked towing limits should always be based on a vehicle’s GVM. In this case, that would lower the tow rating from 3500kg (few if any owners would need that much anyway) to 2660kg, which is still a sizeable trailer and would allow you to keep the full 1217kg payload rating. That would not only be more practical, but also safer for towing.

The floor of the almost-square load tub is 1509mm long and 1560mm wide. However, with 1134mm between the rear wheel housings, it won’t fit a standard 1165mm-square Aussie pallet but it will take a Euro pallet. The four load anchorage points are located low where you need them.

Cabin storage includes a large bottle holder and bin in each front door, plus an overhead glasses holder and single glove box. 

The centre console offers a small open cubby at the front, two small bottle/cupholders in the centre and a lidded box at the back.

Rear seat passengers also get a large bottle holder and storage bin in each door plus a fold-down centre armrest with two small bottle/cupholders. 

The rear seat’s base cushion can also swing upwards and be stored vertically if more internal cargo space is required. 

The SL Warrior, like its sibling, is available only as a 4x4 dual cab ute. It comes standard with the Navara’s familiar 2.3-litre twin-turbo four-cylinder diesel and a choice of six-speed manual gearbox ($58,000) or seven-speed torque converter automatic, like our example, for a list price of $60,500, plus on-road costs. 

That’s $11,400 more than a standard SL Navara and for that extra spend you get a bespoke package of off-road equipment, starting with unique body decals and 17-inch alloys wearing Cooper Discoverer AT3 all-terrain tyres plus a full-size alloy spare.

There's also a winch-compatible hooped bull-bar with integrated LED light-bar, black Navara-branded underbody bash-plate, wheel-arch flares, load tub-liner, 3500kg tow-bar and rubber floor mats. 

Big changes underneath include a 40mm increase in ride height to 260mm. This substantial gain in ground clearance (25mm from tyres, 15mm from springs) results in the approach angle improving from 32 to 36 degrees and virtually no change in departure angle with a tow-bar fitted. 

The suspension has been retuned with new springs, shock absorbers and jounce rubbers. The new front spring rate provides more front-end support and less body roll while the revised shocks produce improved compliance, noise isolation and reduced ‘float’ when towing and/or carrying loads. These changes also bring a useful 100kg increase in its GVM rating.

In addition to Premcar’s hardware, the SL’s standard equipment list includes automatic headlights with halogen DRLs, tailgate assist, a rear bumper step, a reversing camera and rear diff lock. 

Inside, there’s a six-speaker multimedia system with 8.0-inch touchscreen and multiple connectivity including Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, plus four USB ports, two 12-volt accessory outlets, 7.0-inch instrument cluster display with digital speedo, and more. 

So, although based on the entry-level model, it does offer numerous useful features. The optional 'Pearl White' metallic paint on our test vehicle adds $650.

The Raptor has a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine – producing 292kW and 583Nm – and that’s matched to a 10-speed automatic transmission.

This is an impressive set-up – punchy off the mark, smooth and refined at highway speeds – it just trucks along – and overall it offers a controlled and comfortable driving experience.

The Raptor has full-time 4WD and an electronic rear diff lock.

Its selectable driving modes include Normal, Sport, Slippery, Mud/Ruts, Sand, Baja, and Rock Crawl.

Nissan’s Euro 5-compliant 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel features two-stage inline turbochargers that provide excellent lag-free response and ample output. 

It produces 140kW at 3750rpm and 450Nm of torque served at full strength between 1500-2500rpm.

It’s well matched with the snappy but smooth shifts of a seven-speed torque converter automatic, with overdrive on its top two ratios minimising engine rpm and maximising economy on highway hauls. It also offers manual sequential-shifting which can be handy when carrying and/or towing loads in hilly terrain.

The 4x4 transmission is dual-range part-time with shift-on-the fly electronic 4x4 engagement up to 100km/h, plus there’s an electronic rear diff lock.

The Raptor has an official fuel consumption figure of 11.5L/100km on a combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle.

I recorded 14.2L/100km on this test. I did a lot of high- and low-range 4WDing and the Raptor was never working hard.

The Raptor has an 80L fuel tank so, going by my on-test fuel-consumption figure, you could reasonably expect a driving range of about 563km from a full tank. 

Nissan claims average combined consumption of 7.3L/100km but after our 300km test, of which about one third was lugging a heavy payload, our figure calculated from fuel bowser and trip meter readings came in at 10.3L/100km. 

So, based on our figures, you could expect a ‘real world’ driving range of around 770km.

This is a Raptor review so you might expect I’d be justified in spending the entire test doing donuts in the sand and taking on jumps that would make dirt-bikers wince, but as much as I wanted to, I didn’t. I live in the real world so my tests are about how a vehicle performs in day-to-day driving and especially off-roading. 

But to reach the dirt you have to drive a bit of blacktop – so how does the Raptor perform on-road?

Once underway, there is plenty of good news about the Raptor because it is nice to drive on road: a composed stance, impressive acceleration with more get-up-and-go thrust under foot courtesy of the V6 and comfortable ride and handling. This is an easy-driving 4WD ute.

For a vehicle intended to be a great go-fast machine on dirt roads and gravel tracks – which, of course, it is – the Raptor is a pleasant surprise on bitumen – refined and comfortable with its off-road-suited long-travel Fox suspension that soaks up the worst lumps and bumps of back-road blacktop, yielding a smoothed-out plush ride.

As a bonus the steering has a sharp feel and a nice balanced weight to it – you can cycle through different modes ('Normal', 'Comfort', 'Sport', 'Off-Road') to find your favourite – and the gutsy V6 and clever transmission is a supremely relaxed pairing. 

There are also selectable damper modes ('Normal', 'Off-Road', 'Sport') and exhaust modes ('Quiet', 'Normal', 'Sport', 'Baja'). The latter exhaust setting is only available when in off-road mode and is more of a novelty, but still fun to play around with and a cool addition to the Raptor package.

On the open highway at 110km/h, the Raptor sits nicely, with that wider wheel track giving this ute a settled posture, and it comfortably trucks along the road, no matter how bumpy that road becomes.

Then you take it off the sealed surface.

The Raptor has all the mechanicals and the tech set-up for driving dirt roads and gravel tracks at speed, there’s no denying that, but all of those factors don't necessarily make it a good 4WD or indeed a good 4WD touring vehicle. 

However, it is.

It’s smooth and refined on fast dirt tracks and gravel roads – it’s right at home. The Raptor has that aforementioned wide wheel track and, even if the terrain is particularly severe, it drives comfortably.  

And any doubts about its ability to tackle low-range 4WDing are swiftly dispelled.

I scaled several of our favourite set-piece hill-climbs without the front or rear diffs locked, and the Raptor did it with absolute control and absolute ease. 

It's very capable and ticks all the boxes in terms of ground clearance (listed as 272mm), off-road angles (approach: 32 degrees, departure 24 (with towbar, 27 without) and rampover 24 degrees) and wading depth (850mm).

There’s ample torque available and it’s delivered in an even-handed manner; the Raptor has front and rear diff locks; and the driver-assist tech set-up is comprehensive and low-key effective.

Case in point, I used 'Trail Control' mode (a form of low-range ‘feet-off-the-pedals’ cruise control) to set the speed (2.0km/h) for a steep hill and it kept the Raptor to that speed – complete control at all times, no matter how the severity of the incline changed. 

The Raptor also has an onboard 360-degree camera system, giving the driver the ability to see forward of the vehicle, which is handy because this ute has a substantial bonnet. You can't see the track in front of you over the bonnet, especially when climbing a steep hill. 

It’s such a great combination of mechanicals and driver-assist tech and Fox shocks, long wheel travel and proper all-terrain tires (BFGoodrich K02s) that it’s a near-complete package, especially in terms of being an effective off-road vehicle. 

But if you’re considering a Raptor as a touring vehicle, there are some things working against it – and those things have to do with weight. 

Payload in the Raptor, at just over 717kg, is not spectacular, but it’s in line with a lot of modern dual-cab utes. However, it’s far from ideal if you're looking at putting aftermarket equipment on it or even loading up with camping gear. 

And another thing is the Raptor doesn't have an industry standard braked towing capacity for a dual-cab ute: it can legally tow 2500kg – the industry standard for similarly sized utes is 3500kg. Unbraked towing capacity is 750kg. 

And though the driver-assist tech onboard is comprehensive and effective, the Raptor misses out on a tow/haul drive mode.

For your reference, kerb weight is listed as 2473kg, GVM is 3130kg, and GCM is 5370kg.

If you’re looking specifically for a tow vehicle, then look elsewhere, but if you're looking for thrills and fun in a capable off-road vehicle, the Raptor should be at the top of your list. 

It’s not hard to climb aboard without side-steps. The driving position is good and although there’s no adjustable lumbar support, there’s more than enough in the seat's backrest to keep your spine straight. 

As previously mentioned, the only thing missing is a big left footrest to support a decent-sized boot.

The steering feel, like the PRO-4X Warrior, is the best it’s been in a D23 Navara and the ride quality and handling improvements resulting from Premcar’s tuning are commendable. 

Despite the raised ride height, body roll is controlled during cornering and when combined with the baggy tyre sidewalls it has a supple but disciplined ride over bumps. We didn’t get a chance to take it off-road but we’d expect similar ride and handling gains.

Cabin noise is pleasantly low at highway speeds, given our expectation of tyre howl from its off-road biased tread patterns. 

The engine requires only 1750rpm to maintain 100km/h and 1900rpm at 110km/h which is smack-bang in the middle of its peak torque band where throttle response is at its strongest.

To test its load-carrying ability we forklifted 770kg into the load tub which with our crew of two equalled a 940kg payload. 

Although the rear coil-springs compressed about 80mm under this loading they still maintained about 60mm of static bump-stop clearance, which was more than enough to ensure it didn’t bottom-out on our test route.

The engine’s 450Nm of torque easily conquered our 13 per cent gradient, 2.0km-long set climb at 60km/h with this load on board and its engine-braking on the way down was equally robust, which for a four-cylinder engine with only 2.3 litres displacement is commendable.

The Navara has a maximum five-star ANCAP rating, albeit awarded in 2015. 

There are seven airbags plus active features that include AEB, forward collision warning, trailer-sway control, hill-start assist, hill descent control, reversing camera, and more. 

However, no blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert or rear parking sensors, plus non-adaptive cruise control are indicative of its base model origins. 

The rear seat has three top-tether and two ISOFIX child seat anchorage points.

The Raptor has a five-year/unlimited-km warranty. That’s in line with its rivals except for Mitsubishi, which offers up to 10 years, and Isuzu, which offers up to six years.

Servicing is scheduled for every 12 months or 15,000km and each visit costs $379 which is competitive – but check with your local dealership for the most up-to-date details. 

Five years/unlimited km warranty plus five years 24-hour roadside assist. 

Scheduled servicing every 20,000km/12 months whichever occurs first. 

Total capped-price of $3292 covers the first five scheduled services up to five years/100,000km. An annual average of $658.40.