Ford Ranger vs Toyota HiLux

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 HiLux’s age-defying sales and resale values confirm it’s still one of the top two 4x4 dual cabs on the market. However, its new V-Active technology feels underdone, as it adds weight (we reckon about 40kg) and complexity without gains in performance you can feel or economy you can meaningfully measure. Hopefully, Toyota’s next crack at a 'hybrid' HiLux will be more convincing.

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.

The HiLux’s enduring appeal is the ‘unbreakable’ feel when you step aboard. Even though its curvaceous styling is increasingly dated, we can’t fault the build quality as it displays a peerless standard of fit and finish which never wavers.

Our only major gripe (since its launch in 2015) is the cramped rear seating. It’s particularly tight for tall people, giving that I’m 186cm and when sitting in the rear seat with the driver’s seat in my position, my knees are pressed into its backrest and my head rubs on the roof lining.

Shoulder room for three large adults is equally challenging and tolerable only for short trips. We reckon the Ranger’s more accommodating rear stalls are significant in its sales leadership.

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 2150kg kerb weight and 3050kg GVM, the SR5 V-Active has a 900kg payload rating. It can also tow up to 3500kg of braked trailer but with its 5850kg GCM (or how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time) that would require a substantial 700kg reduction in payload to only 200kg, which could be used up by a driver and passenger alone. 

Alternatively, you could lower the trailer weight limit by the same 700kg to 2800kg (which is still a sizeable trailer) and retain the SR5’s maximum payload. We reckon most owners would do this anyway, given few (if any) would need to tow 3500kg.

The load tub is 1570mm long, 1645mm wide and 495mm deep with 1105mm between the wheel housings. Therefore, it can’t carry a standard Aussie pallet but will take a Euro-sized one. There are four load-anchorage points and we welcome the new lower/raise assistance for the hefty tailgate.

Cabin storage includes a large-bottle holder and bin in each front door, plus pop-out cupholders on either side of the dash, upper and lower glove boxes (with the upper having access to air-con) and an overhead glasses holder.

The latest centre console layout has a wireless phone-charging pad and vertical phone-storage slot, small-bottle/cupholder, a bin for small items and a box with padded lid that doubles as an elbow rest.

Rear passengers get a bottle-holder and bin in each door, pockets on each front seat backrest and a fold-down centre armrest with two more cupholders.

Only the narrower driver’s side of the 60/40-split rear seat base-cushion can swing up and be stored vertically as the passenger-side is now fixed, given the V-Active’s 48V battery resides beneath it and is ventilated by a louvered air intake in the passenger footwell.

The new electrically-assisted drivetrain is available only in SR/SR5 4x4 dual cabs and the Rogue, paired with the HiLux’s ubiquitous 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel and six-speed automatic.

Our SR5 V-Active 48V test vehicle has a list price of $63,260. It’s also equipped with the optional premium interior package, which for an additional $2500 adds black leather-accented seats and door trims, heated front seats and an eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat. Its eye-catching 'Nebula Blue' premium paint option adds another $675.

Latest MY24 updates feature a redesigned front fascia with black ‘honeycomb’ grille, plus wireless phone charging, two USB-C ports in the centre console for rear seat passengers to use and a tailgate equipped with gas-struts to ease opening/closing effort.

 Otherwise, it’s the same SR5 with which we’ve grown very familiar. Standard equipment includes 18-inch alloys and 265/60R18 tyres with a full-size alloy spare, along with LED lighting, side-steps, sports bar, privacy glass and more, even though Toyota still won’t throw in a tub-liner.

Inside is remote keyless entry/start, dual-zone climate, an air-conditioned cooler box, multiple USB ports/12-volt sockets and a 220-volt outlet, premium-grade steering wheel and shifter-knob, driver’s 4.2-inch colour multi-info display, a 360-degree camera view and more.

 The 8.0-inch touchscreen for the multimedia system, including six-speaker audio, appears to shrink as each year passes, but is easy to use and offers multiple connectivity including Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and digital radio. It also projects imagery for the various camera views.

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.

The venerable (1GD-FTV) 2.8 litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel with V-Active produces the same 150kW and 500Nm as the standard engine, driving through a six-speed torque converter automatic.

However, Toyota claims fuel economy gains of up to 9.5 per cent when this drivetrain is combined with the new hybrid technology, which comprises a 48-volt electric motor-generator, 48-volt lithium-ion battery and idle-stop system.

The turbo-diesel engine uses a silent-belt to drive the motor-generator, which charges the battery under the rear seat. This battery, which Toyota claims weighs less than eight kilograms with 4.3Ah capacity, also supplies electricity to the vehicle’s 12-volt system through a DC/DC converter.

This system can send up to 8.4kW of power and 65Nm of torque through the motor-generator to assist the engine. Toyota claims this delivers smoother and quieter yet more responsive performance and reduces engine load under acceleration. It also results in a small reduction in idle speed from 720rpm to 600rpm.

Deceleration and braking energy are also recovered, converted into electricity and stored in the 48V battery for later use.  Toyota claims “hydraulic braking combined with regenerative braking creates a more effective and natural deceleration feel and supports downhill manoeuvring.”

The idle-stop system does not use the starter motor like conventional set-ups. Instead, the electric motor-generator, which is permanently connected to the engine via its belt-drive, delivers this function with greater smoothness and quietness.

Idle-stop duration can also be extended by the driver and, when restarting the engine on inclines, the idle-stop system retains brake pressure until enough drive force is generated to ensure smooth acceleration.

In another first for HiLux, its part-time, dual-range 4x4 system (with switchable rear diff-lock) in V-Active variants is paired with 'Multi-Terrain Select' to enhance off-road ability.

The driver can switch between six traction control settings tailored to suit a variety of terrain including 'Auto', 'Sand' and 'Mud' (high- and low-range), 'Deep Snow' and 'Dirt' (high-range) and Rock (low-range).

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. 

We completed a total distance of 580km, which comprised a mix of city and suburban driving with an empty load tub and up to four adults on board, plus some freeway/highway running with a near-maximum payload.

When we stopped to refuel at the end of our test, the dash display was claiming average combined consumption of 9.5L/100km, which was lineball with our own 9.4 figure calculated from fuel bowser and tripmeter readings.

Both are higher than Toyota’s official 7.2L/100km figure but within the usual 2.0-3.0L/100km discrepancy between OEM ratings and real-world figures.

Interestingly, the last time we tested a 4x4 SR5 auto dual cab ute (without V-Active) in 2023, using similar routes and payloads, we achieved 9.6L/100km. So, the V-Active’s drop in consumption was only about 2.0 per cent, compared to Toyota’s claim of up to 9.5 per cent.

So, based on our real-world figure, you could expect a useful driving range of around 870km from its 80-litre tank.

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. 

If you’re expecting a tangible difference in performance with the V-Active system, you’ll probably be disappointed. Fact is, after almost 600km of testing, on a variety of roads with a variety of loads, we could not detect any noticeable gain in acceleration, braking or smoothness compared to a standard SR5.

That’s not to say the V-Active system is not delivering up to 8.4kW of power and 65Nm of torque, as Toyota claims. It’s just that these gains are modest and delivered so discreetly that they are undetectable in real-world driving.

This was perhaps best demonstrated when we loaded 650kg into the load tub, which when combined with our two-man crew was a total payload of 830kg. That was only 70kg shy of the payload limit.

It made light work of our 13 per cent gradient 2.0km set climb at 60km/h by self-shifting down to fourth gear at 2250rpm, where it tapped maximum torque to easily haul this payload to the summit.

However, in our previous test of a standard SR5, on the same incline with 100kg more payload, the gear selection and engine rpm were the same as the V-Active. The same applied to engine-braking on the way down.

The HiLux achieved a maximum five-star ANCAP rating in 2019, so its six-year validity will expire next year. Even so, there are seven airbags plus AEB with pedestrian and daytime cyclist detection, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane keeping, active cruise control, speed-sign recognition, panoramic view/reversing camera and more.

The rear seat offers ISOFIX child-seat mounts on the two outer seating positions plus top-tether restraints on all three seating positions.

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. 

Toyota covers the HiLux with a five-year/unlimited km warranty which is par for the course in the mainstream market.

Service intervals are relatively short at six months/10,000km whichever occurs first. Capped-price servicing for the first five years/100,000km totals $3889 or an average of $779 per year.