For the 2024 model year, the Ford Ranger was redesigned with plenty of improvements all around. Ford also added the Raptor badge and more capability to its mid-size truck. The Ranger Raptor can go head-to-head with other rock crawlers and baja racers. TTAC Creator Connie Peters, an automotive journalist based in Vancouver, explores the Ranger Raptor in her latest video.
What sets the Raptor apart from other Rangers is larger all-terrain tires, underbody protection with skid-plates, front and rear locking differentials, increased ground clearance, and a specially tuned suspension and steering rack.
The twin-turbo V6 is more powerful as well, making 405 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission and offers full-time four-wheel drive. When in Baja mode, the Ranger Raptor is ready for high speed off-pavement driving action.
Connie Peters is an automotive video creator and journalist covering all types of cars and trucks for the past 10 years in suburban Vancouver. You can watch all of her videos on her YouTube channel.
A transcript, summarized via AI and edited by a staffer, is below.
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Transcript:
The 2024 Ford Ranger was redesigned this year. I drove both the Raptor and the regular Ranger back in Utah in the spring, and I have videos of those linked below. Now I’ve spent two weeks with this Ranger Raptor, taking it off-road on forest service roads, doing a little bit of rock crawling, and running some gravel roads in Baja mode. It’s been a lot of fun.
If you want a Ranger that’s faster, more powerful, more rugged, and more capable, the Raptor is the one to get. It comes with front and rear lockers, 33-inch all-terrain tires, Baja mode, trail control, and even trail turn assist like the Bronco Raptor. That tightens the turning radius to get around trees or obstacles on the trail. And it’s a blast to drive. I’m glad they gave me this green one—it looks fantastic.
Up front there’s no mistaking it’s a Ford, with big bold badging. It has Fox shocks, front and rear lockers, metal running boards, and dual exhaust. The Raptor sounds good and feels really capable on the trails. Towing capacity is about 5,500 pounds, though the regular Ranger can tow more—around 7,000 pounds. Out back, there are recovery hooks, power outlets, a spray-in bed liner, and Raptor badging.
Under the hood, the Ranger Raptor has a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 making 405 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque. It does 0–60 mph in about 5.3 seconds, and it comes with a 10-speed automatic. The drive modes are well tuned—there’s a noticeable difference between Baja, off-road, and sport. Despite all that capability, it’s still comfortable enough to be a daily driver. The seats are more bolstered than the regular Ranger’s, with a sporty feel but still cushy enough for comfort.
In the back seat, there’s plenty of space and orange accents to highlight this as the Raptor trim. There’s a center armrest with cupholders, a manual sliding rear window, USB and USB-C ports, a household plug, and only a small hump in the middle floor, so the middle seat is usable. The seatbacks are fairly upright, which is typical for pickups.
The cabin tech is strong. The digital display has unique graphics for each drive mode, and the big vertical touchscreen is paired with physical dials for climate control, which I appreciate. There’s dual-zone climate, heated seats, and a heated steering wheel. It supports wireless Apple CarPlay, plus a wireless charging pad and a cubby for storage. The gear selector feels a little unusual at first but easy enough to get used to.
Camera quality is excellent, with both backup and 360-degree views. In off-road mode, the front camera stays on, which is very helpful for picking through rocks and obstacles. Drive modes include normal, sport, off-road, Baja, rock crawl, tow/haul, and slippery, with automatic 4×4 engagement in certain settings. I usually leave it in sport mode, 2WD, for daily driving since it saves fuel and I don’t need four-wheel drive all the time.
Other nice touches include the leather-wrapped steering wheel with orange accents, Raptor badging, red stitching, and paddle shifters.
Overall, the Ranger Raptor feels like a smaller, more manageable alternative to the F-150 Raptor, with a lot of similarities to the Bronco Raptor. If I were shopping for a truck, I’d lean toward the Bronco myself—especially the two-door Heritage—but that’s just personal preference.
This Ranger Raptor, as tested, is priced at about $83,000 Canadian, or around $57,000 USD. Let me know what you think in the comments, and don’t forget to subscribe.
