Ford Ranger Raptor 2023 review

I've never driven a ute like this. I've never, ever been so blown away by the out and out performance, power and utterly exceptional out-of-the-box brilliance across a mix of driving scenarios.

I may sound sycophantic, but let me explain.

Ford Australia launched the Raptor to showcase the capabilities it has built to exhibit, including: a road loop with the boring traffic and speed humps you'll deal with day to day; a slow-speed off-road course with steep ascents and descents, moguls, mud pits, water crossings and higher speed gravel; and what can only be described as a makeshift rally track. And it was superb in every single situation.

I’ve never, ever been so blown away by the out and out performance, power and utterly exceptional out-of-the-box brilliance across a mix of driving scenarios.

Let's start with on-road.

There is more push-on power than you may think possible in a ute of this size. Remember, this truck weighs almost two-and-a-half tonnes, yet if you boot down it will grab for the horizon and hurl you there faster than you expect. The transmission is a delight - hardly ever requiring any thought at all, but if you want to, there are paddle shifters to take matters into your own hands.

The engine and the exhaust sound terrific, too. Ford had a take-one design on the pipework but weren't happy with the noise, so started again with a clean sheet, and came up with a signature sound that is raucous and raunchy. And, being that the muffler tips are about three metres back from the driver, there is some trickery to pipe some noise through the speakers too - but it's not lame like in some other sporty vehicles.

This was easily one of the funnest and most exciting things I’ve done in a car.

And the ride is great. It is firmer than the last model, feeling more suctioned to the road surface below, but still comfortable over big bumps and was never wobbly or clunky, at least on my test loop drive.

The steering - a highlight for the Ranger more broadly - is superb, too. It offers a good amount of feel, nice weighting and easy turnability, meaning it shouldn't ever feel like a chore to drive in urban, suburban or rural areas.

The slow-speed off-road course almost felt too easy in the Raptor. It quite literally coped with everything we threw it at - from 25-degree ascent and descent tests, to moguls to test the wheel articulation, to dipping it in and out of stinky mud pits and water crossings... there was never a moment when I thought “I don't think I'll make it". It is really very confident.

Even a relative novice like me felt like a rally driver for a day behind the wheel of the Ranger Raptor.

Some of that comes down to the drive modes, of course. In the off-the-hook Baja mode, you can exploit the power and torque of the engine, and let physics take care of the rest. My only criticism in the lower-speed, slower-going off-road loop was a bit of shunting and harsh shifts from the transmission in low-range. Not quite as smooth as I'd expected.

However, here's also a smart Trail Crawl mode, which allows you to set a descent or ascent speed - essentially off-road cruise control - and the ute will accelerate and brake on your behalf, all you need to do is steer. You might find yourself checking the off-road camera system to do that - there's a display on the top part of the media screen that can show you what you can't see beyond the bonnet. And it works really well.

My eyes were certainly not looking there when I did the high-speed off-road loop, which included a number of challenging elements - gravel open sections, rutted mud patches with tall grass around the vehicle, chopped up paddocks with only the tyre tracks to guide me...

The slow-speed off-road course almost felt too easy in the Raptor. It quite literally coped with everything we threw it at.

This was easily one of the funnest and most exciting things I've done in a car. My heart was pounding, the instructor alongside me was constantly talking at me, egging me on in the knowledge that the Raptor had a lot more off-road capability than my brain would allow me to find out about.

Hooking up a series of corners by simply steering the ute on the throttle, braking hard from pace as I approached a hairpin off-camber bend that looked and felt too steep and slippery to maintain speed, let alone build speed - and yet the Raptor took the punishment.

Even over the jump - yes, of course there was a jump - the Raptor gathered huge pace, lifted up and landed down without really requiring much consideration. So much of its brilliance comes down to the Fox Shocks, the damping of which can adjust up to 500 times a second based on what's happening on the surface.

Even a relative novice like me felt like a rally driver for a day behind the wheel of the Ranger Raptor. I'm certainly not condoning this sort of driving on public roads, but there's definitely a heap of potential beyond what a mere motoring journalist can extract. Tickford Racing Supercars driver Thomas Randle proved that to me on a hot lap after I thought I'd conquered the track.

There was never a moment when I thought “I don’t think I’ll make it”. It is really very confident.

No other ute on the market has an engine like this one. And while you might be thinking that a 3.0-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 engine isn't the right fit for a dual cab pick-up truck, you'd be wrong. Because this is a sports car in a pick-up body.

This engine - which produces a phenomenal 292kW of power at 5650rpm and 583Nm of torque at 3500rpm - is a far more fitting powerplant for the flagship Ranger ute.

It chews up and spits out the old 2.0-litre bi-turbo-diesel engine (which is still available in the Ranger line-up, and now acts as the base engine on most variants), not to mention all the other diesel utes out there. Well, except for the V6 Ranger (and upcoming Amarok V6) which has more torque, at 600Nm.

While you might be thinking that a 3.0-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 engine isn’t the right fit for a dual cab pick-up truck, you’d be wrong.

Just before I jumped into the new Raptor on the rally track I drove the existing Raptor which, it has to be said, was a benchmark performer in many ways - and it felt breathless, and almost weak in comparison to the new petrol engine.

As with the other models in the range the Raptor runs a 10-speed automatic transmission, but unlike those other Rangers, this one rocks paddle shifters on the steering wheel - as it should.

Of course it's four-wheel drive, and Ford calls it full-time 4WD. As such, it has 2H (rear-wheel drive), 4H (four-wheel drive high range), 4L (4x4 low-range) and a 4A automatic mode, which will determine whether the ute needs to be driving all four wheels, or just the fronts or rears, and it can even selectively power each corner by braking the other side.

There is more push-on power than you may think possible in a ute of this size.

Now, it has to be said that the Raptor isn't going to be able to do some of the ute stuff you might expect of it.

The payload, for example, is just 708kg - meaning five adults on board will only leave capacity for a week's worth of camping gear, and that's about it. The tare weight is a not-insubstantial 2422kg, and if you're a maths whizz, you'll know that means the gross vehicle mass (GVM) is 3130kg.

Further, the gross combination mass (GCM) is well below other Rangers at 5370kg (most others are above 6300kg), and that means you have a maximum braked towing capacity of ‘just' 2500kg.

But like I said, this is not your regular tradie truck.

In the off-the-hook Baja mode, you can exploit the power and torque of the engine, and let physics take care of the rest.

Can it really be good value with an MSRP of $85,490 (plus on-road costs)? You'll decide if you think it is, but it's fair to say there is nothing else like it out there.

So let's consider what you get for your money - but we'll do things a bit differently - here's a list of the stuff you'll also get if you spend $15,300 less on the V6 diesel Wildtrak: LED headlights with auto high beam and LED daytime running lights, LED tail-lights, LED zone surround lighting (extended puddle lighting), a 12.0-inch portrait touchscreen, sat nav, AM/FM/DAB digital radio, wireless or wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless smartphone charger, five USB ports, dual-zone climate control, heated front seats and electric seat adjustment for both front seats, a dark headliner and leather-accented trim.

Just like the Wildtrak, the Raptor also scores front and rear parking sensors, a 360-degree surround-view camera system with off road modes, a standard towbar with wiring and integrated electronic brake controller (new to the segment, and super handy!) and there's a semi-autonomous parking system as well. Plenty more safety tech to think about too - that's covered down below.

It comes with17-inch wheels with BF Goodrich K02 all-terrain tyres.

There are specific items you get to help justify the extra spend, of course. The live valve Fox Shocks, 17-inch wheels with BF Goodrich K02 all-terrain tyres, specific body panels and bumpers, the Baja drive modes and further configurability to the driving mode setup, the interior featuring model-specific front and rear seats with the Code Orange trim highlights... plus that engine, of course. But is that all worth it? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below.

What don't you get, compared with the Wildtrak? A sailplane for the tub, an electronic roller cover hard top for the tub, and the specific Tow/Haul drive mode that helps you better lug a load behind.

And what else might you consider if you're thinking of a Raptor as your next ute? Well, any cheaper Ranger will do more of the ute stuff (more details below), and a Jeep Gladiator Rubicon - from my experience - will do almost all of the same low-speed off-road stuff as easily. And at a stretch (literally, figuratively, financially) you might think about a Ram 1500 Laramie or the bonkers TRX model, the latter of which is more than twice the price of a Raptor. Maybe just buy two Raptors?

While it mightn’t match up to other utes when it comes to payload and towing capacity, no other ute on the market can do what this thing can.

The new-generation Raptor certainly makes its presence felt, whether it's parked or moving. It looks tremendous, with its mammoth bumper and grille, huge BF Goodrich rubber, muscled wheel arches, and boxy back end all combining to make this look like a bigger ute than the Ranger it's based on.

It is bigger, too. It sits at 5381mm long (11mm more than standard) on the same 3270mm wheelbase as the rest of the range, but because of its beefed up suspension it's a huge 1922mm tall (+36mm) and the body is wider at 2028mm (up 110mm minimum).

Other crucial dimensions include the ground clearance (272mm), track width (1710mm) and wading depth (850mm - up 50mm on standard Rangers). The off-road angles are all very competitive as well: approach angle - 32 degrees; break over / ramp over - 24 degrees; departure angle - 27 degrees without towbar, 24 degrees with towbar.

The new-generation Raptor certainly makes its presence felt, whether it’s parked or moving.

There is extensive underbody protection, that hard plastic cladding around the arches that looks a lot easier to replace than metal work that would need repairing, and there are bulky, heavy duty side steps - better and likely more durable than the plastic-covered ones on lots of high-spec utes.

You'll find tow hooks front and rear, too, and the Raptor comes with a spray in tub liner to protect the load area.

Some of the dimensions you should be aware of for the tub include: length - 1547mm at the floor; 1584mm wide; 1224mm between the wheel arches (big enough for an Aussie 1165mm x 1165mm pallet to fit, or two Euro pallets nose-to-tail with the tailgate down); 529mm tub depth; and the tailgate opening is 1413mm wide.

With its mammoth bumper and grille, huge BF Goodrich rubber, muscled wheel arches, and boxy back end all combining to make this look like a bigger ute than the Ranger it’s based on.

Unlike the other Ranger ute models, there's no step in the back side of the tub - that space is dedicated to exhaust pipework instead in this model - and you may need to pole vault in there, with the height from the tub floor to the ground being a huge 867mm.

There are some cool design elements inside the cabin, too - Ford says the seats were inspired by the FA22 Raptor aircraft, and have been made to adapt better to moments of flight. The rear seats, too, are specific to Raptor, with extra cushion and bolster.

Obviously, there's also the Code Orange colour-work through the cabin, which helps it feel special inside.

All of the carryover elements from the standard Ranger continue to the Raptor, so you've got the requisite storage including cup holders on the dash, between the seats, in the fold-down armrest in the back; bottle holders in the doors; loose item storage in the centre console; map pockets in the seat backs; and you can fold up the rear seat base for dry item storage if you need.

Further, the front has the same 12.0-inch touchcscreen as other Rangers, and it also scores the full-size 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster as well. Those displays - and getting around them - takes some time, so be prepared for a bit of frustration before you get the hang of them.

At least there are still hard buttons and dials below the centre screen for air-con, fan and media/volume.

The front has the same 12.0-inch touchcscreen as other Rangers, and it also scores the full-size 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster as well.

Ford reckons the e-shifter gear selector is intuitive, but I disagree. The action is odd, and after driving new Rangers and Everests for a while, I still struggled to get the shift movement right. Also, the button on the side of the shifter for manual mode is silly, and easy to bump.

As for the back seat, there are directional air-vents, a USB-A and USB-C port for charging, and decent comfort. I wouldn't say the rear bench seat is the last word in comfort, but it is at least a bit less flat than other dual-cab utes.

You will fit three adults across the back (I was middle man for one trip at the launch), but knee-room for taller people is a bit limited, as is head space. I'm 182cm / 6'0" and behind my own driving position I found the front sports seats of the Raptor impinged more than the Wildtrak I'd been in before it.

Ford says the seats were inspired by the FA22 Raptor aircraft, and have been made to adapt better to moments of flight.

Tub practicality is okay, but not amazing. There is a spray-in liner which looks durable, and there are four tie-door points and a 12-volt outlet - but you don't get a cargo cover/tonneau cover or hard lid, and that could prove a sticking point for some buyers.

At least there's a full-size spare under the floor of the tub - fun fact: the cross-member under there had to be reinforced because the spare wheel+tyre is so heavy. So make sure you keep a protein shake sachet in the glovebox in case you need to change it out.

Look, you're going to need to get friendly with your local servo attendant, because they're going to be seeing a lot of you.

The official combined cycle fuel consumption figure is 11.5 litres per 100 kilometres, and you'll want to be filling the 80-litre petrol tank with 95RON premium at a minimum, too.

Now, I hardly put on the lab coat for my findings on this launch event, but the trip computer was saying 14.5L/100km in relatively sedate road driving, and more than double that (31.3L/100km) for the off-road low-speed drive loop. I didn't get a chance to check the higher-speed loop, and nor would I have been brave enough.

No longer does buying the flagship Ford ute mean you have to miss out on some of the best safety tech. In the last-gen Raptor, Ford didn't manage to fit things like adaptive cruise control, high-speed AEB and more - but this time, you get almost the full gamut of tech.

As with all grades, the Raptor brings nine airbags (dual front, front side, driver and passenger knee airbags, curtain airbags for both rows and a centre front airbag to prevent head collisions), not to mention high and low speed front AEB (autonomous emergency braking) with pedestrian, cyclist and junction detection, adaptive cruise control with speed sign recognition, lane departure alert and lane keep assist, and blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.

There’s a display on the top part of the media screen that can show you what you can’t see beyond the bonnet. And it works really well.

There's also reverse brake assist, a form of rear AEB that will hit the anchors if you're about to back into something, tyre pressure monitoring, a 360-degree surround view camera, front and rear parking sensors, and an auto parking system.

Strangely, while the Raptor gets a rear cross-traffic system that can include the trailer in tow, it doesn't get the dedicated Tow/Haul drive mode with the smart trailer light check system.

At the time of publishing, there isn't an ANCAP crash test rating for the Ranger 2023 model line-up.

Ford offers a par-for-the-segment warranty plan of five years/unlimited km. If you think you need a longer warranty, you may wish to consider the Isuzu D-Max (six-year/150,000km), GWM Ute (seven-year/unlimited km), or the Mitsubishi Triton (conditional 10-year/200,000km - if you service your vehicle with the brand).

Service intervals are the standard 12 month/15,000km, whichever occurs first. There is a capped-price servicing plan, and for the first four years/60,000km the average cost per visit is $329 - which is very affordable considering the performance of this vehicle.

For some twin-turbo petrol V6 context, a Kia Stinger - over 60,000km - would cost you an annual average of $835. Yeesh.

Ford also offers a few interesting service options - you can lob in for a 90-minute express service and wait on site, or you can have the vehicle collected and delivered from your home or work, and if you need it, the brand can offer a loan car while the job is being done.

I’m here to tell you that no matter which way you look at it, the 2023 Ford Ranger Raptor is an exceptional vehicle.