I’m going to admit right up top that I’m not a fan of the 2025 Ford Ranger Raptor. But only some of the reasons for that are the fault of the Ranger. Some are simply because Ford’s dromaeosaurid is built for blasting through endless expanses of desert, and I live where off-roading means tight forest roads and trails. My geographic limitations, however, don’t diminish just what the mid-sized Raptor is capable of.
What it’s capable of, if you have room to let it stretch its legs, is nothing short of incredible. If your local Bureau of Land Management is wise enough to make the endless expanses of land your playground, the Ranger Raptor’s 405 horsepower is enough to launch you. Plus, the Fox Live Valve shocks and their seemingly endless suspension travel make landing a lot less jarring. It’s what the truck is like if your sandbox is rocky and cramped that has me less enthused.
In short: The Ford Ranger Raptor is a shocking deal for a very long list of off-road hardware. But its highway manners aren’t great even for a truck like this, and it really needs space and speed off-road in order to really shine. And it just doesn’t give me that excitement that a vehicle like this needs.
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Aggressive looks -
Excellent high-speed off-road stability -
Serious hardware upgrades -
Loads of off-road tech features
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Rough pavement ride -
Lackluster acceleration -
Sad engine note -
Very thirsty -
Just not exciting enough for a Raptor
2025 Ford Ranger Raptor Review
Ford has been using the Raptor name since it launched an F-150 with the package nearly 15 years ago. In the meantime, the company has learned a few things and expanded the family along the way. After a few years of us drooling over the Ranger Raptor diesel offered in the rest of the world, Ford finally brought it to America.
Not the diesel, of course, but the entire rest of the globally sold Rangers. And a brand-new Raptor to go with.
Serious Off-Road–Ready Upgrades
Like every other Raptor, the specs and changes are mind-blowing. A reinforced frame, new Fox 2.5-inch diameter shocks with real-time adaptive valving and special bump stops. It doesn’t have quite the specs of the F-150, which gets adaptive rebound instead of just compression changes, but it still has more than 10 inches of front travel and more than 11 inches in the rear.
It also has 33-inch BFG K/O3 tires instead of the gigantic 37s offered on the Bronco and F-150s. But the price is a fraction of those, and that leaves you plenty of room for upgrades, should you want them.
Not Enough Boost From EcoBoost V6
Those chunky tires and the 3.0L EcoBoost V6 are where my problems with the Ranger Raptor start. The V6 makes 405 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque. Sure, that sounds like plenty, but remember that each one of these tires weighs around 60 pounds. Before you count the wheel.
It’s a lot of mass to turn, and you can feel every bit of it. Acceleration isn’t sluggish — it’s quicker than a standard four-cylinder Ranger — but this is a Raptor, for crying out loud. It should leap forward when you mash the gas. Exploding in fury when you go full speed toward a sand dune. This doesn’t do that.
The V6 doesn’t sound good, either, and the Baja exhaust setting makes it louder, but not any more sonorous. There are plenty of V6s that sound good, but — and I found this in the Bronco Raptor as well — this isn’t one of them. Ford, I know you can improve this.
Maybe Ford’s after-sale upgrade kit that gives 455 horsepower will help?
Dune-Jumping Ride Doesn’t Translate to Pavement
On the pavement, the tires and wheels feel heavy over bumps. Hit an expansion joint on the highway, and the Ranger Raptor moves around in its lane uncomfortably. It feels jarring, too — like a more old-school HD pickup before trucks started trying to be comfortable.
The Fox shocks might be capable of adjusting 500 times per second, but I didn’t feel the benefit of any of them on the road.
With the truck’s weight affecting braking, too — the rotors are the same as the standard truck — the on-road experience was not it.
But, and I’ll say this countless times, this is a Raptor. So I headed for the dirt.
On the East Coast, where I live, off-roading means forest roads and two-tracks slashed through the woods. It’s rocky, it’s bumpy, and even on the logging roads, visibility doesn’t often let you get above 40 mph.
In those conditions, the Raptor felt out of its element. Yes, the suspension had plenty of travel, but it didn’t seem to want to articulate. It just bounced its way through rocks and over the ruts that are endemic to these trails.
Miserable engine sounds, sluggish acceleration, and a ride that had me wishing for a neck brace made me wonder why this Raptor hadn’t gone extinct.
2025 Ford Ranger Raptor Needs Room to Play
Until, that is, I found some open stretches of off-roading in the form of a long-abandoned gravel pit. With acres to play with and a closed course, I could finally let this Raptor loose. Suddenly, it all made sense.
Approaching triple-digit speeds, the Ranger Raptor was suddenly in its element. The ride got smoother, and the engine sound was lost to the ping of rocks off the underbody skid plates.
Finally, the Ranger Raptor made sense. It was fun. It made me smile. Hammering down some more appropriate roads, it clicked. The ride was still not as smooth as I’ve experienced in a Chevy ZR2 with its DSSV shocks, but it was good! It was confidence-inspiring, reassuring and, crucially, controlled and predictable.
This is clearly what Ford has designed the Ranger Raptor for. To take advantage of the wide expanses of the American West. The roads between fields in the prairies, the public lands in the deserts, and anywhere else where you can use its extreme capabilities.
It has locking differentials front and rear, but the lack of a sway bar disconnect is another sign of Ford’s go-fast intentions. The front diff lock button being on-screen only is another, but at least the rear can be locked with a real button. Right beside the 4×4 mode controller.
Unable to stretch its legs, it makes no sense. Like keeping Secretariat in a stable, or Usain Bolt running a 10-yard dash. It’s going to be miserable until you let the beast out.
Rugged & Functional Interior
Since the rest of the truck is mostly standard Ranger, it does mostly standard Ranger things. The 12-inch digital cluster leaves me wanting more customization options. The 12-inch center screen offers clear graphics and is reasonably responsive. Plus, Ford gives you real buttons for most of the climate controls and a volume knob.
It’s comfortable inside, has good seats, and plenty of storage cubbies. It doesn’t pretend to be more luxurious than it is, but that’s reassuring. This is a truck, and it should be made to last, not to coddle.
Raptor Upgrades Mean More Money, Less Truck Capability
Towing capacity maxes out at 5,510 pounds, and payload is 1,411 pounds. Both are significantly lower than a non-Raptor, but that’s normal for any hardcore off-roader like this. It’s a necessary compromise, or at least it is so far. You never know what truck builders have in store.
The Ford Ranger Raptor starts from $55,720, and that price alone gives it plenty of appeal. If you want an F-150 Raptor, you’ll need to shell out at least $78K. For a Bronco Raptor, that climbs beyond $90,000.
The Colorado ZR2 (and Canyon AT4X) are more suited to where I live. But, at just $4K less and with 100 fewer horsepower, you might ask, ZR who?
2025 Ford Ranger Raptor Review: Conclusions
In a showy and extreme truck like this, with compromises meant to focus on a specific goal, I need it to make me smile. Through sound, acceleration, experience, and looks. The 2025 Ford Ranger Raptor ticks the looks box twice, but it only checks the experience box if you have the space to do it.
With a nicer sound and some more acceleration, this truck would be a home run. Though it’s surprisingly affordable, as is, it’s not quite good enough to open the fridge to get at its prey.
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