Ford’s mighty Ranger Raptor performance pickup heads to Scotland for a week with Van Fleet World road tester Al Suttie.
List price: £58,560 CO2: 315g/km Economy: 20.5mpg Test efficiency:19.9mpg
Monday
I made a joke with the delivery agent when he phoned first thing that I could channel my inner redneck when the Ford Ranger Raptor arrived. He replied that all I’d need was a set of cow horns on the bonnet, and he wasn’t wrong. You could just about see this orange behemoth from space. After the initial child-like glee, I was a bit concerned this week would disappoint. Let’s find out.
Tuesday
First decent drive in the Raptor and, jeez, it sounds good. This is the 3.0-litre V6 petrol version with 292hp and a hefty 583Nm of torque. It needs all that to deal with its sizeable 2,454kg kerb weight, but it will still dash off 0-62mph in 7.9 seconds to give plenty of Audis and BMWs pause for thought when pulling away from the lights or onto a busy roundabout. It’s also very slick going through the 10-speed automatic gearbox.
Wednesday
All that power and weight, yet the Ranger Raptor has a maximum towing capacity of 2,500kg with a braked trailer. I know this as it came up in conversation with a local stonemason who was admiring the pickup and comparing it to his own Isuzu D-Max. The mention of 20.5mpg combined fuel consumption and my so-far average of 19.9mpg made him recoil in horror, though he was relieved to hear there’s a diesel version of this model.
Thursday
If you like gadgets, the Raptor is the pickup for you. There are selectable modes for the steering, exhaust noise, suspension, four-wheel drive, and a multitude of off-road settings. This includes one called Baja, which is a performance set-up inspired by the famous Californian desert races. Not much use in rural Scotland, but it’s fun having a play with it all. In the end, I leave the car in Normal…
Friday
Into Edinburgh this evening and the Raptor shows an unexpected adeptness as a motorway cruiser. Despite the chunky tyres, there’s very little tyre noise, while wind and engine noise are also distant murmurs. Along with the softly set ride, easy power and smooth gearbox, it makes this big Ford a very capable mile muncher – if you can stomach the fuel bills.
Saturday
What else do you do with a pickup but head to the local refuse tip on a Saturday. The electrically retractable load cover is a neat touch and saves having to reach in to pull it shut. The Raptor swallows a load of junk easily and the load bed is quickly swept clean afterwards, so as a practical vehicle it’s every bit as good as a standard Ranger.
Sunday
Totting up the costs of running a Ford Ranger Raptor as a company car simply don’t make sense when compared to any number of SUVs or pickup alternatives. However, there’s nothing else like it and that will appeal to some who are prepared to bite the bullet on the finances. And you’ll make your kids and their friends very happy as we found at a pre-season football match this morning – the Raptor was the talk of the touchline.