Ford Ranger Raptor: The Mid-Size Truck That Defies Expectations (And Has a Secret)

[@BrianMakse]

Thanks for watching our review of the 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor. If you're as excited about driving as we are, be sure to check out our merch store at brianmakse.myspreadshop.com for exclusive gear and accessories. From t-shirts and hats to mugs and phone cases, we've got everything you need to show off your love for driving. Don't forget to hit that like button and subscribe to our channel for more reviews and adventures. See you on the road!

[@74weld]

Big Ranger Raptor fan over here. A couple comments. The Ranger Raptor still comes with the lackluster 2.0 steering rack which is probably fine for 33’s but lacks power to push a larger tire. To my knowledge we are the only company that offers a rack upgrade for the Ranger Raptor. The Ford Performance tune is absolutely worth the price tag of 800 bucks If you want a better exhaust sound Magnaflow should be releasing their 3” cat back system here soon. I have one on mine and it is night and day better with a deeper tone yet still maintains all the exhaust modes I get 14-15mpg with 37’s on mine with the FP programmer

[@BrianMakse]

Thanks for all the great insights, I'm sure many others would appreciate your tips.

[@Sloimer]

What differences would I notice with the steering rack upgrade if I'm just running the stock tires?

[@74weld]

@@Sloimer probably not much honestly…the ford performance rack had 30% more power but I’m not going to sit here and tell you that you need it with 33’s

[@Sloimer]

@@74weld Thank you for being honest. I'll keep that in mind. Considering getting a Ranger Raptor as my next daily.

[@74weld]

@@Sloimer we sell several steering solutions for both the bronco and the Ranger raptor. And if someone calls me and says they bought a Ranger and plan to keep 33’s or 35’s I tell them they probably don’t need our billet rack unless they are really gonna drive hard. Now regardless of what size tire you run I absolutely would recommend changing the tie rods and probably recommend our stage 1 cap and bushing kit to help reinforce the factory rack. Currently nobody that I know of makes a Ranger raptor tie rod but Apex Chassis does make a Bronco tie rod that has enough thread on the male side that it can be run on the Ranger Raptor and the taper is the same as the bronco so it works…and they are only 360 for the pair I believe. Worth the upgrade for sure

[@SamCarLegion]

Adore this truck

[@michaelmunro8147]

My Ranger Raptor just came in 3 weeks ago. So far I love it!!

[@BrianMakse]

Well done, enjoy!

[@stevenlord6120]

I got 19 mpg from the dealership over Mt Hood to Bend. Thirteen minute trips to work, I’m getting 17. Tune has proven (on KZbin) to give 1-2 mpg more. Mine will be installed this week and I’ll follow up on this comment.

[@MrRockyko]

@@stevenlord6120 really great yes let us know

[@BrianMakse]

Nice! Definitely interested to hear what you think of the tune.

[@fonz25]

What’s the verdict brotha??

[@stevenlord6120]

@@fonz25 19 to work. I haven’t done a long trip yet. 1129 miles. Power is noticeable, but shifts are much what I notice the most. I’m guessing it’ll be longer for the power to increase since it hasn’t been driven much, or hard. You should watch the steeda video that came out this week.

[@Jason-cl8hk]

I like your channel and wish you the best with it. Good review, also.

[@BrianMakse]

Much appreciated!

[@colingraham9379]

Great video Brian. Drones shots are looking good👌🏼

[@BrianMakse]

Thanks! It was a ton of work to get those shots just right.

[@paulstan9828]

Enjoyed the review and your comments are spot on. I have 1000 miles on my Ranger Raptor so far. (living in the country) I’m averaging 17.8 miles per gallon. That’s while taking full advantage of the acceleration ability of the engine. Much better than I expected.

[@BrianMakse]

Good stuff. Enjoy!

[@PLFreedomNow]

I was gonna get the Lexus GX 550. The dealership set up a great deal, but I backed out at the last minute. Now, almost a month later, I loving the Rapto. It's got everything the Lexus has, minus a heads-up display and cooled seats.

[@nick_0]

Plus u can really send this thing off road

[@bryy2053]

Tires are ko3's, great video!

[@BrianMakse]

Indeed, you are correct. Glad you enjoyed!

[@bryy2053]

@BrianMakse thanks! I've been waiting delivery of my shelter green ranger raptor since late may and its due this week. I've watched almost every video a half a dozen times and finally found yours, which i enjoyed. Good work! Can't wait to have a blast with this truck! It's everything I needed/wanted in one package and I'm glad to see you enjoyed it. Keep up the good work!

[@wheeler2816]

This is way better than the bronco raptor. shifter works exactly the same as my f150, Reminds of a raptor head

[@BrianMakse]

Agreed, this is much more usable than the Bronco Raptor.

[@Johnnyscarcarereviews]

I have subscribed. Excellent content😊

[@BrianMakse]

Thanks for subscribing!

[@K1NGJJ007]

Nice video, subscribed. really interested in getting a raptor!!!

[@germanjimenez5968]

Great presentation

[@radamesseda2015]

Great 🚚. Thanks ford.

[@airsniperfnatic7056]

Nice in detail review. Got my raptor 2 weeks back. Love it but what really is missing a good sound. Few cons from my perspective Sound of the car is nice but does not live up to what Raptor should be. Going to install Miltek catback then it should sound more like its meant to be ( of course personal opinion) Speed limit notification has to be turned down everytime you start the car which is pain in the ass. Ventilated seats should be a thing but nohting major. Price wise little bit expensive which for this car does not seem right. 80K with taxes in my country atleast perhaps this is not the case elsewhere High gas milage , but also depends on driving style but with this car you cant drive slow :D Overlall a perfect car for everything , reasonable for daily driving , comfortable for long drives , good for sportiness , amazing for off-roading Sorry for my bad english , just wanted to share my expirence so far :)

[@rush48192]

shifter is great, when you park just hit the start button and the shifter will automatically move to park

[@BrianMakse]

I totally love that, but the way it works otherwise isn't great.

[@AgentGeo]

Nice review. I have my RR being built early in November so this is nice timing. The one caveat is that would be trading in my '23 F150 Raptor. Long story short...what was easily affordable almost 2 years ago isn't as easy today. Plus i live in a urban/suburban area of New England and the size makes a difference. I mean...I wish i could just drive up to any touchless car wash for a quick rinse...can't do that with my 150 Raptor (too wide). Simple life things. I did test drive a RR a few weeks ago just to get a feel as i am relatively tall at 6'3" so comfort was potentially an issue. To my surprise i was very comfortable in the RR. Two things i would mention that i don't like is 1) no ventilated seats! I am guessing there is an engineering reason that goes with that as I don't believe you get those in the Bronco Raptor either. 2) The side steps are awkward for me when getting out of the RR. In my f150 i can literal grab my "oh poop" handle and stand right up and out. In the RR I can't do that at all. The shifter was an odd choice by ford. I think it was its awkward shape that threw me off but something I could live with. As for the tune you mentioned, the RR can take 87+ octane but I think when you put that tune in you will then be forced to run 91+ octane fuel (like the F150 Raptor). Please correct me if i am wrong on that. All and all I am leaning more and more towards getting the RR when it comes in. I am learning that it is a very rare vehicle right now to get your hands on. I have only seen 3 on the roads since they launched.

[@atg1338]

Wow I'd never get rid of my Raptor for the lil one. 6'4 here and i like more room front and back. Good luck👍

[@Joe-eg7ml]

Does it corner hard/well? Looking for a truck to replace my 08 frontier as a primary daily. Want something fast and sporty with truck utility.

[@BrianMakse]

Corners quite well. The limiting factor with overall grip is the tire, of course.

[@silverbackhayabusa]

Watched another video of someone taking a clover leaf onramp that had a speed warning of 25 MPH and he was able to take it at 50-55 MPH. Those warnings are always a little on the low side but for a truck, 55 is pretty damn fast.

[@michaelmunro8147]

I got the Carbonized Gray Metallic color. I ordered it on the Ford website on June 27th of 2023. I picked it up on October 1st of this year from Hub City Ford in Lafayette, Louisiana.

[@BrianMakse]

That's awesome, enjoy it!

[@michaelmunro8147]

​@@BrianMakse Thanks!!

[@paulm6481]

That is a beautiful exterior truck and fine performance and engine. I don’t like that goofy shifter or the big LCD. Otherwise think it beats the TRD pro.

[@rush48192]

the upgraded graphics will help with rock chips when they are slamming against the sides of your truck during an off road session

[@BrianMakse]

That's what PPF is for.

[@jamesjannell8706]

Averaging between 16-18 mpg normal driving. Not the best but not bad.

[@BrianMakse]

Alright! Not bad. Definitely worth it.

[@stephengoodin9584]

I average 15-17mpg in F150 Raptor

[@paulm6481]

Chevy is doing the column stalk in most of their vehicles to shift transmission and it works. I feel like between Bronco and Ranger and F150 and Expedition and Mustang and … Ford uses different shifters for changing automatic transmission. Surely there is some cost savings to be had if they standardize. I think Bronco shifter works best.

[@BrianMakse]

Just finished a Bronco episode and I wholeheartedly agree…except I prefer the paddle shifters on this Ranger Raptor rather than the buttons on the Bronco’s shifter.

[@rush48192]

traded my 2019 ranger for this and it is a totally different truck

[@germanjimenez5968]

Beautiful baby Raptor. Would I buy it??? Hmmmm, 🤔🤔🤔🤔. I need to do more research.

[@stevejordan9567]

Wish it came with 35”s.

Love the looks and the on/off road performance, it's a hit!

[@BrianMakse]

It sure is!

[@BuilderBob2.0]

KO3's, it's called short shift

[@fizoust2]

Love it but still a pass until they add the rear A/C.

[@BrianMakse]

You’re going to let that stop you from buying one of the best trucks ever made?

[@fizoust2]

@ yep sure am! They just announced they are putting the rear AC in the Broncos. It’s in the Ranger but not in the Raptor. I think they will fix their mistake like in the Broncos. It’s HOT in Houston. No rear AC is 100% a deal breaker.

[@kevine1037]

​@fizoust2 The regular Ranger doesn't have rear a/c vents, except under the front seats. Chevy/GMC and Jeep Gladiator are the only midsize trucks that have true rear vents.

[@Mel-cr6tv]

Tires are KO3’s

[@sunnyvalentino]

Love this but don't trust the America brands on longevity. I'd trade down the impressive torque and ecoboost long term issues if they offered it with a basic coyote V8

[@BrianMakse]

Well you could always swap in a V8 later!

[@grisa12345]

Wondering if you’ve had a modern American vehicle that let you down? I used to have the same distrust of American brands, but honestly I now think it’s all mostly relative. My Wranglers have been bulletproof, my Ford trucks have been incredible, and they offer so much more in terms of creature comforts and great ergonomics over my Toyota products. Living daily with a vehicle is worth a lot to me, I don’t need to be punished by Toyota in the hopes of “one day” reliability.

[@m9b7v5]

Like those Tundra engines right?😅

[@1maplegirl]

KO3 tires and no upgrade rack its a 2.0 😂

[@valensinclair6750]

F150 Raptor is too big. F150 Raptor R is too big AND stupid expensive. Ranger Raptor is juuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuust right.

[@atg1338]

For a lil guy maybe... for us big guys we need a full sized and the family doesn't want the rear seat in their faces....

[@ChopperChad]

Payload?

[@stephengoodin9584]

You are not buying a Raptor for payload.

[@chriserickson3136]

BFG's are KO3's not 2's....

[@jasonrowen8938]

Furd dealers still screwing customers 10k plus over sticker.....

[@jmink5218]

I’m buying one and have been looking at a number of different dealerships. Some are absolutely trying to hose people… $4000 for dealer accessories like nitrogen in the tires and window tint, etc. plus a $5000 mark up. But calling around to smaller towns, I have found dealers willing to sell for MSRP without any accessories, and even today negotiated $1000 off MSRP with no dealer accessories

[@dwightengle8802]

OVER PRICED!

[@atg1338]

😢😢😢

[@BrianMakse]

Worth every penny.

[@atg1338]

@@BrianMakse lol... you tell him

[@alexhawkins7133]

Intelligent argument there.

[@johnmckenna4256]

It's a reliability disaster and you never even mentioned this, This is the problem I have with these reviews, If you want to keep a good relationship with Ford you need to give a glowing review

[@BrianMakse]

You’re wrong on both points you’re trying to make and I’m not even going to bother arguing with you. If you don’t like it here, please exit through the gift shop: brianmakse.myspreadshop.com/

[@GC-ti1vz]

Fords eco boosts are terrific and reliable, really good engines

[@alexmaccity]

It's a rebadged f150 with a short bed. Nothing mid about it.

[@BrianMakse]

In another reality, perhaps. In this one, it's still a Ranger.

[@alexmaccity]

No it's this reality. You have to have some pretty mind altering mushrooms to not see the difference between the generations. But I get it you have influencing to do.

[@BrianMakse]

@@alexmaccity The influencing is pretty good these days, thanks. And a Ranger still isn't a rebadged F150 in this reality.

[@alexmaccity]

Do a side by side then. It's a rebadged 95' f150. There is a perticular demographic of boomers that was clutching on to their third gen, and one day it was done, and they saw that monstrosity, and they just stopped picking up their heart medicine at the drug store.

[@virgfresco1403]

@@alexmaccity What did you smoked today?