Fence Sitting on Ranger Raptor or Ranger Lariat

[Onceaneagle]

Asking for some input from 6Gen RR and Lariat owners, please. I currently own a 2021 Ford F150 Lariat Supercab 3.5L FX4 w/26,500 miles, in excellent condition with a lot of accessories like Line-X bed liner, undercoating, rust proofing, Borla cat back exhaust, Bilstein 5100 shocks, etc. The truck is great at my height of 6'4" but now that I am 70 and retired, I find it more difficult to park it and get around in the city. I live rural, so I still use a truck. I owned a 1996 Ranger STX Extended cab 3.0L and 2003 Ranger Edge Extended cab 4.0L, so my experience with them is also great but dated, and the current Ranger is larger. I test drove a 2025 Maverick Lobo, both engines, and meh. Small bed, not a truck to me. So, I drove and like the 2025 Ranger. Now the issue. I asked my dealer to find a 2025 Ranger Lariat for me in Ruby Red, 2.7L, Black Appearance, FX4, normal trailer tow, no VIN recalls. He just found one out of State 185 miles away. He is attempting to dealer trade but has not been successful doing that in the past, at least for me, or I could drive there to buy it. If not, I will order a 2026. But, on the lot, he has a new 2025 Ranger Raptor in Marsh Gray. It has been there since mid-June with no offers to buy it. $58,725 MSRP for a Ranger is certainly a lot of money, and for that price the truck owners around me buy RAM 1500s or F150s, with some dropping even more bucks for high trim levels, but not Rangers. So, I looked at the RR. I like it. I also like the Ranger Lariat with the 2.7L. The RR at the dealer cannot be sold until the VIN airbag recall is fixed, which is expected 4Q. Still, my dealer cut the Raptor price to $57K because, as he said, they need to move it. My military retiree discount of $500 does not apply to the RR but does apply to the $54K Lariat, which he will also discount. So, my comparing the two trucks, the RR has obviously got power, is fun to drive, uses Premium fuel, and sucks gas with a small 20-gal or so tank (I get 20.4 MPG AVG with my 3.5L Ecoboost and have a 36-gal tank). The RR has the e-shifter, the Lariat is mechanical. Not sure why that makes a difference to me. I do not see having to accessorize the RR much to configure it as I like it, so below MSRP for a RR seems a good deal and my trade is @$40-45K. The Lariat with the 2.7L has plenty of power, regular gas, and better MPG. I would add all the accessories I have now: Fox 2.0 shocks, Borla, etc. The price difference is close, so not an issue. Gas mileage and premium fuel is something to consider but not a deal breaker. Comfort is important to me, and both are comfortable. Not concerned about resale or depreciation. How I would use it: drive it two or three times a week for short trips 15-20 miles round trip, for errands. Maybe a longer Interstate highway trip of 3-4 hours once in a while to visit friends across State. Where I am stuck is if the RR is too much truck I won't use compared to the Lariat because I will not be off roading in Kansas and my idea of camping now is to find a nice hotel. Any owner experience as to why they went with what they did regarding the RR or the Lariat, or both, would be appreciated.

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[Black Shadow]

Asking for some input from 6Gen RR and Lariat owners, please. I currently own a 2021 Ford F150 Lariat Supercab 3.5L FX4 w/26,500 miles, in excellent condition with a lot of accessories like Line-X bed liner, undercoating, rust proofing, Borla cat back exhaust, Bilstein 5100 shocks, etc. The truck is great at my height of 6'4" but now that I am 70 and retired, I find it more difficult to park it and get around in the city. I live rural, so I still use a truck. I owned a 1996 Ranger STX Extended cab 3.0L and 2003 Ranger Edge Extended cab 4.0L, so my experience with them is also great but dated, and the current Ranger is larger. I test drove a 2025 Maverick Lobo, both engines, and meh. Small bed, not a truck to me. So, I drove and like the 2025 Ranger. Now the issue. I asked my dealer to find a 2025 Ranger Lariat for me in Ruby Red, 2.7L, Black Appearance, FX4, normal trailer tow, no VIN recalls. He just found one out of State 185 miles away. He is attempting to dealer trade but has not been successful doing that in the past, at least for me, or I could drive there to buy it. If not, I will order a 2026. But, on the lot, he has a new 2025 Ranger Raptor in Marsh Gray. It has been there since mid-June with no offers to buy it. $58,725 MSRP for a Ranger is certainly a lot of money, and for that price the truck owners around me buy RAM 1500s or F150s, with some dropping even more bucks for high trim levels, but not Rangers. So, I looked at the RR. I like it. I also like the Ranger Lariat with the 2.7L. The RR at the dealer cannot be sold until the VIN airbag recall is fixed, which is expected 4Q. Still, my dealer cut the Raptor price to $57K because, as he said, they need to move it. My military retiree discount of $500 does not apply to the RR but does apply to the $54K Lariat, which he will also discount. So, my comparing the two trucks, the RR has obviously got power, is fun to drive, uses Premium fuel, and sucks gas with a small 20-gal or so tank (I get 20.4 MPG AVG with my 3.5L Ecoboost and have a 36-gal tank). The RR has the e-shifter, the Lariat is mechanical. Not sure why that makes a difference to me. I do not see having to accessorize the RR much to configure it as I like it, so below MSRP for a RR seems a good deal and my trade is @$40-45K. The Lariat with the 2.7L has plenty of power, regular gas, and better MPG. I would add all the accessories I have now: Fox 2.0 shocks, Borla, etc. The price difference is close, so not an issue. Gas mileage and premium fuel is something to consider but not a deal breaker. Comfort is important to me, and both are comfortable. Not concerned about resale or depreciation. How I would use it: drive it two or three times a week for short trips 15-20 miles round trip, for errands. Maybe a longer Interstate highway trip of 3-4 hours once in a while to visit friends across State. Where I am stuck is if the RR is too much truck I won't use compared to the Lariat because I will not be off roading in Kansas and my idea of camping now is to find a nice hotel. Any owner experience as to why they went with what they did regarding the RR or the Lariat, or both, would be appreciated.

Very happy with the 2.7L XLT I bought (the Ford leather isn’t leather so I passed up on the Lariat). The 2.7L and RR have comparable performance numbers and I’m averaging 23-26 mpg. Both fantastic trucks… hope you enjoy whichever you choose. The new Ranger is pretty solid for a mid size truck and I’m liking mine.

 

[Arsenall11]

Two comply different trucks, comfort wise the Raptor will have smoother ride. My gas mileage is around 18 with the performanve tune, if not tuned they run on 87 octane. I would go Raptor but Im biased.

 

[purdyd]

Well honestly i think the stock lariat with the 2.3l EcoBoost would be fine for your use case.

but given how few of miles you drive, if the cost is the same (with upgrades), I would get the raptor.

unless you are going to tow or haul heavy stuff as the raptor has less payload capacity

i see plenty of raptors around that never go off road

and of course some of those roads aren’t that smooth.

and I think the raptor would be a lot of fine to drive.

 

[Onceaneagle]

Very happy with the 2.7L XLT I bought (the Ford leather isn’t leather so I passed up on the Lariat). The 2.7L and RR have comparable performance numbers and I’m averaging 23-26 mpg. Both fantastic trucks… hope you enjoy whichever you choose. The new Ranger is pretty solid for a mid size truck and I’m liking mine.

Thank you. Appreciate it.

 

[Onceaneagle]

Two comply different trucks, comfort wise the Raptor will have smoother ride. My gas mileage is around 18 with the performanve tune, if not tuned they run on 87 octane. I would go Raptor but Im biased.

Biased? I can see why. Forgot the 3.0L can run on 87. I wouldn't but my friend's wife has an Explorer Platinum and uses 87 no problem. Thanks.

 

[Onceaneagle]

Well honestly i think the stock lariat with the 2.3l EcoBoost would be fine for your use case.

but given how few of miles you drive, if the cost is the same (with upgrades), I would get the raptor.

unless you are going to tow or haul heavy stuff as the raptor has less payload capacity

i see plenty of raptors around that never go off road

and of course some of those roads aren’t that smooth.

and I think the raptor would be a lot of fine to drive.

Don't tow anything. Thanks for your response.

 

[Ranger XLT Fan]

Great spot to be in…you can my make a wrong choice. I picked the Ranger XLT with 2.7L…and love it. Also really liked the RR. Thought I was going to get a RR. But I won’t use its 4WD calabilities, it wasn’t available in the color I wanted, the red highlights didn’t appeal to me, and…this is the main issue…the dealer wouldn’t come down in the price. I think it was around $62K. You’re getting a better RR price than I did.
Just a question…why the Lariat over the XLT? I didn’t look closely at Lariat. But the Ranger XLT had all the extras I wanted. Like I said, you can’t go wrong either way. I love that RR…but for my money, the XLT fit the bill.

 

[Barely Krawlified]

I just recently bought a '25 RR and test drove a 2.3 and a 2.7 during the buying process. Totally depends on your use case and it seems like you have a good idea of what you want out of your truck.

Having said that, if it in anyway makes sense for you (and quite possibly, even if it doesn't) and assuming the budget can allow for it, throw caution to the wind and get the Raptor.

It is a driving experience like no other vehicle currently on the market and leaves you feeling almost disappointed at the fact that you have to turn it off once you reach your current destination. It is incredibly well-optioned from the factory, will suffer a far-less rate of depreciation than most vehicles and can perform daily errands, grocery-getting and kid-shuttling with comfort and no high-performance drama or loudness but in an instant it can shed that suburban mask and rip through its 10 speed with alarming precision and a distinctive growl with the push of a button or the twist of your wrist...

The 2.3 and the 2.7 are the logical, sensible options. The twin-turbo 3.0 V6 in the Raptor takes an already great truck to a place far beyond anywhere a mid-size truck has dared to go. You should allow yourself to book a permanent suite in that place.

Here's mine. '25 RR in Carbonized Gray Metallic; 3 weeks old tomorrow. My only regret is that I've only had it for 3 weeks...

 

[Dino Jockey]

Raptor, Raptor, Raptor.!!!!! Better to have and not need!!’

either one will be a great truck. But I am happy I went with the Raptor…. I’m 60 and only drive easy to low moderate trails occasionally and tow a small camper occasionally….. Raptor, Raptor…plus, going to Walmart is so much faster

 

[Onceaneagle]

Great spot to be in…you can my make a wrong choice. I picked the Ranger XLT with 2.7L…and love it. Also really liked the RR. Thought I was going to get a RR. But I won’t use its 4WD calabilities, it wasn’t available in the color I wanted, the red highlights didn’t appeal to me, and…this is the main issue…the dealer wouldn’t come down in the price. I think it was around $62K. You’re getting a better RR price than I did.
Just a question…why the Lariat over the XLT? I didn’t look closely at Lariat. But the Ranger XLT had all the extras I wanted. Like I said, you can’t go wrong either way. I love that RR…but for my money, the XLT fit the bill.

I just like the Lariat interior better. The RR red leather highlights can be dyed but that's something else to think about. Thanks for input.

 

[Onceaneagle]

Raptor, Raptor, Raptor.!!!!! Better to have and not need!!’

either one will be a great truck. But I am happy I went with the Raptor…. I’m 60 and only drive easy to low moderate trails occasionally and tow a small camper occasionally….. Raptor, Raptor…plus, going to Walmart is so much faster

Wow. Thanks so much!

 

[Onceaneagle]

I just recently bought a '25 RR and test drove a 2.3 and a 2.7 during the buying process. Totally depends on your use case and it seems like you have a good idea of what you want out of your truck.

Having said that, if it in anyway makes sense for you (and quite possibly, even if it doesn't) and assuming the budget can allow for it, throw caution to the wind and get the Raptor.

It is a driving experience like no other vehicle currently on the market and leaves you feeling almost disappointed at the fact that you have to turn it off once you reach your current destination. It is incredibly well-optioned from the factory, will suffer a far-less rate of depreciation than most vehicles and can perform daily errands, grocery-getting and kid-shuttling with comfort and no high-performance drama or loudness but in an instant it can shed that suburban mask and rip through its 10 speed with alarming precision and a distinctive growl with the push of a button or the twist of your wrist...

The 2.3 and the 2.7 are the logical, sensible options. The twin-turbo 3.0 V6 in the Raptor takes an already great truck to a place far beyond anywhere a mid-size truck has dared to go. You should allow yourself to book a permanent suite in that place.

Here's mine. '25 RR in Carbonized Gray Metallic; 3 weeks old tomorrow. My only regret is that I've only had it for 3 weeks...

Very helpful. Thank you. One great looking truck!

 

[pkvir]

Any Ranger, IMO, is best in class. The RR is a really special vehicle.

 

[Onceaneagle]

Any Ranger, IMO, is best in class. The RR is a really special vehicle.

Thanks. I agree.

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