Lurking to Learn About the RR...

[RADA]

Hello everyone,

New to the site, I'm here to learn all about the Ranger Raptor - The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly.

I have a full-sized sports truck(non-Ford), but I'm involved in a Lemon Law case with it.
When the dust clears from the case, I'm leaning towards a 2026 Ranger Raptor.

I've been a Ford guy most of my vehicle life, from a '66 Mustang to a '87 Ranger STX to a '95 Cobra to a 2016 Fusion Titanium.

So, what do you all think about the truck?

The RR sounds pretty decent for a V6, and it looks like they have long legs for performance mods.
The shifter looks a little odd to me, but it wouldn't be a deal-killer, and I wish it offered cooled/ventilated seats.

Thank you all for your time and input.

R

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[jordantii]

Well I have had mine since 12/12/25. Came from a BMW M2C. I have to tell you I love this thing. It's the M2C of trucks.

The shocks/suspension are really amazing. Power is good, tech is good, mileage is garbage, after market support is growing but the Aussies have ALL of the cool stuff. QC on the truck is hit and miss. The brakes are meh so keep that in mind. KO3's on the road are quite and comfortable but grip is IMO just ok.

Modes are fun as is the programable "R" button. Stereo is ok at best but works fine. I'm still getting to know mine but so far I'm super happy with it and look forward to many more miles. Oh and it's very tuneable.

 

[Blue_Raptor]

I've had mine just over a year and I love it.

Had previous Ford performance cars(93 mustang LX 5.0, 96 Cobra, 17 Fiesta ST) and a 05 Tacoma TRD Sport.

I haven't not gotten it off road yet but all other driving is awesome. Feels great behind the wheel, power is great and fun, suspension is great, tech is great.

Compared to my other cars, the tires will be expensive to replace, the shocks are supposed to be serviced at 50k which wont be cheap.

Mpg isnt great, but for a truck this size with factory 33's its not bad. My wifes Flex (standard V6 - non ecoboost) is hardly any better on mpg.

 

[stuartmunto]

Hello everyone,

New to the site, I'm here to learn all about the Ranger Raptor - The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly.

I have a full-sized sports truck(non-Ford), but I'm involved in a Lemon Law case with it.
When the dust clears from the case, I'm leaning towards a 2026 Ranger Raptor.

I've been a Ford guy most of my vehicle life, from a '66 Mustang to a '87 Ranger STX to a '95 Cobra to a 2016 Fusion Titanium.

So, what do you all think about the truck?

The RR sounds pretty decent for a V6, and it looks like they have long legs for performance mods.
The shifter looks a little odd to me, but it wouldn't be a deal-killer, and I wish it offered cooled/ventilated seats.

Thank you all for your time and input.

R

Shifter is perfectly fine. In fact I think it’s actually one of the best shifters I’ve used. Takes about 2 days to get used to it, and then you’re operating it without looking or even thinking about it. Hold it like you would a computer mouse and you’re golden.

as for the rest of the truck - smiles all round. Make sure you have your deposit ready when you take one for a test drive, as you’ll want to take one home right there and then

 

[Switzguy]

I hated the shifter for about a month because it's so awkward.
You have to caress it gently like a small gerbil.
Very different than my Jeep wrangler and FJ Cruiser where you had a firm handle to grasp on to.

 

[Bt_okst]

For the $$ hard to beat. Drives and rides great, practical size, with the procal tune, its very fun to drive and very peppy. Ive loved mine and im getting a 2026 so ill be on my 2nd one.

I wish the seats were a bit more comfy/luxurious, that it had rear air, etc.. but for what you pay and compared toits competition its unmatched when you combine price, capability, and sheer enjoyment to drive. And it has a pickup bed, and can tow when you really need a truck. Very maneuverable in town, easy to park, yet still very capable off road.

There's a reason car and driver wrote these articles praising the Ranger Raptor...

https://www.caranddriver.com/ford/r...OA3dwKGi7Ygo8CNoL_UoxIZ-tQUUe9ohoCVg4QAvD_BwE

https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a69543710/10best-2026-ford-ranger-raptor/

 

[Bt_okst]

I hated the shifter for about a month because it's so awkward.
You have to caress it gently like a small gerbil.
Very different than my Jeep wrangler and FJ Cruiser where you had a firm handle to grasp on to.

It's never bothered me at all.

 

[Havasu RR]

Hello everyone,

New to the site, I'm here to learn all about the Ranger Raptor - The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly.

I have a full-sized sports truck(non-Ford), but I'm involved in a Lemon Law case with it.
When the dust clears from the case, I'm leaning towards a 2026 Ranger Raptor.

I've been a Ford guy most of my vehicle life, from a '66 Mustang to a '87 Ranger STX to a '95 Cobra to a 2016 Fusion Titanium.

So, what do you all think about the truck?

The RR sounds pretty decent for a V6, and it looks like they have long legs for performance mods.
The shifter looks a little odd to me, but it wouldn't be a deal-killer, and I wish it offered cooled/ventilated seats.

Thank you all for your time and input.

R

All I can tell you is to buy one and don't look back. By far the best vehicle I've ever owned.

 

[Havasu RR]

It's never bothered me at all.

When I first got looking into getting one of these trucks I saw a lot of the reviewers just hating on the shifter. And then I bought it and I was like.. what is your people's malfunction? LOL

 

[Havasu RR]

Shifter is perfectly fine. In fact I think it’s actually one of the best shifters I’ve used. Takes about 2 days to get used to it, and then you’re operating it without looking or even thinking about it. Hold it like you would a computer mouse and you’re golden.

as for the rest of the truck - smiles all round. Make sure you have your deposit ready when you take one for a test drive, as you’ll want to take one home right there and then

Agreed

 

[MJ12]

Hello everyone,

New to the site, I'm here to learn all about the Ranger Raptor - The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly.

I have a full-sized sports truck(non-Ford), but I'm involved in a Lemon Law case with it.
When the dust clears from the case, I'm leaning towards a 2026 Ranger Raptor.

I've been a Ford guy most of my vehicle life, from a '66 Mustang to a '87 Ranger STX to a '95 Cobra to a 2016 Fusion Titanium.

So, what do you all think about the truck?

The RR sounds pretty decent for a V6, and it looks like they have long legs for performance mods.
The shifter looks a little odd to me, but it wouldn't be a deal-killer, and I wish it offered cooled/ventilated seats.

Thank you all for your time and input.

R

I freaking love mine. It's a blast both on road and off road. I've had mine about 11 months and about 5k miles havent had any issues (unlike my Bronco). It feels solid while driving it like it is meant to be driven (fast offroad).. no rattling at all. The suspension feels like magic and smooths out the faster you go. The 405 HP is plenty of giddy up. The KO3s are a great match to connect that power to some traction in Baja mode. I haven't used it for much crawling (that's what the Bronco is for) just desert running. Only gripe would be it should have been pushed out with 35s, even though I haven't ran in to any clearance issues. The shifter is a little different of a feel at first when using it, but now I actually kind of like its action after getting used to it, plus its only about 10 total seconds of using the shifter anyway. In my opinion the RR is the best performance bang for your buck as long as you don't donate anything above MSRP to the dealerships...I live in the southwest and haven't thought about ventilated seats once...my guess is that it got scapped with the 35s to keep MSRP under 60k. I'd buy it again over the F-150 because of nimbleness and value. It really has a sports car feel on road and when you're offroad. Good luck, hope this helped ya out.

 

[MJ12]

I hated the shifter for about a month because it's so awkward.
You have to caress it gently like a small gerbil.
Very different than my Jeep wrangler and FJ Cruiser where you had a firm handle to grasp on to.

You're supposed to be white knuckle gripped on the steering wheel not the shifter! JK. She does like a gentle touch.

 

[jordantii]

At first the shifter was odd but like some, I like it.

 

[entoptics]

Do remember this is all in the context of a utility vehicle. It's not a car. "Sports", "Luxury", or anything else. Compare it to any other truck or SUV though...

The Good...

1) The suspension is basically witchcraft... Until you've had a chance to drive it at high speed on a rough road, you're missing out. It's shocking. Not only does it soak up hits like magic, it also gives excellent steering and braking control on rough and loose surfaces. 3 tons with people and gear, and it still feels like a side x side or rally car. I've driven it back to back on rough roads against a 2023 Lariat Tremor and a 5th Gen 4Runner. No contest. Not even same ballpark.

2) The suspension is basically witchcraft, part 2...Normal driving it's comfy as can be for a truck/SUV. Then, press a button, and it rips around the twisties with minimal body roll, excellent feel and control. Again...It's 3 friggin tons...

3) Powertrain is fantastic. Lots of power, readily available at any RPM. Shifts pretty quick, and turbo lag is not too bad. 10 speed gives you a super tall cruising gear and a super low launch/crawl gear with everything in between. In 4L, the crawl ratio is only exceeded by the Rubicon family. It'll hum quietly at 80 mph and climb trees at 2 mph...

4) Interior is a nice place to be. Quiet. Good layout. Great seats. Best in class rear seats. Lots of nice little storage cubbies.

5) Off raod goodies are fantastic. It crawls like a boss. Terrain management and traction aides are excellent. F/R lockers. Clearance is great. Only significantly beaten by Gladiator and Bison/AT4X which are $10K more.

5) 4-Auto transmission option.

6) Baha Exhaust Mode in tunnels = Stiffy

The Bad...

1) Pervasive seat belt warning indicator, even when you have them buckled. GTFOH....

2) Gas mileage.

3) Wireless charger is pretty crappy and in a bad place.

The Ugly...

1) 50 shades of Grey paint options. Seriously? Azure grey, Carbonized grey, Marsh Grey, Avalanche Grey. Come on Ford.

2) IMO, it's not that attractive to look at. It's fine, but Colorado/Canyon are much better looking, and though the Taco's are hideously ugly (just threw up a little in my mouth thinking about them), at least it's in a unique, tough, mean way. The 6th gen Rangers are just "meh", and the Raptor doesn't set itself apart from the regular Ranger enough. Without the decals and FORD grill, you'd hardly know.


Summary...

The RR is an amazing piece of hardware. The most amazing thing to me is how "all around" it is. There's no other vehicle that is as good at everything with so few compromises. Percentages are my opinion of "compared to the best in category stock vehicle of similar price".

1) High speed rough road hooner (100% other trucks, 100% all vehicles)

2) Luxury road tripper (95% Trucks, 90% all vehicles)

3) Rock Crawler (95% Trucks, 90% all vehicles)

3) Sporty twisty ripper within limits that won't send you straight to jail (100% trucks, 80% all vehicles)

4) Tow/Haul your crap (80% all vehicles)

5) Still get in a normal parking spot (95% trucks, 80% all vehicles)

 

[Northislander]

Presently own 2020 F350 lariat tremor. 2022 Bronco badlands sasqautch 2 door and traded a barely used 2019 Ranger Lariat in on the 2025 Ranger raptor in mid November 2025 I have 7k kilometers on the Raptor. Because its all I drive now. I drive on predominantly rough gravel roads and as others have said the faster you go the smoother it rides. I have a Polaris Ranger and always wondered why they can manufacture something so much cheaper than most vehicles that rides so much better than any 4x4 I've owned hence the research and the decision to buy the Raptor.

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