Ranger Raptor owner review

[rwolfcastle]

This was a pretty good owner review I just came across. The most interesting part for me was learning you can tie the accessory lighting into the matrix headlights so they shut off automatically with approaching traffic.

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[goalieThreeOne]

This was a pretty good owner review I just came across. The most interesting part for me was learning you can tie the accessory lighting into the matrix headlights so they shut off automatically with approaching traffic.

I believe that’s something specific to the Australian model. In AUS you can only legally have off road lighting on if you also have your high beams on. So AUX 5 and 6 can only be on if your high beams are also on. This is probably (hopefully) not the case on the NA version since we have no such law.

 

[Deleted member 6764]

I am curious to dig into the latest changes that allow truly adaptive headlights (not just steering) in the US. To see what they fully allow.

 

[rwolfcastle]

I believe that’s something specific to the Australian model. In AUS you can only legally have off road lighting on if you also have your high beams on. So AUX 5 and 6 can only be on if your high beams are also on. This is probably (hopefully) not the case on the NA version since we have no such law.

Interesting. Yeah, that would suck to have to need high beams to use it, but I like the idea of auto-off so you don't blind people.

 

[sikedsyko]

I am curious to dig into the latest changes that allow truly adaptive headlights (not just steering) in the US. To see what they fully allow.

I'm hoping someone will quickly figure out how to enable the full adaptive functions on the US Spec Ranger Matrix lights when they come to market. I had the full Euro adaptive headlights activated on my US BMW X3 a few years ago and it makes an insane difference in how well you can see when hustling down a backroad at night.

 

[goalieThreeOne]

Interesting. Yeah, that would suck to have to need high beams to use it, but I like the idea of auto-off so you don't blind people.

My take on it is you shouldn’t have off road lights on in the first place while driving on a paved road. Nothing looks more “try hard” to me than having a big bar up front turned on while you’re driving down the street. I could maybe understand some ditch lights if you’re headed down a rural two lane to look out for deer.

 

[goalieThreeOne]

I'm hoping someone will quickly figure out how to enable the full adaptive functions on the US Spec Ranger Matrix lights when they come to market. I had the full Euro adaptive headlights activated on my US BMW X3 a few years ago and it makes an insane difference in how well you can see when hustling down a backroad at night.

Why wouldn’t the adaptive function work on the US Spec model? They’re legal for use. Ford offers them on the Explorer Platinum and certain trims of the Aviator with full adaptive capability.

 

[TDPD]

Why wouldn’t the adaptive function work on the US Spec model? They’re legal for use. Ford offers them on the Explorer Platinum and certain trims of the Aviator with full adaptive capability.

I was curious about this.

I could be mistaken but it seemed like the adaptive matrix headlights were a significant feature highlight in many of the non-US market product launches.

But, I don’t recall them speaking to this during the US announcement at all.

Were they stripped from the US models?

 

[goalieThreeOne]

I was curious about this.

I could be mistaken but it seemed like the adaptive matrix headlights were a significant feature highlight in many of the non-US market product launches.

But, I don’t recall them speaking to this during the US announcement at all.

Were they stripped from the US models?

That’s a good question. I don’t see it in the marketing materials. But that doesn’t mean no.

 

[TDPD]

That’s a good question. I don’t see it in the marketing materials. But that doesn’t mean no.

Agreed. May just be a difference in the marketing talking points, but not the hardware.

Hopefully it didn’t fall into the US market cost saving’s bucket where rear air vents and driver side grab handles go to die.

 

[goalieThreeOne]

Agreed. May just be a difference in the marketing talking points, but not the hardware.

Hopefully it didn’t fall into the US market cost saving’s bucket where rear air vents and driver side grab handles go to die.

I do mostly city driving. The most I use my high beams is one mile of two lane coming back from the hockey rink. So it’s not a deal breaker if it isn’t there. But I sure would love to have it.

 

[sikedsyko]

I haven't seen ANY US cars using the full speed adaptive beams and anti-dazzle features that they have elsewhere. It didn't become legal in the US until mid-2022.

And even if the US RRaptor gets them, the US lighting laws are still more restrictive than ROW, they still have lower allowable brightness in certain zones.

 

[sikedsyko]

As I stated earlier, they are currently on several Ford and Lincoln vehicles already.

There's a bunch of different technologies all lumped into "adaptive" headlights, some of them have been legal in the US for a long time like steering headlamps and automatic hi-beam. In Europe they allow for adaptive speed beam patterns and hi-beam anti-dazzle, that keeps your high beams on even when there's oncoming traffic. This wasn't legal in the US until a year ago.

I'm not seeing any marketing material that says the Explorer has adaptive beam or anti-dazzle. Although I am surprised that US manufacturers haven't been quick to add all the Euro features since its just going to be software and testing changes in lots of models.

 

[goalieThreeOne]

There's a bunch of different technologies all lumped into "adaptive" headlights, some of them have been legal in the US for a long time like steering headlamps and automatic hi-beam. In Europe they allow for adaptive speed beam patterns and hi-beam anti-dazzle, that keeps your high beams on even when there's oncoming traffic. This wasn't legal in the US until a year ago.

I'm not seeing any marketing material that says the Explorer has adaptive beam or anti-dazzle. Although I am surprised that US manufacturers haven't been quick to add all the Euro features since its just going to be software and testing changes in lots of models.

Lincoln advertises adaptive pixel LED lighting on the Aviator. Adaptive lighting is also on the Platinum Explorer. That’s just two examples.

 

[CrustyNoodle]

I believe that’s something specific to the Australian model. In AUS you can only legally have off road lighting on if you also have your high beams on. So AUX 5 and 6 can only be on if your high beams are also on. This is probably (hopefully) not the case on the NA version since we have no such law.

Just for clarity, this guy is in New Zealand so they have their own country specific rules. However, Australia does get the "matrix" lighting feature as does NZ.

I haven't added lights to my RR yet so I cannot test it but I was a bit shocked in this review to learn that the adaptive function also turns the driving lights on and off automatically. In our other RR (Range Rover) which also has adaptive matrix headlights, the adaptive function does not activate the (after market) driving lights I have fitted. The only way to activate the driving lights on that is to push the high beam stalk to manually activate high beam.
I would have concerns that the adaptive function of the car is not tuned to deal with the intensity of long range driving lights so would not be sufficiently sensitive to turn the lights off for on-coming traffic.

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