Ike Gauntlet: The Most Powerful Ford Ranger Raptor Takes on the World's Toughest Towing Test!

The 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor comes with a 405 horsepower, 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6 that makes 430 lb-ft of torque. It has twin Garrett turbochargers, with a intercooler – all bolted to a 10-speed automatic transmission. It’s a bit of a screamer with maximum horsepower coming in at 5,500 rpm, and max torque that comes in at 3,500 rpm.

There is only one way this truck comes, so there are no smaller cab or bed configurations. Sure, in other countries a diesel has been available, but our spec is only the burly twin-turbocharged V6. Like its bigger F-150 Raptor brother, the Ranger Raptor was set up for Baja-style running with upgraded underbody protection, Fox Live Valve suspension, beefier A-arms and serious tires.

It also has front and rear lockers, along with an onboard system that lets you adjust the suspension on the fly. All of this tech is heavy, AND expensive. Prices for the Ranger Raptor start at about $55,000. Still, it’s the value leader among competing vehicles from Jeep, GM and Toyota.

Ford Ranger Raptor towing performance

Compared to other Rangers, the Ranger Raptor is a bit of a lightweight when it comes to towing and payload. That’s mainly due to the serious off-road suspension, and the extra 600-ish lbs of weight. As such, maximum towing is 5,510 pounds, and the payload is 1,375 pounds. It’s still a usable pickup, which has comparable performance (if not better) than the top midsize trucks offered in terms of cargo.

Andre was frustrated with some of the Ranger’s tech, including the digital towing system info screen. It seems to have forgotten the trailer he programmed into the system. It didn’t hurt the towing per se, but the trailer was deleted from the truck’s memory.

In addition, the odd placement of the trailer wiring ports was irksome for both. Andre and Mr. Truck commented that the location should be in the bumper, near the license plate. It’s possible that the 33-inch BFG K02s take up too much space underneath, so there may have been little space to work with.

It seems like the Ranger Raptor performed similar to its lesser siblings. That is to say: it performed well. The minor issues aside, the power and poise of the 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor is no joke.

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