2025 Ford Ranger Raptor Review: Brains, Brawn, and Baja Vibes

2025 Ford Ranger Raptor Review: Big, Brash, and Brilliantly Bonkers

The 2025 Ford Ranger Raptor isn’t your average dual-cab diesel drone. This is a full-throttle, twin-turbo V6 thrill ride wrapped in a Code Orange power suit. She’s part outback athlete, part off-road influencer — and every bit fabulous.

Our weekend road trip to The Cottages involved three blokes, one busted playlist, and a few boxes of “necessities” lashed into the roller-covered tray like wayward camping gear on a Mardi Gras float. Ethan, shortest of the squad, was consigned to the back seat, where knee room was theoretical at best. Still, spirits were high — thanks in no small part to the Raptor’s sheer ridiculousness.

Up front, the 3.0L twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 (lifted from the Bronco Raptor) churns out 292kW and 583Nm. It’s paired to a 10-speed auto that shifts quicker than a rumour at a drag brunch. The drive? Ferocious but finessed — from peak-hour potholes to flood-wrecked forestry tracks, it gripped, growled, and grinned its way through. It’s as easy to drive in town as it is in the mud, just not as much fun. We didn’t trust it to self-park, just coz.

Outside, Matrix LED headlights cut through the dark with the strength of a sun and the smarts of a Cray — sharp, dramatic, and impossible to miss. The Fox Racing suspension soaks up ruts and rubble like a sponge at happy hour, while Auto 4WD clicked and clunked in its ballet of muddy brilliance — always graceful, never missing a beat.

Inside, it’s rugged refinement done right. Red-stitched seats are bolstered like rugby thighs, and there are clever touches galore: a hidden USB for your secret dashcam habits, an R button on the wheel to store drive mode faves (ours: quiet exhaust, soft steering, chilled suspension), and heated everything — seats, mirrors, egos.

But let’s talk extras. We were joined by Raffy, Charlie, and Hunter, travelling in convoy. Each took a turn behind the wheel and came away either giggling like kids or muttering about trading in their own utes. Raffy reckoned it handled better than his old Wrangler, Charlie compared the interior to a fighter jet lounge, and Hunter just growled “bloody hell” and gunned it.

Fuel use? Look, she’s a thirsty gal. Even behaving ourselves, the Raptor averaged around 13L/100km. But if you’re penny-pinching, buy a Picanto — if you can stand the embarrassment.

Above: This Week’s VIDEO Review – The 2025 Ford Ranger Raptor (MY24) Full Video Review – Alan Zurvas

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ABOVE: 2025 #FordRangerRaptor is Baja-ready

And then came the BBQ.
One Tree Hill — an ancient outcrop with million-dollar views, a tatty old pergola, a rustic fire pit, and a couple of weathered benches that have seen more bums than Bondi. It’s BYO everything, including patience. The track up had been carved into a boggy mess by recent storms, turning the hill into a sort of Woodstock-with-rocks.

We didn’t even need to engage Baja Mode — Auto 4WD handled it like a gymnast sipping a martini. Not a single slip, no stressed steering, just smooth, sure-footed progress. Once at the top, we unpacked the Raptor, lit the fire, cremated some snags, and watched storm clouds roll across the valley like the opening credits of The Bold and the Beautiful: Bush Edition.

Even as the wind whipped our hair into bouffant coiffeurs, the Raptor sat nearby, smugly parked like a dog that’s brought back the stick — and opened your beer.

Compared to rivals, she’s an icon. Luke’s Hilux felt like a hammer next to a high-performance scalpel. Trav’s RAM chugged fuel like a uni student at a toga party. And Casper’s Range Rover — well, it didn’t even make it out of the driveway. Again. Christ on a bike — why does anyone buy either of them?

The big centre tablet made things easy, and the huge button to bring up the off-road screen is genius. Should we be looking at that whilst hanging precariously above a cataclysm?

Yes, the $98k price tag will make some choke on their café almond milk flat whites. But this isn’t just a truck — it’s a stage presence. A stunt queen in steel caps. A mud-splattered show pony with torque, tech, and temperament in equal measure. Despite this 21st-century whizbangery, the thing that amused us all most was that if you pressed engine stop, the gear lever clunks gently from D up to P in a mesmerising shuffle of unequalled brilliance.

The 2025 Ford Ranger Raptor is not here to blend in. She’s here to dominate — from city streets to a rock-strewn field of mud. Ranger Raptor came from the same genius minds who created evil temptations like the ST hot hatches and the magnificent Mustang.

Although she is due to have her jowls touched up, Ranger Raptor will do — it will do very nicely indeed.

2025 Ford Ranger Raptor

Price: $90,442

Engine: 3.0L twin turbo V6 Petrol

Power: 292kW/583Nm

Trans: 10-Sp Auto

Drive Wheels: full time 4×4 with selectable modes

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