Ford Ranger Raptor puts an end to hunt for perfect pickup
the skid plate to climb in and the grab handle to well, grab, and, in case you missed it, Ford has spelled out its name in big letters on the front.
My car comes with the double cab, which is great as there are four of us as we arrive at our destination, where I reverse into a field for parking – easy enough with the rear- view camera and, although this is a biggie in terms of vehicles, it handles quite easily. Inside, the suede trim with the heated and power adjustable seats is unique to the Raptor, as is the instrument cluster.
For a l l it s size, it is qui te com comfortable, with special shock abso absorbers for all those ruts and position-sensitive posit damping.
This Th is def initely a workhorse for tough times and comes with four off-road tow hooks, a loadbox with a roller shutter and carry bars and a trailer pack which includes a totow bar and a 13-pin socket. Is there the anything this car can’t do?
ItI also comes with hill- descent control and two-wheel drive, four-wheel drive and four-wheel drive low, which you activate by putting the car into neutral and then turning a fingertip dial. Dead easy.
On the road, it bowls along in two- wheel drive. Get on to slippy terrain such as f ields and the like and four-wheel drive is fine. But for the really tough stuff, you can feel the difference when you slip it into the low-ratio gears.
It is automatic, of course, as befits a big beast like this, but also comes with manual paddles, which can be a better option off-road.
Pickup trucks are becoming more and more popular and, indeed, fashionable – and the Raptor is definitely one that wil l suit those who like the look to be as hardcore as possible. It walks the walk – or, perhaps, drives the drive.
We negotiate the return journey from the house, which is lovely. We are all hopeful we might return to visit should the bid be successful.
If it is, the new owners are seriously considering a Raptor because they were so impressed.