2024 Ford Ranger Raptor

November 28, 2023 by JT in Automotive Reviews

Coming to America: The All-New 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor is Ready to Dominate in the Dirt! 

The all-new 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor®, the most powerful and high-performance, off-road capable Ranger ever, is designed and engineered by Ford Performance to take off-road capability to the next level among midsize trucks.
Built to take on challenging dunes, Raptor’s long travel suspension, including a Watts link rear suspension and class-exclusive 2.5-inch FOX™ Live Valve shocks*, gives you everything you need to chase down the horizon.
Unique Ranger Raptor 3.0-liter EcoBoost® V6 generates best-in-class 405 horsepower** and 430 pound-feet of torque paired with an advanced four-wheel drive system, a new electronically controlled on-demand two-speed transfer case, and front and rear locking differentials for improved off-road traction.
Race-proven in the Baja 1000, Ranger Raptor expands the Raptor family of high-performance vehicles, including F-150 Raptor®, F-150 Raptor R, and Bronco Raptor®.

DEARBORN, Mich., May 10, 2023 – The wait is over; the all-new 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor is coming to North America. Raptor is based on a proven legacy of performance and built with uncompromised suspension design, power, purposeful technology, and rugged styling. Ranger Raptor is fully prepared to take on the most demanding terrain its extreme adventure-seeking customers can find. 

“Ranger Raptor is the high-performance off-road truck so many customers have been begging for. It’s right-sized for tight trails and daily life, can carry lots of gear, and is a blast to drive,” said Carl Widmann, Ford Performance chief engineer. “Ranger Raptor is fast, comfortable, and packed with top-shelf, purposeful technology that’s designed to perform. This is the baddest Ranger we’ve ever made.”

Confident Suspension, Purposeful Tech
The heart of every Raptor is its suspension. Ranger Raptor starts with a purpose-built suspension that includes lightweight aluminum upper and lower control arms and a long-travel rear suspension with a Watts linkage and trailing arms for control and confidence in off-road conditions.

Ranger Raptor’s next-generation FOX™ 2.5-inch Live Valve Internal Bypass shocks are coil-overs at the front and piggyback reservoirs at the rear to reduce heat build-up for uninterrupted performance all day long. 

Ranger Raptor is built on a beefy foundation, taking Ranger’s fully boxed frame up a notch by reinforcing the front frame rails, front shock towers, rear shock brackets, suspension mounting points, and other key areas so Ranger Raptor can handle more punishing off-road conditions.***

The FOX™ Live Valve Internal Bypass system changes damping performance based on Ranger Raptor’s Drive Modes. The modes include Normal, Tow/Haul, Sport, Slippery, Off-Road, Rock Crawl, and Baja, all developed to provide better on-road comfort, off-road control, capability, and ride quality at high and low speeds.

Each selectable drive mode appropriately adjusts the tuning of the engine, transmission, ABS calibration, traction control, steering, throttle response, and even the instrument cluster and touchscreen look and information. The active valve exhaust system can also be tuned to several modes including Quiet, Normal, Sport, and Baja settings. Ranger Raptor also comes with Trail Control™ so drivers can navigate tricky spots while the truck manages the throttle and brakes.

Powertrain Fit for a Class of One
An amazing suspension deserves to be backed by a matching level of power. The Ford Performance tuned twin-turbo 3.0-liter EcoBoost® V6 produces 430 lb.-ft. of torque and best-in-class maximum available 405 horsepower,** the most powerful Ranger ever built for increased performance on gravel, dirt, mud, and sand.

Beginning with a compacted graphite-iron cylinder block, the engine utilizes a race-bred anti-turbo-lag system to enable boost on demand in Baja mode. It keeps the turbochargers spinning for up to three seconds after the driver backs off the throttle, so acceleration is there while exiting corners. Bolted to that EcoBoost engine is a class-exclusive 10-speed SelectShift® automatic transmission* mated to an advanced four-wheel drive system with a new electronically controlled on-demand two-speed transfer case combined with front and rear locking differentials.

Designed for Purpose
Each Ranger Raptor design element has a purpose. Confident, modern styling starts with LED projector headlights to light up the night flanked by C-clamp signature lighting. Bold F-O-R-D lettering on the grille sits above an all-steel bumper with integrated, frame-mounted front and rear tow hooks and LED taillights that provide a signature C-clamp link to the front. Flared fenders with functional fender vents house aggressive 33-inch BFGoodrich® all-terrain KO3® tires on 17-inch wheels that can be mounted to optional beadlock capable wheels with available bead locks for running extra low tire pressures in sand and rocky conditions. Ranger Raptor also sports serious underbody protection. The thick front bash plate is made of high-strength steel and is complemented by the dedicated engine, transfer case, and fuel tank shields.

The Raptor’s cab is built for performance, with a sport steering wheel including cast magnesium alloy paddle shifters for quick transmission control and a signature Raptor centering mark in a Code Orange color. Six overhead upfitter switches mounted in the overhead console simplify powering off-road hardware. Unique Ford Performance front seats are supportive, with extra bolstering to hold drivers in place during high-speed cornering. The rest of the cab includes premium materials trimmed in Code Orange.

Ranger Raptor connects the driver to adventure with features like a 360-degree Camera and Front View Camera to assist in off-roading, Zone Lighting to light up the night in remote locations, and class-exclusive* Pro Trailer Backup Assist† to help back up boats and campers at the kinds of remote locations Raptors are built to reach. Even far out there, drivers want to be informed and connected, so Raptor comes with a high-resolution 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster and 12-inch center touchscreen running SYNC® 4A, Apple CarPlay®, and Android Auto™ wireless smartphone connectivity††. Finally, if the active exhaust doesn’t provide enough auditory stimulation, there’s a Bang & Olufsen® sound system to pump out your favorite soundtracks.

The Ford Raptor family spans across its truck and SUV portfolio. F-150 Raptor, F-150 Raptor R, Bronco Raptor, and now Ranger Raptor are all built for the passionate performance enthusiast who wants a truck to tackle their biggest adventures. A pre-production 2023 Ranger Raptor even proved its mettle by winning the stock midclass category of the Baja 1000, completing the course in 26 hours and 21 minutes. And then it drove home, almost 200 miles from the finish line to California.

The 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor will be proudly assembled at the Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan††† with orders beginning later this month and availability in the first quarter of 2024. Visit Ford.com/RangerReady for more details and information.

*Class is Midsize Pickups

**Max. 405 horsepower based on 3.0L EcoBoost® engine. Class is Midsize Pickups. Horsepower and torque ratings based on premium fuel per SAE J1349® standard. Your results may vary. Horsepower and torque are independent attributes and may not be
achieved simultaneously.

*** Always consult the Owner’s Manual before off-road driving, know your terrain and trail difficulty, and use appropriate safety gear.

†Driver-assist features are supplemental and do not replace the driver’s attention, judgment, and need to control the vehicle. It does not replace safe driving. See Owner’s Manual for details and limitations.

††Requires phone with active data service and compatible software. SYNC® 4A does not control 3rd party products while in use. 3rd Parties are solely responsible for their respective functionality.

†††Assembled in the USA with domestic and foreign parts.

Apple CarPlay is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries

Android Auto is a trademark of Google LLC

The Mazda3 Takes Manhattan

April 02, 2014 by JT in Automotive Reviews, driving, Hoagies Garage

New York City is one of those places that takes some getting used to. If you are from there, people like me would probably annoy you because I am trying to find my way around and figure everything out. The idea of road testing a car in Manhattan is an interesting one. Driving around the city is unlike anywhere else and takes patience, skill, and you have to be a bit daring. The 2014 Mazda 3 is a car I've never driven before. Before taking delivery, I didn't know what the buttons did, how it drove, and I was also missing that spatial awareness you get after driving a car for a few days. Mix that with driving in NYC, and you have an interesting combination. Our time with the Mazda3 was interesting, and here is what we found.

The 2014 Mazda3 is all new. We have been seeing it everywhere from commercials during the Olympics to every media outlet reviewing the mess out of it the past few months. I even passed two billboards in Akron on my way to the airport, showing off the all new red hatchback. So it's safe to say Mazda has been pushing it pretty hard. The excitement leading up to this drive was building on our end as well. When requesting a vehicle from Mazda for this story, we had two requirements. We wanted something of manageable size and also GPS. Navigating around Manhattan with a full size SUV and no GPS is not my idea of fun. The MX-5 was off the table, as some random journalist apparently wrecked it... The Speed3 isn't being made currently, and the Mazda2 wasn't available. By default, we were offered up the 2014 Mazda3 with navigation. We arrived to pick up our vehicle and were instantly disappointed. The billboards and ads showing off this great red hatchback were almost a tease considering we were given the "Titanium Flash" colored version. This color really fit in well with the dull and dreary New York sky of mid March. It isn't a bad paint color, but for this review it just didn't get us super excited to hop in and zoom around Manhattan. The Soul Red exterior would have really been fitting considering you see it advertised everywhere.

Styling

The body and chassis are all new from Mazda. The wide mouth corporate grille look has been refined and improved with gloss black and active shuttering. For a hatchback, Mazda has done a great job giving it striking features and little hints of excitement. The two little bulges on the back of the roof are a nice little touch of uniqueness. This day in age though, if you are looking for a vehicle that is kind of exciting to drive and sporty, the hatch is it. Most times now, the sedan model isn't the one you want. The sedan just screams middle aged family car even though it looks very similar and has great styling. Overall though, I found fit and finish to be top notch and once again the auto industry just knows what they are doing. No longer do you have to buy a simple hatchback and expect it to be junk. It is getting harder and harder to find a car that has something wrong with build quality. Some of the other exterior features were 18" wheels, Bi-Xenon headlamps, dual chrome exhaust outlets, and LED lighting front and rear. Great job on the styling and exterior looks by Mazda, I just wish the paint wasn't so drab and dull.

Interior

The interior color of this 3 was called Almond. The leather seat skins had an off white color with darker trim and plastic surrounding them. They felt nice and were comfortable, but to me I don't know how many they will sell. This is one of those interior colors that seems to be meant for auto shows and magazine photos. It looks good, but practicality and longevity are what I wonder about. The Almond color reminds me of the Chevy interior color they started making called "Brick" - It looks good in theory, but how many are actually sold? This particular Mazda3 was basically optioned out with everything. Dual-Zone climate control, keyless ignition, Bose 9 speaker audio system, paddle shifters, the Active Driving display, and of course the 7" touchscreen with navigation. We will get into all the tech features later on. Interior again was built and put together really well. Everything had a solid feel to it and quality was not sacrificed in any way. Mazda did a nice job of making plastic trims look metallic and putting piano black in certain places. I will complain slightly about the touchscreen placement. The screen sort of just plunked down on the dash looked a little tacky. I'm not sure where else they could have put it, but the dashboard design looks almost like they forgot about a screen. The standard radio is placed in the same spot, just not as prominent. Our testers 7" screen really stuck out and looked like it should almost be a removable piece that could be taken down for security reasons.

Mechanical

Our 5-Door, Grand Touring model was given the 2.5L DOHC four cylinder with a six speed automatic transmission. The engine is an all aluminum design with variable valve timing; 184hp and 185 lb-ft of torque. For a 3,000lb vehicle that is more than enough power. Mazda has designated this the Skyactiv-G engine along with the Skyactiv-Drive transmission. According to them, this engine is the worlds first mass produced engine with a compression ratio of 14.0:1 - the 6 speed offers a wider lock-up range that allows better torque transfer. Let's just say that the drivetrain is all new and better than ever. To round out the new engine/trans combo are four wheel disc brakes with ABS, independent front/rear suspension, and electric powered rack and pinion steering. There really is a lot going on with this car and you won't be disappointed with the amount of features that come on the Grand Touring model.

Driving

As we stated earlier, this review was done in the city. Manhattan was the plan and after the photo shoot at Flushing/Corona Park in Queens we were on our way. The first thing I noticed about the Mazda was power. It really moved when I wanted it to and pressing the Sport button made everything more dramatic. Sport Buttons always seem a bit gimmicky, but on the 3 I found it to hang in gear longer and have the power ready with a quick throttle jab. This isn't the type of car you just jump in and go though. I'm starting to find the amount of tech in vehicles is actually making driving more dangerous, even though it's meant to keep you safer. Presetting all your stuff before you set off takes some time and doing it at stoplights isn't a great idea. The GPS wasn't setup correctly from the previous driver so we were getting directions on the screen but no voice commands. Once that was sorted out, the Manhattan driving adventure had begun. If you do any sort of fumbling with your iPod, sightseeing, or anything other than driving in the city, your fellow drivers let you know. Basically, you are in their way and get moving. So that is what the 3 did for us during this test. Quick take offs at stop lights, weaving in and out past taxis, hard braking, and of course squeezing down tiny streets. I found the 3 to have enough power to get from block to block and light to light. Blind spot warnings were dinging constantly and the side mirrors had small indicators to let me know I was about to crash. During the city driving, the 3 did everything I could ask of it and more. Handling was crisp and it was easy to maneuver around anything and anyone. Our test car had one issue though that I believe raised stress levels during this city driving. Mazda plated this vehicle in California, so we were the idiots from California driving around the city. Even though we are from Ohio, I feel the California plates got us tons of extra honks and dirty looks as we zipped around Manhattan.

Tech

Infotainment and tech features are super cool. I absolutely love having my iPhone synced up and all working perfectly along with a slick gauge setup and power everything. It all will eventually break I'm sure, but I still love this stuff in a car. Our tester had tons of it including the 7" navigation screen, Active Driving Display, Bluetooth, HD Radio, Pandora, USB Ports, SD Card slot, push button start, and the Commander Control which puts it all at your fingertips.

The navigation was something we needed for this drive. When it came down to it though, I found it focused on all the wrong features. During our drive, it crashed multiple times and also froze up a few as well. GPS in the city is known for being awful, but I didn't expect it to be this bad. There were times when driving for five blocks offered up no signal and no directions. The navigation did have some cool features like showing 3D landmarks/buildings and even showing the interior of a tunnel as we were driving through the Midtown Tunnel. I think it needs some bugs worked out to be perfect. The command control knob by the center console worked very well though. It reminded me of the BMW iDrive knob sort of thing. It spins, can be pushed down to select, and also can be clicked in different directions. It made using the system pretty simple if you are too lazy to reach up and touch the screen.

The Active Driving Display on this car was a joke. Basically it is a small smoked piece of plastic that magically appears out of the dash when you start the car. A small digital display is then projected on the piece of plastic. Reminded me of heads up display from a Corvette or Camaro. I'm not sure what happened, but ours was broken. The piece of plastic would rise from the dash, but not far enough. There was too much flex in the motor/mounting so it was tilted too far down. If I lightly touched it, I could then see the display. I get where Mazda was going with this, but once again it was something that stuck out of the dash while driving and this seriously looked way too fragile. I'm guessing somebody pushed too hard on it and that was that. Our tester car did has over 5k miles on it, so who knows...

There is so much tech on this car though, seriously tons. I really didn't get a chance to try it all because of the location we were driving. NYC is not distracted driver friendly, the mission on this trip was driving and getting to where we needed to go. Having the 3 for a longer time period might give us a chance to really get down to it and see what works and what doesn't for a five door hatchback. We will see if we can arrange that and run some tests on the various other items they are now offering in terms of safety and convenience.

Overall

Our time with the Mazda3 was short and sweet. A five door hatchback is something that has become a necessity nowadays because people have junk to haul but don't want to waste the gas in a van or SUV for various reasons. Automakers can't really crack the station wagon market and at the same time people want something sporty. The five door hatch fits right into this area, and you can tell people are buying them based on the number of five door models out there in the various companies. This 3 raises the standard on all of them. When car buyers go to compare a few models, the 3 will more than likely come out on top. With all the features, safety, options, build quality, and styling - most people are going to end up leaving the Mazda dealership in a new 3. If I had my choice though, I'd pick any color other than the Titanium Flash.

Hoagie Positives

Build Quality is amazingly good.
Options & Features are plentiful - You really have a lot to play with.
Styling - Proves a 5 door hatchback doesn't have to be lame.

Hoagie Negatives

Navigation was pretty rough - At one point I was using my phone instead of the 7" dash mounted screen.
Tires - For some reason this tester was equipped with Blizzak LM-22 winter tires.. They had a tough time getting traction on totally dry pavement.
Active Driving Display - Gimmicky, Cheap, and yet another thing jutting out of the dash. A feature that is only there for photos and commercials.

Give The Spark A Chance

October 31, 2013 by JT in Automotive Reviews

The Chevrolet Spark is a vehicle that nobody really wants, but in all honesty fits the needs of so many people, only if you give it a chance. Upon getting the Spark, I felt that it would be a standard small car from Chevy that offered no room and had basic features, kind of like a rental or fleet car. After a week of driving it though, my feelings are now totally different.

Built in Korea on basically what is a Daewoo, the Spark is the smallest car in the Chevrolet lineup. It is powered by a small 1.2L four cylinder with about 85 horsepower. The model we tested was the 2LT model with a 5-speed manual on the floor. They call the color Denim, which stands out in any parking lot when sitting in the sea of neutral colors that most people seem attracted to anymore. The 2LT model came loaded with options for a small, affordable car. While having the Spark for seven days, here is what we found.

Exterior

The look of the Spark is unique and sharp. The angles are all there and Chevrolet did a good job making sure it doesn't carry the looks of an econobox. It doesn't hurt that it was in Transformers a few years back either. The blue that was on our test model really popped when you let it sit in a parking lot with the common silvers, black, pewters, and other boring colors. Whenever I left the car in a parking lot, I'd find myself looking back and admiring how much the car stuck out compared to the crowd. Not only because of the color, but because of the striking design. The wheels are 15" machine-faced aluminum. They looked good, but I think could be bigger. When looking at them I almost had to prove to myself they were 15's by reading the tire sidewall, they really look like they are 13's. One of the biggest things about the exterior we found was that nobody believed it had four doors. Hiding the rear door handles is good for styling, but for sales I am wondering if this could pose a problem. Everyone who looked at the vehicle with me honestly thought it only had two doors. Personally, I liked the hidden door handles, but found them to be slightly awkward to pull open.

Interior

Chevrolet has always been known for their world class interiors. We all know this. Actually they really haven't... This is a shame because even the Corvette from 2013 was being torn apart everywhere for the awful interior it was given. Going into this review, I was not expecting much. Once again though, totally surprised in many areas. This 2LT model came with heated leather seats. They were comfortable and easy to operate, manually. The dash, trim, and anything else has been changed from the classic GM Tupperware to a new, rubbery style that looks and feels better. I will say that the swoopy, modern lines carved on the dash are a little weird, but it seems everyone is trying to do something to spice up their interiors anymore. There is an optional painted trim package that matches the exterior, but ours was just the standard silver. The steering wheel assembly with the gauges attached is pretty clever, but I found my hand hitting the gauges when I would reach for the top of the wheel. They moved the tachometer, fuel, mpg's, and odometer to this motorcycle type of digital readout. Clever idea, but somewhat difficult to read and the control buttons were tiny. I prefer a bigger tach that is more precise. The drivers side door handle where my elbow would rest was pretty hard, I had to adjust my positions on the wheel to avoid elbow pain. Overall though the interior was solid, looked nice, and didn't have any squeaks or rattles. This was a great surprise and really shows promise for GM, when you consider this is their smallest and cheapest car. I am 6'0" tall and fit very comfortably with no problem. The back seat isn't meant for full size adults, although they can fit if the people up front want to give up some leg room.

MyLink

This thing legitimately has a 7" touchscreen radio in it. The most amazing thing is that the lowest model in the Chevy lineup has this. When I saw this on the options sheet I was blown away. Being my first use of the MyLink system, I felt it needed to be really used and tested thoroughly. This system is what GM is really pushing with their technology integration. They show it on the commercials being the first car to use the iPhone's Siri, so it is a big deal. First let me state that it looks gorgeous. The screen is bright and surrounded by a gloss black trim piece that really compliments it. The four touch style buttons on the face for volume, home, and power were nice, but easy to accidentally touch. I paired my iPhone 5 with the system no problem and was able to do almost anything through Bluetooth alone -Play music, use apps, and even talk to Siri. Phone calls were reported to be fairly good by users on the other end. This leads me to believe we might finally be at the point in history where hands free calling isn't something everybody dreads. Onstar was on our tester model, which worked just like it should. We called for directions and they were magically put onto the MyLink touchscreen with arrows leading the way. Onstar though is a pay per month or year service, so be ready to give GM $29 a month for the full featured package. The biggest hurdle for me on the MyLink radio is that it has no slot for a CD. I know... nobody uses them anymore, but it just blows my mind to think that CDs are going to be dead soon. The USB plug and Aux input jack were down below the dash by the cupholders and heated seat controls. When my phone was plugged in via USB, it really did not charge fast at all. A Belkin USB adapter for the 12v cigarette lighter charges at double the speed; this surprised me considering most buyers of this car will be using this plug daily. I found the MyLink system is something that shouldn't be on this small, affordable car. This is a setup you would have found on a six figure Mercedes a few years back. The MyLink has shown me that manufacturers can make an amazing car stereo that connects your device and looks great as well. If these start coming on everything, the aftermarket car stereo market will be dead soon, if it isn't already.

Driving

Lets get one thing out there first. This thing has 85hp.... actually Chevy says 84hp. I have never driven a double digit horsepower car, ever. Once again, I had to give it a chance. When you factor in the Spark weighing about 2300 lbs, it actually moved pretty well. This is not a ZL1 Camaro by any means, but for driving around town, merging onto the highway, and anything else, it did the job just fine. The clutch, brake, and gas pedals all worked super easily. Shifting was a bit rubbery and blah, which I don't get. Why can't manufacturers actually put a nice, solid feeling shifter on every car? The Spark does not have the Go-Kart like handling of a Mini Cooper, but it held its own around corners. Body roll was there, but honestly not that bad. The braking felt adequate too, if not better than adequate. Over the course of our week long review, we averaged 37.6mpg and a tank of gas lasted us a week of daily driving and running around. Our routes consisted of a mixture of city and highway with an average speed of 36mph. This was way better than the window sticker claims of miles per gallon, which is great news for your wallet. If you take into consideration you are driving the lowest car in the Chevrolet lineup that cost $16k, this thing drives absolutely perfect. If you want more power, better handling, better braking, or the ability to tow a 3 axle trailer, this vehicle isn't for you. But if you are looking for a small, easy to drive vehicle that doesn't break the bank and has all the features you need, the Spark delivers. Flat out, it delivers.

Reactions

For our reviews, we try to find out what "the people" think. This could be from online, social media, random people on the street or whoever wants to talk about this car. These comments do not reflect what we at Hoagies Garage think, but we do feel the opinions are interesting to hear. Doing a quick Twitter search when we got the car, we found people actually saying they want a Chevy Spark. Lots of positive reactions and desire to own this car. In person though, that was another story. The Spark got everything from "What the hell is that", "Nice clown car", "Why are you driving a jellybean", and any other negative econobox comment. This all falls back on giving the Spark a chance though. Once I started listing the features, the price, the mpg - people stopped making fun and started listening. The size scares people, it really does. Everyone wants to have room so they can haul a dead Elk and they want to feel safe hauling that Elk. This offers little room, but it does have ten airbags and active stability control, so it is very safe. The Spark is a car that almost everyone can live with. Most people aren't hauling an Elk, towing a boat, racing a Viper, or driving over 70mph. This will meet the needs of almost everyone out there, they just have to give it a chance and accept the fact that Chevrolet actually can make a great small car.

Hoagie Positives

Sticks Out - Striking looks and colors make it look unique.
MyLink - The system is a near perfect compliment to your smartphone.
Loaded - More options than you would ever expect from a small Chevy.

Hoagie Negatives

Interior Quirks - Non-lighted window switches, touchy volume buttons, & slow charging USB Port.
Wheels - They look much smaller than a 15"
Perceptions - If you care what people think, you will have to do some convincing it seems to make them realize this actually is a great little car.