Sunday Drive: Ford Ranger Raptor and Ram 1500

Sunday, 14 July 2019

The Ford Ranger Raptor is not a subtle machine. But it certainly makes an impression.

**RAM 1500 LARAMIE

Price range:** $114,990.

If there's nothing subtle about the Raptor, then the Ram doesn't even know what subtle means.

Powertrain: 5654cc petrol V8, 291kW/556Nm, AWD, combined economy 12.2 l/100km.

Vital statistics: 5817mm long, 1917mm high, 3569mm wheelbase, 20-inch alloy wheels.

**FORD RANGER RAPTOR

Price:** $84,990.

Engine: 1996cc biturbo diesel four-cylinder, 157kW/500Nm, AWD, combined economy 8.2 l/100km.

This is the easiest place to park a Raptor - unconstrained by lines and other - lesser - vehicles.

Vital statistics: 5359mm long, 1815mm high, 3226mm wheelbase, 17-inch alloy wheels.

Does anyone bother arguing that demand for utes is driven primarily by work requirements any more? Didn't think so. The overwhelming popularity of pricey comfort-tuned utes makes it increasingly easy to assume many head into a family role, with some being bought purely for status.

The Ram 1500 is very big and very, very American.

I'd argue the Ram 1500 and Ford Ranger Raptor are here purely to fulfil that latter premise, so bold and big their social statements.

* Five one-tonne pick-ups that cost more than $80K

* Yes, HSV does still 'make' a V8-powered four-door**

Raptor's massively flared arches, reconfigured nose and hard-core desert racing-developed suspension have standout appeal and it looks seriously good among other one-tonners.

As does the Ram. Times 10. Some would say this XXL item shouldn't even hang with the one-tonne gang. But the distributor disagrees. It has purpose positioned America's smallest (yes, really) big truck against top-end utes.

The pitch is simple: if a 'regular' won't do, how about a 'full-size' ? Apart from being obviously bigger, it's dearer and also hits a diesel-dominated sector with a V8 petrol. Semantics, right?

Two trucks with tonnes of street cred need care when exploring the urban jungle. Lofty ride heights lend an advantage and a sense of authority in traffic, yet they're not exactly city friendly. With the Ford, you have the bugbears of an enlarged turning circle and limited visibility. And with Ram… well, look at it. Berthing this baby in any standard carpark is an interesting exercise.

The Ram's Hemi V8 gives great vibes, but regardless of the fact that it mainly goes about its business never seeing any more than 2000rpm - and often a whole lot less - it has a mean thirst, with an average of almost 19 litres per 100km. Which was double Raptor's and reinforces need for a 98-litre tank.

There are consolations. For one, this engine has a fantastic rumble, accentuated on this one by an optional exhaust. Also, consumption rate is hardly any different when it's hauling a load than when it running unladen. Finally, the sheer easy muscularity of the thing is awesome.

The Raptor's 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel represents a big change to achieve marginal improvements in output over the regular Ranger's 3.2 five pot. It's smoother and more immediately athletic yet you quickly understand why it now has 10 gears to work with; the power band being so much narrower.

A plush on-road ride is a pleasing element of the Raptor's Fox suspension, but that's just happenstance. It's all about the yee-haa, right? True enough, it's really awesome off-seal, but invincible? An occasional knocking from the rear suspension (battle damage from a pre-test activity, I was subsequently told) reminds Nature always wins.

Ram's machismo delivers in such a different way when tackling dirt it seemed best to avoid the Raptor's adventure area. It's more measured in attitude on road, too.

The best single feature of the Raptor's cabin is the front seats; the most disappointing the cheap plastics. The highlights of Ram's Laramie trim are the leather and the awesome 10-speaker Alpine stereo (with a subwoofer mounted under the rear seat).

In the here and now, neither does a perfect job. The Raptor is more fun and easier to live with, but frustrates through being barely good at basic utility stuff. And the engine is a bit puny and characterless. Ford has a twin turbo V6 petrol it could slot into this truck. I reckon they should.

The Ram appeals because it actually does exactly what the sticker says. Yet its sheer size, and the big gulp thirst, are too much for me.

Then again, the motoring world would be all the poorer without a few brave statements.