We often lament the fact that Ford and other automakers sell vehicles in Europe that we will never see stateside. The Ford Ranger Raptor is one of those vehicles we don’t get there. We can’t buy any Suzuki branded vehicles in the States anymore, and it’s a shame because the little Suzuki Jimny 4×4 is an impressive little off-roader for the money. The guys at CarGuide live in Australia where the Ranger Raptor, Suzuki Jimny, and Wrangler Rubicon are all available to purchase.
On paper, all three of the off-roaders sound similar, with the Suzuki and Wrangler being the most similar. One key difference in the three rides is that the Suzuki has differentials that don’t lock and is rolling the trails on street tires with little traction.
The Ranger Raptor is the biggest vehicle in the test by far. The first obstacle was sand. The tester says that the Ranger Raptor is the most fun in the sand. The next test up was an 850mm deep water crossing. All the vehicles made it across the water, even if it did appear that the Suzuki was wading a bit deeper than it was meant to.
The next obstacle was a muddy hill, and while all made it, the Suzuki worked hard to make it down the rutted trails. The Raptor and Wrangler made it without issue. Climbing the muddy hill, you can see that the Ranger Raptor and Wranger didn’t fight at all. In the end, the Ranger Raptor takes second place, the Wrangler Rubicon takes first, and the Suzuki takes last. It’s worth noting that the Suzuki Jimny costs 1/3 of what the others cost and with some decent tires, a lift, and some diff lockers it would be quite the off-road honey badger. Watch Hammond take his Ranger Raptor to a meeting.
Subscribe to Ford Authority for more Ranger Raptor news and around-the-clock Ford news coverage.
Comments
I would still take the Suzuki, as mentioned better tires and a few tricks. I had a Samurai for ten years, “Mi Burro” could get into and out of places those bigger vehicles could only dream of.
I agree ?, I have a 1991 sidekick that I have spent a total of $6,500 on and it would DESTROY that Ford and Jeep put together!
You are comparing $75,000.00 vehicles to a $25,000.00 vehicle. If you put $20,000.00 into the Suzuki (overall cost $45,000.00) it will chew those other two up and spit them out.
The Jimny has too short of a wheelbase and is to narrow to be a serious offroader, it’s more of a light duty tourer. In the North American market for 50K in US Dollars for a 2 door Wrangler Rubicon and a 2 inch lift and 35 inch tires and front/rear bumper and a winch and then compare that to a 50K in US Dollars Suzuki Jimny build you would voiding the Jimny’s warranty and it still couldn’t compete.
In the USA, we got the T6 Ranger tooling from OZ, ours is a brand new 8 year-old truck. We don’t have a regular cab, and the only powertrain is a retuned, 2.3L EcoBoost four found in the Mustang EcoBoost model (actually works pretty well), and a 10-speed automatic, rear locking diff available; open front only. No Ranger Raptor, yet, but there is a 4X4 Off Road Package that includes skid plates locking rear differential, and the all important decal. Rear seat in the Super Crew is the worst folding vs Tacoma, GM Colorado/Canyon, Jeep Renegade.
Late 2021(2022 model year) we’re hoping for a major redesign to coincide with the debut of the Bronco, which will run the same structure. We also get a gen 4 Escape-derived so-called “Baby Bronco” next year
For now, there is a growing aftermarket for better OR tires, suspension parts, lift kits lighting, etc.