2024 Ford Ranger vs 2023 Jeep Gladiator

What's the difference?

The Ford Ranger Raptor is a purpose-built adventure ute. It is comfortable to drive on-road and very capable off-road. 

It’s a high-end, high-performance ute with a V6 engine, an upgraded suspension set-up and drive modes aimed at making it a built-for-purpose adventure machine.

It is, however, laser-focused on doing one thing supremely well – driving at speed on unsealed surfaces – and that means it falls short in a few other areas. 

It's day-to-day drivability is less than ideal because of its size and fuel consumption and it lacks some potential as a touring 4WD because of its payload and the fact its towing capacity is below the industry standard.

But those factors aren't going to sway someone who is truly keen for the fun and thrills of driving a Raptor. 

Gladiator Rubicon buyers must be prepared to accept a high purchase price, poor ANCAP rating, thirsty petrol engine, noisy tyres, small payload and cramped driver’s footwell. However, it can uniquely strip down for open air off-road driving, offers outstanding all-terrain capability, a wonderfully cushioned ride on and off-road and lots of quirky appeal. Whether that’s enough to sway a tradie in choosing it over a HiLux, Ranger etc for the dual roles of weekday workhorse and weekend escape machine, only a tradie can decide.