I'm shopping and have few questions.

[XCELLR8]

Hello. I'm looking into the 6G Ranger and have a couple questions. I trying to decide between the 2.7 or the 3.0 V6. I feel the 2.7 would be just fine as it is only 30 ft/lb short of the 3.0, but is the 90 HP worth the price of a Raptor. How much different does the FX4 package ride vs the Raptor's Fox setup? Are there differences in the seats between the XLT, Lariat, or Raptor? I'm asking about foam comfort, not cloth vs leather.

Any input is appreciated.

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[superj]

Welcome!

I am surprised this did not get a ton of answers very quickly. Everyone must be at work.

I cannot help though as i have the 2.3 and never even considered any v6. I did consider the xlt but i couldnt justify the price to have only one option my wife would use out of all the differences between an xl and xlt. She wanted heated seats the rest would have never gotten use.

But, the ride on the rangers are so nice. You have probably test driven and found that out already though

 

[stemplar]

Test drive them. Seriously.

Choosing between a Lariat fx4 and a Raptor, to me, doesn't come down to the number of horsepower under the hood. Any of the three engine choices will get the job done, and the 2.7 is really close to the 3.0 if you care about 0-60 and crap like that. I'm of the opinion that it really comes down to how you plan to use the truck: the regular rangers have significantly better towing capacity and the leaf springs lend themselves to better composure when towing near limits. The Raptor is simply unbeatable at serious off-roading, especially where the speeds are higher (ie baja). The raptor sits higher, so if you're using the truck as a family hauler most days, take the family to the dealer and see how "convenient" each is to climb into or out of. If you care about fuel economy, I think in the real world the 2.3 beats the 2.7, and both kill the 3.0.

They're all different tools for different jobs.

 

[Yonder_MN]

As above, drive 'em all! But the real question regarding it will be full-time 4x4 or part-time. I had to go 2.7 and Lariat, as that was my driving pattern.

Good luck with your decision process!

 

[evance]

I went back and forth on my decision for a while too. It was between the Raptor Ranger, the Lariat FX4 2.7, and the XLT Sport 2.7. In the end, I went with the XLT 2.7.

Power – The 2.7 is more than enough. Even the 2.3 surprised me with how peppy it felt. I ended up going with the 2.7 over the 2.3 mostly because I noticed the 10-speed transmission didn’t seem to hunt for gears as much. Another big plus for me was that the 2.7 EcoBoost has both direct and port injection, which helps with carbon buildup over time.

There are still a bunch of press releases saying the 2024 Raptor’s 3.0 has port and direct injection, but that’s not true. It’s come up here on the forums a few times. I’m not sure if the 2025 3.0 has been updated to include both, but I know the 2025 2.3 EcoBoost has. If I had gone with the 3.0, I would’ve added a catch can. I still think about adding one with my 2.7, honestly.

One thing to keep in mind: the Raptor has reduced tow and payload capacity. The Raptor can tow 5,510 lbs and carry 1,375 lbs. The 4x4 2.3 and 2.7 trucks are both rated at 7,500 lbs towing. Payload is 1,711 lbs for the 2.3 and 1,542 lbs for the 2.7

Seats – The XLT cloth seats were the most comfortable to me. The foam felt softer and more supportive, maybe because the fabric has a bit more give. I’m sure leather would break in over time, but for me, the cloth just felt better right out of the gate. Honestly, I think it was a miss on Ford’s part not to offer cooled seats in the Lariat or Raptor—that might’ve swayed me.

Suspension – I preferred the sport suspension on the road over the FX4. It just felt more planted on the freeway. The Raptor rides really soft and comfortably too, but I didn’t get a chance to take any of them off-road. I had all these dreams about off-road adventures in the Ranger, but realistically, I’m going to be on the pavement 95% of the time, and that’s what ultimately helped me decide. My plan was to save some cash and upgrade the shocks later on if I felt the need.

I lucked out and found a set of FX4 metal skid plates locally on Marketplace, and the XLT I bought already had the E-locker, so that sealed the deal for me.

You really can’t go wrong with whichever one you pick. That said, I am getting a weird engine knock-like sound in mine. Even with that, I would still buy another one in a heartbeat as I love the truck that much.

 

[Greglon]

For me, the Lariat Sport was the obvious choice. I like everything about the truck but two things: the console organizer and the rear seat headrests. (They don’t fold so you can drop the seat for flat storage.) I see lots of posts where people are trying to add all the things that come standard on the Lariat. I really like the looks of the Raptor, but I don’t climb stuff going to or coming home from work. You should get the model that makes sense for you. Happy trails (or highways)!

 

[markal49]

Hello. I'm looking into the 6G Ranger and have a couple questions. I trying to decide between the 2.7 or the 3.0 V6. I feel the 2.7 would be just fine as it is only 30 ft/lb short of the 3.0, but is the 90 HP worth the price of a Raptor. How much different does the FX4 package ride vs the Raptor's Fox setup? Are there differences in the seats between the XLT, Lariat, or Raptor? I'm asking about foam comfort, not cloth vs leather.

Any input is appreciated.

I have XLT and I find the seats uncomfortable. The side cushions on the base and back are too close together and it creates and unsupportive hole. Out of curiosity, I recently test drove a Lariat and Raptor. The Lariat seats weren't any better IMO. The Raptor seats were better though. They're flatter, more space between the side cushions, and more supportive. YMMV.

 

[mike burton]

I’m in Canada so the answer is incredibly obvious for me. The Raptor costs $20,000 more than the Lariat with FX4 with the 2.7. So, yup, I got that.
You can get the new performance tune for the 2. 7 and it will be every bit as impressive as a raptor on road… except. In addition the coil springs being better for dune jumping, they will be more compliant and comfy in most driving conditions. But they also mean less towing and “truck like” capacity.
I think they are all awesome and naturally I think they are the best current choice for a mid size truck but I will add- If you want a good truck, get the 2.7 with your preferred level of trim. If you want a sports car truck, get the 3.0

 

[Alaska Steve]

I recommend this organizer.

For me, the Lariat Sport was the obvious choice. I like everything about the truck but two things: the console organizer and the rear seat headrests. (They don’t fold so you can drop the seat for flat storage.) I see lots of posts where people are trying to add all the things that come standard on the Lariat. I really like the looks of the Raptor, but I don’t climb stuff going to or coming home from work. You should get the model that makes sense for you. Happy trails (or highways)!

 

[theweinerback]

Coming from a new Raptor owner, if I was looking for a practical mid size that checked all the comfort boxes, I would have gone with the 2.7. I'm coming from back to back Mustangs and my entire window shopping cycle was skewed because of it. I regret absolutely nothing about the Raptor and it's the best vehicle I've ever owned by a mile.

Check out one with the 2.7. It's probably not worth another 15-20k for the Raptor, but for me it is. Good luck!

 

[Texas Ranger]

Economy plane seats are more comfortable than the raptor driver seat which has the worst headrest I have ever had the displeasure of using.

You can turn on eco mode on your raptor with forscan but don’t expect mpgs not on the window sticker.

Cool little truck, can’t really mod for power or you’ll grenade the whole thing, can’t jump it or the non raptor bits will break. Decided this truck needed a 10 year warranty just from these forums. Farty exhaust

I like the way the truck looks …until a f150 raptor or Trx parks right next to it.

 

[ffcol]

Economy plane seats are more comfortable than the raptor driver seat which has the worst headrest I have ever had the displeasure of using.

You can turn on eco mode on your raptor with forscan but don’t expect mpgs not on the window sticker.

Cool little truck, can’t really mod for power or you’ll grenade the whole thing, can’t jump it or the non raptor bits will break. Decided this truck needed a 10 year warranty just from these forums. Farty exhaust

I like the way the truck looks …until a f150 raptor or Trx parks right next to it.

 

[Afsigma21]

Raptor has significantly LESSER tow capacity if that is important to you.
Non Raptors is 7500 lbs
Raptor is 5500 lbs

 

[RonM_TX]

Hello. I'm looking into the 6G Ranger and have a couple questions. I trying to decide between the 2.7 or the 3.0 V6. I feel the 2.7 would be just fine as it is only 30 ft/lb short of the 3.0, but is the 90 HP worth the price of a Raptor. How much different does the FX4 package ride vs the Raptor's Fox setup? Are there differences in the seats between the XLT, Lariat, or Raptor? I'm asking about foam comfort, not cloth vs leather.

Any input is appreciated.

I test drove an XLT 2.3, a 2.7 Lariat and a Raptor. For me the 2.3 was only adequate , the 2.7 was great, smooth power, the Raptor didn't seem much different from the 2.7. That said I bought the Raptor on value considerations. It was only $2000 more than the Lariat with FX4 package. Now driving the Raptor shows its effortless power at highway speeds. It cruises at 2000 rpm at 85 mph. I live in Texas, that's our normal Interstate speeds!
Comfort I found the Lariat the best compared the competition Frontier and Tacoma. The Raptor is a couple of notchs above in seating and ride quality if you like conforming seats compared to flat less bolstered seats in the Lariat.
Ride comfort I found the FX4 package didn't impact ride quality which was very good on all three on normal paved roads. The Raptor of course takes bumps, speed bumps, curbs, pot holes etc much better. No more quick evasive moves to miss potholes or slowing for speed bumps! Also the Raptor handles better, definitely not how you would expect a truck to handle.
You really need to test drive each and form your own opinion. But for me having owned Fords starting in the 1970s ( yes, I'm old ) I find Ford has taken all the models downward. The Lariat would have been an XLT in previous generations, the XLT would have been an XL or Custom trim. I expected the Lariat to be much nicer for the price of $55K. For me I normally buy the XLT but I couldn't get past the rental car feel.
To answer your question on seats the Raptor seats are the best for me. The best analogy I can give is it is like you are in a baseball glove. The Lariat are more like sitting on a firm supportive couch.

 

[Afsigma21]

I think you can still get deals on Lariat. I paid $43k for a used one with 5k miles, which was basically new. I found several used under 5k miles when looking.

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