As opposed to the United States where the 2.3-liter EcoBoost is the only engine available in the Ranger, the United Kingdom relies on three diesel mills. The pickup truck in the featured video features the most basic of powertrains, as in the single-turbo diesel that cranks out 170 ps (168 hp).
Torque isn’t shabby either at 420 Nm (310 pound-feet) from 1,500 through 2,500 revolutions per minute. Fitted with a six-speed manual transmission, a low-range mode, and a rear locking differential, the Ranger leaves a bit to be desired in one particular department. I’m referring to the Continental CrossContact M+S 255/70 R16 tires, which are fine in daily driving scenarios but not suited for a tug of war on grassy (and muddy) terrain.
The first challenger is a more powerful but less torquey van in the guise of a Transit Custom. It’s also heavier than the mid-size workhorse, and its towing capability isn’t as good. The MS-RT variant also happens to feature low-profile road tires, which clearly aren’t appropriate for this confrontation. Not surprising anyone, the Smurf blue-painted van loses.
As you can tell from the headline, the next challenger is a bit more serious. It’s yet another Ford, an F-150 Raptor from the previous generation with a few look-at-me upgrades that include massive Nitto Ridge Grappler tires.
The full-size pickup also happens to be the only gasoline-fed vehicle of the three. Just like the current generation, we’re dealing with a 3.5-liter V6 that produces 510 pound-feet (691 Nm) and way more horsepower. The modded F-150 Raptor is a rather heavy fellow as well, hence the Ranger’s defeat.
But what happens when the Ranger and Transit Custom MS-RT join forces? Well, as it happens, the proverbial Davids manage to take down Goliath.
The F-150 Raptor may not be available in the United Kingdom where Carwow and Mat Watson are based, but you can still get one if you know where to look. Clive Sutton, for example, has three listed for sale at the moment of writing. The most affordable is a 2018 model with an asking price of 68,000 pounds sterling, translating to $91,020 freedom monies.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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