PRACTICALLY SPEAKING: FORD RANGER RAPTOR

RAPTOR REVEALS A MELLOWER, MORE UTILITARIAN SIDE

- ALEX INWOOD

IN MOST CARS, getting in, starting it up and driving off is a straightforward procedure. In a Ranger Raptor, however, you have options to consider. How loud would you like your exhaust, for example? And how heavy should the steering be? Would you like Normal dampers, or perhaps Sport? And where would you like the power to go? All four wheels? Or just the back two?

Ford's engineers are proud that their burly dual-cab can rival a noughties BMW M Car for drive mode configurability (there's still only one setting for the gearbox mind you, not three like an F10 M5), but it only took me a few days to decide which of the Raptor's settings suit me best.

My start-up routine is as follows: ignition on, drive mode to Sport, exhaust to Baja, traction control off and 2H for the four-wheel-drive system. So noisy, rear-driven and a touch oversteery as 'TC off' gives you a decent amount of slip - especially in the wet on BF Goodrich all-terrains - before safely reining you back in if you get too excited.

As you can imagine, however, driving a loud, bright orange dual cab with the rear axle wriggling around every time you press the throttle isn't always the best look, so this month I've taken to exploring the Raptor's more sensible side. Keeping the four-wheel-drive system in 4-Auto, for example, instantly tames the tail-happy handling. And by leaving the Drive Mode in Normal, the powertrain loses its frenzied edge and settles into a more relaxed yet still responsive state.