ATN #418

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The Gladiator has a sense of adventure to its layout tasked with 2,332kg of Raptor. The massive BF Goodrich rubber does not help, either, and is a genuine liability under brakes, with the Ford taking a truly appalling 46.16m to stop from 100km/h in the dry and a diabolical 61.45m in the wet. Yet, it’s not the worst. The Gladiator Rubicon, wearing the same rubber as the Ranger Raptor, takes a slightly better (damning with faint praise) 44.2m to stop in the dry but a whopping 66m in the wet. It seems to sail across the surface like it is coated in Teflon, accompanied by the furious yet fruitless attempts of the ABS to find grip. Of course, tyres make a huge difference in these sort of tests and this is the price to be paid for off-road prowess. That in itself is fine, as long as buyers and drivers understand the level of compromise that this focused rubber requires. Put it this way: at the point at which the BT-50 Thunder has stopped in the wet, the Gladiator is still traveling 44.8km/h. The Jeep is somewhat more alarming as it is capable of genuine pace, the grunty 209kW/347Nm 3.6-litre V6 propelling it to 100km/h in 9.18 seconds and from 60–100km/h in 5.2 seconds, accompanied by a howl that is not a million miles away from a Nissan 370Z. Its heavy off-road focus costs it dynamically – there’s a reason no sports cars use solid axles at both ends – with lifeless steering, ponderous handling and a loose, top-heavy feeling through tight turns. The on-road ride is poor, but switch to gravel and the situation improves; the Gladiator shrugging off road imperfections and the electronic speed controller (ESC) keeping everything pointed in the right direction. A predilection towards the rough stuff does not automatically mean sacrificing on-road manners, though. Ford’s flagship Raptor is head and shoulders above the rest dynamically. Its substantial weight and all-terrain tyres cost it in terms of outright handling, but its tuning instils a sense of confidence combined with truly plush ride quality. The HiLux is a strong performer, its upgraded 150kW/500Nm engine feeling enthusiastically grunty. Granted, 0–100km/h in 10.7 seconds is not going to set too many hearts racing. But, with competitive overtaking acceleration (60–100km/h in 5.8 seconds), it feels stronger than the numbers suggest. It struggles to arrest itself as impressively, though; its 39.7m dry effort from 100km/h is okay but the 57.5m wet result is poor. OFF-ROAD RIDE Previous versions of Toyota’s best-selling ute have seemed incapable of possessing both decent dynamics and a comfy ride, but the recent facelift’s steering modifications make it quite a nimble handler, cornering with accuracy and control. You could almost call it fun. Away from smooth roads, however, the stiff suspension results in a jittery ride that feels agricultural compared to the far more sophisticated Raptor. Road and tyre noise are also ever-present and the ESC is far too intrusive on loose surfaces. There are dual-cabs with worse ride and refinement issues, but none that command the elevated price tag of the HiLux. The script flips completely off-road. No vehicle is more of a candidate for larger tyres than the Rugged X, but that is its only letdown off-road. The HiLux traction control is first class, pulling it through everything, even on small highway tyres, and 4x4 activation was quick and easy with excellent low-range gearing. But even the Toyota’s excellence is no match for the Jeep. In terms of pure off-road prowess, you would be hard-pressed to find a more capable vehicle than the Gladiator Rubicon. Front and rear locking differentials, tremendous low-range gearing, a disconnecting front anti-roll bar and mud terrain tyres are a recipe for success. The Gladiator is a bit long for some tight tracks, but it never appears to even lose traction. Engaging 4x4 is simple via an old-school lever and the Jeep is only some larger tyres and a slight suspension lift away from being completely unstoppable off-road. Undermining the Raptor’s off-road ability is its width. This not only hampers it on narrow tracks but it means it will not sit in the wheel ruts of other vehicles. Apart from this, it makes a strong case, with easy 4x4 engagement, various traction control modes to play with, those fantastic seats and great traction thanks to those chunky tyres. While it is not as outright capable as the Jeep, it is still very accomplished and an absolute hoot to drive, eating washouts for breakfast. Mazda has pitched the Thunder more as a weekender than a hardcore off-roader but its D-Max underpinnings mean it is still capable. The traction control cannot match the HiLux but the rear diff lock gets you out of trouble and the engine produces plenty of torque down low. Only the firm suspension offers room for improvement – something easily fixed via the aftermarket. Top: The Jeep Gladiator Rubicon rides better off- than on-road Below: The Ford Ranger Raptor’s stopping distances are a letdown 88 <strong>ATN</strong> July 2021 FULLYLOADED.COM.AU
SPECIFICATIONS Ford Ranger Raptor Jeep Gladiator Rubicon Mazda BT-50 Thunder Toyota HiLux Rugged X BODY Four-door, five-seat ute BODY Four-door, five-seat ute BODY Four-door, five-seat ute BODY Four-door, five-seat ute DRIVE Rear-/all-wheel drive ENGINE 1,995cc four-cylinder diesel, DOHC, 16v, twin-turbo BORE/STROKE 84 x 90mm COMPRESSION 16:1 POWER 157kW @ 3,750rpm TORQUE 500Nm @1,750–2,000rpm FUEL ECONOMY 8.2L/100km (claimed/ combined) 0-100KM/H 10.85 seconds (tested) WEIGHT 2342kg POWER/WEIGHT 67kW/tonne TRANSMISSION 10-speed automatic TOWING 2,500kg (braked) SUSPENSION Double wishbones, coil springs, anti-roll bar (f) Watts-link, coil springs (r) L/W/H 5,398/2,028/1,873mm WHEELBASE 3,220mm TRACKS 1,710mm (f/r) STEERING Electrically assisted rackand-pinion BRAKES 332mm ventilated discs, two-piston calipers (f); 332mm ventilated discs, single-piston calipers (r) WHEELS 17 x 8.5-inch TYRES 285/70 R17 116/113S BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 PRICE $77,190 DRIVE Rear-/all-wheel drive ENGINE 3,604cc V6, DOHC, 24v BORE/STROKE 96 x 83mm COMPRESSION 11:3:1 POWER 209kW @ 6,400rpm TORQUE 347Nm @ 4,100rpm FUEL ECONOMY 12.4L/100km (claimed/ combined) 0-100KM/H 9.18 seconds (tested) WEIGHT 2,215kg POWER/WEIGHT 94kW/tonne TRANSMISSION Eight-speed automatic TOWING 750kg (unbraked); 2,721kg (braked) SUSPENSION Solid axle, link coil, leading arms, track bar, coil springs, stabiliser bar (f) solid axle, link coil, trailing arms, track bar, coil springs, stabiliser bar (r) L/W/H 5,591/1,894/1,909mm WHEELBASE 3,488mm TRACKS 1,636mm (f/r) STEERING Hydraulically assisted rackand-pinion BRAKES 330mm ventilated discs, two-piston calipers (f); 345mm ventilated discs, single-piston calipers (r) WHEELS 17 x 7.5-inch (f/r) TYRES 255/75 R17 111/1080 BFGoodrich mud terrain T/A KM2 DRIVE Rear-/all-wheel drive ENGINE 2,999cc inline-four cylinder diesel, DOHC, 16v, turbo POWER 140kW @ 3,600rpm TORQUE 450Nm @ 1,600–2,600rpm FUEL ECONOMY 8.0L/100km (auto combined/ claimed) 0–100KM/H 10.84 seconds (tested) WEIGHT 2,213kg POWER/WEIGHT 63kW/tonne TRANSMISSION Six-speed automatic TOWING 750kg (unbraked); 3,500kg (braked) PAYLOAD 887kg L/W/H 5,470/1,880/1,790mm WHEELBASE 3125mm TRACKS 1,570mm (f/r) SUSPENSION Struts, A-arms, coil springs, anti-roll bar (f), leaf springs, dampers, anti-roll bar (r) STEERING Electrically assisted rackand-pinion BRAKES 320mm ventilated discs, single-piston calipers (f); 295mm rear drums (r) WHEELS 18 x 7.5-inch (f/r) TYRES 265/60 R18 110T (f/r) Bridgestone Dueler H/T 684II PRICE $65,990 (manual); $68,990 (auto) DRIVE Rear-/all-wheel drive ENGINE 2,755cc inline-four cylinder diesel, DOHC, 16v, turbo BORE/STROKE 92 x 103.6mm COMPRESSION 15.6:1 POWER 150kW @ 3,400rpm TORQUE 500Nm @ 2,800rpm FUEL ECONOMY 8.4L/100km (claimed/ combined) 0-100KM/H 10.7 second (tested) WEIGHT 2,316kg POWER/WEIGHT 65kW/tonne TRANSMISSION Six-speed automatic TOWING 750kg (unbraked); 3,500kg (unbraked) SUSPENSION Double wishbones, coil springs, anti-roll bar (f), live axle; leaf spring (r) L/W/H 5,350/1,935/1,815mm WHEELBASE 3,085mm TRACKS 1,535/1,550mm (f/r) STEERING Hydraulically assisted rackand-pinion BRAKES 319mm ventilated disc, single-piston calipers (f), 295mm drums (r) WHEELS 18 x 7.5-inch (f/r) TYRES 265/65 R17 112S AT25 Dunlop Grandtrek PRICE $69,990 PRICE $76,450 FULLYLOADED.COM.AU July 2021 <strong>ATN</strong> 89
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ATN #418

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