Ford Ranger Raptor vs Nissan Patrol Warrior 2026 Comparison

Serious capability doesn’t come cheap, particularly as the Ford Ranger Raptor and Nissan Patrol Warrior off-road 4x4s have been subject to price rises in recent times.

From its launch price of $85,490 plus on-road costs (ORCs), the Ranger Raptor now costs $90,690 (+ORCs) for MY26.

Add $750 for metallic paint (any colour other than white) and $3900 for the powered roller shutter and you’re looking at $95,340 (+ORCs) for our test car.

There’s been bigger hikes over at Nissan, the Patrol Warrior increasing from $101,600 (+ORCs) at its October 2023 launch to $110,660 (+ORCs) today. Although there have been some significant specification upgrades and it's still less than the $113,900 (+ORCs) Nissan charged for the top-spec Ti-L in 2012, which equates to more than $160,000 today!

The only option on the Nissan Patrol 4WD is paint at $995, though in this case it’s grey that’s the standard choice, so our black test car is $111,655 (+ORCs) all-in.

As the de facto range-topper, the Ford Ranger Raptor comes stacked to the gills with equipment, though it does omit the heated steering wheel and ventilated front seats (with 10-way adjustment) of the Ranger Platinum dual-cab ute.

There’s heated and eight-way power-adjustable front seats, dual-zone climate control, Matrix LED headlights, instrument panel cup holders, a 10-speaker B&O stereo, bespoke steering wheel with shift paddles, a pair of 400-Watt AC outlets and five USB ports dotted around the cabin.

This is in addition to the substantial mechanical upgrades, including 17-inch wheels with 285/70 BF Goodrich off-road tyres, unique Sport, Baja and Rock Crawl drive modes, adjustable Fox suspension, bi-modal exhaust, front and rear mechanical locking diffs, dual recovery points front and rear, a strengthened box section frame, stronger power steering motor and unique coil-sprung, Watts link rear end.

To increase the capability of the Nissan Patrol Warrior, Aussie engineering gurus Premcar increased the ride height by 50mm and the tracks by 40mm while adding 18-inch wheels wrapped in monstrous 295/70 Yokohama Geolander tyres.

Unique springs and bumpstops work with the retuned Hydraulic Body Motion Control suspension system and there’s a new bash plate (complete with Warrior lettering) and bi-modal side-exit exhaust that gives the petrol V8 a bassier voice.

The Warrior is based on the lower-spec Ti but still comes with LED headlights, leather accented seats, a 10-way power adjustable driver’s seat, eight-way power-adjustable passenger’s seat, tri-zone climate control, six-speaker stereo, four USB ports and a trio of 12-volt power outlets.

It is a shame a Ti-L based Warrior couldn’t be offered, as you miss out on some handy gear, including a power tailgate, sunroof, memory driver’s seat, 13-speaker Bose stereo, heated/cooled front seats, centre console cool box and an adjustable steering column.

Ford offers a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, which Nissan matches but will extend to 10 years and 300,000km if you service at an official Nissan dealer. Impressive.

There’s up to 10 years of roadside assistance, too.

On the other hand, capped price servicing for the Ranger Raptor is a remarkably low $1596 for the first five visits (including brake fluid) which are required every 12-months or 15,000km.

Not only is the Patrol Warrior more expensive at $2495 for the first five visits plus $75 for brake fluid every two years, but the service intervals are every 12-months or 10,000km, whichever comes first, so you’ll potentially be back to the dealer more often.

Neither the Ford Ranger Raptor nor Nissan Patrol Warrior carry an official rating from ANCAP, the latter due to its age and the former due to its substantial engineering differences to the base Ranger, which does have a five-star rating.

Nevertheless, both have impressive safety credentials, even the Patrol, thanks to a sizeable safety upgrade as part of its mid-life update.

Indeed, the Nissan 4WD has curtain airbags for all three rows, adaptive cruise control, 360-degree surround view cameras, autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot warning and intervention, lane-keep warning and intervention and rear cross-traffic alert.

Both middle-row outboard seats have ISOFIX points and top tethers, as does the driver’s side seat in the third row.

The Ranger set new standards for dual-cab safety when it was launched and it still stacks up well today, with nine airbags (including a front-centre airbag), adaptive cruise control with stop and go, lane centring and traffic sign recognition, intelligent speed assist, blind-spot monitoring with cross-traffic alert and trailer coverage and autonomous emergency braking.

Kudos to Ford for providing individual top tethers for the outboard rear seats instead of the single central tether, in addition to ISOFIX points, but it remains difficult to get a child seat secured to a satisfactory degree.

Both cars have front and rear parking sensors and tyre pressure monitoring, the latter proving particularly useful in the early identification of a leaking tyre in the Patrol Warrior while off road, allowing firmer ground to be found for the change.

Until recently, this was a section of the comparison that would strike fear into the Nissan Patrol Warrior. An update in 2024 changed that with a locally developed infotainment system, but true salvation came in 2025 with the adoption of the far more modern US-spec centre dash and a 7.0-inch TFT screen nestled between the analogue dials.

It’s not the most cutting edge of units, but it still completely transforms the experience compared to the initial offering that looked every bit its 2010 vintage.

Not only is the 12.3-inch screen much larger, it includes wireless smartphone mirroring, contemporary satellite navigation and having the wireless smartphone charger behind a flap in the dash helps keep devices secure in the rough stuff.

The TFT screen has an off-road monitor that can display vehicle and tyre angle and tyre slip alerts, in addition to trip information.

In the Ford Ranger Raptor it’s the familiar portrait-style 12.0-inch infotainment screen with wireless smartphone mirroring, SYNC (4A) operating system with voice activation, satellite navigation with a year of complimentary connected navigation services, an embedded modem and app connectivity.

The Raptor is also one of two Rangers to score the full-width 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster that has pretty snazzy vehicle graphics, especially when changing drive modes.

While there’s little separating the outright outputs of the Ford Ranger Raptor and Nissan Patrol Warrior, they go about generating thrust in very different ways.

The Ford uses a 3.5-litre petrol V6 boosted by two turbochargers to produce 292kW at 5650rpm and 583Nm at 3500rpm, while the Nissan relies on cubic inches with a 5.6-litre V8 developing 298kW at 5800rpm and 560Nm at 4000rpm.

Both use traditional automatic gearboxes – 10 gears for the Ranger, seven for the Patrol – and offer full-time all-wheel drive, though the Raptor can also drive just the rear wheels to reduce mechanical drag and save some fuel, however...

It would probably be easier just to skip this section.

These are large, heavy vehicles with lots of power and thus the best advice we can offer regarding fuel consumption is when it runs out, put more in.

For what it’s worth, the Ford Ranger Raptor is the more frugal with a claimed combined consumption of 11.5L/100km, while during its time with us the trip computer hovered around the 13.5L/100km mark.

Heavy use or towing will send this well into 20L/100km territory. On the plus side, it will accept 91 RON fuel with a slight performance downgrade.

Judged by how quickly the fuel needle moves, the Nissan Patrol Warrior seems relatively efficient, but this is only because it has a giant 140-litre tank.

Its combined claim is 14.4L/100km and its average during this test was 19.2L/100km. Towing will increase this again.

Combine this with a need for premium 98 RON fuel and you’re looking at a wallet-melting $300-plus every time you need to fill up.

While they have been designed primarily to excel where the tarmac runs out, the Ford Ranger Raptor and Nissan Patrol Warrior will still spend the majority of their lives on the black stuff.

Happily, the modifications that improve them off-road also improve them on road – generally speaking. Though let’s deal with the compromise first.

Both cars wear aggressive off-road rubber and this reduces grip on tarmac, especially in the wet.

The open lug patterns that allow them to claw through loose surfaces so effectively means there’s less tyre in contact with the road on a hard surface and this needs to be taken into account, especially when both – particularly the Patrol – are so big and heavy.

That aside, there’s plenty to commend them.

The Raptor feels different to a regular Ranger the moment the wheels start to turn; it might sound like a crazy comparison, but it’s the same way a GT3 feels different to a regular 911.

There’s greater connection and accuracy and its this inherent control that gives you confidence.

The Raptor rides a little firmer than the magic carpet of its diesel-powered predecessor, but the added body control is necessary given horsepower has almost doubled.

Body shake is reduced compared to your typical dual-cab and there’s the fact that you don’t need to slow down for any speed bump (ever!), the clever Fox shocks soaking up the hits with incredible proficiency.

Not everyone is a fan of the way the Raptor sounds, but personally it’s about context. If my supercar had this exhaust note I’d be seriously underwhelmed, but compared to your typical four-cylinder diesel dual-cab it’s a symphony.

The Ford team benchmarked the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Q and they really aren’t far apart.

When it comes to sound, however, you can’t beat eight cylinders in a vee. Derided by diesel lovers when new, the 5.6-litre V8 in the Y62 Patrol is now a huge part of its recent sales success.

It might drink with the enthusiasm of a 1980s cricketer on a long-haul flight, but it makes a wonderful roar as the revs pile on, something that’s needed to get nearly three tonnes of Nissan moving.

The weighty hydraulic power steering is the primary giveaway as to the Patrol’s advanced age, but otherwise it’s remarkable how well the driving experience stacks up more than 15 years after it was first revealed.

It doesn’t have the athleticism of the Raptor, but it counters with greater ride comfort thanks to the hydraulically interlinked dampers, a system used by the McLaren 750S, Land Rover Defender OCTA and Audi RS6.

Like in the Ranger, you can vault speed humps at unabated speed without even spilling a drop of your coffee and it makes the Patrol a great touring vehicle.

This is where the Ford Ranger Raptor and Nissan Patrol Warrior are intended to shine and both do so, albeit in slightly different ways.

When it comes to production off-roaders, the two greatest shortcomings are usually tyres and ground clearance, so the Patrol’s enormous 323mm of ground clearance – 51mm more than the Raptor, which itself is 38mm higher than a standard Ranger – and Yokohama Geolanders make it almost unstoppable.

And this is before you start adjusting the drive modes, using low range or engaging the rear diff lock. Yep, it’s a genuine rock-crusher.

On faster roads the suspension shrugs off large potholes and washouts while retaining body control, the tyres dig into the road to provide grip and confidence, the brakes hold up well and it’s remarkable how quickly this behemoth can be hustled.

Some steering corruption over bumps is the only slight shortcoming.

But when it comes to off-road performance, nothing can touch the Ranger Raptor. It handles like a giant rally car; in rear-wheel drive it’s like a well set-up Commodore, in all-wheel drive it’s like a giant Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution.

For its size it’s incredibly agile, so controllable and extremely fast.

The all-wheel drive system lets it to pivot mid-corner and exit with a touch of power oversteer, the special ABS calibration allows it to stop incredibly well and like the Patrol you barely notice giant divots in the road at speed and the 10-speed gearbox means there’s a gear for every corner.

You can also save your favourite combination of settings for the steering, engine, driveline, suspension and exhaust to the ‘R’ (for Raptor) button on the steering wheel, a touch similar to what you’d find in a BMW M or Audi RS model.

The only downside is that driving it to its potential eviscerates the BG Goodrich tyres in short order, which could prove an expensive habit.

It’s equally adept on slower speed, more technical off-road too, thanks to dual locking diffs and clever electronics that can set the car up for various terrains at the turn of a dial.

If you need to lug heavy stuff, whether in the vehicle or behind it, there is only one option here. The Nissan Patrol Warrior might weigh a hefty 2858kg unladen, but a 120kg Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) upgrade over the standard Patrol still gives it up to 762kg of payload.

The 3500kg maximum braked towing capacity is also unaffected and the 7000kg Gross Combined Mass (GCM). This means there’s still 642kg of payload headroom if you’re towing at full weight.

The 2479kg Ford has a maximum payload of 651kg, but unlike the rest of the Ranger range, the Raptor is limited to 2500kg braked towing. A 5370kg GCM limits you to 391kg of payload at maximum towing, though that figure still isn’t bad compared to some other utes out there.

Also missing from the Raptor are the side steps for the tub (the exhausts are in the way) and the adjustable aluminium tiedown rails, but if you need proper hauling capability, buy a Wildtrak.

Being two completely different types of cars, it’s like comparing apples and oranges when it comes to the inside of the 2026 Ford Ranger Raptor and 2026 Nissan Patrol Warrior.

The Nissan is cavernous, with acres of space in the second row and (with a little trick) enough space in the third row for adults, at least for short journeys.

Lock the third row in place and it’s very squishy, but you can recline them further which also lowers and moves the seat base back, liberating more head and leg room. Three across would still be a struggle though, even for older kids.

Last year’s interior update knocks a decade off the Patrol’s age. That still makes it about five years from current, but that’s a big improvement over 15.

You sit very high and some of the materials like the steering wheel leather date it, not to mention the foot-operated park brake, but all the horrendous plastic wood has been banished. The Premcar-added suede that replaces it works well, leather covers surfaces that you might expect to be plastic so all in all, it’s a decent environment.

The second- and third-rows offer 60:40 split flexibility, there are four cupholders and eight bottle holders spread around the cabin and luggage space is gargantuan.

Even with all three rows up there’s 467 litres of cargo space in the back, expanding to 1413 litres in five-seat guise and 2623 litres with both rear rows folded. Without power operation, the tailgate is very heavy, though.

In general, the Raptor is typical Ranger fare. That’s not a criticism, given the Ford Ranger is one of the more thoughtfully designed dual-cab utes out there, and the seats front and rear are upgraded and the orange vent surrounds are a nice touch.

Being a higher-end variant, there are soft-touch door tops, hidden cup holders in the dash and dual gloveboxes, too.

Space in the back is decent and there are at least air vents and USB ports, something you won’t necessarily find in lower variants, while under the seat bench is more storage.

There are very good reasons to buy a 2026 Nissan Patrol Warrior. If you need to carry lots of people or tow masses of weight, it’s the only suitable option here but you still have excellent on-road comfort, exceptional off-road capability and a growling V8 under the bonnet that consistently puts a smile on your face.

It may have increased in price recently, but the interior upgrades make it a more much realistic ownership proposition and it’s still almost $40,000 cheaper than a 2026 toyota LandCruiser GR Sport.

But if we’re talking fun, the burly Nissan can’t hold a candle to the Ford Ranger Raptor. In the environment for which it was designed, few things can.

And for all that it’s also the best Ranger you can buy in terms of on-road manners.

Certainly, you take a hit when it comes to outright ute capability – it's not something you’d choose to tow a caravan around Australia, for instance.

But it’s a remarkable vehicle and proves that when it comes to mixing work and play, no one does it better than the Aussies.

2026 Ford Ranger Raptor at a glance:
Price: $90,690 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: 3.5-litre six-cylinder twin-turbo-petrol
Outputs: 292kW/583Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Fuel: 11.5L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 262g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Unrated

2026 Nissan Patrol Warrior at a glance:
Price: $110,600 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: 5.6-litre V8
Outputs: 298kW/560Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic
Fuel: 14.4L/100km
CO2: 334g/km
Safety Rating: Unrated

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