Garmin Overlander vs phone running Tracks4Africa — which nav setup for SA trails?
Running the Ford Ranger Raptor for 11 months now, 26473km on the clock including 5 proper off-road trips. Here is my honest take.
The good: the off-road capability straight from factory surprised me. I have done Sani Pass, Baviaanskloof and multiple Kruger trips without a single mechanical issue. The 2.8L turbodiesel is 9L/100km on tar if you keep it under 120km/h.
The bad: the dealer experience left something to be desired. Also the dealer here in Bloemfontein could learn something about customer service, but that is a SA-wide problem not specific to this brand.
Mods I have done: ARB Summit bull bar (R10k fitted), OME BP51 shocks (R16k fitted), MaxTrax recovery boards, and a Engel MR040 fridge. Total spend on mods: around R68k. Worth every cent.
Price paid at my Bloemfontein dealer was R680,000 — they threw in a full tank and floor mats. Finance rate was 11.5% over 72 months which is the reality of SA interest rates in 2025.
Would buy it again. Happy to go into detail on any specific aspect.
5 Replies
Interesting points on the dealer experience. I had the same in Bloemfontein — 10 week wait for a service part that should have been in stock. This is why I budget for a proper extended warranty and use an independent workshop that specialises in 4x4s rather than the franchise dealer.
— boetie_botha
The fuel consumption figures you mention match what I see. The V6 Raptor is fine on tar if you stay under 120. The issue for me is long-range touring — I fitted a Brown Davis 99L long-range tank to solve the range anxiety completely.
Running the Ford Ranger Raptor for 11 months now, 26473km on the clock including 5 proper off-road trips. Here is my honest take.
The good: the off-road capability straight from factory surprised me. I have done Sani Pass, Baviaanskloof and multiple Kruger trips without a single mechanical issue. The 2.8L turbodiesel is 9L/100km on tar if you keep it under 120km/h.
The bad: the dealer experience left something to be desired. Also the dealer here in Bloemfontein could learn something about customer service, but that is a SA-wide problem not specific to this brand.
Mods I have done: ARB Summit bull bar (R10k fitted), OME BP51 shocks (R16k fitted), MaxTrax recovery boards, and a Engel MR040 fridge. Total spend on mods: around R68k. Worth every cent.
Price paid at my Bloemfontein dealer was R680,000 — they threw in a full tank and floor mats. Finance rate was 11.5% over 72 months which is the reality of SA interest rates in 2025.
Would buy it again. Happy to go into detail on any specific aspect.
— riaan_bezuidenhout
Good honest review. My experience with the Raptor has been similar — the factory setup is better off-road than the road testers give it credit for. The tyres are always the first thing that needs changing regardless of which bakkie you buy.
Interesting points on the dealer experience. I had the same in Bloemfontein — 10 week wait for a service part that should have been in stock. This is why I budget for a proper extended warranty and use an independent workshop that specialises in 4x4s rather than the franchise dealer.
The fuel consumption figures you mention match what I see. The AT35 diesel is fine on tar if you stay under 120. The issue for me is long-range touring — I fitted a Brown Davis 80L long-range tank to solve the range anxiety completely.
On the mod budget — R91k sounds like a lot but if you are amortising it over 8 years of serious use, it works out to less than R1,000 per month. And the safety improvement in a real recovery situation is not something you can put a price on.