Compare the2026 Jeep GladiatorVS 2026 Ford Ranger Raptor

Full-time four-wheel drive is optional on the Gladiator. Full-time four-wheel drive gives added traction for safety in all conditions, not just off-road, like the only system available on the Ranger Raptor.

Both the Gladiator and the Ranger Raptor have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, rearview cameras, available crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Jeep Gladiator is safer than the Ford Ranger Raptor:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH moderate front offset crash tests on new cars. In this updated test, results indicate that the Gladiator is much safer than the Ranger Raptor:

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4189-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Jeep Gladiator is safer than the Ranger Raptor:

The Gladiator has a solid front axle with a floating power axle for durability that the Ranger Raptor’s independent front suspension and exposed front driveshafts don’t offer.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Gladiator has a standard 240-amp alternator. The Ranger Raptor’s 150-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Gladiator first among midsize pickups in their 2025 Initial Quality Study. The Ranger Raptor isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Jeep vehicles are better in initial quality than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Jeep above average in initial quality. With 7 more problems per 100 vehicles, Ford is rated below average.

On the EPA test cycle the Gladiator gets better fuel mileage than the Ranger Raptor (17 city/22 hwy vs. 16 city/18 hwy).

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Jeep Gladiator uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Ranger Raptor requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Gladiator has 1.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the Ranger Raptor (22 vs. 20.3 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Jeep Gladiator higher (6 out of 10) than the Ford Ranger Raptor (5). This means the Gladiator produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Ranger Raptor every 15,000 miles.

The Gladiator stops much shorter than the Ranger Raptor:

The Gladiator has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Ranger Raptor doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Gladiator has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Gladiator flat and controlled during cornering. The Ranger Raptor’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The Gladiator Rubicon has an active front sway bar, which helps keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnects at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Ranger Raptor doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Gladiator’s wheelbase is 8.6 inches longer than on the Ranger Raptor (137.3 inches vs. 128.7 inches).

The Gladiator handles at .75 G’s, while the Ranger Raptor pulls only .68 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For greater off-road capability the Gladiator Mojave has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Ranger Raptor (11.6 vs. 10.7 inches), allowing the Gladiator to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Jeep Gladiator may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 650 pounds less than the Ford Ranger Raptor.

The Gladiator is 6 inches narrower than the Ranger Raptor, making the Gladiator easier to handle and maneuver in traffic.

As tested by Car and Driver while at idle, the interior of the Gladiator is quieter than the Ranger Raptor (37 vs. 42 dB).

The Gladiator has 4.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Ranger Raptor (102.9 vs. 98.3).

The Gladiator has 2.5 inches more rear headroom, 3.7 inches more rear legroom and 1.8 inches more rear hip room than the Ranger Raptor.

A low lift-over bed design makes loading and unloading the Gladiator easier. The Gladiator’s bed lift-over height is 29.7 inches, while the Ranger Raptor’s liftover is 36.5 inches.

Maximum trailer towing in the Ford Ranger Raptor is limited to 5510 pounds. The Gladiator offers up to a 7700 lbs. towing capacity.

The Gladiator can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Gladiator can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Ranger Raptor can’t be towed flat on the ground.

The Gladiator has a much higher optional payload capacity than the Ranger Raptor (1720 vs. 1373 lbs.).

The power windows standard on both the Gladiator and the Ranger Raptor have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Gladiator is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Ranger Raptor prevents the driver from operating the rear windows just as it does the other passengers.

Both the Gladiator and the Ranger Raptor offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Gladiator has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Ranger Raptor doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Gladiator as the 2020 North American Truck of the Year. The Ranger Raptor has never been chosen.