BF Goodrich KO2 vs Maxxis Bighorn vs Cooper STT Pro — SA gravel and sand test
Running the Ford Ranger 4x4 for 10 months now, 68322km on the clock including 4 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, Richtersveld and multiple Kruger trips without a single mechanical issue. The 2.8L turbodiesel is 10L/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 Rustenburg could learn something about customer service, but that is a SA-wide problem not specific to this brand.
Mods I have done: Rhino 4x4 bar (R10k fitted), Dobinsons shocks (R11k fitted), TRED Pro recovery boards, and a National Luna 40L fridge. Total spend on mods: around R54k. Worth every cent.
Price paid at my Rustenburg 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.
4 Replies
Have you tried it in high-speed gravel? That is where these bakkies differ most. The Raptor on its Fox shocks is a different vehicle at 100km/h on corrugated gravel compared to the base model.
Have you tried it in high-speed gravel? That is where these bakkies differ most. The GR Sport with the revised calibration is a different vehicle at 100km/h on corrugated gravel compared to the base model.
Running the Ford Ranger 4x4 for 10 months now, 68322km on the clock including 4 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, Richtersveld and multiple Kruger trips without a single mechanical issue. The 2.8L turbodiesel is 10L/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 Rustenburg could learn something about customer service, but that is a SA-wide problem not specific to this brand.
Mods I have done: Rhino 4x4 bar (R10k fitted), Dobinsons shocks (R11k fitted), TRED Pro recovery boards, and a National Luna 40L fridge. Total spend on mods: around R54k. Worth every cent.
Price paid at my Rustenburg 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.
— steef_pretorius
The fuel consumption figures you mention match what I see. The AT35 diesel is better than the official spec suggests in real conditions. The issue for me is long-range touring — I fitted a Brown Davis 83L long-range tank to solve the range anxiety completely.
What suspension are you running now? I have the same setup and am looking at Dobinsons coilovers — around R12k fitted at my local workshop. Keen to know if the ride quality improvement on corrugated gravel roads is as significant as people claim.