Ford Raptor Review (42126)

We really enjoyed the Land Rover Defender technic set, so when the Ford Raptor was announced at a lower price point ($329 vs $249), we were keen to see how it would stack up. That day has arrived, so Let’s get stuck in.

It’s a staple in the larger Technic sets, but we always get a kick out of the pistons in the engine moving. This part of the build is first up in the Raptor, so it’s a great start.

The next part of the build is the front sub-structure including the suspension. This model has independent front suspension and also a unique approach to mounting the engine I’ve not seen before. Essentially it is built on a hinge so the motors is rotated into place rather than being built inline. I quite like it.

The Raptor is 4WD so it’s great to see all wheels are going to be driven in this set. As with any technic set, it’s quite detailed and best suited to a teenager (or older) to build. You can see quite a few gears already in play and we’re still very early in the build.
The second part of the build is the chassis midframe. At this point we realised the model will be a bit larger than we anticipated.

The next stage is the rear diff along with the rear suspension. I expected the rear to have independent suspension as well and it sort of does. However, as you can see with the black beam, the independent shock absorbers are tied together. This gives some play, but not as free as the front end. I suspect that this is due to the Raptor being a ute. Having free floating suspension probably causes stability issues with stuff in the tray.

Building the front grill of the Raptor is where the stickers start. I’m a little undecided if there is a better way this could be done, such as with LEGO grill bricks. Nonetheless it mirrors the real life counterpart pretty well.

The interior of the Raptor looks ok with the central GPS and speedo. However, for me the steering wheel looks a little too bus-like and stands out.

I wasn’t pleased that the steering wheel is free floating with no connection to the front wheels. As you can see, the designers opted to have the steering rack protrude from the top of the cab so you can steer the car easily when playing with it. It would have been good to see the steering wheel attached as well.
The good news is that you can simply detach the steering column and the roof is almost unblemished.

To counter that view is the wheel arches.
1. They are printed not stickers – Hurrah!
2. The black trim is so satisfying when it mounts over the rear guards. Almost worth the price of admission just for these pieces mounting together.

The rear tray is a straighforward affair with the tailgate able to be opened. It also has a similar sticker, but this one is a great match to the real life car.

The final and most satisfying part of any car is fitting the wheels. The Raptor has been fitted with some serious off road rubber and the suspension lift makes it look great.
The suspension is also really bouncy and makes me want to hire the Raptor and take it for a spin in a hilly desert somewhere. Ford, I’m happy if you need a guinea pig.

Overall Thoughts

Admittedly, I prefer standard LEGO vehicles to the Technic sets. I certainly appreciate the engineering and technical builds in Technic. But to me they are just not as much fun as vehicles built from standard LEGO such as the Porsche 911 which we’ve reviewed before.

Putting that aside, this set is engaging to build and has some good features. However it’s let down by some design choices we’ve listed above. To me it also feels like it’s missing the last 5%. Looking at the Raptor feels like the front and rear were finished, then the designers decided to call it a day.
I’m not sure if adding plates, or more stickers (arggh) would help finish the model off.

If you love Technic and/or cars then this set is worth considering. However if you can spend a little more, I recommend buying the Land Rover Defender. For me it was a more enjoyable and satisfying build. Plus it has the same fun bouncy suspension!

A special thanks to our friends at Zavvi who supplied this set for us to build. If you like the look of this one, they’ve got both the Land Rover and the Raptor on sale now, so head on over.