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Note: I'm not sure it's really necessary to put spoiler warnings on a review of a 40-year-old-movie, but here it is because I'm going to be talking about specific scenes and plot points.

The cast

Hasbro

Before we get into the film's sound and story, I think it's important to highlight some of the incredible voice acting that went into the Transformers movie (which is what I'm going to call it going forward). If the producers had simply retained the cast from the original first-generation cartoon — which includes legends like Peter Cullen (Optimus Prime), Frank Welker (Megatron, Soundwave) and others — and then plugged in any gaps as needed, that would have been totally fine. Instead, the producers went over the top and added some incredible names to the roster that elevated the movie to greater heights.

The Transformers movie stands as Orson Welles' final performance, as he died just five days after recording his lines for Unicron. And 40 years later, it's impossible to imagine anyone else in that role. His performance brought an otherworldly gravitas to the planet-eating menace while firmly cementing Unicron as one of the most memorable big bads in franchise history. Meanwhile, casting Leonard Nimoy as Galvatron during the height of Star Trek's success was a stroke of genius, as he managed to make Megatron's reincarnation as Galvatron somehow even more menacing. Then there's Robert Stack, who breathed life into Ultra Magnus, allowing him to be more than Optimus' second-in-command. When he said "But Prime, I'm just a soldier," you can hear the conflict in his voice between knowing what must be done and the burden of being asked to carry the Matrix of Leadership, a moment that sets the tone for the rest of the movie.

Hasbro

But among all of these performances, Judd Nelson, hot off of starring in The Breakfast Club, felt like the perfect choice to voice newcomer Hot Rod. More than any other character in the movie, you can hear the growth along the way, from a brash young bot trying to prove himself to becoming the leader the Autobots really needed. Even more than the only two actual people in the movie, Nelson gave the role the energy and humanity it needed to essentially carry the entire film.

The soundtrack

Hasbro

Even if you don't care about transforming robots, I feel like almost everyone can still appreciate this movie's soundtrack. Unlike the cartoon series, which relied more on orchestral pieces with big brass, woodwind and string performances, Vince Dicola's score leans more into synths and metal, encapsulating the sounds of the 80s in an unmistakable way. Other tracks like NRG's "Instruments of Destruction" is a downright headbanger while Weird Al's "Dare to be Stupid" provides a moment of levity before the final battle.

However, out of all of these, two tracks by Stan Bush stand out from the rest: "Dare" and "The Touch." These ballads aren't just catchy, they make you want to burst out singing in tandem and serve as the ideal accompaniment to our heroes' journey and the battle to save not one but two worlds. Some might say the soundtrack to the Transformers movie is the best thing about it; I don't think I could argue otherwise.

The story

Hasbro

Like so many stories, the Transformers movie relies on three-act structure, though some arcs are more successful than others. That said, I will happily die on the hill that the first third of the film (aka the setup) is nearly flawless. The movie sets the scene just outside Autobot City while introducing Daniel and Hot Rod before immediately launching into battle. From there it's 25 minutes of masterful cinema. You have a dastardly sneak attack by Megatron, Hot Rod spotting the deception, the Constructions merging to form Devastator, Optimus Prime and the Dinobots swooping in at the last moment and finally the ultimate face-off between the leaders of the two warring Cybertronian factions. There isn't a single dull moment and yet the movie still manages to fit in little sequences like Kupp sharing the wisdom of a veteran and Blaster farming more aura in one scene than most main characters do in an entire series.

We also got what might be the most badass action sequence in Transformers history. When Optimus says "Megatron must be stopped," you know some serious carnage is about to go down. The leader of the Autobots literally trucks half of the Decepticon army before one-shotting the rest and hitting us with a signature pose that would be later reenacted later across countless adaptations. Modern movies could learn something from the choreography in this scene. And then the act closes with the death of Optimus Prime, a moment so traumatic that Hasbro is still apologizing for it 40 years later.

Hasbro

That said, perhaps the biggest failing of the first third of the movie is something it didn't cover. Some versions of the script have Metroplex making an appearance as an integral part of Autobot City, which would have been the cherry on top of the movie's role as the ultimate exhibition of the G1 cartoon. However, it seems due to some miscommunication (and probably budget considerations), that part of the story didn't make the cut. That's a real shame as it would have delivered an even bigger impact to the idea of trying to transform Autobot City when the Decepticons attack. On the other hand, given the sheer number of continuity errors, missing bots and impossible physics in the Transformers movie (and the G1 cartoon for that matter), a mistake like this probably won't come as a surprise to longtime fans.

Hasbro

From there, I'll be the first one to admit that things get a bit wacky. The Autobots are forced to flee Earth, with Hot Rod, Kupp and the Dinobots going in one direction while Ultra Magnus, Arcee, Springer, Daniel and crew go in another, hounded by Galvatron and the Decepticons. It's an important section as it shows the growth of Hot Rod while Ultra Magnus struggles to fill the shoes of Optimus Prime, but there are a few too many tangents and side quests, resulting in the middle of the movie feeling a bit disjointed.

The Junkions go a bit too far in terms of campy comic relief, though I do appreciate the dedication to their 1980s-inspired speech patterns. Casting Eric Idle as Wreck-Gar was an inspired choice. but the giant robo squid and the Quintessons sort of come out of left field, even though Hot Rod and the Dinobots' excursion to Quentessa did provide the setup for Snarl's on-point comedic timing.

Hasbro

Finally, the third act begins with Unicron showing his true form as the Autobots and Decepticons set aside their differences to protect Cybertron. Now as much as I like how the movie wraps up, it's clear the film is in more than a bit of a rush. I always wanted to see way more of the Dinobots' savagery and cameos from all the other bots like Bumblebee and Jazz that got fridged at the outset of the film. However, my biggest wish is simply a longer battle between Rodimus and Galvatron. The movie absolutely nails that handoff of the Matrix to Hot Rod. But after he ascends, he dispatches his foe in two hits. If you blink, you'll miss it. That should have been the penultimate triumph before Unicron explodes, the payoff for our new leader's growth. But I guess that's the sacrifice Hasbro made to keep the movie's runtime at a very brisk one hour and 25 minutes.

Legacy and aftermath

Hasbro

The biggest strike against the Transformers movie is that it was a blatant attempt to sell new toys. In just the first 20 minutes, it feels like around half of the existing roster of bots was summarily knocked off. We're not just talking side characters either, as important names like Ironhide, Prowl, Wheeljack and others were essentially taken out back and dismissed with almost zero fanfare or even so much as a proper farewell.

But none of that even approached the death of Optimus Prime, which was so sad that people who witnessed it in 1986 recall "kids were crying in the theatres." The G1 Transformers cartoon had only started airing just two years before the release of the movie, and even in that short time, it quickly became one of the most popular kids' shows on TV. Writing off Optimus was never going to be a popular move, but to do it so soon felt like a betrayal. For children who saw it live in theaters without any warning, it might have been the equivalent of their parents watching the JFK assassination.

Granted, the movie does a better job with Starscream's removal, as it's a pivotal plot point of the film. But Prime's death, alongside the demise of a ton of other familiar bots, created negative reverberations that the franchise would have to combat in following seasons. Newcomers introduced in the movie — especially Hot Rod — weren't immediately embraced by fans, as he took a lot of blame for Optimus getting decommissioned. That fallout even became part of his character, as Rodimus Prime often struggled with trying to live up to his predecessor's legacy. Even when Optimus was revived in later TV episodes, the damage had already been done.

New bonus for the 40th anniversary

Hasbro

Alongside its return to theaters, the Transformers movie is getting a bonus animated short called Optimus Prime: Awakening featuring 12 minutes of new content. I haven't seen it yet as I'm not scheduled to view the film in theaters until later this weekend, though most reports describe it as a love letter (and possibly a tear jerker for devoted fans) to both the leader of the Autobots and Peter Cullen's performance throughout the years. That said, there are some dissenting opinions who view it as a tragedy, so if you're planning on seeing the Transformers movie on the big screen, be prepared for an extreme reaction as the range of responses seems to be love or hate with nothing in between.

Wrap-up

Hasbro

It's easy to dismiss the Transformers movie as a simple cash grab, because in part it was. But to write it off solely for that reason is a mistake, especially for anyone who's a fan of the franchise. There are so many elements from this film that helped shape and define the many shows and big picture releases that followed it and in my opinion, it's still easily the best full-length Transformers film to date.

But perhaps more importantly, The Transformers: The Movie is just a great example of a classic 80s action flick. It has cool cars, giant robots, spaceships, mechanical sharks with claws and a planet-eating bad guy, plus one of the most tubular soundtracks of the decade. It also has truly epic fight scenes, the kind that feel like they don't get made anymore. So while the original Transformers movie is a bit schlocky, to me it's right up there with other films like Evil Dead or Bloodsport, and it reminds of a time when high-octane blockbusters (or high-energon in this case) still had a lot of heart. And with the recent passing of Peter Cullen, I can't think of a better time to highlight some advice from his brother that inspired Cullen's legendary performance of Optimus Prime: "If you're going to be a hero, be a real hero... be strong enough to be gentle." %!s()

The F-150 Raptor’s little brother has been busy since rejoining our long-term fleet, clearing the 20,000-mile mark. Between running daily errands and making pothole-riddled roads feel like the autobahn, the widebody Ranger was assigned to make another Northwoods journey—this time to the western region of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The trip from our office is over 500 miles one way and includes crossing the Mackinac Bridge and passing plenty of pasty shops along U.S. 2. It’s a route this humble scribe has traveled countless times, yet only the Ranger Raptor required two pit stops to refuel to reach its final destination. No doubt the rooftop tent played a pivotal role in that putrid driving range, but even without the mpg-sapping bed topper, our truck’s poor fuel economy has been a consistent bugaboo. We’re still averaging just 14 mpg against the EPA’s 17-mpg combined rating.

To get an idea of how much the overland treatment affected our truck’s performance, we recently took it to the test track. The bed rack, tent, and associated gear raised the Ranger Raptor’s curb weight by 446 pounds to 5804 total. Unsurprisingly, that made it slower, with the sprint to 60 mph taking 0.6 second longer than with the unladen version. Surprisingly, the heavier truck stopped shorter from 70 mph (211 versus 223 feet). That’s partly because the bed-mounted add-ons created a nearly perfect 50/50 weight distribution, helping evenly spread the mass fed into the knobby 33-inch-tall BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO3 tires.

Despite the degraded acceleration and gas mileage, our expedition-spec Ranger Raptor looks like an extra in a Jurassic Park movie. Its Shelter Green Metallic paint maintains an eye-catching sparkle, even when it’s splattered with mud. Research editor Matthew Skwarczek perfectly described the truck’s aesthetic: “The embodiment of ‘Do no harm but take no shit.’”

The cage that covers the five-foot cargo bed has locking mechanisms to protect valuables from sticky-fingered ne’er-do-wells or—more likely when camping off the grid—curious critters like raccoons or hungry bears looking for a late-night snack. Of course, the bed rack has some drawbacks, including the creation of a massive rear blind spot. Buyer’s Guide associate editor Andrew Wendler claimed that the lower latches kept coming lose until he finally locked the handles.

Wendler also logged an incident of the Ranger Raptor’s electronically locking rear diff failing to unlock; cycling the ignition and selecting the Normal drive mode remedied the one-time issue. Another mechanical hiccup happened earlier in the truck’s residency, when Buyer’s Guide director Rich Ceppos reported that it went into limp mode after accelerating hard onto I-94 with the transmission in manually-selected third gear. After about 20 seconds and a flashing check-engine light, everything went back to normal. Was it just an anomaly? Well, nothing turned up when we took the truck to the Ford dealer for its 20,000-mile maintenance visit. Instead, we spent $189 for an inspection, an oil filter change, and a cabin filter replacement.

The dealer checkup came after the Ranger Raptor’s U.P. road trip and Wendler’s separate “up north” retreat. The latter experience was more exciting than the former, with Wendler taking advantage of the truck’s perfectly sized proportions to tackle tight, sandy forest roads. “It’s like a Miata—or maybe a base Porsche Cayman, what with all that power—for the woods. Honestly, it could get by with less power off-road, but ‘getting by’ is not in the Ranger Raptor’s mission statement.” His gripes included the cost of fueling its 20.3-gallon tank, and mud was difficult to clean from the rear wheels, resulting in some vibrations at highway speeds between off-road areas.

With our Ranger Raptor now crossing the midway mark of its 40,000-mile stay, we’re ready to ditch the cumbersome bolt-on bed accessories and hopefully see our average fuel economy tick back up. We recently received a tonneau cover that we’re ready to install, and we’re also still planning to test Ford’s power-boosting calibration tool. And we’ve finally made plans with our travel agent to see the Silver Lake Sand Dunes, so stay tuned for our next update to find out how the baby Raptor performs in the sand and possibly through the air.

Months in Fleet: 6 months Current Mileage: 20,534 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 14 mpg
Fuel Tank Size: 20.3 gallons Observed Driving Range: 280 miles
Service: $196 Normal Wear: $0 Repair: $0
Damage and Destruction: $0

10,000-Mile Update

Our baby Raptor spent a few thousand miles around the office and earned mostly praise. Online production assistant Andrew Berry tipped his hat to "a really comfortable ride." "It's as if speed bumps no longer exist," added senior news editor Caleb Miller, and deputy video editor Carlos Lago applauded the entire package with "What a great truck!"

Quibbles mainly focused on technical choices. Executive editor K.C. Colwell questioned the need for digital and physical HVAC controls, and he judged the default steering effort (of four available choices) "insanely heavy for a truck." The shifter struck nerves on both ends of the spectrum: Lago criticized it as dumb, whereas senior editor Greg Fink thought the Ranger Raptor's gear selector "should be the norm for console-mounted options."

That easy life was the bait. Then came the switch: With a little more than 5000 miles on the odometer, contributor Jonathon Ramsey prepped the pickup for a trek from the Car and Driver offices in Ann Arbor, Michigan, to Tuktoyaktuk, some 4000 miles away on Canada's northwest Arctic coast.

The brief called for five weeks of road living over the roughly 8000 round-trip miles, so the Ranger Raptor got a bed rack and an underground bunker's worth of gear for living anywhere between the Midwest and the Northwest Territories. That included a rooftop tent, gear pods and water bolted to the rack, a bedful of tools, outdoor equipment, bedding, and electronics, plus an in-cabin refrigerator and a portable power supply.

Three fuel cans strapped to the periphery held 13.0 gallons of gas, a necessary precaution due to the Ranger Raptor's thirst, its small gas tank, and the distance between service stations on Canada's loneliest highways. The EPA rates the Ranger Raptor at 16 mpg in the city, 18 on the highway, and 17 combined. We haven't hit those marks–the outfitted bed surely playing a role—averaging just 14 mpg in these early days. Underneath there's a much-welcomed full-size spare, and a 20.3-gallon fuel tank limits maximum range to 280 miles based on observed economy. Fill-ups at anywhere from 200 to 250 miles were the norm.

The provisions larded weight onto a rig built for high jumps and controlled landings, like repurposing a Westphalian dressage horse to serve as a miner's mule. The load reversed the Ranger Raptor's natural rake, leading us to wonder how much its lauded reflexes might suffer.

At the halfway mark on the journey, we can't speak for jumping, but the Ranger Raptor has performed flawlessly as a ground-pounding freighter. Delays of every kind and some sinus misery attributed to Canada's snow mold left us eight days to make the journey. Despite the sagging bed, the truck's suspension retained enough suppleness to swallow the worst of any highway we traveled.

The seats and the rest of the cabin earned the transcontinental seal of approval; we emerged from the truck tired but fine after driving stints lasting anywhere from nine to 15 hours. The enforced breaks of three or four fill-ups per day undoubtedly helped, but during daily marathons, tea breaks won't blunt pain points, especially in the extremities.

Canada's Dempster Highway would be the Ranger Raptor's boss fight. A ragged, 460-mile dirt and gravel conduit through the tundra, the Dempster blooms in springtime with jagged lumpiness caused by shifting earth below, grenade-blast potholes, shards of volcanic rock, and snowmelt runoff that literally saws through the road. The speed limit is generally 90 km/h (56 mph), and there are long stretches where maintaining that clip feels like pre-running the Baja 500. The general cadence is: accelerate to 90 km/h, slam on the brakes to tiptoe across some nastiness, then throttle back up to 90.

Again, the Ranger Raptor and the put-upon BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO3 tires were unfazed by the crossing. We took a few accidental big hits, the suspension proving its deep reserves even with compromised rebound.

view exterior photos

The water line on the fender after the Peel River crossing.

We tested the pickup's fording capability too when the Peel River ice road began turning to water sooner than anyone expected. Given the choice of being stuck in the Arctic for six weeks until the ferry arrived or crossing a waterway that rose to the Ranger Raptor's headlights, we chose the latter and slowly scrabbled through.

This adventure has uncovered additional gripes that are technical in nature. The data screen in the gauge cluster is navigated with unintuitive menus. We couldn't find the tire-pressure display screen and landed on it only later while trying to find the menu to restore the km/h speedometer readout that an OTA software update dismissed.

The blind-spot and cross-traffic sensor has gone out intermittently. This didn't occur on the Dempster, where unrelenting filth would have made the response understandable; it only failed on paved highways.

We turned off the speed-limit sign reader. It's a fine idea that works better in the European Union, with its standardized infrastructure and more cohesive driving patterns. In the U.S., on the highway with the cruise set at 80 mph and signage indicating a new limit of 65 mph, the Ranger Raptor will apply the brakes to slow down. The sign-recognition system can be adjusted, but the base setting isn't how American drivers react, and leaving it that way spooks the herd.

We also turned off lane-keeping assist. No matter which portion of the lane the system decided on, it would eventually display a feline curiosity about some other portion of the lane and apply gentle torque to the wheel until we allowed it to wander. Once satisfied, the system is so good at maintaining its line that it doesn't need input unless road markings change. However, the system demands regular driver attention for legal reasons, so we had to jiggle the wheel for no good reason just to keep the chime from going off.

Our only maintenance note so far has been adding coolant at 9111 miles after discovering the reservoir level just below the minimum line. We purchased a gallon of antifreeze for $27 in U.S currency at Whitehorse Motors in the Yukon and added a quart, taking the coolant level to just above the max line.

Halfway through the journey, the Ranger Raptor has proved to be a fine ride, bringing an easy aplomb to a life it wasn't built for—that of the everyday, do-what-you-gotta-do, go-anywhere pickup. Now it just has to make it back home.

Months in Fleet: 3 months Current Mileage: 10,108 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 14 mpg
Fuel-Tank Size: 20.3 gallons Observed Fuel Range: 280 miles
Service: $7 Normal Wear: $0 Repair: $0
Damage and Destruction: $0

Specifications

Specifications

2026 Ford Ranger Raptor
Vehicle Type: front-engine, rear/4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door pickup

PRICE
Base/As Tested: $58,965/$60,415
Options: spray-in bed liner, $525; Shelter Green Metallic paint, $395; SiriusXM with 360L satellite radio 3-year plan, $300; keyless-entry keypad, $230

ENGINE
twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve V-6, iron and aluminum block and aluminum heads, port and direct fuel injection
Displacement: 180 in3, 2956 cm3
Power: 405 hp @ 5500 rpm
Torque: 430 lb-ft @ 3500 rpm

TRANSMISSION
10-speed automatic

CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: control arms/live axle
Brakes, F/R: 12.2-in vented disc/12.1-in vented disc
Tires: BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO3
LT285/70R-17 116/113S M+S 3PMSF

DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 128.7 in
Length: 210.9 in
Width: 79.8 in
Height: 75.9 in
Passenger Volume, F/R: 55/43 ft3
Curb Weight: 5358 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS: NEW
60 mph: 5.2 sec
1/4-Mile: 13.9 sec @ 98 mph
100 mph: 14.6 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 5.8 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 3.1 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 4.1 sec
Top Speed (gov ltd): 105 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 223 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.68 g

Interior Sound
Idle: 42 dBA/3 sone
Full Throttle: 77 dBA
70-mph Cruising: 67 dBA/23 sone

C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 14 mpg
Unscheduled Oil Additions: 0 qt

EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 17/16/18 mpg

WARRANTY
3 years/36,000 miles bumper to bumper
5 years/60,000 miles powertrain
5 years/unlimited miles corrosion protection
5 years/60,000 miles roadside assistance

C/D TESTING EXPLAINED

Introduction

Ford's Raptor recipe has hardly changed in the years since the original F-150 version literally launched its way onto the scene for 2010—initial press photos of an SVT Raptor taking flight looked straight out of a Dukes of Hazzard episode. The Blue Oval's street-legal desert racer would go on to become a huge hit, spawning Raptors across multiple F-150 generations and eventually birthing similarly buff variants of both the Bronco and the Ranger.

The F-150 Raptor and the Ranger Raptor have the same core ingredients—widened waistlines, long-travel suspensions, and high-horsepower twin-turbo V-6s—but the Ranger Raptor is less inclined to break the bank. Its terrific value among its ilk helped it win back-to-back 10Best awards, and our office is stoked to spend 40,000 miles with the mid-size pickup truck we've lovingly dubbed the Michigan Miata.

The first-gen Ranger Raptor was forbidden fruit reserved for overseas markets, but Ford smartly decided to give Americans a bite of the apple for its second generation, which debuted for the 2024 model year. Think of this truck as a Bronco Raptor minus the 37-inch tires, convertible top, and easily removable doors. If you can live without those admittedly desirable features, you'll save about $23,000. The 2026 Ranger Raptor's $58,965 base price also undercuts direct rivals like the Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro, which starts over $66,000. Sure, you can get a new Chevy Colorado ZR2 for under $53K, but then you're stuck with a 310-hp turbo four (even on the vastly more expensive ZR2 Bison). And let's not forget that the Ranger Raptor already beat both the TRD Pro and ZR2 Bison in our off-road battle.

We ordered our long-term truck with the best color available for this model year: Shelter Green Metallic, a $395 option that looks classy without being too flashy. We avoided the racy rear-body decals ($750), since nobody at the office mainlines Monster Energy drinks or has a tribal tattoo. We also stuck with the standard 17-inch wheels versus the $1495 forged beadlock-capable rollers, as we plan to sample a set of aftermarket wheels during the truck's tenure. After choosing the spray-in bed liner ($525), dealer-installed keyless entry pad ($230), and three-year SiriusXM satellite radio subscription ($300), our baby Raptor totaled $60,415. That's still more than $20,000 less than the F-150 Raptor's admission fee.

Along with being way more affordable than its bigger brother, the Ranger Raptor's smaller footprint makes it much easier to maneuver around crowded parking lots and tight trails. Plus, it's more likely to fit in garages designed for lower-profile sedans. While the Raptor shares its 128.7-inch wheelbase and five-foot cargo bed with the regular Ford Ranger, its front and rear tracks are 3.5 inches wider to accommodate the standard 33-inch BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO3 tires. But since the Ranger's bulging bodywork isn't over 80 inches wide, it's not legally required to have three central amber running lights like its larger, lane-swallowing siblings.

Don't think of the Ranger as a half-baked Raptor, because it isn't. Its steel bumpers bookend a fully boxed ladder frame, and copious underbody armor protects vital hardware like the electronically locking front and rear differentials. Its heavily fortified suspension is built to take a beating too. The Ranger Raptor's front wheels are buoyed by 2.5-inch Fox Live Valve adaptive dampers that pair with longer forged aluminum control arms. The rear Fox shocks feature piggyback-style reservoirs that better dissipate heat when the solid rear axle really starts gettin' jiggy with it. Ford also replaced the regular Ranger's rear leaf springs and Panhard rod with coils and a more sophisticated Watt's linkage with trailing arms, which improves the truck's roll stiffness.

Despite that added stiffness, it's clear from our initial track test that the Raptor's peak performance takes place off-road. The Ranger's blocky BFG tires peaked at 0.68 g of lateral grip on our skidpad and allowed a lengthy 223-foot stop from 70 mph. However, those numbers betray the truck's delightful daily-driving behavior. Its impact-absorbing ride lets us ignore Michigan's manifold potholes. Ford also lets you personalize the Raptor's personality, allowing independent changes to damping force, steering effort, powertrain attitude, and exhaust volume via buttons on the contoured steering wheel. The "R" mode lets you quickly access a saved profile, and the prominent paddle shifters help you instantly manage the 10-speed automatic transmission—a feature the Raptor's competitors are (somehow) lacking.

This mid-size Raptor is no slouch, matching the 450-hp F-150 Raptor in the race to 60 mph. During our initial test, the all-wheel-drive Ranger hit the mile-per-minute mark in a speedy 5.2 seconds, though its 405-hp twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 was less responsive with a 5-to-60-mph rolling start (5.8 seconds). The quarter-mile passed in a respectable 13.9 seconds at 98 mph. No matter how light your touch may be, the baby Raptor is thirsty. The EPA rates combined fuel economy at a bleak 17 mpg, one measly mpg better than the heavier V-6-powered F-150 Raptor. At least the Ranger Raptor met the government's expectations on our 75-mph real-world fuel-economy test, with a previously tested model netting a (slightly) less depressing 18 mpg highway.

Our long-term 2026 Ford Ranger Raptor arrived at Car and Driver Ann Arbor headquarters just before spring had sprung. We're barely two months in, and already it has racked up over 4000 miles. Besides some mixed opinions about its gruff exhaust note, our staff seems smitten with Ford's junior Raptor pickup. The Ranger's right-size proportions make it more desirable for daily duties than our current long-term Ram 1500, and its cargo bed comes in handy for quick and dirty chores.

There's a lot more in store for our new Raptor beyond sitting in school drop-off lines and moving mulch. Ford's "Assault School" is on our radar, and we want to buy the Ford Performance tuner that'll put the baby Raptor's power output essentially on par with its papa. Plus, with the Silver Lake Sand Dunes only a few hours away, we're leaping at the opportunity to get this thing off the ground.

Months in Fleet: 2 months Current Mileage: 4398 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 14 mpg
Fuel-Tank Size: 20.3 gallons Observed Fuel Range: 280 miles
Service: $0 Normal Wear: $0 Repair: $0
Damage and Destruction: $0

Eric Stafford’s automobile addiction began before he could walk, and it has fueled his passion to write news, reviews, and more for Car and Driver since 2016. His aspiration growing up was to become a millionaire with a Jay Leno–like car collection. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social-media influencers make it seem, so he avoided financial success entirely to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a journalism degree at Central Michigan University and working at a daily newspaper, the years of basically burning money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off when Car and Driver hired him. His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual '97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a '90 Honda CRX Si. %!s()

Newsom is part of a group of 2028 Democratic presidential hopefuls who have urged a more aggressive regulatory approach to the rapidly evolving technology, after a researcher at Anthropic resigned and warned of AI's potentially humanity-ending capabilities in a social media post earlier this month.

The post set off a frenzy in Washington, D.C., as lawmakers grapple with how to establish guardrails for AI. But Congress appears unlikely to take any meaningful legislative action on AI fears before the 2026 midterm elections, and President Donald Trump has so far resisted calls for regulation.

“The federal government’s abject failure to create any form of meaningful AI oversight or accountability should alarm every American, especially when AI CEOs themselves are begging for regulation," Newsom said in a statement on Friday.

“We're not waiting to act – we’re going to speed up our work on substantial and responsible AI oversight before it's too late. We’re going to do this thoughtfully but with urgent velocity; the stakes are too high to wait or delay action," Newsom continued.

The order calls on a group of experts to meet and create, within two months, a guide for the state to strengthen its AI safety and security laws. Those enhanced laws may include a requirement for independent third parties to write safety plans for frontier AI companies, or mandating that companies develop a "kill switch" to shut down their models in case of emergency, according to an announcement from Newsom's office.

While Trump has called fears of AI safety a "hoax," Democrats have largely rallied around calls for stricter regulations. And those with presidential ambitions have been among the loudest voices in recent weeks.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has similarly called for "third-party" oversight of frontier models and stricter guardrails. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., told Politico he's introducing legislation to crate a fund paid for by AI companies that would support workers displaced by the technology. And Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., urged Trump to convene a special session of Congress to address AI risks.

Newsom, whose term as California governor ends on Jan. 4, has not announced a presidential campaign, though he has said he is mulling the possibility.

In his announcement of the executive order, Newsom touted laws already in effect in the state, including one he signed earlier this month that creates a framework for third-party AI auditors.

"While Washington abdicates its responsibility to protect Americans, California is building on the strongest AI regulatory framework in the nation," Newsom said. "California has already built a national model, and our policy should be the national baseline." %!s()

Pauline Hanson announced who would be her party’s upper house candidates and Victorian leader, Warren Pickering, at a press conference last month. Since then One Nation has used social media to unveil a steady stream of candidates, with 51 of the 88 lower house spots now filled.

Among them is Michael Piastrino, who launched his campaign on Sunday for the outer-suburban seat of Berwick, held by the Liberal Brad Battin on a 4.7% margin.

The launch was attended by Malaki Salesui, who was convicted in 2021 for his role in an organised car-theft ring.

Mick Mantzaris commented on photographs of the event on Instagram, writing: “great day great people” and “time for a change”. Mantzaris pleaded guilty in 2012 to possessing testosterone, disclosing restricted information and misleading the office of police integrity. The following year he was targeted in a drive-by shooting. Police described him at the time as “an associate of some outlaw motorcycle gang members”.

Anthony Younan, the nephew of the slain underworld figure Nabil Maghnie, also commented on Piastrino’s Instagram posts, saying he would vote for One Nation because of him: “I can’t believe I am going to vote for a red headed woman who hate Arabs. My mother is going to disown me Michael. But I am doing this for you bro!”

Piastrino, a hairdresser, ran for the Liberals at the 2022 election. He was forced to apologise during that campaign after declaring that Daniel Andrews would be “brought to justice for the murder of 800 people” under a Liberal government.

He told the Cranbourne Star News last month that he had met Mantzaris and Salesui through church. “I’m not here to judge people,” he said. “I’m here to help people.”

Sources have told Guardian Australia that One Nation has strengthened its candidate vetting process in the lead-up to the November election, with more stringent background checks and lengthy interviews.

In an interview in June, Kelvin Morton, One Nation’s general manager, said the party had also employed technology that did a “very comprehensive deep dive” into potential candidates’ social media accounts and provided a “thorough assessment” of their characters.

One Nation also shown a willingness to accept candidates with controversial histories, including Pickering, who this month acknowledged past drug use and drink-driving.

Ben Lucas, the party’s candidate for the Liberal-held seat of Narracan, resigned from Baw Baw shire council in 2021 after being convicted of drink-driving and dangerous driving.

Court records seen by Guardian Australia show he was fined $2,000 and had his licence suspended for two years.

This month he pleaded guilty to operating a category-one aquatic facility without registering it with the council and was ordered to pay $3,000 in costs.

Lucas described the charges, which related to the operation of ice baths at his gym, on Facebook as a “storm in a teacup” that had been “blown out of proportion”. He said they arose from an “administrative oversight” involving the registration of his business after it moved.

“If I wasn’t involved with One Nation, would this have still been pursued in the same way?” he wrote.

Several One Nation candidates have deleted or scrubbed their social media accounts since announcing their candidacies, including Elita Dabrowski, who is contesting Sunbury, a seat Labor fears it could lose.

A deleted tweet, seen by Guardian Australia, shows Dabrowski backed Trump’s claim that paracetamol is linked to autism.

“This morning I watched Trump’s announcement on autism, vaccination schedules & paracetamol,” she wrote on 23 September 2025. “As a naturopath & functional health practitioner, I felt proud – it reflects what I see in clinic every day.”

Trump had said pregnant women should limit their use of the medication, claiming it heightens the risk of autism in children – an assertion disputed by scientists.

Meanwhile, Tammy Lindrum, One Nation’s candidate for the historically safe Labor seat of Albert Park, has left a trail of comments on Meta’s Threads about Muslim and First Nations people.

Under the handle “Lindrum Legends” and the username Tam Lindrum, she responded in April 2025 to a since-deleted post, saying there was “Black and Muslim supremacy in Australia” and that “the Whitman [sic] can’t say anything as they risk being accused of being racist”. Three months later, responding to another post, she wrote: “If you don’t like Bacon go back to a Muslim country.”

Responding to a post about plans to make the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria permanent, she wrote: “For a minority group I think we are going a little too far.

“We have paid their housing, welfare, education, health, for many years. When does that stop?”

Among candidates announced this week is Bruce Whalley, who blamed children for the climate crisis in tweet posted during the 2019 student strikes for climate action.

“Climate change is the fault of kids,” he wrote. “Stop asking for a car lift to school. WALK! RIDE a BIKE! or CATCH PUBLIC TRANSPORT. Gosh! Start to be a generation of doers Not talkers and complainers.”

Whalley, who is running in Labor-held Bundoora, also describes himself on Instagram as an “ABC2 TV Think Tank tragic” – despite One Nation’s plan to defund the broadcaster, and its ban on its journalists attending the party’s media events. %!s()

Wishlister is a weekly newsletter bringing you a curated list of upcoming Steam games worth adding to your wishlist, sent on Tuesdays and published on the site on Fridays. You can subscribe here.

We’re in the midst of a bountiful season for new games, and that’s not going to slow down anytime soon. Recent showcases like Sony State of Play and Nintendo Direct have only made the 2026 and 2027 release calendar even more packed. That trend extends to PC players too. Here are six games worth adding to your Steam wishlist this week, including a few games featured in our 2026 Fall Preview.

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1

Usual June

It’s never too early to start thinking about what game you’ll play ahead of Halloween. Usual June might just be a perfect pick when it launches on Oct. 28. The action-adventure game tasks you with saving the town of Fen Harbor by fighting crystal monsters and communing with ghosts. It’s a coming-of-age story with a spooky flavor and some seriously stylish action to boot.

Wishlist Here

2

Dreadline Express

Dreadline Express has one of the darkest premises I’ve ever heard for a puzzle game: it all takes place on a train containing the last surviving humans on a post-apocalyptic Earth. It’s one part card-based deduction game and one part psychological horror game. A recent demo we played ended with us having to pick a passenger to sacrifice, so that should give you an idea of how pitch black Dreadline Express is bound to get.

Wishlist Here

3

Stage Fright

We got a packed Nintendo Direct last week, and a few of the exciting games announced on it are also coming to Steam. Stage Fright is on that list, and that’s great news for PC players. The latest multiplayer game from the team behind Overcooked is all about solving escape rooms. It all has a creepy-cute vibe too, and a bit of co-op chaos that we’ve come to expect from Ghost Town Games.

Wishlist Here

4

Eternal Anima

It’s a good time to be a retro RPG fan thanks to upcoming games like Final Fantasy Resonance. If you’re looking for more games like that, keep an eye on Eternal Anima. The latest game from Marvelous is an era-spanning ode to classic RPGs fueled by a job system that promises a lot of combat customization.

Wishlist Here

5

Ondeh Ondeh Kaya’s Tasty Tale

There sure are a lot of games about eating things coming out, and that includes Ondeh Ondeh Kaya's Tasty Tale. Inspired by Southeast Asian culture, the rhythm-adventure game seems to be as much about cooking as it is about solving puzzles. Based on its debut trailer, it's looking like a tasty treat served with a spoonful of whimsy.

Wishlist Here

6

Chronoscript: The Endless End

Chronoscript: The Endless End has been on our radar ever since it was first revealed last year, and for good reason. The stylish Metroidvania has impressed us with its perspective-shifting gameplay that bounces between 2D and 3D. Its hand-drawn art alone should be reason enough to keep an eye on it in 2027.

Wishlist Here %!s()