ALISTAIR WEAVER: Alistair Weaver here
for Edmunds with news of another sequel
to Jurassic Park-- well, sort of.
There's a new Ford F-150 Raptor.
And this time, it adds an R. And it's
needed, because the current Raptor is
a heavyweight lacking a punch.
In today's world, 450 horsepower just
doesn't really cut it in a high-performance truck.
In our off-roading drag race, it was even humbled by its sober
brother, the F-150 Hybrid--
rubbish.
But the R should be different.
It pinches its supercharged V8 from the Mustang Shelby GT500,
which puts it into direct competition with that other
dinosaur, the RAM TRX, or "T-rex" if you prefer.
Across 10 categories, from power to price,
we're going to assess how their specs compare,
setting the scene for the struggle to come.
It's a classic confrontation, but there's also
an interloper from the future.
For the same money, you can have another truck
from a pesky start up that might just bite harder.
At the end this film, we'll discuss
how the electrically-powered Rivian R1T tackles both.
And now, without further ado, let's get on with it.
We own a version of the Raptor R's motor
in our very own GT500.
We just topped 20,000 miles in it.
And you can read all about it on the link below.
In short, we're big fans of the 5.2 liter supercharged V8,
which have been tweaked for the truck.
The supercharger has been recalibrated,
and there's a new pulley to help provide more
lower and mid-range torque for high-performance off-roading.
The TRX also pinches its engine from a muscle car,
in this case, the Dodge Hellcat.
Also supercharged, this V8 is 6.2 liters, so a full liter
bigger than the Ford.
Winner, TRX.
[BELL DINGS]
In this market, bigger is always better.
Ford is claiming at least 700 horsepower for the Raptor R,
but don't be surprised when they reveal the final figure exceeds
the Ram's 702 horsepower.
That's also 250 more than the V6 Raptor.
The TRX does counter with more [? chat ?] though--
650 pounds feet of torque, 10 more than the Ford.
Winner, tie.
[BELL DINGS]
R likely has more power but less torque.
No one outside of Ford has driven the Raptor R yet,
but we have tested the TRX and the V6 Raptor.
At our test track, the TRX hit 60 miles an hour
from rest in just 4.2 seconds, running the quarter mile
in 12.7 seconds at 106.5 miles an hour.
The Raptor took 5.8 seconds to hit 60 and 14.3 seconds
for the quarter at 92 miles an hour.
That's a clear mismatch and the reason
Ford built the R. The rerun should be much, much closer.
Winner TBD.
There's really no messing around here.
The Raptor has 24 inch springs and electronically
controlled Fox dampers in a bid to blend off-road capability
with on-road comfort.
The TRX counters with Bilstein Black Hawk electronic shocks.
Both offer at least 13 inches of wheel travel all round,
but the Ford has more ground clearance--
13.1 inches versus 11.8.
Winner, on paper at least, the Ford
edges it with more ground clearance.
Now, before we go on to talk tires,
if you like what you're seeing and want to see more,
subscribe to our channel.
[BELL DINGS]
And if you're trying to sell your car,
head to edmunds.com/sellmycar for a superb cash offer.
This is a proper game of one-upmanship.
The TRX has giant 35 inch tires, but is still outdone
by the Ford's 37 inch boots.
Winner Ford.
[BELL DINGS]
Both these trucks are colossal.
At almost 233 inches, they are pretty much identical
in length.
Subtle it ain't.
Winner tie.
[BELL DINGS]
That width can be a hassle in town.
If you're a fan of elegant, understated sophistication,
look away now.
Both trucks make a huge statement in every sense.
The R gets a slightly bigger power dome
on the hood versus the standard Raptor orange badging
and a new graphics package that's supposed
to mirror cracked desert Earth.
Inside there are RECARO chairs plus real carbon fiber
because every ounce counts in a vehicle weighing
over 6,000 pounds.
The TRX is more familiar but no more subtle--
its party piece Amber LEDs built into the power bulge.
Winner tie.
[BELL DINGS]
Purely subjective.
Let's be honest about it-- if you're
worried about the price of gas or environmental salvation,
you're not buying a Raptor R or a TRX.
On our conservatively driven test loop,
the TRX achieved 12 miles per gallon.
And even the laughably-named EcoBoost Raptor scarcely
topped 15 miles per gallon.
Judging by the [? alcoholic ?] tendencies of our GT500,
we don't expect the R to fare better.
Drive enthusiastically in any of these trucks
and you'll be in single figures.
Winner neither.
Both are utterly abysmal.
None of these trucks are cheap.
The TRX costs almost 81 grand.
The V6 Raptor starts at almost 72, so reckon on about $80,000
for the R. We'd be mighty surprised if the price doesn't
match up to the TRX.
Winner?
Tie.
[BELL DINGS]
Price matching, innit?
The Raptor has Ford's trail turn assist system that
also features in the Bronco.
By breaking the inside wheel, it reduces a turning circle
off road and makes you laugh.
The TRX has an awesome Easter egg of its own.
Under the air box cover is a picture
of a TRX eating a Raptor.
Tremendous corporate trash talk.
Winner Ford.
[BELL DINGS]
Trail turn assist is the thinking person's
handbrake turn.
So what of the Rivian?
Here at Edmunds, we bought one with our own hard-earned cash
and are living with it day-to-day.
It's not as big, it's not as loud in any sense,
and it's not really set up for racing across dunes,
but it's bloody fast.
And it costs within 100 bucks of the TRX.
Do we think people will cross-shop them?
No.
But the comparison is still interesting,
and it points the way to an F-150 Lightning
Raptor in the future.
In the R1T, four motors--
one for each wheel-- combine to deliver 835 horsepower
and 908 pounds-feet of torque.
In our hands, it hit 0 to 60 miles an hour
in just 3.5 seconds and did the quarter in 11.9 seconds
at 109.9 miles an hour.
That's almost a second quicker than the TRX.
Being electric, it doesn't have a taste
for high octane gasoline.
But before the keyboard warriors get all puritanical,
that doesn't mean it's big on efficiency.
At 7,148 pounds, it's over 400 pounds heavier than the TRX
and is the least efficient EV we've ever tested.
For context, it consumes juice at twice the rate of a Tesla
Model 3 standard range plus.
And that means unless you're at a super fast charger,
recharging takes forever.
So in our less-than-scientific competition,
we have the Ford ahead, but that's
before we subject them to the full rigors of an Edmunds test.
And it could be the fall before we finally
get our hands on them together.
That will be a great day.
It's hard to imagine Ford or RAM building another Colossus
with a supercharged V8, so this might
be the final throw for [? comedy ?] trucks like these.
Which will prove the victor against the watch
and in the dirt?
Can't wait to find out.
That's it for now.
Thanks for watching.
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