The 700-Horsepower V8 Raptor Is an Off-Highway Hero

From dunes to doughnuts to jumps, the Raptor R was nothing shy of heroic in its most snug setting. Admittedly, I’ve much less sand-driving expertise than I do on the rocks and trails, however the Raptor R turned me into a professional. Its capacity to sort out terrain modifications — at excessive and low speeds — felt like a cheat code. I will reserve judgment on its on a regular basis livability till our crew will get the truck in for a full spherical of testing. However as a desert runner, that is the most effective you should purchase.

The price is one thing to think about

All that capacity has to come back at a price. Like several good attraction, the Raptor R asks massive cash to experience. Ford has priced the Raptor R at $109,145 together with vacation spot — a large $30,575 dedication over the V6 Raptor. That beginning value additionally eclipses chief rival Ram TRX by a large margin. A comparably outfitted TRX is round $95,000, making the Raptor R a transparent loser within the value class. And of course, presumed supplier markups might make that even worse.

Then there’s the plain downer, gas economic system. The EPA has but to formally price the Raptor R, however we will anticipate worse numbers than the V6 Raptor’s 14 mpg metropolis/18 freeway and 15 mpg mixed. An early indication is my check truck’s 11.1 mpg determine after principally driving at regular freeway speeds. For what it is value, we’re getting 13.6 mpg lifetime out of our personal 2020 Shelby GT500. We have pushed it greater than 20,000 miles as a part of our long-term check program. So take that and scale back it for no matter impact an extra 2,000 kilos and a much less aerodynamic form can have.