Prices of the early Raptor trucks have gotten very low, but high mileage might scare away some buyers.
Since being introduced during the prior generation of the Ford F-150, the Raptor has proven to be unrivaled in its performance capabilities. The only real downside to the high performance off-road truck is the price, but with the earliest versions nearing ten years old, their prices have fallen far from the original range of $40,000-$60,000. In fact, according to this recent Road & Track article, you can get into a 2010 Raptor for as little as $18,995 – provided that you aren’t afraid of high mileage.
The $19,000 Raptor
The 2010 Ford F-150 Raptor shared by R&T has a list price of just $18,995. While some people might think that seems like a ton of money for an eight-year-old truck with over 142,000 miles on it, you have to consider what you are getting. When new, this truck likely sold for well into the $40k-range and for the most part, this off-road-ready F-150 looks to have handled the years well. The body and wheels appear to be clean and rust-free, the engine bay is surprisingly clean and the leather looks to be in great shape.
Aesthetically, this Raptor looks great, but that mileage might be a concern to some. With these SVT F-150 pickups being built for hard driving, prospective buyers are bound to wonder how all of those miles took their toll on the truck, even though the truck appears to be practically spotless.
Two Downsides
We say “practically spotless”, because in one picture of the Fox shocks, there is some corrosion around the top of the damper and that might create some added concern. At the same time, if you could score a clean 2010 Raptor for $19,000, would replacing the shocks be the end of the world? We don’t think so.
The other downside is minor one that won’t matter to many buyers, but like all 2010 Raptors, this F-150 has the smaller of the two engines offered during the first generation of the package. This truck is powered by the 5.4-liter V8 with 310 horsepower and 365 lb-ft of torque while later versions got a 6.2-liter V8 with 411 horsepower and 434 lb-ft of torque, so opting for this budget truck means that you have the lesser engine – but this truck still possesses all of the off-road qualities of the more-power models.
So, would you take a chance on a Raptor for less than $20,000 with such high mileage?
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
