5 Reasons Why the F-150 Raptor R is Worth the Hype (5 Reasons NOT)!
We collect a list of five reasons that prove and five reasons that disprove the fact that the F-150 Raptor R is worth the hype and high price.
Intro
The Ford F-150 Raptor R is an incredible truck. It is immensely capable off-road, fast as hell on the road and has a glorious V8 engine. An engine which makes even more power for 2024. The Raptor R is an amazing machine that is over the top in all the ways that we love. The only problem is that it is also really expensive. For 2024 the Raptor R starts at a wallet melting $111,550. That is if you can find a dealer willing to sell you one at MSRP. The reality is that putting a Raptor R in your driveway will probably cost you more than $150K.
That is well beyond what most people can afford. Is the Raptor R really worth that kind of money? Can it live up to the hype and that price tag? Well, we came up with five reasons why the Raptor R justifies its price and five reasons why it does not.
Image: Ford
Not Worth It # 5 – Looks Just Like a Raptor
Without even considering dealer markups a Raptor R will cost you about $20,000 more than a regular F-150 Raptor with the 37-inch tire package. So, you spend all that extra money to get the R and it looks basically identical parked next to a regular Raptor. Truck nerds like us will spot the little red R emblems and decals. But almost no one else will. Not that the regular Raptor is not already a special truck, but you sprung for the top dog, and most will have no idea. You may or may not care about that, for some it could be a dealbreaker.
Image: Ford
Worth It # 5 – Collectability / Rarity
These Raptor R trucks are instant classics, and probably won’t be built for too long given the EV push. They are tough to get a hold of and folks are paying well above sticker for the privilege. These may be the very last of the breed that the world ever sees. So, they will remain rare and valuable.
Image: Ford
Not Worth It # 4 – Towing and Payload Capacities
For the same MSRP as an F-150 Raptor R you can get yourself a new F-450 Limited with a few extra options. The F-450 won’t have the off-road capabilities but it has a limousine-like interior with every creature comfort Ford ever invented and is capable of towing a small building. Even a regular F-150 with the 400-horsepower twin turbo V6 can tow up to 14,000 pounds, compared to just 8,700 for the Raptor R. Maximum payload for the Raptor R is 1,400 pounds which is hundreds to thousands of pounds less than non-Raptor F-150s. If towing and hauling is your thing, the Raptor R is not the best choice.
Image: Ford
Worth It # 4 – Acceleration
Even with squirmy off-road tires this truck can hit 60 mph in about three and a half seconds. Car and Driver recorded a 30 to 50 mph time of just 2.2 seconds. The same time as a 2019 Ferrari 488 Pista. That car had a base price of $350K, and most sold for closer to half a million dollars. The Raptor R is a seriously quick truck that can keep up with legitimate super cars. The Raptor R may not be able to tow as much as some other F-150 models, but it can tow a hell of a lot more than a Ferrari 488 Pista.
Image: Ford
Not Worth It # 3 – Dealership Markups
The Raptor R is already very expensive. But they are in short supply and dealers will likely charge you well over MSRP for the privilege of letting you buy one. Dealer markups are nowhere near as prevalent as they had been for the last couple of years. But they are still out there for high demand vehicles like the Raptor R. As great as the truck may be the thought of handing the dealer a check for $10K to $50K above sticker is enough to make us nauseous.
Image: Ford
Worth It # 3 – Stomps the TRX
Raptor fans had to hear it from the RAM fans ever since the TRX launched. Now, with the Raptor R Ford put the TRX back on the trailer. Actually, killed it completely as the TRX is no more. Thanks in part to a massive 700+ pound weight savings, the Raptor R simply outperforms the now-defunct TRX in just about every category. Especially once Ford upped the power level on the R to 720 horsepower for 2024, making it the most powerful gasoline-powered truck in history. Ford is back on top thanks to the Raptor R.
Image: Ford
Not Worth It # 2 – Aftermarket Builds
The Raptor R is an incredible truck from the factory. However, you can buy a much less expensive truck and upgrade it with aftermarket parts to make it perform as good or better than the Raptor R for far less money. Now, comparing a customer-built truck with aftermarket parts to a factory truck is not really a fair fight. But if you just want the performance the Raptor R offers, you don’t have to spend $150K+ if you don’t want to.
Image: Ford
Worth It # 2 – Factory V8 Raptor
Many Raptor fans were crushed when the second-generation Raptor lost the 6.2L V8 engine in place of a 3.5L twin turbo EcoBoost V6. Sure, the new engine was more powerful than the V8 but a truck like the Raptor deserves a V8 and the sounds and driving characteristics that come with it. Thankfully the V8 has returned to the Raptor but only in Raptor R form. So, if you want a new Raptor with a V8 engine, the Raptor R is the only choice.
Image: Joe Kucinski
Not Worth It # 1 – Incremental Performance Gain over Regular Raptor
The biggest problem with the Raptor R is just how good the regular F-150 Raptor is. Especially if you spring for the 37-inch tire option. Look at the spec sheets of the Raptor with 37-inch tires and the Raptor R. The Raptor R has the big engine of course, and we can’t minimize that. The Raptor R easily wins every drag race.
But the rest of the specs outside of the engine are basically the same between the Raptor R and Raptor with 37-inch tires. The transfer case and axle ratios are the same. The front and rear suspension including the amount of travel front and rear is exactly the same. Brakes are the same. Tires are the same. Ground clearance, approach angle, departure angle, and breakover angle are all the same. There really isn’t much the Raptor R can do that the Raptor on 37-inch tires can’t do (again, except for an on-road drag race) for far less money.
Image: Ford
Worth It # 1 – King of Performance Trucks
You get bragging rights with the Raptor R. Nothing tops this truck. And it remains a distinct possibility that nothing (at least not gas-powered) ever will. The regular Raptor is impressive for sure. But if you want the best, you want the most power, the quickest accelerating desert running truck, then you need the Raptor R. It is the pinnacle of Ford truck performance.
Image: Ford