2021 Ram 1500 TRX Vs. Ford F-150 Raptor Styling Battle Has a Clear Winner

As we've mentioned earlier, the TRX could be merely the first direct competitor of Ford's performance-oriented F-150 pickup, with GM lining up a similar model in the coming future. However, it is the only one available right now, and it looks like its Hellcat V8 engine with 702 hp is not the only thing that puts in front of the Raptor.

According to TheSketchMonkey, the Ram 1500 TRX also wins the beauty contest. The man we usually see bending reality using his skill and the power of Photoshop took the time to explain why his trained eye considers the new TRX to be the better design between the two.

For years, the Ford F-150 Raptor was the most aggressive-looking stock pickup truck that money could buy. Its appearance has been commended repeatedly and, to be fair, even now when it seems like it has met its match, you still can't honestly say it's not a good-looking vehicle.

The artist puts pictures of the two trucks side by side and offers his solid views as to why one is better than the other. He wisely splits his commentary into three parts: side, rear, and frontal view.

Starting with the side, in his opinion, the Ram designers did a much better job of highlighting the TRX's shoulder line, as well as keeping it flowing from one end to the other. By contrast, it is repeatedly interrupted on the F-150 Raptor, giving it a busier aspect that's not as pleasing on the eye.

The same goes for all the other details. The Ford's various elements like the front and rear optic blocks appear to be unnecessarily complicated, whereas the TRX keeps things simple and clean - a sure recipe for success in TheSketchMonkey's opinion (and ours).

As you would expect, the rear makes for a more difficult comparison since almost everything there has a very precise purpose. There's very little left for the designers to play with, and yet TheSketchMonkey managed to identify a particular line that, in his opinion, would be enough to separate the Ram from other trucks, though we kind of feel like this one is a bit of a stretch on his part. Anyway, we too prefer the 1500 TRX, but it's rather for its understated simplicity and color choice than any particular design.

Right, on to the frontal view. The author of the video starts by talking about the little lights that are mandatory on vehicles exceeding a certain width. He congratulates the Ram designers for including the three middle ones into the scoop on the hood, but we'd be more inclined to shake their hands for the scoop itself. That feature alone would make the front view of the TRX stand out and win this comparison.

However, there's more. You might not always be able to put your finger on what it is that makes you perceive a certain design to be better than another, so it's nice to hear somebody who knows what he's talking about highlighting it. Looking at the two, one can notice the TRX seems wider than the Raptor but couldn't tell why that is.

One reason is the shape and area of the frontal fascia. The Ford Raptor's is considerably higher, whereas TRX went for a more horizontal-focused approach. You can see it in the design of the headlights as well - vertical versus horizontal. The result is a much more planted stance for the Ram 1500 TRX, which is essentially what you want from a vehicle that's supposed to convey the sense of speed over any type of terrain.

If you want a more in-depth analysis, you can watch the clip below and see if you agree with TheSketchMonkey's views. If you want to decide for yourself, we've included the full photo galleries of both models.