Following in the footsteps of the F-150 SVT Raptor, the current model is a bag of mixed feelings. From my point of view, going from eight to six cylinders is not the most inspired decision Ford could have made. Doug DeMuro, however, believes the exact opposite: Ford did the right thing by employing an EcoBoost V6.
He may be on to something, especially if you consider how many people choose the 2.7- and 3.5-liter V6s over the naturally aspirated V6 or the 5.0-liter V8. What Doug fails to underline in his video on the F-150 Raptor, though, is that the EcoBoost V6 doesn’t make a sufficiently sporty sound.
What you lose in terms of aural pleasure, you gain in performance. 450 ponies at 5,000 rpm and 510 pound-feet at 3,500 rpm are numbers that put the old 6.2-liter naturally aspirated V8 to shame. Having two fewer cylinders and less displacement also pays dividend in terms of fuel economy. 13 miles per gallon combined versus 16 mpg is a more-than-obvious improvement.
The looks is another area where the new kid on the block outshines its precursor. By a considerable margin, it should be noted. And if you were curious why the off-road pickup has three orange marker lights integrated into its face that’s because the F-150 Raptor is more than 80 inches wide.
This generation of the Raptor gets all the latest technologies the Ford Motor Company has to offer in the light-duty pickup segment. An honorable mention goes to the attention to detail, which can be observed on the Raptor when entering the 360° camera menu and when using the metal paddle shifters.
It’s no wonder, then, why the 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor kicks off from $48,860 in SuperCab form and from $51,845 as a SuperCrew. If you’re thinking of buying one, don’t forget to get the 4.10 front axle with the Torsen diff.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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