For the Price of This 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R, You Can Get Two 2023 Rivian R1Ts

Last year, Ford warned its dealers twice about price gouging. The first public scolding was about adding all sorts of outrageous fees to the MSRP of the most popular vehicles. The second warning revolved around the F-150 Lightning and its unbelievable price tags many middlemen had the guts to put on public display. But amid inflation, parts shortage, supply chain woes, semiconductor troubles, workforce headaches, and ruthless competition, the Dearborn-based marque didn’t truly enforce a policy that would stop dealerships from charging a lot more for new Ford-branded vehicles.

So, it should be no surprise that the highly-anticipated F-150 Raptor R with its 5.2-liter V8 engine is being marked up. But we cannot just ignore the fact that a pickup truck whose MSRP is $111,845 comes with a “market adjustment” of $50,000. Yes, this 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R finished in Avalanche Gray costs $161,845. The best thing about it is that the vehicle is not even in stock yet and people may be already fighting over it.

What’s even more surprising is that this offer comes from a dealer in Nevada, the state with the highest car tax rate, of 8.25%. That takes the price to $175,197 and we still haven’t factored in other expenses like registration, titling, and handling. It’s a doozy, Corwin Ford Reno!

Before looking at what else you can buy for the price of a brand-new F-150 Raptor R, let’s stop by Ford’s online configurator and look at how expensive one such pickup truck can get. Straight off the bat, a “normal” V6-powered F-150 Raptor with no add-on whatsoever costs $78,670. If you wish to have two more cylinders under the hood and a greater displacement, then the price goes up by $30,575 by just picking the R version.

Dollar-dollar bills, y'all!

Besides the enhanced powertrain, customers also get a couple of niche graphics and badges, 17-inch bead-lock capable wheels, orange stitching, carbon fiber ornaments, Alcantara and leather Recaro seats, orange tow hooks, different hood vents, the 18-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system, and some black exterior accents.

We added the moonroof for $2,195, the retractable tonneau cover for $2,200, and the engine block heater for $90 which took the MSRP to $113,730 for what can be safely described as a fully-loaded 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R. In today’s car market, this is an acceptable price for a pickup truck that is immensely capable of anything you might want to do with it and offers a great, roomy interior made from quality materials which also includes the latest technology.

But does it make sense to pay $161,845 for it? Its main rival – the Ram 1500 TRX – has an MSRP of $84,355 and sports a supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI V8 SRT engine.

But the best wake-up call is probably offered by the silently fast and very capable all-electric Rivian R1T. Besides not having to pay for gas (and even electricity, in some cases), the pickup truck comes with 600 hp (608 ps) or 700 hp (710 ps) in dual motor form and a 320-mile (515-kilometer) large battery pack for an MSRP of $79,000, which also makes it eligible for the updated EV tax credit.

Decision, decisions!

Since Rivian has no dealer network, there’s no third-party involved! So, $79,000 is the price you pay, plus all the other usual taxes and fees. With a maximum of $7,500 in tax credits from the federal government and the $2,500 rebate from the state of Nevada, the end cost can theoretically go even lower than $79,000. But for the sake of the comparison, we’ll keep referring to the MSRP shown on the online configurator.

In its base form, the gas-powered Ford F-150 Raptor puts out 450 hp (456 ps) or 700 hp if you go for the 5.2-liter Raptor R. But given the fact that it is still as rare as a legendary Pokemon, the middlemen jump in and make buyers feel like they are getting something extra cool like the $142,000 M5 CS.

For any F-150 enthusiast out there, this can be disheartening. Why can’t we get to enjoy awesome cars without having to take a second mortgage on our houses for them and why is Ford even allowing this to happen in the first place?

Even though the F-150 Raptor R is ready to tackle any road and tow whatever you want, it’s still a pickup truck, a workhorse! Admittedly, a very posh one, but still… It’s no Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet!

Now, which pickup truck would you pick – the marked-up yet potentially exhilarating V8-powered Ford or two clean, very capable Rivian R1Ts? I know what I would bet my money on, but I’m curious to know where you stand.

Feel free to use the comment section to let all of us here at autoevolution know. We’re keeping an eye open for your take!