Is the Ford Raptor R really a “Super Truck”? How would you configure your dream pickup truck? We have owned this 2023 F-150 Raptor R truck for over four months and 3,500 miles. Here is what it’s like to daily drive this 700-horsepower monster. This is also a “Good, Bad, and the Ugly” long-term update.
Thanks to our friends at 5 Star Tuning for making this video possible. If you want to take your pickup truck or SUV to the next level in performance and customization – please check out 5 Star Tuning.
At the heart of this beast is a 5.2L supercharged “Predator” V8 engine with 700 hp and 640 lb-ft of torque. The engine is mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission and a 4.10 rear axle ratio. It sends the power down to 37-inch all-terrain BFGoodrich KO2 tires. The Raptor R can run in 2WD, 4-Auto, 4-Hi, or 4-Lo modes. It’s a truly capable off-road machine no matter if it’s running fast across the open desert or crawling over rocks. Yes, this truck’s width may prevent it from going on some narrow trails, but that is pretty much the only thing that will stop it. The Raptor R has a selectable locking rear differential, but Ford got rid of the TORSEN front locking differential in favor of brake distribution.
This pickup may just be the quickest accelerating factory truck with a combustion engine (non-electric). If you spool it up in Sport mode with traction control disabled – it will spin all four giant tires on the pavement as it claws for traction.
It’s a pleasure to drive on the street. It can be a calm pussy cat or a raucous hooligan. The fuel economy is poor, but what do you expect from a super truck? We have seen between 13.5 – 15 MPG in mixed driving. The efficiency gets better at steady highway speeds. This is not great efficiency, but it is on par or better than the Ram TRX.
This truck also tows very well. It is rated to pull up to 8,700 lbs. We took it on the Ike GauntletTM – the world’s toughest towing test. We towed a trailer near its maximum weight, and the R did super great. Although, the relatively soft suspension allows a lot of squat. This is the “ugly”. However, the loaded ride height does not upset the ride. It’s still super confident and stable near its 1,500 lbs payload limit.
Finally, all of this comes at a price. This 2023 Raptor R has a $110,000 sticker price. Many people who ordered the truck have not taken delivery of it yet. Component/part supplier quality may still be slowing down the production of some of these trucks. The Raptor R is built in Michigan.
Join the video below for video clips of everything we did with the truck so far.
