REMARKABLE-RIDING RARE RAPTOR
Ford’s performance truck is smooth and handles well, writes Dale Edward Johnson.
Larry Koch of Regina is a real Ford Raptor fan. He’s owned a 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017 and a 2018 — and they didn’t make Raptors in 2015 and 2016. He still has his ’14 and recently acquired his ’18 Raptor.
“There’s nothing that compares to a Raptor,” says Koch. “Comfortable and smooth, the ride is impeccable.”
Nathan Jones of Estevan is another Raptor enthusiast. He’s owned a 2013, a 2014 and currently has a 2017.
“I work in the oilpatch and I use it for commuting to oil sites. I do a lot of back-road driving on grid roads,” explains Jones.
He describes the suspension, handling and the ride as “leaps and bounds above anything else.”
The Raptor is related to the Ford F-150 pickup — but distantly related. The Raptor is the only truck that is part of the Ford Performance unit, which emphasizes “performance, substance, exclusivity and value.” Other models are the Fiesta ST, Focus RS, Focus ST, Shelby GT 350 Mustang and Ford GT.
Compared to lesser Fords, these performance models are fast, handle well and are dressed up inside and out. As Ford puts it, these models include “a sophisticated powertrain, outstanding chassis dynamic and significant interior and exterior enhancements.”
The Raptor is 16 cm (6.4 inches) wider than the F-150. According to the owner’s manual, the Raptor’s “Water Fording Depth” is 81 cm (32 inches). It’s an ideal vehicle for off-roading — or showing off when cruising in the city.
Another big difference is volume. While the F-150 has been the best-selling vehicle in Canada for more than 50 years, Raptor sightings are rare in Regina.
“We sold all 25 Raptors we were allocated for 2017,” says Trevor Boquist, president and CEO of Bennett-Dunlop Ford in Regina. “Typically we have been able to get 25 to 35 Raptors each year they have been available. For 2018, we will get 30 of them.”
Bouquist says Raptor buyers are usually “business owners, people well-established in their careers, and in the 40-to-55-year age group. The Raptor has an exceptional ride and so it is also attracting higher-end vehicle buyers, not just previous truck owners.”
The price of a new loaded Raptor can approach $100,000 — which is around $15,000 over a top-line F-150.
For people like Jones and Koch, it’s well worth the money — mainly because of the ride.
“What you can drive at 100 kilometres per hour in a Raptor, you can only do at 60 or 70 km/h in a regular F-150,” says Jones.
Koch uses his Raptor mainly for hunting. “They have special suspension, and they’re made for off-roading,” he says. “I’ve taken my Raptor — at 80 kilometres an hour — off the road, through the ditch and into the field, and not even thought twice about it. It just goes.”
But Koch misses the V-8 that was on the older models. The current Raptor only comes with a V-6, a high-output 3.5L EcoBoost, producing 450 horsepower and 510 lb.-ft. of torque, mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission.
“I’m a V-8 guy, and there’s no sound like a V-8. That new six-cylinder does not have a V-8 sound. It would be nice if it had a V-8,” says Koch.
But Jones prefers the six-cylinder engine.
“I enjoy the new Twin Turbo V-6 better than the V-8 I had. There’s cleaner, crisper shifting, better acceleration, the fuel mileage is 25 per cent better — and there’s more horsepower,” says Jones.
I had a Raptor as a media fleet test vehicle recently. The main thing I notice is the smooth, comfortable ride. I don’t take it off-roading, but I drive it in Regina and on short highway jaunts nearby.
The interior is luxurious, with all the expected touches of a top-end truck. It’s spacious and visibility is excellent. And it’s fast (Car and Driver did 0-60 mph in 5.1 seconds) and handles well.
The exterior is certainly attention-getting. I get lots of people waving and giving me the thumbs-up. That doesn’t happen when I’m in a F-150. Maybe it’s the “RAPTOR” letters on each side of the pickup bed, part of the $1,350 exterior graphics package. Perhaps it’s the unique grille with FORD spelled out in big letters replacing the blue oval of lesser Fords. Or it could be the flat black trim on the bumpers, wheel wells and hood — and the hood graphics run another $1,150.
The base price for this Raptor is $69,899. Add on $18,040 in options, along with destination and delivery, and the sticker price of this Raptor comes to $89,639. Among the goodies: the “equipment group” for $7,900, which includes exterior cameras front and back; heated back seat; a heated steering wheel; Pro trailer backup assist and voiceactivated navigation. It also had the $2,500 Raptor technology package, including adaptive cruise control. The twin panel moonroof is an extra $1,750.
I only had the Raptor for a week — and I loved it. In fact, I can’t think of another truck I’ve tested that I’ve enjoyed more. Come to think of it, I can’t think of another truck that I’ve tested that’s cost more, either. A few hundred bucks shy of 90 grand is a lot of money for a truck, but it seems to me it would be money well spent.