Review: Blizzard conditions test Ford Raptor

If you were like me and anxious to see what the F-150′s redesign would mean for the outlandish Raptor, well, the wait could not have come soon enough. As good as the 2021 redesign was for the F-150, it is just as impressive for the wicked Raptor this year.

The last time I had a Raptor, I got on I-57 South and headed down to my favorite off-track test ground in Kankakee County. At the time, it was the only place I could find during the pandemic that was not closed or overrun with drivers raging with cabin fever. That Raptor proved to be up to everything I could throw at it.

This time around Mother Nature provided a test far more dangerous — a textbook Chicago blizzard in February, complete with unplowed rural roads, first-time drivers getting a feel for braking in the snow, and the occasional resident who needed help getting back onto the pavement. On all occasions, Raptor proved superior and quite capable.

First Impressions

The Raptor exterior, with its bold graphics, cool decals, and badging makes mistaking it as anything other than “special” absolutely impossible. From the huge FORD running the length of the massive matte-black front grille and protruding hood heat exchanger to the hefty wheel wells and giant 35-inch off-road tread, the Raptor’s aesthetic appeal is in its attitude. And there’s plenty of it to go around. I really liked the look of the cast aluminum running boards.

Off-Road Prowess

Raptor gets part of its off-road chops from a refined suspension featuring a five-link rear coil-spring setup and larger internal-bypass dampers in addition to a standard all-wheel-drive system that eats up everything in front of it. That includes nearly a foot of snow the first week of February. If Punxsutawney Phil had a Raptor we might not be looking at six more weeks of winter.

The Raptor provides several options for getting where you are going, from the standard 4x4 that automatically switches over when needed to the Towing, and High and Low 4x4 sets. The standard 35-inch all-terrain wheels tore through the 12 inches of snowfall and took any poor road conditions out of the equation.

Performance

Under the hood is Ford’s twin-turbo 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6, which delivers 450 horsepower (510 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm) and the flexibility and efficiency of an electronic 10-speed automatic transmission. My tester was rated at 15 mpg city and 18 mpg highway. Just in case you are considering the larger 37-inch tires, they will pull back on your fuel mileage: 14 city/16 highway. One of the few gripes about the Raptor may be the average payload and towing capacity at 1,400 and 8,200 pounds.

While Ram may hold the current crown for overall high-performance pickups, the soon-to-be-announced specs for the Ford Raptor-R are promising the be very Mustang-like and competitive with the Ram brand’s top offering.

Roomy Cabin

My Raptor tester had a roomy cabin with big front-row captain’s chairs with power adjustments and an extra-large rear seat bench with heated seating all around. A standard 12-inch digital gauge cluster looks aggressive and it is surrounded by soft-touch materials and brushed-chrome trim that is used sparingly to offset against the field of the black dash.

The new steering wheel is incredibly grippy and comfortable to hold while using the aluminum paddle shifters behind its spokes. My Raptor had an optional carbon-fiber interior and Recaro front bucket seats that do not feel like anything that should be in a pickup (which makes them great).

The touchscreen that operates the Sync 4 infotainment system offers interaction with Alexa and features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Sometimes undervalued is the ability to have the option of volume and tuning knobs in addition to the steering-wheel controls.

Featuring a 145.4-inch wheelbase and a 232.6-inch length overall, the Raptor feels shorter and more stout than other full-size pickups. Look for a limited warranty of 3 years and 36,000 miles; and a powertrain warranty of 5 years and 60,000 miles.

The Ford Raptor 4x4 Supercrew has a base price of $64,145. With significant options adding more than $12,500 to the price ($78,545 with destination & delivery), there was still a long list of items that could have added even more cost. Is it worth it? It’s about as much fun as a pickup should be allowed to offer.

• John Stein is a freelance journalist based in Chicago. He has more than 25 years’ experience driving, testing, and writing about the automotive industry, its latest innovations, and vehicles.