linnwgetin
Full Access Member
So, I ordered a 2013 Raptor on 09/08/12 without ever having driven one......I had driven all other 2012 F-150 Models and pulled the trigger on the Raptor thinking it couldnt be much different.
I couldnt have been more wrong.
Dealer called yesterday and said we just had a couple 2012's land here and if you want to drive it before they are gone, come on down. So I left work early and pulled into the lot, and there sat a massive looking Tuxedo Black
Sscrew with the plastic still on the wheels. After walking around it and trying to contain my excitement, he tossed me the keys and said try to bring it back with some gas in it........
First observation; The thing feels massive. I currently own a 2011 Chevy Z-71 halfton crewcab that Im trading for the 2013. My current truck feels like a compact compared to the raptor. The Raptor's street presence is very impressive. It feels like the truck has 2 settings....... 1: Full on race truck just waiting for you to mash the throttle, and 2; Nimble street machine, which impressed me, the truck rolls very smoothly and the 6 speed shifts way up into higher gears when your cruising and is very smooth down the road. My wife commented on the smooth ride, and said she did not think that by the Full-on baja-brawler type look of the truck it would be so smooth. (BTW...thats good news for me, she was super pissed when I ordered it.)
Second Observation; The driveability is amazing. Obviously you cannot fully appreciate the technical nature of this thing with a simple test-drive, but after spending many hours researching the raptor and its controls before I ever got in the thing.....I was able to put it through a few tests.
The suspension feels soft and hard as hell at the same time. I was expecting alot of body-roll when I turned side to side while going down the road. I would definintely say that it had some roll, but it was no where near what I was expecting from something that can leave the ground and come back to earth with out blowing out the shocks. I have read many on here talk about the nose dive during hard braking.....This really impressed me, yes there was dive but again comparable to my current truck which is in no way in the same league as the raptor.
Third; Power......My god! What a perfect match! That 6.2L married to that
6-speed is pure genius. My current truck is a 315 HP 5.3 matched to a 6 speed trans. and just feels weak compared to the extra 96 ponies that the raptor has. When in drive the Raptor has to make alot of shifts to get you back to the power when you mash it, but it was so fast in doing so that it really didnt matter. But when you put the trans. into manual and control it yourself, it really feels like you have full control of all 411 HP if you want it.
I have never driven a truck that had so much power that had to actually use the traction control before. And when you disable the systems, the raptor can get nasty in a hurry.
Fourth; GAS!!! I was so caught up in how awesome this machine was I never looked to see how the MPG's were going until we were on our way back to the dealership. When I looked down and saw 5.8 mpg, my heart skipped a beat. But then I thought.........who the hell buys this thing and worries about gas!! SO, I didnt tell my wife how bad it was......even when she asked me if you have to buy premium gas for it. (BTW, we filled our Harley yesterday at $4.29/gallon for 91 octane gas.) This would make weekend off-roading trips pricey in the raptor.
Fifth; Overall, I literally can now say I made the right choice when ordering the 2013. I really would have loved to take that truck home last night, but I feel waiting for mine to get here I will be rewarded with a few more goodies that come on the 2013.
All in all, Im super excited for my new ride, and really happy to have found this forum to talk with other Raptor owners!!
I couldnt have been more wrong.
Dealer called yesterday and said we just had a couple 2012's land here and if you want to drive it before they are gone, come on down. So I left work early and pulled into the lot, and there sat a massive looking Tuxedo Black
Sscrew with the plastic still on the wheels. After walking around it and trying to contain my excitement, he tossed me the keys and said try to bring it back with some gas in it........
First observation; The thing feels massive. I currently own a 2011 Chevy Z-71 halfton crewcab that Im trading for the 2013. My current truck feels like a compact compared to the raptor. The Raptor's street presence is very impressive. It feels like the truck has 2 settings....... 1: Full on race truck just waiting for you to mash the throttle, and 2; Nimble street machine, which impressed me, the truck rolls very smoothly and the 6 speed shifts way up into higher gears when your cruising and is very smooth down the road. My wife commented on the smooth ride, and said she did not think that by the Full-on baja-brawler type look of the truck it would be so smooth. (BTW...thats good news for me, she was super pissed when I ordered it.)
Second Observation; The driveability is amazing. Obviously you cannot fully appreciate the technical nature of this thing with a simple test-drive, but after spending many hours researching the raptor and its controls before I ever got in the thing.....I was able to put it through a few tests.
The suspension feels soft and hard as hell at the same time. I was expecting alot of body-roll when I turned side to side while going down the road. I would definintely say that it had some roll, but it was no where near what I was expecting from something that can leave the ground and come back to earth with out blowing out the shocks. I have read many on here talk about the nose dive during hard braking.....This really impressed me, yes there was dive but again comparable to my current truck which is in no way in the same league as the raptor.
Third; Power......My god! What a perfect match! That 6.2L married to that
6-speed is pure genius. My current truck is a 315 HP 5.3 matched to a 6 speed trans. and just feels weak compared to the extra 96 ponies that the raptor has. When in drive the Raptor has to make alot of shifts to get you back to the power when you mash it, but it was so fast in doing so that it really didnt matter. But when you put the trans. into manual and control it yourself, it really feels like you have full control of all 411 HP if you want it.
I have never driven a truck that had so much power that had to actually use the traction control before. And when you disable the systems, the raptor can get nasty in a hurry.
Fourth; GAS!!! I was so caught up in how awesome this machine was I never looked to see how the MPG's were going until we were on our way back to the dealership. When I looked down and saw 5.8 mpg, my heart skipped a beat. But then I thought.........who the hell buys this thing and worries about gas!! SO, I didnt tell my wife how bad it was......even when she asked me if you have to buy premium gas for it. (BTW, we filled our Harley yesterday at $4.29/gallon for 91 octane gas.) This would make weekend off-roading trips pricey in the raptor.
Fifth; Overall, I literally can now say I made the right choice when ordering the 2013. I really would have loved to take that truck home last night, but I feel waiting for mine to get here I will be rewarded with a few more goodies that come on the 2013.
All in all, Im super excited for my new ride, and really happy to have found this forum to talk with other Raptor owners!!
