2021 Raptor 37 Package after 650 miles…my feedback

[Shane361]

That’s exactly my plan—I am going to wait about 90 days to make sure the electronic issues I have experienced are resolved (which I believe are software related and fixable ) I don’t want to have the dealer look at my aftermarket system as an excuse or reason for the minor issues I am experiencing. Your set-up should sound amazing.

Awesome, look forward to your build. I'm sure you will be able to fit everything behind your seat. SoundsGoodStereo has a good mounting plate along with the Zen module to intergrade into the B&O. My amp however is too big for the back wall so it may have to go into the back.

 

[G-Train]

Hey Everybody,

So after owning my 21 Raptor for @ 2 weeks and having driven @ 650 miles, I wanted to share my thought/feedback: Please note I have a 2018 Raptor with 36
K miles that i have throughly enjoyed owning.

Exterior looks: Things need to change…but does change always lead to something being improved? By far, the area where my expectations were not met would be concerning the exterior looks. The looks of the GEN 3, IMO, looks like a Ford SuperDuty meets a Raptor…like someone bought a Raptor grill and put in on a Superduty…maybe it’s the common mirrors? I’m not hating on the Superduty…I like them—good lookin truck for sure. The hood scoop on the GEN 3 looks less functional than the GEN 2 scoop…which is not the case I know….From the side…the gen 2 and gen 3’s are basically twins…the rear end is different …both look great—except for the exhaust tips on my gen 3 being crooked…lol.

Interior: The Blue interior (37 package) with recaros is a home run…maybe the blue isn‘t for everyone but in person it looks amazing and the seats are world class comfortable—I cannot comment on the standard seats on the gen 3…the seats are snug and fit my 6’3” 215lbs frame very well…I loved the gen 2 seats as well.
The quality of the interior is a level higher…very close to Range Rover quality. The switchgear works with precision and appears to be very high quality.
The sound system…”unleashed“…I am an audiophile so I basically don’t enjoy most systems…I see areas to improve where some see something great…so take my feedback With a grain of salt. The soundstage on surround mode is very narrow and the stage is very forward…It is like the vocals are coming from under the dash….I say under the dash because the vocals are muddy and don‘t have any detail to them….I played with The tone, balance front /rear without much success…by the way adjusting the balance and the front to rear settings is done by a touch sensitive button on the center screen….very picky and difficult to use.. Yes, the sound system in the Gen 3 is better, but not my by much…it looks better with the aluminum speaker grills …but the sound is only average. The sound system on my wife’s bmw x7 is simply awesome …from every source , whether it be streaming , radio, satellite…the Bowers and Wilkins sound system in that car which is really close in price to the 2021 raptor is worlds apart….
The instrumentation is world class…the gauges are readable —-The Sync 4 works well and the CarPlay is pretty seamless…but I am having an issue with my gauges resetting everything time I restart my truck…I’m hoping a software upgrade will be released soon…the system is very intuitive and the screens are easy to navigate. To be cont….sorry need to take care of business… .View attachment 325744View attachment 325744

In my Mustang, I had to set the changes by linking it to a seat setting. I wonder if thst is the same here.

 

[sammy134]

The quality of the interior is a level higher…very close to Range Rover quality. The switchgear works with precision and appears to be very high quality.
The sound system…”unleashed“…I am an audiophile so I basically don’t enjoy most systems…I see areas to improve where some see something great…so take my feedback With a grain of salt. The soundstage on surround mode is very narrow and the stage is very forward…It is like the vocals are coming from under the dash….I say under the dash because the vocals are muddy and don‘t have any detail to them….I played with The tone, balance front /rear without much success…

Is there a way to tune the truck system the same way you would tune a home theater system - mini DPS & REW/Dirac Live?

And, how was the supercharged Range rover? How does it feel from the dig with light pedal, medium pedal, and full throttle application? I am asking because I just drove my dads powerpoost, and that hybrid application gets rid of most of the turbo delay/lag you feel between light to medium throttle applications. TBH, it almost feels better then the 3.5 HO. I've never driven a supercharged engine, so that's why I am asking.

 

[Teraflx]

Nice honest write up, thank you! I too don't feel the exterior was an improvement. I feel like it lost a little bit of the aggressiveness of the gen 2. Still looks very nice but for me it lost a bit of that edge. The other changes/upgrades though make it worth getting the gen 3 for me personally but I do agree with the styling.

 

[RaptorMY23]

Nice ride and yea. The system doesn't come close to BMW's. BMW gets it right; either one of their 16 speaker set ups sound great. They've always met my needs as an aging audiophile

 

[4wheelinAZ]

As I’ll be a new Raptor and Ford owner, I love reading these write ups. Appreciate it. As far as the gauge cluster changing back, I know in 2022 they are adding ‘My Mode’ which will save that stuff. Hopefully it’s an over the air update for the 21 guys.

 

[RaptorCDH]

Is there a way to tune the truck system the same way you would tune a home theater system - mini DPS & REW/Dirac Live?

And, how was the supercharged Range rover? How does it feel from the dig with light pedal, medium pedal, and full throttle application? I am asking because I just drove my dads powerpoost, and that hybrid application gets rid of most of the turbo delay/lag you feel between light to medium throttle applications. TBH, it almost feels better then the 3.5 HO. I've never driven a supercharged engine, so that's why I am asking.

The Ford system DSP is very limited …it’s either on or off (stereo) to be fair my 2018 range meridian system looked impressive on paper specs but was simply good—it didn’t have a large warm sound stage….the autobiography system was much better. To get a well balanced system…unfortunately an aftermarket system is the only route (IMO). Is spending another 10-15k on an off road truck a good investment? That’s a personal choice. I have learned the hard way that when you insert an aftermarket system into today’s vehicles …you roll the dice. Even the best installers can create future electronic problems that can be “denied” as a covered warranty.

The supercharged V8 is soft at first …very lazy initial throttle response …great for off-road but annoying in street driving. I installed pedalbox and immediately enjoyed the driving experience. It is much more responsive and retains the ability to soften throttle response when needed…trips to Lake Tahoe (snow). IMO the twin scroll v8 turbo on out bmw x7 is more more responsive than the supercharged v8 Land Rover …it shouldn’t be but technology and major auto manufacturers have figured out the recipe for little or no perceptible turbo lag.
We have been driving a few electric vehicles lately (own a taycan turbo, neighbor has a tesla plaid, and hybrids or pure electric vehicles are much more responsive. The immediate torque cannot be matched by Internal Combustion…but electrics are boring…I rarely drive our taycan. Great vehicle but I never pick it first for spirited drives…I agree with you the 3.5 HO (stock) never feels fast …it’s very businesslike in its power delivery …good numbers but it doesn’t raise your pulse much. My rubicon 392 is a joy to drive …not a 500 mile road trip car but it doesn’t ever disappoint you…get a pedalbox for the range and you will love it …SVR range rovers are special…fun to drive and sound amazing.

Hope this helps. Enjoy !!

 

[RaptorCDH]

Nice honest write up, thank you! I too don't feel the exterior was an improvement. I feel like it lost a little bit of the aggressiveness of the gen 2. Still looks very nice but for me it lost a bit of that edge. The other changes/upgrades though make it worth getting the gen 3 for me personally but I do agree with the styling.

Totally agree with your points. I don’t regret the gen 3 but I miss my gen 2 …always a good sign of a great vehicle.

 

[Donovan]

I said that the G3 was definitely a F250 Superduty's little brother in a few chats. Still stand by that.

Interiors are suppose to upgrade and so are technologies, so that should be a given. Its not spectacular, its NEW.

Don

 

[RaptorCDH]

Awesome, look forward to your build. I'm sure you will be able to fit everything behind your seat. SoundsGoodStereo has a good mounting plate along with the Zen module to intergrade into the B&O. My amp however is too big for the back wall so it may have to go into the back.

I didn’t get the power 2kW package —which sadly caused me to forget to order the tailgate step when I ordered my truck. Big error on my part…I am hoping that since I don’t have the power package that I have room under the seat and back wall for an amplifier and proper speaker enclosure. I haven’t explored that area yet.