Can a Raptor SCab be city daily driver?

[Tomas]

If you go the Raptor route in Chicago, don't get the Illinois truck "B" license plate. You can't park on any Chicago streets overnight with this plate - they *will* ticket and tow you, even with a parking permit. Spend the extra ~$25 and get a specialized plate, those are fine. Yes, it's weird that one plate will get your truck towed and the other won't but hey, that's Chicago...

Downtown valets won't park your Raptor - it won't fit into the garages they use so they won't take it. Don't plan on parking at McCormick Place, Millenium Park, or the Museum campus underground lots. Don't park in the Loop unless you're OK with your mirror getting sideswiped. And plan on driving around A LONG time to find a spot you'll fit into on a weekend when downtown.

Get a lock and chain for your spare and a lock for your tailgate.

If you have another car and can leave the Raptor at home on weekend nights, go for it! Just check with your parking garage first. They might have rules on how far your vehicles can stick out. It would suck to find that out after the purchase...

Tomas

 

[Big Blue]

I worked near the Aon center for 5 years. Still head downtown once a month to have lunch with clients.

A raptor in the city??? After that incredible first day or so, when the reality sets in...you wont be happy.

Move up to the burbs man.

 

[JP7]

Mines a 2010 Scab and my daily driver. I'm downtown at least 4-5 times a week and in tight traffic or construction zones, one needs to feel comfortable with the width of the truck.
In Calgary, I have only found one indoor parking lot that I fit in - most have a 6'6" height restriction (to keep the rednecks outta town I guess). Garages are tight, and often either side wheels are riding both yellow parking lines. I'm preferential to backing into the parking spot as it allows more manouverability in cramped situations.

 

[masmole]

If you go the Raptor route in Chicago, don't get the Illinois truck "B" license plate. You can't park on any Chicago streets overnight with this plate - they *will* ticket and tow you, even with a parking permit. Spend the extra ~$25 and get a specialized plate, those are fine. Yes, it's weird that one plate will get your truck towed and the other won't but hey, that's Chicago...

Downtown valets won't park your Raptor - it won't fit into the garages they use so they won't take it. Don't plan on parking at McCormick Place, Millenium Park, or the Museum campus underground lots. Don't park in the Loop unless you're OK with your mirror getting sideswiped. And plan on driving around A LONG time to find a spot you'll fit into on a weekend when downtown.

Get a lock and chain for your spare and a lock for your tailgate.

If you have another car and can leave the Raptor at home on weekend nights, go for it! Just check with your parking garage first. They might have rules on how far your vehicles can stick out. It would suck to find that out after the purchase...

Tomas

Great points!

About the plates... so you mean I can't just transfer the plates from my Touareg to the Raptor, and will need either these "Truck B" plates or some specialized plates? Specialized as in what, vanity plates? Please educate me. I had no idea about all this. Damn.

Funny you mention Millennium Park. That's where I live! The photo of the parking garage I posted is an underground condo garage on Columbus Drive on the north end of Millennium Park. I've seen Hummers and Tundra crew cabs parked here, so I figured the Raptor would be fine.

 

[Droid]

What's preventing you from going farther into that parking space...is the front end hitting a wall or a parking stop? Is it legal to park backwards?

You can get a Raptor to stick out about one foot less if you're backing it in and only have to contend with a parking stop. I routinely use the backup camera to put mine within 1" of objects behind it.

I never had a problem driving my 99 z71 around Chicago (used to live in Glen Ellyn and went downtown often enough). There were a few structures that were annoying (I specifically remember a fairly crazy one by/for the Hancock).

The Raptor does have a pretty decent turning radius for it's size, I think my screw turns tighter than my z71s did. Track width and height may be annoying though.

 

[masmole]

A raptor in the city??? After that incredible first day or so, when the reality sets in...you wont be happy.

Move up to the burbs man.

As much as I didn't want to hear what you said, I appreciate the honesty. I'm starting to think that you're absolutely right. Perhaps a Raptor in the city is a bad idea That would leave me owning 2 vehicles that are likely among the 2 worst choices one could possibly have in a city.

 

[whtrapta]

Get a mini cooper s. You can run all around your city like the italian job!

 

[swoop1156]

I lived and worked in downtown Washington, DC with my old 2010 Supercab and had no issues. I couldn't fit in the work parking garage, so I just went early and got a street spot. Never had an issue and people sure as shit didn't **** with me on the road and spill their Starbucks.

 

[masmole]

Get a mini cooper s. You can run all around your city like the italian job!

Got a GTI, which is almost the same thing... but gf drives that around most of the time, so I'd have to make a daily out of the Raptor since the GT3 is even worse of a city car for not being able to clear many angled ramps and speed bumps. Stock height is race-car low and the front splitter hits everything!

Can't think of anything else fun to drive and can tow. Maybe I should just stick with my diesel Touareg. Cayennes are not appealing to me, and Q7s look too much like a minivan.

 

[whtrapta]

I looked at the newest cayenne and WOW. It was the s with 400hp V8. Its amazing now that they made the center console stuff like the panamera. If I was to spend $80k on a 4x4, it would be that.
How about the 2012 SRT8 Grand Cherokee? It does 0-60 in 4.7 seconds and is supposed to be amazing fun on the track.