Doug Demuro Gen3 Review.

[triggerfish]

I'm a long time Raptor owner, so I love the Raptor and the brand. At first I was totally in disgust with the TRX and in NO WAY did I like it.. and in no way would I consider one over a 2021+ Raptor! I've always thought the Rebel was ugly and I'm somewhat of a Ford loyalist also. Ram? No way!! lol!

I went through hell trying to order my '21 Raptor and the dealers I called all were less than cool about making me a fair deal. I did manage to get an MSRP deal on a 35" eventually and after a lot of pain, but I am in the "unscheduled" group so it's been a frustrating process.

As I've seen my promised build schedule date go down the tubes, I started to look at the TRX for ***** and giggles as I pretty much wrote it off.. mainly because I had some brand loyalty and everything about the Raptor. After watching some youtube videos and visiting a local dealership that had a few TRX's on the lot (with markups), I discovered a few things-

The TRX DOES NOT look like the Rebel to me.. I thought it did, but it was only because I wasn't paying much attention to the TRX. To me, the TRX looks 100% better... mainly, the front grill which I had always thought was ugly on the Rebel is cleaner and smoother. Also, the wider body and overall look has left me liking it now that I got the "raptor fan boy" thing out of the way. There, I admitted it. .

The interior is far superior in the TRX, less plastics, and just has a $80K truck feel to it... while I haven't seen the new Raptor interior in person, I have seen a few 2021 Limiteds and Platinums and the exposed plastic areas are the same or very similiar.. and it just looks and feels cheap in comparison. Could I live with the new Raptors interior? Yes. But I'd rather have the TRX interior in the Raptor if I'm being honest. Also, there are other nice additions, such as heated and vented rear seats.

The motor sounds in the TRX do matter to me over the sounds of the 3.5L! The supercharger whine is addictive and very pleasing, and the hellcat motor puts out a beautiful sound. Keep in mind I am coming from a Gen1 Roush supercharged Raptor and not a Gen2 here.

That being said, I am NOT cancelling my Raptor order and I'm going to see how everything plays out. I really want a Raptor "R", but my dealers are telling me I'll be paying $20K over if I want one... and if that's the case, I'm out! I still believe the "R" should have been the base '21+ raptor motor.

What are my pros for the Raptor, to be fair?

-better gas mileage
-quieter on trips- adjustable exhaust valves.. loud or quiet when I want it
-Onboard generator (I like to camp and will use this)
-I like the rear step way better on the Ford
-360 lighting
-full digital dash

Long winded here, but I feel like I needed to add my $0.02 and honest feelings on this subject.

While I understand the TRX hate on this forum, I think some of it is just brand hate and hate against the competition. If you look how many years it took for any of the major manufactures to bring something competitive against the raptor (10+ years) I think the TRX offering is a formidable competitor if not a superior competitor in some regards... with the wildcard being the extreme off-road segment where I do believe the new Raptor is better in stock form. But it's early in the TRX's life and we'll be seeing the aftermarket make it interesting.

 

[Raptorbegone]

Why the hell do you bring the TRX up in this. I personally love the TRX and seriously considered one. Ultimately I like the styling of the Raptor better so I went with it.

-5 link coil suspension
-Fox 3.1 live valve shocks with sensors on all 4 corners. Keep in mind when Gen 2 was released live valve was not a thing.
-37” tires from the factory
-14” of suspension travel up front and 15” in rear on 35” version.
-better approach, departure, brake over angles and ground clearance in all versions
-better exhaust (over Gen 2, but not Gen 1)
-Way better interior
-70s retro blue interior. (Hope you can sense the sarcasm)

Breaking it down into real terms, that actual owners can tell a difference.

5 link suspension. Probably notice a difference going around corners with less bed hop
New fox's No one is going to notice that ****
37's I think this is more for show than practical application
Another inch or two on suspension. Alright, but most don't need what it already has.
approach, departure, blah blah. eh I guess thats cool.
Better exhaust. The v6 sounds like dog ****. Always will.
The interior of the trx and new F150 is matched at best, ram did that awesome.
and yeah, that blue interior is horrible on every level. rather have a shag carpet dash

I love the competition between makers. Everyone can pick their flavor, but both trucks are pretty sweet

 

[Raptorbegone]

I wouldn’t. The new Tacoma’s are terrible. Under powered, small, weird seating position. If the Rebel didn’t exist I would probably own a TRX right now. Ha ha

I personally don't like the tacoma. But the reliability of that platform cannot be denied.

 

[K223]

I personally don't like the tacoma. But the reliability of that platform cannot be denied.

Older tech. You will always be behind in that regard, but they hang on to what seems to work. Boring? Cutting edge? Maybe so but many like them. Didn’t they have a rotting frame issue settled a little while back?

 

[Raptorbegone]

Older tech. You will always be behind in that regard, but they hang on to what seems to work. Boring? Cutting edge? Maybe so but many like them. Didn’t they have a rotting frame issue settled a little while back?

What I do know is toyota's cover the globe in ****** areas and you can't kill those trucks.
If I had to bet on a truck making it to 150k+ it's toyota every time.

 

[andris]

But yet here you still are.....

Because I’m not a diehard Ford or Ram fan boy I just got the better of the two vehicles. If the R is better than the TRX I’ll get it and give it a try. Competition in this segment is awesome to see and you’d be crazy to think that Ford would have even considered making the R if it wasn’t for the TRX. Everyone here just wants to ***** about Doug because he isn’t putting the 3rd gen on the high pedestal they think it needs to be on. If you look at the 2nd gen review he does exactly that and follow it with the TRX you’ll see the comparison and now with the 3rd gen you can see the disappointment

 

[K223]

What I do know is toyota's cover the globe in ****** areas and you can't kill those trucks.
If I had to bet on a truck making it to 150k+ it's toyota every time.

They can certainly last. Biggest drawback for that longevity is having to buy into old tech and basic features. So it’s give and take basically.

 

[Raptorbegone]

They can certainly last. Biggest drawback for that longevity is having to buy into old tech and basic features. So it’s give and take basically.

I agree. I don't like toyota simply because their interiors suck and older tech.

But I recognize the value of a manufacturer finding stuff that simply doesn't break and sticking with it.

I hope they come out with their version of a raptor for the tundra

 

[spizike9]

What I do know is toyota's cover the globe in ****** areas and you can't kill those trucks.
If I had to bet on a truck making it to 150k+ it's toyota every time.

No doubt about this. If could only have 1 truck for the next 20 years it would be a Tuundra. Not because I like it the most but given it’s track record it should be the most reliable and give me the most trouble free miles.

 

[GordoJay]

You guys are funny. Around and around about which truck is better. Ain't no such thing. There are only trucks that fit your needs, wants, and usage better. And that's individual. Maybe you could change it up and argue about what gun is best, or which woman is prettiest, or what's the best pizza style or toppings, or ice cream flavor. It would be the same argument, but the change of topic would at least bring some variety ...