Ford Gen3 Raptor and it's future- R's in greater #'s?

[LPZML]

I think RAM built the truck they wanted to compete with the Raptor. Both RAM and Ford pull from the parts bin to build their trucks and then add some customization. Ford specifically built a stronger, wider frame and added specific suspension components so that the truck could do what it was designed for. Ford uses their multi-purpose engine that has applications across the F-150 line, as well as a ** version in the Ford GT. Smaller configurations are added in to other vehicles learning from what they have mastered. RAM built some custom components and pulled from a parts bin that they had with some tweaking to a high output motor, used in many other vehicles in their line-up. When I throw my Raptor in to whoops or catch air in it the truck, it is very capable of handling the suspension abuse I throw at it and it's well balanced through the air. I have never driven a TRX but I would not trust the truck's ability to handle Baja with that drive train. It seems like a really nice trophy truck that is great on a drag strip, but be careful really throwing it in to whoops, reasonable jumps and other technical situations. It's front heavy and not balanced like a purpose-built off-road race truck like the Raptor. The other things that Ford builds in to the Raptor include terrain modes built for the truck. Not that RAM doesn't but it doesn't seem purpose built. It seems "me too" built. When I'm sliding through the desert, I prefer Sport Mode with traction control off, unless I'm really pushing it through dirt/sand in tight turns and need the Baja mode to push and pull me through. My 12-year-old son laughs at me as a giggle and look at him while we're sliding sideways. Perhaps the TRX has enough torque going to the rear wheels to slide things out, but I wouldn't want to be stuck with AWD as the only option.

On a recent trip to Moab I found a trail I could go 70 MPH on and rock crawl at other parts of the same trail. The truck was always balanced and gobbled up anything I threw at it. The RAM may have been even more fun at speed on the long stretches but would have been difficult to control during the rock crawl situations where the Raptor benefits from the front Torsion. On this trail I never needed to be in 4L but it was still some technical parts on the slick rock. I'm confident Ford will take their same great recipe for a balanced, off-road racing truck with the Raptor R.

While at the same time, it's nice to finally have someone competing in the space. If we didn't have RAM in the picture with the TRX, would we even have the prospect of a Raptor R? People choose different trucks and compromises for different reasons. I trust my Raptor. I would struggle to trust a TRX for the 80k - 100k I plan to have my Raptor. My opinion is anecdotally based on what I have heard about reliability with RAM (non diesel) vehicles. Sure they have gotten better in recent years. I wouldn't want to be stuck out on a trail with either vehicle. I feel like my Raptor wouldn't need a tow, based on some of the things I read about the TRX. I've had 4 F-150s, 3 of which had different output levels of the 3.5L. The engine an platform have made me pretty confident.

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GREATS PICS TRX LOOKS LIKE **** RAPTOR WILL ALWAYS BE MY FAV

 

[PerfectoR]

3rd Gen Raptor compared to a 1st Gen TRX....im going Raptor all day over a decades worth of development in comparison to a TRX 1st Gen....

 

[Chainsaw]

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=raptor+vs+trx

There are a lot of head to head comparisons on YouTube...

Most of those results are either drag races or talking heads who say nothing that isn't in the manual. Very little of substance. But there ARE a few worth showing:

Go to 14:20. TRX races a Velociraptor in sand and wins easily.

Go to 11:00 for summary. These guys, Keep It Dirty Offroad, clearly want the TRX to fail SO badly. Then at the end, they basically admit the TRX did everything the Raptor can do and had zero issues... oops!

And since we can all cherry-pick anecdotes, here is a TRX jumping, and then towing a Raptor out of trouble:

Instagram

www.instagram.com

 

[Dtsgli]

Not sure how you drew the conclusion that people are leaving FRF and buying a TRX in mass. Are you on a TRX forum where people are claiming to come from FRF?

FRF almost made a lot of changes to the forum that ticked quite a few people off. They left for that reason, not because they bought a TRX.

At least half if not more of the used Raptors on Autotrader and Car.com are sitting at Jeep/Ram dealers right now. Pretty easy insights. I said this a while ago. Was actually looking at a used raptor at an FCA dealership in April, the guy traded it in on a TRX. And also I joined the TRX forum to keep tabs on that truck, I would say the majority of owners came out of a raptor based on what I have seen. The other half is a mix between a regular 1500 or 2500. Not many people outside the truck world grabbing these except for a challenger or charger owner on that forum.

 

[Chainsaw]

I think RAM built the truck they wanted to compete with the Raptor. Both RAM and Ford pull from the parts bin to build their trucks and then add some customization. Ford specifically built a stronger, wider frame and added specific suspension components so that the truck could do what it was designed for. Ford uses their multi-purpose engine that has applications across the F-150 line, as well as a ** version in the Ford GT. Smaller configurations are added in to other vehicles learning from what they have mastered. RAM built some custom components and pulled from a parts bin that they had with some tweaking to a high output motor, used in many other vehicles in their line-up. When I throw my Raptor in to whoops or catch air in it the truck, it is very capable of handling the suspension abuse I throw at it and it's well balanced through the air. I have never driven a TRX but I would not trust the truck's ability to handle Baja with that drive train. It seems like a really nice trophy truck that is great on a drag strip, but be careful really throwing it in to whoops, reasonable jumps and other technical situations. It's front heavy and not balanced like a purpose-built off-road race truck like the Raptor. The other things that Ford builds in to the Raptor include terrain modes built for the truck. Not that RAM doesn't but it doesn't seem purpose built. It seems "me too" built. When I'm sliding through the desert, I prefer Sport Mode with traction control off, unless I'm really pushing it through dirt/sand in tight turns and need the Baja mode to push and pull me through. My 12-year-old son laughs at me as a giggle and look at him while we're sliding sideways. Perhaps the TRX has enough torque going to the rear wheels to slide things out, but I wouldn't want to be stuck with AWD as the only option.

On a recent trip to Moab I found a trail I could go 70 MPH on and rock crawl at other parts of the same trail. The truck was always balanced and gobbled up anything I threw at it. The RAM may have been even more fun at speed on the long stretches but would have been difficult to control during the rock crawl situations where the Raptor benefits from the front Torsion. On this trail I never needed to be in 4L but it was still some technical parts on the slick rock. I'm confident Ford will take their same great recipe for a balanced, off-road racing truck with the Raptor R.

While at the same time, it's nice to finally have someone competing in the space. If we didn't have RAM in the picture with the TRX, would we even have the prospect of a Raptor R? People choose different trucks and compromises for different reasons. I trust my Raptor. I would struggle to trust a TRX for the 80k - 100k I plan to have my Raptor. My opinion is anecdotally based on what I have heard about reliability with RAM (non diesel) vehicles. Sure they have gotten better in recent years. I wouldn't want to be stuck out on a trail with either vehicle. I feel like my Raptor wouldn't need a tow, based on some of the things I read about the TRX. I've had 4 F-150s, 3 of which had different output levels of the 3.5L. The engine an platform have made me pretty confident.

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This post made me LOL.

You: "I love the Raptor's different drive modes, like Sport and Baja. They're so unique and fun."

Also you: "The TRX's different drive modes, like Sport and Baja, just feel forced and fake."

LOOOOL.

Lots of people here who have never driven a TRX, ridden in a TRX, or even SEEN a TRX... and still passing judgment. Yikes!

You know what happens when you DO ride in or drive a TRX? Same thing as happened to more and more of us on FRF..

.. you buy it.

 

[Dtsgli]

Dodge sucks... and those that go to TRX will be back..my 19 had a Cobb stage 2, and it flew and pulled like hell. I get those guys that like the sound, but hell..... I have a range rover SVR with a supercharged v8-- it sounds bad and its fast... but if I had to pick between it and a raptor, the raptor wins everyday and twice on Sunday..... Coming for the collision repair industry, Dodge's bodies and frames are weak.. almost an afterthought...... I'll stick with Ford, and I'll bet lots of those TRX defectors will be back.

Ram 1500 has top safety pick in the segment now. Has since 2019. So this might be biased to the older generations.

 

[Chainsaw]

3rd Gen Raptor compared to a 1st Gen TRX....im going Raptor all day over a decades worth of development in comparison to a TRX 1st Gen....

This is one of my main concerns as well.

However, it isn't as wide a gulf as you may think: the RAM engineers have also had 10 years of Raptors to tear apart and use as benchmarks. It's not like they had to completely design an off-road truck in a vacuum - Ford did the heavy lifting up front for everyone.

 

[Chainsaw]

I think RAM built the truck they wanted to compete with the Raptor. Both RAM and Ford pull from the parts bin to build their trucks and then add some customization. Ford specifically built a stronger, wider frame and added specific suspension components so that the truck could do what it was designed for. Ford uses their multi-purpose engine that has applications across the F-150 line, as well as a ** version in the Ford GT. Smaller configurations are added in to other vehicles learning from what they have mastered. RAM built some custom components and pulled from a parts bin that they had with some tweaking to a high output motor, used in many other vehicles in their line-up. When I throw my Raptor in to whoops or catch air in it the truck, it is very capable of handling the suspension abuse I throw at it and it's well balanced through the air. I have never driven a TRX but I would not trust the truck's ability to handle Baja with that drive train. It seems like a really nice trophy truck that is great on a drag strip, but be careful really throwing it in to whoops, reasonable jumps and other technical situations. It's front heavy and not balanced like a purpose-built off-road race truck like the Raptor. The other things that Ford builds in to the Raptor include terrain modes built for the truck. Not that RAM doesn't but it doesn't seem purpose built. It seems "me too" built. When I'm sliding through the desert, I prefer Sport Mode with traction control off, unless I'm really pushing it through dirt/sand in tight turns and need the Baja mode to push and pull me through. My 12-year-old son laughs at me as a giggle and look at him while we're sliding sideways. Perhaps the TRX has enough torque going to the rear wheels to slide things out, but I wouldn't want to be stuck with AWD as the only option.

On a recent trip to Moab I found a trail I could go 70 MPH on and rock crawl at other parts of the same trail. The truck was always balanced and gobbled up anything I threw at it. The RAM may have been even more fun at speed on the long stretches but would have been difficult to control during the rock crawl situations where the Raptor benefits from the front Torsion. On this trail I never needed to be in 4L but it was still some technical parts on the slick rock. I'm confident Ford will take their same great recipe for a balanced, off-road racing truck with the Raptor R.

While at the same time, it's nice to finally have someone competing in the space. If we didn't have RAM in the picture with the TRX, would we even have the prospect of a Raptor R? People choose different trucks and compromises for different reasons. I trust my Raptor. I would struggle to trust a TRX for the 80k - 100k I plan to have my Raptor. My opinion is anecdotally based on what I have heard about reliability with RAM (non diesel) vehicles. Sure they have gotten better in recent years. I wouldn't want to be stuck out on a trail with either vehicle. I feel like my Raptor wouldn't need a tow, based on some of the things I read about the TRX. I've had 4 F-150s, 3 of which had different output levels of the 3.5L. The engine an platform have made me pretty confident.

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Missed some more gems in your post.

You: "Ford purpose-built an off-road truck... the RIGHT way."

Also you: "RAM purpose-built an off-road truck... the WRONG way."

LOOOL, seriously? On what basis can you claim to know how and why the trucks were designed? Both are built on wider frames with upgraded, specialty suspension.

Then you claim that you wouldn't trust the TRX offroad with "that drivetrain". To which parts do you refer, and why? Be specific.

Your 72,000-word post can be summed up like this:

"RAPTOR GUD, TRX BAD, BUT I HAVE NOOOOO IDEA WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT OR WHY, I'M JUST RIGHT OK"

 

[melvimbe]

At least half if not more of the used Raptors on Autotrader and Car.com are sitting at Jeep/Ram dealers right now. Pretty easy insights. I said this a while ago. Was actually looking at a used raptor at an FCA dealership in April, the guy traded it in on a TRX. And also I joined the TRX forum to keep tabs on that truck, I would say the majority of owners came out of a raptor based on what I have seen. The other half is a mix between a regular 1500 or 2500. Not many people outside the truck world grabbing these except for a challenger or charger owner on that forum.

OP stated people were leaving the Raptor forums in mass to go to TRX. Your talking more about people trading in Raptors for TRX. Not unrelated, but different.

I took a quick look at autotrader and of the first 25 used Raptors in my area, 4 of them were on Ram lots. Don't think that fully discredits your claim completely, but it does show that people aren't trading in Raptors for a Chevy (just 1). Also worth noting, though anecdotal, but I bought my Raptor used at a Ram lot as well, long before TRX existed.

Regardless, there seems to be plenty of room in the market for both vehicles right now, as nothing is sitting on lots waiting to be sold, except for TRXs with high ADM.

 

[DyLivn]

New member to the forum here, been lurking for a couple of weeks just reading up and trying to gather information. I currently own a 2018 F150 but will be placing an order for a 2022 Raptor 35 or TRX here in the next couple of months. I am still on the fence about which way I want to go. Threads like this intrigue me as I see so many comments from folks speaking negatively of the TRX yet they have yet to sit it one, much less drive one. Strange mentality but I understand some people are very brand loyal.

A friend of mine let me borrow his TRX for a week and I will not lie, I was absolutely blown away. The fit and finish both inside and out was eye-opening to me. It is just another level up from the 13th Gen F150s. I have checked out the new 14th Gen Platinums at the dealer and while it is a huge step up, the material quality and fit/finish still lags behind the RAMs. There is just so much cheap flimsy plastic in the Ford's. The power is obviously incredible and the ride quality with the 5 link was extremely impressive. I expect the Gen 3 Raptor will be similar now that they have gone 5 link as well. The only downside to the truck is that I averaged 9 mpg and with a 33 gallon tank the range is pretty pathetic. I have been spoiled nearly 650 mile range in my current F150. For exterior styling I was skeptical from the pictures and videos I had seen, but in person they look so much better. Looking in the side mirrors at the rear fenders you feel like you are looking at the hips of a 911 Porsche. I was pretty much sold after the week of driving the TRX. The color options are really disappointing though, Ford is crushing RAM here. The 22 TRX is getting Uconnect 5 which will have wireless Carplay/AA.

But then the Gen 3 Raptor configurator went live and more pictures and videos started surfacing. Spec for spec the Gen 3 Raptor is about 10k cheaper than the TRX if you pay MSRP. They are a number of TRX dealers selling at 5k under MSPR, so that really closes the gap. The styling of the Gen 3 is growing on me and I do think the Raptor is going to have a more distinct look going down the road than the TRX. I love the wide trophy truck front end of the Raptor. Obviously, the powertrain is a sore spot in my decision-making process. I have spent almost 4 years now with the Gen 2 3.5 Ecoboost and 10 speed trans. Other than clunky downshifts in the 10speed the powertrain combo is incredible, easily the best in the industry compared to the 5.7 and LS options from the competitors. The Hellcat motor, 8 speed ZF and the AWD of the TRX is a deadly combo though. No matter your disdain for RAM products, there is no way you walk away from a test drive not giggling like a school girl at an NSYNC concert.

I am definitely waiting to see a Gen 3 in person and hopefully drive one before I make a decision. Right now I am really torn but I am enjoying hearing the perspective of others on this forum who have owned both trucks and can give unbiased opinions.