I have been in the market for a new vehicle for several months. I wanted something different, something I never had before and could take me anywhere, or almost anywhere.
I first looked into Bronco, I find it very exciting and full of potential. But the now-usual story on it with the production and delivery issues, quality issues, wait times, etc. put a sour taste in my mouth. Although its price point is so attractive as well as the value it offers.
Then I started looking into the Raptor. So handsome, so much capability, and I really prefer its utility and off-road capabilities over the Bronco. Even more potential than the Bronco.
Then I went to see the TRX. I immediately found it to be appallingly big. it just does not fit my lifestyle or the roads I travel, and off-roading that is available to me in the northeast. The TRX, and the Raptor too, for the most part, is tough to use as a daily driver in my neck of the streets frankly. I cannot afford and don't want to afford a vehicle with such silly mileage in this day and age. Even the Raptor's best 18 mpg should not be acceptable and is not to me, but I could compromise on that point to some degree.
Based on some evaluation of some numbers, perceived current and future value and my use cases, I concluded the Raptor is the best choice with least compromises. However, the dealers asking crazy ADMs made me look a little further or change my timeline for purchase. During this period, I found the Rivian, specifically the R1T.
The R1T has better ground clearance than either of the three vehicles I mentioned above, all four corners have independent suspension, better breakover, departure and approach angles, more power than TRX, ~3.0 sec to 60 mph, instant torque, quad motors (one per wheel) and fully independent torque vectoring, more towing capacity, more payload, etc. (I can go on and on). On top of all of this, I can buy it at MSRP, no dealers in between.
The Rivian has its downsides without a doubt. It is a risk, to say the least, but I'd rather take that risk with the personalized white-glove service than deal with dinosaurs and their dealers. Rivian is obviously not the only choice to Raptor and TRX, there are several others coming into the market if you don't just define the market as the Baja Racers.
So, the point I am trying to make is, Raptor enjoyed a long monopoly in the market and maintained its value and brand. Now the potential customer base is changing, there is more competition and options.
