I was in a jam when my 2018 Raptor got totaled in late 2020 & I had to replace it w/ something as it was in November w/ winter coming otherwise I would’ve taken more time to shop around & drove my vette in the meantime- obviously not possible in New England winters
At the time the manufacturers were all getting cocky w/ pricing b/c of the chip/supply chain issues & inventory was starting to get tight - didn’t look like the Gen3’s we’re gonna be coming soon enough for me to wait it out & I narrowed it down to either a new ‘20 Gen2, a diesel F250 Tremor (was just too much truck & not having 4a w/ that kinda TQ sucks), a TRX or literally get a $4-$5k beater to use until gen3 comes
I’m in the manufacturing biz & supply ford & others + OEMs w/ aluminum, have been to many of the plants, & communicate w/ some of the purchasing reps regularly. For me besides the wait what really turned me off from the gen3 was that I KNEW they were F’ing up across the board due to the “start stop” effect of Covid, supply chain squeezes forcing them to source parts from new sources that were necessarily vetted out, & not always having a full workforce. Add in to the fact there ALWAYS are more issues inherent to fresh design & I figured the “safer” bet was to stick w/ a tried & true design in the new 2020 Raptor I bought. If you look at the changes Ford made over the years to further refine the design & especially w/ the drivetrain- no more cam phaser issues, better trans programming, no plastic oil pan etc it really gave me confidence that the very late build 2020 I bought was about as good as it was gonna get in terms of quality control/reliability w/ the Gen2 Raptor. I knew I didn’t want a “Covid truck” if I could avoid it, so I did.
I’ve since driven a Gen3 & like alot about the interior, but that’s def more an “F150 generic” thing than Raptor specific of course. I’m not a big tech guy much more into functionality my ‘20 is 801a (or 800a?) has leather/heated seats & the bigger screen/DIC but regular switchblade key, no 360 camera, no pano roof etc- I’m big into the KISS principle esp for my DD & esp if I’m gonna be keeping for a lot of miles
There’s more power available down low in gen3 but that’s factory tuning adjustment b/c they don’t have to be concerned about idiots grenading the rear end w/ hard launches w/ the leafs. I have had both gen2’s tuned so that’s not a factor at all. That being said - the ride from the gen3 is a little better & handling seems a lil sharper in turns, I like the coil rear for sure & prefer it over leafs & I hope there’s an aftermarket option available to allow for lift/more payload/less sag towing. That + the pro power + the factory 37” option are the things that really attract me over a gen2 - one thing I’m personally convinced of though is that the Gen2 looks better/more badass/more distinct from standard F150 exterior-wise than the Gen3.
I would/will make the switch but it’s gonna be the same deal as w/ my 2020- I’m looking for whatever the last model year is gonna be for the gen3 once the inevitable kinks are worked out. Also won’t pay over sticker & annoyed ford raised the price up significantly just 2 years in!