My brother and I both own identical base with no option TRXs and we just picked up a gen3 in SoCal for 10k over for him and I’m still waiting to get mine hopefully at a better price. Got a chance to drive drive it back home for 200 miles or so and here is what it boils down to.
Raptor is a more fun truck while driving slow and the trx definitely shines going fast. I personally hate the hemi engine/v8 sound when cruising below 2k rpm, but it’s a different story at WOT. The supercharger wine combined with the exhaust is intoxicating. The raptor sounds great in Baja mode at 4K plus rpm but it really sounds the same as gen2 at lower RPMs . So if you think the new exhaust is going to mitigate gen2 issues around town you re going to be disappointed.
Gas mileage is about 30% better in the raptor. It’s nothing to sneeze at if you are driving too much but also not a huge deal breaker considering the extra power. I’m averaging 10mpg around town cruising with the trx and getting about 13 in the city. Same goes for hwy driving.
Trx manages about 15 vs raptors 18 as measured in the same route today. You can certainly get to 8mpgs with a very heavy foot on the trx but raptor will also be about 10 in the same scenarios
Cold start. No comparison between the two.
Handling:
Raptor drives a bit smaller and that’s because trx is ~2 inches wider and 1 inch taller. Mine weight 6200 pounds. I know a fully loaded 37 weighs about 5950 so yes it doesn weigh more. Not sure how much this 35 weighs.
Both trucks are very confident in sharp turns and freeway ramps. Very planted with minimal body roll.
Interior design:
I think it’s a wash here with a slight edge to the trx. The CarPlay is full screen. And nicer compare to gen3. Maybe there is a way to fit the CarPlay in the entire screen in the raptor so I’ll play around to see if it’s doable.
Exterior.
This is the area that raptor absolutely shines. No comparison. It absolutely is a better looking truck from side and rear.
The trx bed sits about 4-5 inches higher than the raptor which makes it look awkward and high.
raptor is absolutely a more practical choice. If the truck is a daily driver I’d take the raptor hands down. But this doesn’t mean that it’s the most fun of the two because it certainly isn’t. But if the truck isn’t at wot more than 1% of time I’d be more than happy with the raptor considering the looks and gas savings.
Transmission:
Both trucks are fast shifting in manual mode. This is a definite improvement from gen2 as the lag almost made the paddles useless. I did notice some delay in shifiting at low rpms in sports mode as if the truck did not want to allow a shift at 2k rpm but don’t have enough seat time to figure out what’s going on.
Price:
We got the trxs at 10k below at 65k and the raptor for 10k above at 89 so certainly the price doesn’t play a factor. But both these trucks are took damn expensive for what they are. No reason the gen3 nor the trx should be above 60-70k range when compared with other cars in this price range GLE 63 amg c63 amg, m4, m5, s7.
Steering The damn steeeing wheel needs to be kept 10 degrees off center to go straight with noticeable dead spot in the center. The truck will be dropped off at the dealer to figure out the off center issue but I thing the dead band is something that is designed in. I feel like the trx has a more precise feel with less deadband. Maybe it’s the mode the truck was in.
The only complain on the raptor besides the price is that I just wished it was a bit more different than the gen2. The difference is certainly not night and day as some would like to make you believe. It does ride nicer due to the rear coils. The ride is quite good but I just wish the drivetrain had more to distinguish itself from the previous gen.
