2021 Ford F-150 Raptor

It's like a scene from a modern war movie; 20 F-150 Raptors blasting through the desert in the dead of night, the menacing wail of 120 cylinders and 40 turbochargers breaking the silence as we travel in a convoy to our off-road spot. Fun is just beyond the horizon. The 2021 Ford F-150 Raptor enters its third generation, now based on the latest 14th-generation F150 platform. Introduced in 2010, the legendary Raptor model invented the high-performance off-road pickup truck segment and has solely defined the market for more than a decade. But the Raptor no longer has the segment to itself.

For the first time, the Raptor has some serious competition in the form of the Ram 1500 TRX; a 702-horsepower super truck that we've called "the most fun you can have on four wheels." No small challenge for Ford then. This new Raptor seemingly arrives bringing a knife to a gunfight with a carryover 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6. There are some clever improvements, but the EcoBoost engine still produces the same 450 hp and 510 lb-ft as the previous generation. Does this matter? As we found out driving the new Raptor through the Nevada/California desert, probably not.

Ford says a V8-powered Raptor R model is coming next year but in all honesty, you might not need it. Just like its predecessors, the 2021 F-150 Raptor is a Baja-inspired thrill ride, with Fox off-road shocks, outrageous styling, and fun imbued right into its soul.

The all-new Raptor pickup truck boasts similar exterior enhancements to the old one. It uses an F-150 SuperCrew as a base, but with power bulges on the hood, a blacked-out grille, LED headlights, and functional heat extractor vents on the flanks. We'd make fun of Ford for stating that these vents were inspired by the F-22 fighter jet, but when driven enthusiastically, the Raptor can rack up just as many frequent flyer miles. The rear also boasts blacked-out lights, and there are three 17-inch rim designs to choose from. To us, the most notable difference between the standard F-150 and the Raptor is the track width. The Raptor has a massive footprint, which it needs to make the most of its powerful engine and trick suspension setup. Ford also listened to customers, adding fog lights to the available options list, along with additional off-road lights pre-wired to the first auxiliary switch.

The Raptor shares its 145.4-inch wheelbase with the SuperCrew Styleside with a 5.5-foot bed. It's 232.6 inches long, 79.8 inches high, and 86.6 inches wide without the mirrors. With mirrors, it's a 96-inch wide beast. With the high-output engine and the revamped suspension, it weighs 5,740 pounds (5,886 pounds with the optional 37-inch tires). Opt for the 37-inch tires and the height grows to 80.7 inches. As mentioned earlier, the Raptor is a lot wider than the standard truck. The front track is 74 inches, while the rear track is 73.6 inches. In standard guise, these figures are 67.9/68.5 inches.

The Raptor has an unbeatable set of off-road-related figures, even compared to the Tremor off-road special. The approach, breakover, and departure angles are 31, 22.7, and 23.9 degrees, respectively, with ground clearance pegged at 12 inches. Spec the big tires and these figures improve still, peaking at 33.1/24.4/24.9 degrees with 13.1 inches of clearance.

The Raptor was never going to blend into a crowd, and luckily Ford adjusted the color palette to match. You can get it in a more sedate color like Iconic Silver, Agate Black, or Oxford White, but the rest are either mild or wild. You can choose between Lead Foot, Velocity Blue, Antimatter Blue, or Code Orange, all at no cost. Rapid Red is the only color that adds to the price at a cost of $395.

We're a bit disappointed that you can't add racing stripes, but there are two exterior decal packages for each wheel size to draw some extra attention.

The Raptor uses the same tried-and-trusted 3.5L EcoBoost V6 used in the previous-generation model. By now, this engine has proven its worth, being a Le Mans winner and all. Still, the 450 hp and 510 lb-ft of torque now suddenly seem below par when one of the main rivals (Ram 1500 TRX) is producing more than 700 hp. Having said that, we all know that it's not always about how much power you have but more about how much of it you can put down. Ford hasn't released performance figures yet, but since the new Raptor packs the same power and less weight, we expect it to beat the previous generation's independently tested 0-60 mph time of 5.5 seconds (about a second slower than the TRX). Given the off-road-biased tires, you may not want to go top-speed hunting, but Ford claims the Raptor will clock 118 mph with the 35-inch tires or 112 mph with the 37s.

Due to its unique suspension and tire setup, the Raptor's towing capacity is on the low side compared to a standard F-150. It can only manage 8,200 lbs, while other models in the F-150 range can tow up to 14,000 lbs. It's worth noting the towing capacity is up 200 lbs compared to the previous model, as is the payload capacity of 1,400 lbs. The TRX can only pull 8,100 lbs and carry a payload of 1,310 lbs.

The Raptor is only available in 4WD, but it's a part-time four-wheel-drive system with 2H, 4H, low-range, and a 4A setting. The latter can distribute torque between the front and rear axle instead of the usual 50:50 split in 4H. Basically, 4A is the one you use for gnarly off-road drifts.

The 3.5-liter turbocharged EcoBoost V6 and ten-speed automatic transmission are carried over from the previous model. The V6 engine produces 450 hp at 5,850 rpm and 510 lb-ft of torque from 3,000 rpm. Though the peak figures remain the same, Ford adjusted the peak torque to arrive lower in the rev range, making the Raptor more eager to accelerate and improve the towing characteristics. Ford even addressed customer complaints that the EcoBoost engine didn't sound throaty enough. A new three-inch equal-length exhaust with repositioned X-pipe and "trombone loop" gives a more pleasing wail, somewhat reminiscent of the Ford GT supercar. Customers can select from Quiet, Normal, Sport, and Baja exhaust modes, with the latter two letting noise flow through to the cabin, likely through the speakers. It's not the supercharged rumble of the TRX, but it certainly provides a motorsports-inspired soundtrack.

There used to be a significant power gap between the Raptor and other models, but this year it's the all-new hybrid powertrain that gets the closest. Yup, the PowerBoost hybrid delivers 430 hp and 570 lb-ft of torque, which is slightly more. We asked Ford if it discussed using the PowerBoost setup for the Raptor, but it proved too heavy for this application. As with all F-150 models, a 10-speed automatic transmission transmits power to the wheels. Ford's 10-speed typically impresses us with its smoothness and responsiveness, but the Raptor takes it to a higher level. Shifts are nearly imperceptible in normal driving and the transmission is eager to drop down a few cogs when you mash the throttle. Large metal paddles are standard for a shift-it-yourself experience.

Our time in the Raptor began with a mundane highway drive from Las Vegas to a small town called Pahrump. We eagerly grabbed the keys to a Raptor with the larger 37-inch tires to find out if such massive rubber ruined the everyday livability. The short answer; absolutely not. At highway speeds, the Raptor feels shockingly stable, especially with the standard lane-keep assist active. The Raptor is currently confirmed to receive Ford's hands-free Blue Cruise system, but even the lesser lane-keep system in the standard Ford Co-Pilot360 bundle does an excellent job keeping the massive truck centered in its lane. We didn't notice too much wind or tire noise entering the cabin, and the off-road suspension makes bumpy roads feel insignificant.

After arriving at our hotel stop, we asked the locals to recommend some fun driving roads nearby. The locals did not disappoint. They directed us to a winding canyon road where we could push the Raptor beyond what most owners would ever do. Again, the Raptor delivered. We placed the truck into its Sport setting, which tightens up the steering, firms up the suspension, and places the exhaust into shouty mode. The Raptor has a different steering system than the standard F-150, and it's instantly noticeable. While the normal F-150 features relaxed steering, the Raptor feels pinpoint accurate, enabling more connected feedback to the driver. Even with a nearly 6,000-pound curb weight and 37-inch tires, the Raptor feels spry ripping around a canyon road. Ford's clever engineering can only fight physics for so long, so you do have to slow down a bit through the tighter bends, but we couldn't believe how well the truck performed here.

Some owners will be content to drive their Raptor exclusively on the road, but this would be doing a disservice to Ford's engineering team. In somewhat backward fashion, we grabbed the keys to a Raptor with 35-inch tires to see how it fared off-road. We placed the Raptor into its Baja Mode for our desert excursion, adjusting the dampers for maximum response, re-tuning the braking force at the rear, maximizing the steering control, setting the drivetrain to 4H, and fully opening the valves in the exhaust. Baja Mode is perfect for high-speed off-road stunts, but Off-Road and Rock Crawl modes are also available for slower obstacles.

Ford developed the Raptor with an exclusive five-link rear suspension system, which helps deliver more power to the road, improve acceleration times and on-road comfort, and inspire more driver confidence. Along with the new rear setup, the Raptor gets the latest Fox Live Valve internal bypass shocks, which provide up to 1,000 pounds of damping per corner. Sensors in the suspension can read and adjust to the road 500 times per second, meaning the Raptor can float over even the most intense off-road obstacles. Ford invited us to drive the Raptor over some whoops (a series of small bumps positioned closely together) as a trophy truck might do, and the truck cruised over them without sending us to the chiropractor. With 25% more wheel travel than the first-generation model, this new Raptor should live up to any torture test. We even had the opportunity to get all four wheels off the ground over a sand dune, and the truck landed like a gentle giant; we might go so far as to call the experience comfortable. In terms of off-road and on-road performance, there's no area where the Raptor disappoints.

We didn't expect the Raptor to be fuel-efficient, but it's better than you might expect. The EPA rates the Raptor's gas mileage at up to 15/18/16 mpg city/highway/combined. Those numbers drop down to 15/16/15 mpg with the 37-inch tire package. Ford says with the standard 36-gallon fuel tank, the Raptor should travel more than 500 miles on a tank. You could feel guilty about the fuel economy or tell yourself that it's not as bad as the Ram 1500 TRX. The Ram's supercharged V8 consumes 10/14/12 mpg. In our short time with the Raptor, we saw returns of over 15 mpg when driving normally, and around 12 mpg driving spiritedly. By comparison, the TRX drank fuel at 9.6 mpg during our week-long test.

The Raptor shares its interior with the standard F-150, but with most of the high-end goodies included as standard, as well as some model-specific touches. Quality is good, and you get nicely bolstered power-adjustable seats as standard in the front row. Visibility is good, but it's the tech that makes a big difference. As standard, the Raptor gets a 12-inch digital instrument cluster, ambient lighting, and another 12-inch center infotainment screen. It creates a high-tech atmosphere that blends seamlessly with some of the old-school switchgear, like the roof-mounted auxiliary toggle switches.

Most of all, we adore the steering wheel. It has lovely orange contrast stitching, real aluminum paddles, and a marking at 12 o'clock. It seems silly on a truck, but that center indicator is mighty useful when jumping around in the dunes. We like the oversized digital displays for the speed and rpm for the same reason.

Since introducing the SuperCrew Raptor variant during the first generation, Ford noticed dwindling sales for the cool-looking but less practical SuperCab model. The third-generation Raptor is now available as a SuperCrew only, meaning it has four full doors with generous seating for five adults. The front seats offer massive room, with 40.8 inches of headroom and 43.9 inches of legroom to sprawl out. There's plenty of space for children or adults in the back with 40.4 inches of headroom and 43.6 inches of legroom, which is comparable to a full-size luxury sedan. Whether you are hauling cargo or people, the Raptor excels.

Three seat options are available, two in black and one in a unique blue. You can either opt for the standard seats or option the High Series chairs with a different bolster pattern and ventilation function. Both come with the word "Raptor" embossed on the seatback. Blue Recaro leather seats with suede and matching Rhapsody Blue accents around the cabin come as part of the Raptor 37 Performance package for $7,500. Going this route also adds the more luxurious 801A interior trim, adding $13,650 (total) to the price.

The interior trim is standard high-end F-150, which means soft-touch plastics and faux aluminum trim. You can opt for the Raptor Carbon Fiber Package, which adds authentic carbon fiber trim pieces to the upper glove box door and a few other places. It costs a hefty $995, but looks appropriately expensive. The carbon can't be equipped with the Recaro seats, though.

Since the Raptor is only available in the SuperCrew body style, you can only have it with the 5.5-foot bed. It has a maximum load rating of 1,410 lbs. The bed is the same standard size as other F-150 models, but it is harder to load things thanks to the increased ride height. The total cargo volume of the box is 52.8 cubic feet. The lower part of the rear bench can also fold upwards, creating a flat, safe space for cargo.

Interior storage space is extremely generous. You get large door pockets, dual cupholders in the front, small storage space underneath the center stack, which houses the wireless charging pad, and massive storage space underneath the center armrest. The Raptor comes with Ford's available folding gear shifter, which allows drivers to set up a flat workspace for their laptop or lunch on the go.

As the halo model in the F-150 range, the Raptor comes standard with almost everything. You get a 12-inch digital instrument cluster, ambient lighting, intelligent access with a push-button start, dual-zone climate control, power-adjustable front seats and pedals with a memory function, and heated and ventilated front seats. Ford's Co-Pilot 360 2.0 is standard, comprising adaptive cruise control, pre-collision assist with auto emergency braking, post-collision braking, lane-keeping system, and a reverse sensing system. Blind-spot monitoring, a rearview camera, and Ford's MyKey are also standard, while you can equip a 360-degree camera, a power tailgate, a heated steering wheel, a twin-panel moonroof, and heated rear seats via the options list.

We didn't have much time to play with the infotainment system while driving the Raptor, but we've found Ford's SYNC4 infotainment system to be ambitious but not perfect in previous uses. The latest system has cool tech features, such as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, connectivity for two Bluetooth devices, and over-the-air updates. We've found the touchscreen to be slightly laggy when transitioning between menus, but this can be fixed in the future with OTA updates. Ford says it has special OTA updates coming for the Raptor, including shareable digital off-road maps. We only had a chance to listen to the upgraded B&O audio system with 18 speakers and 1,080 watts, which sounded as good as you'd expect.

Since the 2021 Raptor is all-new, it has no recalls against its name yet. Overall the new F-150 ranks quite highly in the J.D. Power Ownership survey. The standard car received 84 out of a possible 100 points. Ford Raptor trucks have historically been pretty hardy machines, though, abused in development so they can withstand whatever you throw their way.

The Raptor is sold with a three-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper and a five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty. Five years/60,000 miles of complimentary roadside assistance is also included.

There is no model-specific Ford F-150 Raptor review from either major safety agency. However, the NHTSA has completed a review of the standard F-150 Crew Cab. It scored five stars overall, and we expect the suspension setup on the Raptor to actually make it better when it comes to the rollover test in which the F-150 only scored four stars. The IIHS has only completed a review of the F-150's roof strength, awarding a best possible score of Good.

The Raptor comes standard with six airbags including side curtain airbags, tire pressure monitoring, adaptive traction and stability control, LED lights, automatic high beams, adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist, pre-collision warning with automatic emergency braking, post-collision braking, lane-keeping system, and a reverse camera with reverse sensing. Various forward-sensing systems and the Pro Trailer Backup Assist functionality are optional.

Ford revolutionized the performance pickup truck market when it introduced the original F-150 Raptor in 2010. This third-generation truck may not break any new ground, but it still stands as an icon for off-road performance. There's one rather large elephant keeping us from gushing even more than we've already done about the Raptor. Well, it's more of a tyrannosaurus than an elephant. The Ram 1500 TRX produces more power than the Raptor via its supercharged V8, and it delivers similar on-road manners and off-road performance. It's more expensive, but some buyers will happily pay for the bragging rights of the bigger engine. If you truly can't live your life without eight cylinders under the hood, just wait for the V8 Raptor R model coming next year. It should be epic. Even with less power, the standard Raptor does everything the Ram can do without much noticeable difference in speed.

There is no practical reason for the Ford Raptor pickup to exist, not in the USA, not anywhere. Think of it as a supercar. It's an emotional purchase that hardly makes sense. Except that it actually does, if you think about it. That sensational suspension setup doesn't just give it the ability to stack up frequent flyer miles; it's also pretty handy during the daily grind. Like a supercar, the Raptor offers performance that most drivers will never take full advantage of, but it's nice to know that it can tear up a sand dune, then cruise home comfortably with kids in the back. Does it need to exist? Probably not. But in the typical American spirit of excess, the Raptor is glorious. Do we need one? Of course not. Do we want one? With every fiber of our being. It's slightly silly and vast, but it has so much charm, and the "gotta have it" factor of a supercar that costs five times as much.

The price of the 2021 Ford F-150 Raptor is about as high as you'd expect it to be given all the bespoke engineering that's gone into it. It has an MSRP of $64,145, excluding the destination fee of $1,695. Stacking up the options can push this truck above $82,000. The competition in the form of the Ram TRX starts at $70,425.

There is only one new F-150 Raptor pickup model at the moment, but a V8-powered Raptor R will join it at some point in 2022.

The Raptor is powered by the same 3.5-liter turbocharged EcoBoost V6 as the previous model. It delivers 450 hp and 510 lb-ft of torque, sent to a 4WD system via a 10-speed automatic transmission. The main difference between the standard F-150 and the Raptor is the suspension setup. A standard F-150 still has old-school leaf springs at the rear, while the Raptor comes with a fully independent suspension with a five-link coil setup at the rear. It also comes with heavy-duty Fox Racing shocks specifically tuned for this application.

As one of the most expensive models in the F-150 range, the Ford F-150 Raptor truck comes standard with Ford's Co-Pilot 360 2.0. It includes adaptive cruise control, pre-collision assist with auto emergency braking, post-collision braking, lane-keeping system, and a reverse sensing system. This is in addition to the usual standard safety features, including six airbags, tire pressure monitoring, adaptive traction, stability control, LED lights, and automatic high beams. Interior niceties include ten-way power-adjustable heated and ventilated front seats, leather upholstery, dual-zone climate control, a 12-inch digital instrument cluster, and a 12-inch infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Raptor can also receive over-the-air updates.

The main optional package is called the 801A High, which retails for $6,150. It adds the Convenience Package (interior work surface, lockable storage, connected navigation), Torsen Package (4.10 front axle with Torsen diff, Rigid fog lamps), and Tow Technology Package. It also adds a forward sensing system, LED projector lights that bend, an 18-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system, heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, power tilt-and-telescoping steering column, and a universal garage door opener. This package essentially gives prospective owners the option of adding everything by only ticking one box.

The other notable package is the Raptor 37 Performance Package, which retails for $7,500. This sets the Raptor up for 37-inch wheels, so you get 17-inch alloys, sport-tuned shock absorbers, Raptor 37 graphics, black Recaro leather and Alcantara seats, Rhapsody Blue leather console, and low-gloss black-tint carbon fiber inserts. A few worthwhile standalones include the $765 360-degree camera, or the Power Tech Package with a power tailgate and outlets in the truck bed for $1,995.

The F-150 Raptor only comes in one trim level, but there are available options we'd select to make it even nicer. The 37-inch tires impressed us with their on-road livability and we love the blue interior that comes with the Raptor 37 Performance Package, but $7,500 is tough for us to stomach given the 35-inch tires perform nearly as well off-road, and even better on-road. If budget is no option, get the 37s; just be warned the Raptor approaches monster truck size with this upgrade. We'd happily spend $6,150 on the luxurious 801A High Package, then toss in another $1,895 for the optional Forged Aluminum Bead-Lock Capable wheels. Equipped as-described, the Raptor will set you back $73,885. If you tick every box, the Raptor can exceed $82,000.

Ford invented this segment and has dominated it ever since. And then Ram came along and gave the world the TRX, which is like a Raptor but so much more. There is a price gap of around $6,000, but once you add the Raptor's 801A Package, these two are virtually the same price. Instead of a 450-hp turbocharged V6, Ram gives you a 702-hp supercharged V8. It gets to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and does the quarter-mile in 12.9 seconds. It's bonkers, completely unnecessary, and oh so lovable, but can't tow as much as the Raptor as it's capped at 8,100 lbs and has a lower payload capacity of 1,310 lbs. The TRX is also the reason why we expect the imminent arrival of a Raptor R.

The Ram also has a bespoke suspension, using Bilstein as a third-party supplier. It can also jump over stuff. It's like a Raptor but dialed all the way up to eleven. For the moment, the Ram has the Raptor licked, purely for the insanity of having a Hellcat V8 under the hood. Ford, would you please just bolt the GT500's supercharged engine under the hood of the Raptor already?

The Raptor still isn't the most expensive F-150, beaten by nearly $10k by the F-150 Limited. However, buying a Raptor is less about money and more about the experience that comes with it. Other F-150s with the hybrid powertrain are more potent, and the regular model can tow up to 14,000 lbs - nearly 6,000 more than the Raptor - but they're more focused on on-road use as a traditional work truck. They lack the Fox suspension and bespoke driving modes of the Raptor, and as such, are actually less enjoyable on the road. However, they can be specced to be more luxurious. Personally, we feel that unless you're opting for a work-spec F-150 or require the towing capacity, the Raptor just makes so much more sense as it's not only loaded with all the right tech, but it's so much better to drive, even sedately.