Wanted to see if anyone has come from a lightly modified F150 (think level coilover and rear shocks like Fox/Bilstein/Icon and aftermarket UCA) to a Raptor?
If so, from an on road and off road perspective, how much better was the Raptor?
I have a 20’ F150 that I’m considering either Bilstein 6112/5160 with UCA vs sell it and spending approx $20k more for a gen 2 raptor. It would be my main vehicle, usually on road with semi regular offroad use in the desert or mountains with rocky roads
I previously owned a 2010, 2011, and 2013 Raptor before switching to a 2014 FX4. I only drove the FX4 for about a year because it just didn’t measure up, so I traded it for an Edge ST, which I got at a great deal and kept for three years. Eventually, I found a pre-owned 2022 Raptor with the 37PP. The Raptors (check my post history to see how much I love them) are simply the best—useful, capable, and beloved among our three vehicles.
Whenever we can’t decide what to drive, we choose the Raptor. Rain? Raptor. Snow? Raptor. Sunny day? Raptor. Need to haul something? We could use the SUV, but we always go with the Raptor. Even for family date nights, between the Cayenne and Blackwing, it’s always the Raptor—and I enjoy every second and every mile. I’m planning a road trip at the end of the week and rearranged things to take the Blackwing, but my wife joked, “You’ll call me halfway through saying you should have taken the Raptor.”
She’s not wrong!
You mentioned you’re off-roading in the desert and mountains. Seriously, do yourself a favor and just get a Raptor.
Is it better? Absolutely. But here’s the main reason to choose a Raptor over modifying an F-150:
You’ll retain its value.
Any modifications you make to a standard F-150 are essentially money down the drain. With a Raptor, you not only get the performance upgrades, but you also enjoy excellent resale value. For me, that alone makes it completely worth it.
I had a 2020 F-150 with Fox 2.0 shocks and 35-inch tires, and now I own a first-gen Raptor. The difference is like night and day. The only real advantage the F-150 had was that it was narrower, making parking a bit easier.
Off-road, it’s no comparison. The Raptor handles higher speeds much better and feels more comfortable, plus it crawls over rocks with ease. Just be prepared for a lot of pinstriping if you’re wheeling anywhere outside the desert!
I had Fox 2.0 shocks on my 2016 F-150 5.0, and when I upgraded to a Gen 3 Raptor, it was a huge improvement. I’d imagine the jump to a Gen 2 Raptor would also be pretty significant.
I had an F-150 Black Widow, which is essentially a stock truck with a 6-inch lift and 35s. Then I upgraded to a Gen 2 Raptor with 37s, and the difference is incredible. It’s way more stable at any speed and in any condition, and it’s so much smoother off-road.
I had a 2016 F-150 Lariat FX4 with Fox 2.5 coilovers (2.5-inch lift), Deaver springs, 33s on 17s with a -6mm offset. To get anywhere close to the Raptor’s stability, you need at least this setup, but even then, you’re only about 80% there. Most people opt for non-adjustable 2.0s without upgrading the leaf springs, but those don’t come close to the Raptor’s performance. My setup allowed for decent off-road speed, and the manual adjusters helped for street driving, but the Raptor has that extra bit of tuning and engineering that you really feel, especially when using the throttle. The Raptor’s rear end with radius arms delivers power much better than leaf springs, and the added durability gives you peace of mind when hitting obstacles that could damage a modded F-150.
You can definitely build an F-150 to match or surpass Raptor performance, but it requires either mechanical know-how and time or a lot of money (or both). There are kits that can turn an F-150 into a prerunner, and I once priced it out at around $20-25k depending on how much work you do yourself. There are even cantilever kits for even greater travel than the Raptor, but serious off-roaders don’t stick with stock Raptors either. Their purpose-built rigs often cost more than the Raptor itself (in Utah, for example, it’s common to see heavy-duty trucks towing custom-built Jeeps on trailers worth upwards of $250k).
The Raptor’s main appeal is that it’s a bargain for what you get. It’s essentially a Limited (which is a luxury truck) combined with all the off-road engineering for strength and performance, plus adjustability for street driving, and it’s priced lower than the Limited. Sure, you miss out on a few features like massaging seats and towing software, but you can still find Raptors at MSRP right now. For me, it’s a no-brainer. My dealer often sells trucks within an hour of availability, even at $5k above MSRP.
So, if you’re on the fence, just go for it. Try to pay it off quickly and enjoy it. Once prices hit $100k+ due to dealer markups, it probably won’t be worth it anymore. And if you get one now, the resale value will only climb higher if that happens.
Thanks for all the responses, looks like it’s a no-brainer, haha. I was kind of hoping for some encouragement on modding the F-150 since it’s already paid off (no car payments) and would only cost a couple thousand for the parts.
I upgraded from a Gen 2 to a Gen 3 with the 37 Performance Package, and I didn’t expect much of a difference. But I was surprised by how much better the live valve suspension and rear suspension feel!