Ford Ranger Raptor vs. Rivian R1T on the trails… which one’s better?

Just watched TFL take the Rivian Gen 2 tri-motor and the new Ranger Raptor through an off-road course.

TL;DR: They gave the Rivian props for its improved slow-speed performance, loved the steering in rock crawl mode, and were impressed by the suspension clearance. It’s solid for typical trails, but they still think mechanical lockers on a dual-motor setup would make it better for more technical or challenging courses.

Why didn’t they air down the tires?

Wade said:
Why didn’t they air down the tires?

During the Raptor run, one of the guys said it was to avoid losing ground clearance. The other mentioned not bringing a compressor. If they tested both trucks at the same time, they could’ve used the Rivian’s built-in compressor, but maybe they wanted to keep the test consistent by not airing down either truck.

@Kingsley
From a comparison angle, I get it. But doing rock crawling at street air pressure feels so unrealistic. It doesn’t really show the full capabilities.

I watched this the other day. Is it just me, or does it feel like Rivian is focusing less on off-road capabilities and more on luxury and speed? All their recent updates seem to target comfort and features instead of improving off-road performance. Even the new quad motor setup feels aimed at the performance crowd.

@Stevie
To be fair, the R1T is excellent for most off-road situations. The main area it struggles with is rock crawling. Let’s be real, though—how many people are actually going to take a $100k truck rock crawling? Most hardcore off-roaders expect damage and bring tools like welders or spare parts, which you can’t really do with a Rivian.

It’s an amazing off-road vehicle for general use, but I don’t see EVs becoming serious rock crawlers anytime soon.

@Stevie
Rivian is probably targeting the Range Rover crowd now. Luxury updates are cheaper to implement and appeal to a broader audience than hardcore off-road tweaks.

@Stevie
It feels like they’re focusing on their core customers—those who want a luxury adventure vehicle—rather than the niche market of hardcore off-road enthusiasts. Over time, I bet Rivian or aftermarket companies will develop add-ons for better off-road performance.

@Stevie
Actually, Rivian quietly improved off-road performance on the Gen 1 quad motors early on. They didn’t make a big deal out of it, but it got better with software updates. I wouldn’t be surprised if they do something similar with the newer setups over time.

@Stevie
The R1T isn’t meant to be a hardcore rock crawler—it’s designed for rough forest service roads and general off-roading. It’s too expensive to cater to the typical off-roading crowd, but once you learn how to handle it, it’s very capable in its own way.