I’ve got a 2020 F 150 Raptor and love it. Is the Raptor R really worth the additional cost? I put a Cobb Stage 2 tube in mine as well and I’m loving it even more
They’re two completely different things and not really comparable.
So is the power really that good in the R?
The R had me saying “holy shit” within the first five seconds of driving it. I’ve never experienced that feeling in a standard Raptor.
I ended up selling mine because it felt like overkill for my needs. I’ve owned three Raptors and now also have a Braptor, and I have to say I prefer the stock models. The real joy of these trucks, for me, is the comfort and the throttle responsiveness. Both stock engines are plenty powerful. Plus, with these trucks, you’ll practically have a full-time membership at the gas station.
If I had the choice, I’d go for an R. There’s always room for improvement, but you probably won’t need to do much right away. Maybe just an exhaust? They already sound pretty good from the factory. For me, it’s all about the power.
I saw a video where a guy had a Gen 3 V6 Raptor with a Goose tune, and it smoked an R model.
If you’ve ever driven a car with real power, you get it. The power is incredible. My wife drives an X5M, and the power in that makes you laugh. Then I get into my 2023 Raptor, and it feels like I’m barely moving in comparison. The same goes for any car with a lot of power. The regular Raptor has more than enough power—it could be 500 and still be fine. But the R takes things to another level, and it sounds better too.
As an owner of a 3.7, it’s not worth it to me. I get 12 mpg, and with an R, I’d be down to 9. Where I usually off-road is at 5-6k feet elevation, and the R loses 100-130 HP at that height, while my turbo barely loses any power. I’m sure the R is fun, but it’s not fun enough to justify 9 mpg for me. Would I be tempted at MSRP? Sure. But I’m more than happy with what I have now.