Checked out a Shelter Green, 801A Raptor with 1,500 miles on it. The first owner traded it for an R after spending $170,000 according to one of the salespeople.
The MSRP for this truck (no spray-in liner) is around $82K, but they were asking $84K. Another salesperson riding with me claimed it was “an amazing deal” because new ones supposedly go for “over $100K.” They really didn’t like me bringing up actual MSRP numbers or markups, but I mostly wanted to test-drive one before making any decisions.
After the test drive, the salesperson told me I could “get a deal on a color I don’t like or get a bad deal on the one I do.” (Yes, they actually said that.) I mentioned that I really liked the carbonized gray and left the dealership.
The test drive itself was a mix. It felt awesome to drive under normal conditions—super smooth, comfortable, and had that wide, commanding stance. But when I floored it in 2nd gear to hit 60 mph, the engine felt underwhelming, with little torque. The transmission also felt sluggish, almost like a CVT. I’ve seen tons of positive reviews, so maybe this truck was an exception, but it really didn’t meet my expectations. I’m not expecting a sports car, but it felt surprisingly weak.
I still like the Raptor for its looks, handling, and overall feel, but I’m wondering if this was just a bad experience. Anyone else feel this way after their first drive?
Leith said:
Two things: 1) Don’t pay a markup. It’s unnecessary now. 2) The Raptor isn’t super fast stock—it’s fast for a truck, not compared to sports cars.
I didn’t get to try sport mode during the test drive. Does it make a big difference?
