2018 Ford Raptor Review
2018 Ford Raptor
MSRP: $52,855 (starting)
Engine: 3.5 liter twin turbo V6
Horsepower: 450
Torque: 510 ft/lbs
0-60: 5.3 seconds
Text: Yousef Alvi Photography: Jonathan Walker
The Raptor represents everything Ford is today. A high tech company leading the automotive industry (kicking and screaming) into the 21st century. For eons that F150 has been the best selling vehicle in the US. The safe move would be not touch the sacred formula of V8, steel and old school tech. Well Ford didn’t do that. About 10 years ago Ford started messing with that money making formula and folks that takes some real guts!
First was the beloved V8 engine and shift to EcoBoost/Turbo V6 power for their flagship engines. Everyone was up in arms. A real truck has to have a V8 they said! Well fast forward a few years and the EcoBoost variants are the best selling version of the F-150. Then Ford switched to aluminum bodies. Heresy! The public screamed! Well the F-150 is still the sales champ. Do you know what is on the horizon that will make everyone lose their sh*t? A hybrid pickup. Give it a few years and it will be no big deal. If you want to see the future of the automobile...look no further than your local Ford dealership.
Now onto the actual Raptor itself. To me the Raptor is a sports sedan wrapped in a truck body. I don’t change my driving habits when I’m behind the wheel in one. I attack the same corners with the same bravado/stupidity I normally do and the Raptor will adeptly carve its way through. Trust me…logically it doesn’t feel quite right but in the Raptor it responds so good you’ll actually forget you are in a truck. The steering is a bit light but you can accurately place the truck where you need to, the Fox suspension is brilliant in soaking up everything, the power is delivery is torrential and the brakes are amazing. What more can you ask for in a sports sedan? Oh and it can fit about 15 people on the inside and the entirety of a Costco in the bed. It’s perfection.
Oh and when you’re done being an imbecile the Raptor will stop being one as well. It will become a quiet gentle beast and float beautifully down the road.
So how do I sum up the 2018 Ford Raptor? It is the summation of everything Ford is today. A hightech beast that can absolutely decimate anything you can throw at it.
