photo Wade Stoddart
Ford Raptor 2011
Striking a pose on the road with the Bronco on the flatdeck.
By Wade Stoddart
It was 2009 when Albert and I first tested the Raptor, and we were both quite impressed with what Ford’s SVT design group created. When you get right down to it, there wasn’t much we didn’t like about the truck. Serious suspension travel, beefy shocks, large wheels and tires, an exhaust-tune that only a gear head can truly appreciate, and enough tech to impress the average teenager. What’s not to like?
I still get an evil grin when I think back to the snow-covered trails I toured as part of my test drive. Fast forward a few years and now we have a new Raptor to drool over. The new version of the Raptor has a short-list of refinements and updates, but you can’t help but notice them. Since I like to start from the front and work my way back, it seems fitting that the biggest upgrade is Ford’s 6.2L power plant that is now standard for the Raptor. This motor has already been proven in the 2011 Super Duty®. It features a cast-iron engine block with four-bolt main bearing caps and two additional cross bolts for extreme durability.
Word has it that if you pull the intake system off you can see the words ‘THE BOSS IS BACK” cast into the iron block. In an effort to improve fuel economy and engine torque, the engineers built the SE heads with two spark plugs per cylinder. The other big change was the Supercrew version that is now available. The bigger cab also means the frame is 12 inches longer than the Supercab. A 36-gallon fuel tank (the Supercab has 26 gallons) and 8000 pound tow capacity are standard with the Supercrew. The exterior paint scheme and the interior appear largely unchanged, but standard inclusive tech now includes perimeter alarm, integrated spotter mirror, express up/down driver and passenger front windows, 110 V power inverter in the center console, head restraint for second-row middle seat, and telescoping steering wheel. The instrument cluster and SYNC system have been updated as well. I still like the SYNC system, but I did discover a pet peeve when the GPS refused to give me route to a small town unless I entered a specific address: even a standard handheld GPS can give directions based on a city or town name.
For this test drive I wanted to know if the Baja-inspired suspension would be a negative if the Raptor was used as a work truck. Here’s why. For long-time readers, you may recall in 2010 Albert and I acquired a pair of Gen-1 Broncos… In fact, he should be digging into his ‘76 soon. Until now my ‘77 Bronco has never graced the pages of 4WD, but the intent was never to keep it. I worked through the summer to make the old horse safe and road worthy so it could enjoy a new life on a remote farm west of Edmonton. The Raptor seemed like a good choice for a tow rig, so I borrowed a flat deck and hooked up. Fuel economy wasn’t great. In fact, pulling nearly 6500 pounds of SUV and trailer through the rolling Alberta foothills, the 6.2 managed to suck fuel at a rate of 23.4L/100KM. Glad I had the larger fuel tank! But on the plus side, the suspension didn’t falter the entire trip and the engine pulled strong during the tow. I noticed no lugging on the steep hills - which I half expected because there are a few real nasty grades in that area.
So, does the Raptor perform as well as a work truck as it does as a Baja inspired menace? In a word, YES. Is there room to improve? YES! Maybe SVT will drop in that new Ecoboost V6 and get some real low fuel economy numbers.