Test drove a 2020 Raptor - highs/lows

[ON D BIT]

You missed what he meant. The two are on different ends of the spectrum of trucks and cross shoppers are only looking for what is cool, not at their actual intended uses. Those people will never take their Raptor truly off-roading and won't be towing big ass loads with the Tremor. Therefore not truck people.

I'm trying to put it into perspective. The Gen 1 is not without issue and the Gen 2 is not some issue riddled POS like you guys are making it out to be.

I’m not going to go back and analyze his every word. To me it seemed as he was saying off road racing is a truck everything else is not.

I was searching for a truck or off road vehicle for 4 months as I don’t like my TRD. I was staying away from the 3.5 because of all the issues I’ve heard with it and the turning off at every stop light.
I was merely stating what I’ve heard from other owners. That the 3.5 was the weak link.

I guess you missed this post by @ssj4sadie

" Revised parts for the cam phaser, timing chain, etc. Hell, they did a mid year parts change on the 18. "

If you spent time on the raptor site you would know it was the cam phaser that was the issue pre mid 2018 refresh. But instead you want to see the other side of it on the tremor side then come here and through our your UNINFORMED opinion.

So for the last time you have been proven wrong , the OP didn't ask you about the Gen 1 and it is clear you don't much of AT ALL about the Gen 2 so please ......move along.

Did you skip over my post thanking him for the information? It’s also odd that you did not have the info despite my asking you a number of times for it. It’s also odd that there was no mention of the revision that I could see. I found suspension revision but nothing on the 3.5.

 

[Blk04L]

Yea the exhaust is meh but there is no other option out there if you want a capable offroad truck for jumping.

I have a Gen 1 but would love a Gen2.
But at this time rather wait a year to see if Ram ever releases the trx or if ford goes to the coil over in the rear.
They are quicker in sport mode and after the truck breaks in. A handful of guys I go offroading with get tunes but honestly neither truck needs more power if you use it for its intended purpose. Suspension and brakes are the weak links. But I get not everyone buys it to go offroad

 

[mysticsvt]

Good sounding exhaust on these Eco's is just an unrealistic goal IMO, not gonna happen. As mentioned above the Sport Mode, atleast on my 2.7 is incredibly different than normal driving mode. My wife hates it because the throttle response is so touchy but the gears are so much smoother. My biggest issue is the interior is terrible compared to say a Dodge Truck. It really boils down to what you want the vehicle for. I'd love to get a Raptor but leaning towards upgrading the Mustang not my Truck.

 

[DriftwoodSVT]

Sure, I'll weigh in here.

I've owned a 2012 Raptor for 5 years, a 2018 Raptor for 2 years, and now a 2020 7.3L Tremor.

I don't see the Tremor as a direct replacement for the Raptor. It's longer, heavier, and lacks the FOX shocks and high speed off-road suspension that the Raptor is known for. In my case, the Tremor is 27" longer than my Raptor, 1200 lbs heavier and 4 inches taller.

To me the Raptor is designed for the guys who do high speed off-road runs, where as the Tremor is designed for those of us who occasionally haul heavy loads and still like to play in the mud and rocks. The Tremor has rock/trail mode making it just as capable off-road as the Raptor for mud/dirt/rocks.

I miss the suspension of the Raptor, I'll admit that. Going down any bumpy roads, the Tremor is definitely not as smooth as the Raptor was. You feel more bumps. And speed bumps are the same. I feel like my Raptor could roll right over speed bumps without hesitation, where as the Tremor I find myself slowing down. I'm sure the difference is heavily tied into the FOX shocks. Putting FOX or Kings on the Tremor would probably even that out. I also miss the console shift. I haven't had a vehicle with a column shift in 13 years. Takes some getting used to.

That said, I daily drive my Tremor and it's a beast. A big block 445 CI 7.3L engine paired with 4.30 gears is a monster of a combination. The factory exhaust tone puts the Raptor to shame. The power band is incredibly smooth and the 7.3L has a ton of room to grow (see the Whipple article). The 7.3L engine bay is so open and clean you can practically sit in there and change spark plugs. Ford did this engine right. This engine was built with low maintenance and high durability in mind (Fords words).

Power wise - 7.3L puts out 430hp/475tq and it's virtually untapped. Add a Whipple and you're at over 700hp and tq (not that you need that much for off-road use). The 3.5L puts out 450hp/510tq so not only does it have more power, it weighs about 88 lbs less than the 7.3L. However, I feel like the 7.3L isn't high strung, pushed to the edge like the 3.5L.

Price line - pretty similar here. I had a 2020 Raptor on order before the Tremor came out, and the order just didn't get picked up. The invoice on my F250 Lariat 7.3L Tremor including the Sport and Ultimate packages was 62,400. The Raptor I had on order was a SuperCab with 802A, and was just a touch higher on the invoice price. For my needs, I feel like the Tremor is way more truck for the money.

I still love Raptors, and hope their owners don't experience all the headaches I had with my 3.5L EcoBoost. If the Raptor had a NA engine option I may have gotten another, but I don't see that happening.

The Tremor is a great truck, don't under-estimate it just because it's new. They are starting to hit the market now that the Ford plants are open again. Expect to see lots of them around, for a long, long time.

 

[MachME]

If you use expensive oil, the eco will be fine. It is true dual from each turbo, all other eco and 5.0 do not.

If you're not going to offroad the truck, there is no reason to buy a Raptor.

 

[TerminatoRS]

If you're not going to offroad the truck, there is no reason to buy a Raptor.

Agreed. Great looking, but not very practical for the masses. I drove a 2019 Shelby Baja blah blah blah edition Raptor stickered at $117k. Yeah, the interior was slick, but for those of us who spend the vast majority of their time on pavement, it was obnoxious. Felt like I was driving a tank which I understand probably appeals to a "truck guy" but for the average Joe, no thanks. Too big and clumsy for daily use, IMO. Performance...get a 5.0 and throw a Whipple on it. Smellllll yaaaa

 

[Willie2]

Good to know about the octane/break in period. Is there any aftermarket solution that sounds better?

now go test drive a used one with miles

 

[kaz109]

I’m not going to go back and analyze his every word. To me it seemed as he was saying off road racing is a truck everything else is not.

I was searching for a truck or off road vehicle for 4 months as I don’t like my TRD. I was staying away from the 3.5 because of all the issues I’ve heard with it and the turning off at every stop light.
I was merely stating what I’ve heard from other owners. That the 3.5 was the weak link.


Did you skip over my post thanking him for the information? It’s also odd that you did not have the info despite my asking you a number of times for it. It’s also odd that there was no mention of the revision that I could see. I found suspension revision but nothing on the 3.5.

Oh I see, when you are proven wrong now it's who provee you wrong lol....he posted before I could, he has had his raptor for longer than I have but I know enough to the ppl like you speading BS.

And to your highlighted statement above, when you are in sport mode ( which 99% of owners drive in) it disables the auto stop feature. Yet I say again .....you are UNINFORMED

 

[mysticsvt]

Meh, I turned that AS/AS switch off completely. Never deal with that headache again.

 

[DriftwoodSVT]

Meh, I turned that AS/AS switch off completely. Never deal with that headache again.

I never found the auto-stop/start to bother me much in my 2018 Raptor. I guess I just got used to it. But the Tremor doesn't have it.

 

[kaz109]

I’ll put it in language you can understand.
Gen2 Raptor owners are selling to buy Tremors.
Gen2 Raptor owners are selling to buy gen1 Raptors.
Gen1 Raptor owners are purchasing other trucks over the gen2 Raptor. I wonder why?

Are you saying you are so naive that you believe it is all one sided? You believe no gen 1 owners buy gen 2? That ppl with other trucks don't sell for a gen 2 raptor ?

 

[ON D BIT]

Oh I see, when you are proven wrong now it's who provee you wrong lol....he posted before I could, he has had his raptor for longer than I have but I know enough to the ppl like you speading BS.

And to your highlighted statement above, when you are in sport mode ( which 99% of owners drive in) it disables the auto stop feature. Yet I say again .....you are UNINFORMED

1. You kept posting with no sources several times even after I asked.
2. How was I proven wrong? They changed the 3.5, that does not mean it is still not a headache.
3. Can you stay in sport mode or do you need to turn it on every time you turn the truck on?
4. Gen1 are buying other trucks. Gen2 are buying gen1 trucks again. Gen2 are buying Tremors at an alarming pace. All this confirms I was right.

Not that you care. So just enjoy your gen2 and be happy!

 

[ON D BIT]

Are you saying you are so naive that you believe it is all one sided? You believe no gen 1 owners buy gen 2? That ppl with other trucks don't sell for a gen 2 raptor ?

Not at all. Generally it’s I can’t wait for the better version. This is not the case for many in the Raptor world!

 

[kaz109]

I never found the auto-stop/start to bother me much in my 2018 Raptor. I guess I just got used to it. But the Tremor doesn't have it.

Are you going to get a carli 2.5 suspension kit?

 

[ssj4sadie]

Not at all. Generally it’s I can’t wait for the better version. This is not the case for many in the Raptor world!

Yeah, that is not true at all.

 

[DriftwoodSVT]

Are you going to get a carli 2.5 suspension kit?

I've looked but need to do more research. I'd like the 2.5" shocks and suspension, but can't physically go any higher or I won't fit in my gated garage at work.

 

[AustinSN]

1. You kept posting with no sources several times even after I asked.
2. How was I proven wrong? They changed the 3.5, that does not mean it is still not a headache.
3. Can you stay in sport mode or do you need to turn it on every time you turn the truck on?
4. Gen1 are buying other trucks. Gen2 are buying gen1 trucks again. Gen2 are buying Tremors at an alarming pace. All this confirms I was right.

Not that you care. So just enjoy your gen2 and be happy!

For what it's worth, this is anecdotal, I don't think you can "confirm" any of that unless you have actual data.

You probably have seen 20 threads on the matter, which seems like a lot. But when they are selling 20k trucks per year it doesn't even fall within a rounding error.

FWIW, I have driven both, I prefer the second gen. I own a 6.2 F250 and I would trade it in a heart beat if I could get the 3.5 HO with a 10 speed behind it. Sound be damned, I would like better than 11 city and maybe enough power to keep up with a mini.

 

[ON D BIT]

Yeah, that is not true at all.

Tell that to those who are selling the gen2 or those that passed by the gen2 entirely purchasing other trucks.

For what it's worth, this is anecdotal, I don't think you can "confirm" any of that unless you have actual data.

You probably have seen 20 threads on the matter, which seems like a lot. But when they are selling 20k trucks per year it doesn't even fall within a rounding error.

FWIW, I have driven both, I prefer the second gen. I own a 6.2 F250 and I would trade it in a heart beat if I could get the 3.5 HO with a 10 speed behind it. Sound be damned, I would like better than 11 city and maybe enough power to keep up with a mini.

It is anecdotal. I also understand that what I state is hearsay. Multiple people and multiple sources have stated things about the 3.5 I don’t like. Buy what you want.
Go ahead trade your 6.2 SD on the 2020 Raptor 10 sp. I’m sure you’ll love it!

 

[AustinSN]

Tell that to those who are selling the gen2 or those that passed by the gen2 entirely purchasing other trucks.

It is anecdotal. I also understand that what I state is hearsay. Multiple people and multiple sources have stated things about the 3.5 I don’t like. Buy what you want.
Go ahead trade your 6.2 SD on the 2020 Raptor 10 sp. I’m sure you’ll love it!

I ended up getting a 15 Duramax for $15k so that's my new tow pig. The F250 should be gone by this weekend. A Raptor wouldn't work well for my trailer.

 

[kaz109]

1. You kept posting with no sources several times even after I asked.
2. How was I proven wrong? They changed the 3.5, that does not mean it is still not a headache.
3. Can you stay in sport mode or do you need to turn it on every time you turn the truck on?
4. Gen1 are buying other trucks. Gen2 are buying gen1 trucks again. Gen2 are buying Tremors at an alarming pace. All this confirms I was right.

Not that you care. So just enjoy your gen2 and be happy!

So you are saying they changed the ONLY part that was the headache for owners but that does not mean the motor is still a headache.......is that what you are saying? Lol.....you are proving your credibility with every naive post