Off-Road Experts Rave about New Raptor

2017 model does what ‘no other production truck can,’ says Off-Road.

Glowing reviews of the 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor are continuing to roll in, and there seems no end in sight when it comes to influencers hyping the mega-popular truck. The latest is from Off-Road, which scrutinizes the Raptor from bumper to bumper, stopping to admire everything from its new twin-turbo V6 HO EcoBoost engine to its suspension upgrade. And out of all of the truck’s numerous aspects that are worth mentioning, it’s one particular piece that immediately won over the crew at Off-Road.

“The Raptor is an awesome all-around performance vehicle, but it’s the suspension that deserves the lion’s share of credit for the Raptor’s off-road chops,” say the off-road experts. “…This suspension upgrade offers a notable improvement in the truck’s off-road prowess, as the nine-stage internal bypass front coilovers offer 13 inches of suspension travel, while the rear boasts 13.9 inches of travel. That’s an increase of almost two inches of travel front and rear, or a 15-percent increase in overall suspension travel.”

‘It might take a moment to get used to, but after a few minutes behind the wheel no one will mistake this engine for anything less than the performance monster it is.’

But what about power, and the engine upgrade?

“To address the elephant in the room, yes, the HO EcoBoost feels different than the V8,” claims the review. “There’s a little less bottom-end oomph and not quite the same depth in the exhaust note. But make no mistake: The HO EcoBoost is a powerful and impressive engine….It might take a moment to get used to, but trust us, after a few minutes behind the wheel no one will mistake this engine for anything less than the performance monster it is.”

So, we now have further proof of the 2017 Raptor’s power and performance. And although it may sound shallow, no one is gonna argue that the mighty Raptor is also one helluva great-looking truck, too. As Off-Road points out, its good looks can be attributed to the Raptor having shed nearly 500 pounds via its new aluminum body, and it gained a few inches in stature, which led to its attention-grabbing style.

“The Raptor’s stance is six inches wider than a standard F-150, which aids in improved off-road stability and helps gives the truck its aggressive look,” says Off-Road. They call it “aggressive,” we simply call it “totally badass.” Semantics, semantics…

Once they covered the 2017 Raptor’s beauty and brains, Off-Road shut the hood and got behind the wheel of the rugged beast. And just how well did the Raptor and its exclusive custom-sized BFGoodrich T/A KO2s handle the ride?

They call it ‘aggressive,’ we simply call it ‘totally badass.’

“The Fox suspension allows the truck to shine in everything from whooped-out open desert roads to rock-covered trails,” adds Off-Road. “The Raptor tackles desert terrain very much like a pre-runner race truck would, floating over whoops and ruts with supreme confidence even at a high rate of speed. That’s just it: the Raptor is capable of driving over rugged desert terrain at speeds that honestly no other production truck can.”

For more details about how the new Raptor fares off-road and on, check out Off-Road‘s full review.

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Photos: Ford, Off-Road