First-gen Ford Raptor Makes One Smart Investment

Five years and nearly 70,000 miles later, this used Ford Raptor has retained an amazing 80% of its value.

Unless your profession involves making top ten hits or acting in big budget movies, you’d probably never call the Ford Raptor “cheap.” Even the first-gen Raptor stickered for well over $40k new, with zero options. Today, the new Raptor can easily exceed $70k. And you can forget about scoring a deal on the used truck market, because even old Raptors in good shape still command big money.

So when we saw this video from YouTuber Doug DeMuro calling the first-gen Raptor a “great financial decision,” we thought he had finally lost it. But as it turns out, the Raptor’s amazing, enduring value figures are what also makes it a smart buy. “This may sound ridiculous because a used Raptor is like forty-five grand,” DeMuro says. “Which is an absurd amount of money to spend on a used pickup truck. But I’m serious.”

Paying $45k for a 2013 model year truck with 69,000 miles sure does sound absurd. Especially when this highly-optioned Raptor likely cost around $52-$54,000 new. But that incredible retained value is what also makes it a smart investment. Especially in a world where most vehicles depreciate at a rapid pace.

“In five years and 69,000 miles, this truck has only lost $11,000 in value,” DeMuro points out. “This truck has retained 80% of its value after five years on the road.” That, friends, is an astounding statistic. And it essentially means that you can buy a used Raptor, drive it for a few years, and sell it at little to no loss.

And who wouldn’t want to do that given how incredibly awesome this truck is? Even DeMuro, who admittedly doesn’t think he can “pull off” a truck, can’t help but love it. “This is an amazing truck,” he says. “It looks cool, it has amazing off-road capability. It has a ton of power, it has a lot of features. And it’ll tow and haul just like a regular F-150.” Throw in the fact that it seemingly holds its value forever, and why wouldn’t you want one?

Brett Foote

Brett Foote has been covering the automotive industry for over five years and is a longtime contributor to Internet Brands’ Auto Group sites, including Chevrolet Forum, Rennlist, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts, among other popular sites.

He has been an automotive enthusiast since the day he came into this world and rode home from the hospital in a first-gen Mustang, and he's been wrenching on them nearly as long.

In addition to his expertise writing about cars, trucks, motorcycles, and every other type of automobile, Brett had spent several years running parts for local auto dealerships.

You can follow along with his builds and various automotive shenanigans on Instagram: @bfoote.