Ford Raptor as new DD?

[vi edit]

How many miles do you drive daily? I just couldn't bring myself to spend $45,000 on a vehicle that got around 13MPG in mixed driving.

If you drive 12,000 miles a year that's close to $4,000 a year in gas ($4 a gallon).

I understand the appeal of the thing, and don't dispute it's merrits off road. But for something that devours $100 a week in gas, I think I'd hate myself for the decision and quickly regret it.

 

[jlee]

How many miles do you drive daily? I just couldn't bring myself to spend $45,000 on a vehicle that got around 13MPG in mixed driving.

If you drive 12,000 miles a year that's close to $4,000 a year in gas ($4 a gallon).

I understand the appeal of the thing, and don't dispute it's merrits off road. But for something that devours $100 a week in gas, I think I'd hate myself for the decision and quickly regret it.

12,000 / 13 * 4 / 52 = $71/week

Something that got 20mpg would save ~$25 a week. Compared to a ~$700 payment (assuming 5 years at 1-2%?), that's not much of a difference.

 

[ProchargeMe]

No way in hell I'd do that.

Everytime I see those Raptors I just think, "fucking douchebag." And what do I see in the driver's side every time? Redneck. In the passenger seat, if anything, is a bimbo blonde pancaked in makeup and with a fake tan. Anecdotal evidence and confirmation bias be damned.

That said, I do plan on going the pickup truck plus motorcycle route (Motorcycle being the DD). I wouldn't buy something like that because the towing capacity is so much lower. (If I am buying a truck, I plan to fucking use it like one) Similarly, if you REALLY want to go off road, you're just basically throwing thousands down the drain since it's brand new because it will fucking get wrecked when it comes to cosmetic damage. You'll have so many chips, scratches, dents, and permanent damage to the truck that it'll look like shit even when you clean it up. Nothing but a professional body shop could fix it... That or new panels.

Just consider that. But, if you want to throw money down the drain... whatever.

Real rednecks don't drive 50k trucks. They drive late 80's and 90's pickups.

 

[Furkmyster]

Not sure what kind of off-roading you are wanting to do, but keep in mind that a Raptor is designed for racing in the dirt and sand, not bashing in the woods, it is way too big for that. The Fast Lane Car had a 10 things about a Raptor you should probably check out on their youtube channel.

 

[Ferzerp]

I think that guy just convinced me to buy a raptor if I ever buy a pickup truck. It will go well with my other SVT vehicle.

 

[slag]

Not quite the same but I went from a 2000 jetta VR6 to a 2005 Titan crew cab (small car to larger truck) and wouldn't go back. Trucks are just so versatile. I can pull the boat, load the rear with a ton of gravel, go anywhere, etc. Sure, there is a mileage tradeoff, but I can afford it and the versatility is well worth it. If I keep the truck another 4 years, I'll either give it to my son since he will be driving then, or just get him a beater to drive.

 

[Anubis]

my BIL has a SVT Raptor and it is his DD

he likes it

 

[Topweasel]

I vote for the Raptor, a much better approach imho than a Lightning. I like performance suped versions of cars in general. Focus ST, SRT-4, Magnum SRT-8, JGC SRT-8, MS3, Cobalt SS I just like the idea of taking a car for everyone and turning it into performance demon. Sometimes a lot more than a vehicle built up for it. Those specialty vehicles cost a lot more. But a "performance team" suped up version never seems to break the bank in comparison and a lot of times is more fun.

Compared to the Lightning, I like the fact that the Raptor takes not only performance into account but beefed it up for Off-Roading, probably making it the most flexible, speedy vehicle. If I liked trucks the first one on my list would be the Raptor.

 

[mmntech]

The Raptor has a high operating cost of $4200/yr for fuel alone according to the EPA. Worse than the Lancer Evo, which has terrible fuel economy in its own right for a 2.0L turbo.

As a daily driver, the SVT Raptor is laughably impractical. It's meant for Baja and short course racing. If you're not going to off-road it, you might as well just get a regular F-150.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Awesome truck. Definitely not for Joe Blow that needs to finance it. If I was wealthy (multi millionaire) I'd love to have one to drive around in. The gas alone will kick your butt. You think it sucks buying gas now wait until fill ups cost $80-$100 and you have to do it twice a week. If something like a $80-$100 gas station trip is something you can brush off as meaningless then it's the truck for you.

 

[nerp]

TridentT - if only your post history could speak...

He has grown up a bit over the years. We're far from the froot loop days. I actually like his attitude now. He's funny.

 

[KentState]

How many miles do you drive daily? I just couldn't bring myself to spend $45,000 on a vehicle that got around 13MPG in mixed driving.

If you drive 12,000 miles a year that's close to $4,000 a year in gas ($4 a gallon).

I understand the appeal of the thing, and don't dispute it's merrits off road. But for something that devours $100 a week in gas, I think I'd hate myself for the decision and quickly regret it.

The question you have to ask, does the vehicle offer an additional $50 of enjoyment a week or not? To me, $50 a week is a small amount of money to spend on something you enjoy. For example, a round of gold at a cheap course is $45 around here before balls, food, and whatever else you bring.

 

[exdeath]

SVT... Might as well be a big chrome middle finger emblem.

 

[Topweasel]

Awesome truck. Definitely not for Joe Blow that needs to finance it. If I was wealthy (multi millionaire) I'd love to have one to drive around in. The gas alone will kick your butt. You think it sucks buying gas now wait until fill ups cost $80-$100 and you have to do it twice a week. If something like a $80-$100 gas station trip is something you can brush off as meaningless then it's the truck for you.

He did the calculations. It's $25 roughly a week more in gas. $100 more a month or a total extra $1200 a year in gas. Whenever someone shouts out these numbers it's like they completely ignore their current vehicle. 1200 a year can easily be worth it, if you enjoy it enough. A fun vehicle that can do everything can have the same payback a hobby does and you don't need to be a "multi-millionare" to enjoy it.

The trick a person buying a vehicle like A Raptor, or Vette, or a Mustang, or MX-5, or a dozen other vehicles that another poster called "laughably impractacal" is knowing what you are getting into before purchasing it. A Raptor is overly expensive for its size for a truck. It gets horrible gas mileage. It's got a pretty good ride but a truck made for as much off roading as that one is going to feel a lot different than the F150 it's based on. On the other hand, on a short commute gas shouldn't be to much of a worry, it can be driven easily all year round (which most other fun cars can't, or at least should, even if its just the real bad days). And in a pinch it can do just about anything you want it to (carry family, carry stuff, tow stuff, off road, street light racing, and more).

I think part of the problem is that a lot of people find trucks and truck drivers who aren't using them for work, obnoxious. To a degree I have to agree, but if the desire for a Truck for non commercial is what is at heart, getting a Raptor is much smarter than getting two cars and getting mid level F150 at 38k-40k and then getting a fun car like a Focus ST at 25.

 

[Wuzup101]

The Raptor has a high operating cost of $4200/yr for fuel alone according to the EPA. Worse than the Lancer Evo, which has terrible fuel economy in its own right for a 2.0L turbo.

As a daily driver, the SVT Raptor is laughably impractical. It's meant for Baja and short course racing. If you're not going to off-road it, you might as well just get a regular F-150.

Why is it laughably impractical? It would be more expensive to fuel than my current evo but less expensive to insure and similar or less expensive to maintain / work on. It would give me a much greater cargo capacity so that I could do more "fun" things in my free time. I have a 7 mile commute to work at highway speeds with 1 stop light. I'm about 10 miles from town. I'm looking at 2+ weeks on a 36 gal / $120 fuel up at 12mpg. I'm a consultant, so I'm rarely, if ever, going to be more than 10 miles from the site I'm working at (I purposely only take jobs that require travel for the per diem).

It functions pretty similarly to a standard pickup as far as the utility that I'd use. Someone did mention getting a loaded FX4 (which has an MSRP of about $50k also but better incentives). I have also been considering that.

 

[TridenT]

Real rednecks don't drive 50k trucks. They drive late 80's and 90's pickups.

I agree. They're like city rednecks or something. Ones that want to bury themselves in a lot of debt real fast.

 

[OCGuy]

I agree. They're like city rednecks or something. Ones that want to bury themselves in a lot of debt real fast.

I bet if you saw those same people sitting in a BMW or whatever you consider "classy", you wouldn't call them rednecks.

Not everyone who wears a suit/tie during work hours and makes a decent living wants to drive a German car.

Unless you see them sippin' moonshine and spittin' some chew while they drive by, with a confederate flag sticker on the back, you have no idea who they are or where they are in society.

 

[jlee]

I bet if you saw those same people sitting in a BMW or whatever you consider "classy", you wouldn't call them rednecks.

Not everyone who wears a suit/tie during work hours and makes a decent living wants to drive a German car.

Unless you see them sippin' moonshine and spittin' some chew while they drive by, with a confederate flag sticker on the back, you have no idea who they are or where they are in society.

Indeed. I had a guy at a pick-a-part yesterday say "You don't look like you work on cars."

Heh.

 

[RedRooster]

I agree. They're like city rednecks or something. Ones that want to bury themselves in a lot of debt real fast.

We call them rig pigs up here. Unattached oil patch guys in their 20s, just burning through 10K a month easy.

 

[Ferzerp]

Indeed. I had a guy at a pick-a-part yesterday say "You don't look like you work on cars."

Heh.

I get some confusion when I say I drive a GT 500 (or any fast car really). When they hear I track it, they're even more confused.

Bang for buck in that price range for performance though, nothing comes close. M3? I don't think so. Performance-wise, that's a Mustang GT competitor.

 

[Wuzup101]

I agree. They're like city rednecks or something. Ones that want to bury themselves in a lot of debt real fast.

What does this have to do about debt?

 

[nerp]

He's saying they're trashy I guess.

 

[Wuzup101]

So to take the thread in another direction. Given that I want a utility vehicle with some luxury, what other options should I consider. Realistically, I'll probably buy new or a late model used vehicle. I'd like the following things:

- Comfortable seating for 4 adults for a ride of more than 15 minutes (i.e. to go camping / hiking / fishing on the weekend.
- Reasonable cargo space so that when I move project to project I can move everything with me (clothing, computers, kitchen wares, small appliances, etc... but no furniture).
- Reasonable towing capacity to pull a <3500 track car or a few dirt bikes on an open trailer a few times a year and also so that I could pull a small rented trailer from project to project. I won't be towing regularly.
- Reasonable off-road capability so I can get around on fire roads and such - a bonus if I can use it for some slightly more serious off-roading here and there.
- Decent aftermarket support (I like to have options but won't go wild with anything).
- Good performance in the snow (not an issue on my current project down south... but certainly a consideration in other areas including my home area)
- Reasonable looks (obviously subjective - but I like bold / aggressive vehicles)

What I don't want:
- SUV's that are functionally more like sedans with a bit more ground clearance (e.g. x3)
- Suggestions to drop $20k on a 5+ year old truck and do $10k-20k+ in suspension / engine / etc... work so that I can achieve cheaper off road performance (despite the huge drop in the value of modifications as soon as I would put them on the vehicle).

I'm certainly open to suggestions from all! Would be nice to have some explanations on what you think the strong suits of said vehicle are.

Budget: I'd ideally like to keep it under $60k... cheaper is generally always better.

 

[SithSolo1]

I'd love to have one but seems like a lot of the frat douche's are driving them around here, mostly black and white ones. I've only seen one with dirt on it.

 

[Viper GTS]

Have you looked at platinum f150s? Or the new top trim, limited? Coworker had a 09 platinum and I'm not a a truck guy much but that was a seriously nice vehicle. One of the most comfortable things I've ever been in.

If you want luxury utility I'd do an ecoboost limited over the raptor.

But the raptor is a beast and I fully support daily driving such things. So while I think the limited better suits your goals you will never catch me bashing anyone who will daily drive a raptor. If I had any remote need for a truck it's what I would buy too.

Viper GTS