2011 Ford F-150 SuperCrew SVT Raptor 

My week of driving “The Truck” has come to an end.  When Ford told me I would be driving Ford’s top of the line F-150…I must admit it was a little bit hesitant on accepting the challenge as I am not the typical “Truck” person. I have to say…I really enjoyed driving the vehicle and after Day 1, I never referred to the vehicle as “The Truck” or “The F-150”…it was only called “THE RAPTOR”.

The week passed by much to quickly and when it was all said and done…I was actually converted to a truck person.  But I guess when Ford gives you the Best of the Best…it is easy to be converted. I never technically felt like I was driving a truck.  Yes there was a truck bed in the back, however I felt like I was driving in the perfect blend of a Luxury SUV and a Luxury Sport Car called “THE RAPTOR”.

First Impressions

I picked the vehicle up and could not believe the size of this vehicle.  It was a BEAST.  This wasn’t a truck, this was a truck on Steroids that made me feel like I needed to jump in, turn up the music and head straight for the nearest Monster Truck Rally.

The RAPTOR should really have a handle on the driver’s side to assist with getting in the vehicle.  If installing a handle isn’t possible, then maybe a factory issued ladder to climb up into the RAPTOR would work! 

Once I was in the RAPTOR…I felt like I was the QUEEN OF THE ROAD driving the best recipe available in the truck marketplace.  1 cup Luxury SUV, 1 cup Luxury Sports Car, 2 Tablespoons Off-Road Racer…Blended and Served Fresh.

I know Ford built the RAPTOR to also be an Off-Road Racing vehicle in an everyday driver, however I just spent my time cruising and running errands around town.

When I first saw the rear seat and the enormous amount of leg room, I thought Ford could have easily made the rear seat into a recliner or made some sort of pop up foot rest.  My daughter loved sitting in the back seat immediately as her car seat was up high and she had a great view out of the massive side window.

Within my first couple of kilometers, I found the instrumentation cluster and the “TV” sized screen really user friendly.  The steering wheel controls are fairly standard in all vehicles, but the center radio controls and “TV” screen were extremely easy to use.  The large screen had 3 quadrants of information.  Half of the screen displayed navigation and the other half was divided into the radio and climate information which was a nice alternative to the standard full screen navigation.

This Vehicle is for you if…

You like the Biggest and Best of everything.  If you are looking for luxury comfort, sports car power, full size SUV cabin room, off-road racing capabilities and the ability to tow your boat or camping trailer with ease.

This Vehicle is Not for you if…

You have limited parking availability.  If parking is at a premium then you will be challenged as this vehicle will not fit in your standard home garage or downtown parking structure and you will need a lot of room on the street or in a parking lot.  I found a few challenges in busy parking lots, but overall didn’t mind regular busy city driving and was surprised at maneuverability in such a large vehicle. 

If keeping your vehicle clean in the winter time is important.  Ford does not want the RAPTOR going through a commercial car wash and warns against aiming a high pressure spray wand at the stick-on graphics.  I felt this was worth noting as most wand washes would probably be fine if you were careful, however keeping the Raptor clean could be a problem for owners in winter climates.

If you are on a budget, this will most likely not be a vehicle to consider for your truck purchase.  I say you get what you pay for, however a nicely equipped F-150 may be more reasonable for most families.

Women will like…

Women will love being QUEEN OF THE ROAD.  Guys slow down to look at the truck or let you pass by.  No one wants any part of the RAPTOR.  Everyone gives you the right of way…some just to see the vehicle, others just want to stay out of your way!

Women will not like…

Women will not like getting in and out of the truck in heels and a skirt.  Even with the best training from the Royal Family…getting out of the RAPTOR in a skirt and heels is extremely challenging. 

Women may also find the heavy tailgate challenging.   I know this has always been something trucks are known for but after all of the effort Ford put into building the RAPTOR, I thought this might have been something Ford would have addressed in the design of this vehicle.

Moms will like…

Moms will love the backseat area.  There is tons of room for Diaper Bags, Strollers, Groceries, etc.  If moms only have one car seat in the back then they can easily fold up the 60/40 seat split and load up everything they need on the rubber floor mat in the back seat.  The entire floor of the back seat is covered in one large piece of rubber, making for easy washing.

Moms will also enjoy the height of the back seat and side window.  Children can see everything from their car seat.  My daughter loved riding in the RAPTOR and it was always very difficult getting her out of the RAPTOR.  Many children don’t like riding in their car seat or going in the car.  My daughter wouldn’t stop asking me to go somewhere for a ride.

Driving Impressions

As I have already mentioned this is not your typical truck.  This is THE RAPTOR.  Ford originally made the F-150 Lightning as a street light racer/Mustang chaser with a truck bed…this version now named The RAPTOR was everything you could possibly want out of a truck into one Beast of a package. 

The Ford F-150 is the best selling truck for 33 years running, so Ford already has the truck market nailed down, however Ford always continues to strive towards improving their products.  The RAPTOR is proof that Ford designers want to ensure the F-150 is always evolving and has the full range of available options to meet the needs of a large diverse demographic of people and families.

Most people assume it “rides like a truck”, however surprisingly it doesn’t.  While yes the rumble of the exhaust and seeing the truck bed through your review mirror reminds you that you are driving a truck, however that’s about it.  The RAPTOR cabin was covered in luxury and the two tone accents gave it that sports car feel. 

You know what else gave it the sports car feel…the 6.2 Litre V8 pumping out 411 horsepower and 434 lb feet of torque.  Oh yeah…that felt good to say.  What does that really mean?  It means this truck has all the power you need (and then some) to drive around town or merge onto the freeway.

Some interesting other features that I was not able to fully experience or test were the Off-Road Capabilities and the Select Shift Automatic.  The Off Road Equipment that came on this vehicle and Off-Road Design work is extensive.  Ford built this vehicle to not just go off-road but perform like an Off-Road Racing Truck.

Exterior Notes and Favorite Feature

This RAPTOR is wider, has a longer wheelbase, uses a different suspension, is powered by a larger engine, not to mention the long list of exterior and interior styling differences than the standard F-150.  Most notably is the front grille with “FORD” across the entire front of the vehicle and the “digital splash” (as the designers like to call it) down the side of the exterior.  The “digital splash” are decals made to simulate mud splashed on the side of the truck bed.

My favorite exterior feature had to be the overall size and styling of the vehicle.  While this may not be a specific feature…this is the feature that turned everyone’s heads and had people moving out of my way.

Interior Notes and Favorite Feature

The Ford RAPTOR has its own unique interior of two tone sport seats and color instrumentation panel.  The front seats are great they felt like part sport car seat, part leather recliner.  The instrumentation panel and the “TV” sized screen which allowed for multiple quadrant viewing of the navigation, radio and climate controls were great.  I liked the big, easy to use buttons and knobs being within easy reach, in addition to the steering wheel mounted controls and the ever so important rear back up camera.  The rear seat legroom was massive and the seat flipped up and out of the way if needed. My 6 foot 4 husband could have easily put his feet up if Ford had installed a factory foot rest or given the back seats a reclining option.  My daughter loved the massive rear seat area not just for seeing everything while in her car seat but when we got to our destination she felt like this was her play area. All in all the interior makes you forget you are diving a “Pick-Up Truck” because after all this is the RAPTOR.

My favorite interior feature was the front seats.  You can’t go wrong with big comfortable, sporty two tone, side bolstered, leather “recliner like” seats.  They made every ride around town that much more enjoyable.

Final Summary

It is hard to believe, but Ford did the impossible.  Ford converted me to a “Truck” person.  My standards are now set extremely high for trucks, but I would drive a Luxury Vehicle with Sports Car Performance that was factory built for Off Road Racing in addition to comfortable hauling all of my family and all our stuff while pulling a boat or camping trailer.  Some people will say…”that doesn’t exist”, but I tell them it does exist and it’s called the FORD RAPTOR.