Buyers Remorse...I should have bought a...

Hello all - this is my first post.

I have what I'll just call my "fun and fast car", that I really didn't want to put a lot of miles on, so back in early May of this year, I bought a used 2016 Ram 1500 4x4 HEMI as a daily driver/beater/tow vehicle.

I've never owned a truck up until a month and a half ago. I never expected that I'd enjoy this truck as much as I have! I live in Colorado, so I've taken it on some off-road trails in the mountains, I've used it to tow, I've used it to haul stuff in the bed, etc. I just never expected in a million years that I'd be this into my truck. The only problem is that it's kind of a lower-end version (Ram Big Horn). The other problem is that where I live, it's 7000 feet. While the HEMI is a powerful power-plant at sea-level, the naturally aspirated engine takes a big hit up here at altitude. That 395 HP HEMI is really like 300 HP here at altitude.

So, with this new found love of trucks and being at 7000' altitude, I'm looking to possibly sell or trade in my Ram and get either an Ecoboost Raptor or the Ecoboost F150 Lariat FX4. Either way, the Ecoboost will help to overcome the loss of power due to the altitude. The question is, which Ecoboost truck?

I wouldn't necessarily say that I have buyer's remorse with the Ram that I bought. I just never anticipated that I'd love it as much as I do, but with that said, it does has some shortcomings. If I buy a truck this time around, I want to make sure I'm getting something that I'll really enjoy and won't have any "I wish I would have went this this...type thoughts". I want a locking rear diff. I want pretty decent ground clearance (we've had some monster winters here where I live in Colorado). I want a comfortable ride (family of 4 with two little kids). I really want that Ecoboost 3.5l engine!

I know I can get all of that in either the Lariat FX4 or the Raptor. The one thing that has me teeter-tottering between the two is the ground clearance vs the ride comfort. Again, we've had some nasty winters where the ground clearance becomes a significant factor. But the other 90% of the time of the year, the weather will be just fine and that's where I lean towards the Lariat FX4 for the better ride comfort.

I'm curious to get others thoughts on the regular F150 FX4 model vs the Raptor. Any regrets not getting the FX4 vs the Raptor?

I test drove both of them myself before buying my Gen 2. I thought I might want to save a few $$ and go with the cheaper Lariat FX4 Sport, but there is no comparison between the FX4 and Raptor when it comes to ride quality and power. Even though I still own a Gen 1 with the mighty 6.2L V8, even it does not compare to my Gen 2. (Except in the exhaust sound category...)

I highly recommend you take them both for test drive before making another mistake!

I just came out of a 2012 Ram 1500 sport to a supercab raptor which is a huge difference but good god this truck is fun. So much power and it dwarfs my ram in every area. But I also never tow anything ethier, maybe 2 times a year if that, and its my daily driver. After driving this Raptor I would be hard pressed to buy anything else for a long time.

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I have had my 2018 for a month now. If I was in your boat/altitude I would be looking at an F250 diesel or a Chevy 2500 diesel.

im in the springs at 6200ft. i drive up the mountain 3-4 nights a week to approx 10k ft. never had a power issue, however im in a gen 1 so no ecoboost

TXRaptor said:

I thought I might want to save a few $$ and go with the cheaper Lariat FX4 Sport, but there is no comparison between the FX4 and Raptor when it comes to ride quality and power.

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Are you saying the Raptor has a more comfortable ride quality on the road than the FX4? You’d be the first person I’ve heard that from.

Also, even though the Raptor has a more powerful engine, the regular F150 3.5 EB is quicker. The big tires on the Raptor slow it down.

Quaesta said:

I have had my 2018 for a month now. If I was in your boat/altitude I would be looking at an F250 diesel or a Chevy 2500 diesel.

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What makes you say that? I think that would be overkill for my needs/purposes. I don't need the towing capability. However, you could make an argument the torque can be useful in heavy snowstorms/snowfall. Either way, the Raptor or the 2500s will have turbo.

I traded in ~45 days ago my 16 Platinum FX4 for 18 Raptor loaded with 802 and Tech. I miss nothing about the Platinum. The ride diff (for my 45 days) has been no really no diff to better in the raptor. For road/highway driving I find that I go faster and over speed bumps, train tracks etc the ride is better then the FX4. All that said it is a few bills more then a Lariat and a platinum.
If you have the money then get it. Check your garage space as Raptor is 6 inches wider.

Test drive both and you will quickly realize there is no comparison. Raptor costs more upfront, but the Raptor will hold its value far better than a Lariat and you will get that money back down the road.

As for power, drove up Eisenhower with four guys, a week of camping gear and supplies, and our bikes. Had to keep it half throttle to avoid hitting tripple digits.

lnferno said:

Also, even though the Raptor has a more powerful engine, the regular F150 3.5 EB is quicker. The big tires on the Raptor slow it down.

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I don’t think that is true at all. Various sources give the Raptor a 0-60 time of 5.1 while the 3.5 eco boost F150 does 0-60 in 6.1 seconds.