Well, finally got it - a 2018 Magnetic 802A, moon roof, rear step, Tech pkg., CF pkg., bead lock wheels. Picked it up in St. Louis, Mo last Weds and got home late Sunday evening. First off, this truck is awesome and I had a great time driving cross country staying with friends in Denver, exploring Moab and Monument Valley, etc. Even had a Kansas State Trooper stop to check out the Raptor and tell me how much he wished his son was there as it is his dream vehicle 
The Raptor drove great and most of the stuff I ran into was really me getting to know the truck. I should preface this with the fact that I sold my 2016 KR Fx4 a couple of months ago in anticipation of the new Raptor and have been driving the Shelby GT350 as my daily driver...so the handling characteristics couldn't be further apart. Interior fit and finish is good, seats are really comfy, easy to get your perfect spot and with the memory easy to recall it. Synch 3 just keeps getting better/more intuitive every year and I noticed some small (but useful) differences between my 2016 KR and the new Raptor. The new B&O sound system is much better than the Sony Premium system and I may be able to live with it. 100 miles West of St. Louis, it rained so hard the entire freeway was down to 20 mph with wipers on full speed - Raptor moon roof passed the leak test with flying colors
I found the Raptor cruises best at about 75mph, much faster and the cross winds and road imperfections start to impact the driving experience. On straight, smooth roads the truck feels very stable. However, when hitting rough roads, especially sharp bumps, the suspension can start to bounce around a bit and combined with the body roll not a very stable feel. Coming down 70 West outside of Denver, I was taking a curve at the recommended 60mph and hit a rough patch of road (mid-curve) ...definitely had me tense there for a few seconds. And "trail braking" is tricky as the suspension travel and tires make it feel like you are going to step out the rear. Never did though, but thinking either Deaver and/or Hellwig anti sway bar would be a worthwhile upgrade. As I learned the truck's handling characteristics, I began to anticipate these situations so less trail braking was necessary. While the GT350 will make an average driver look good - I found the Raptor demands more attention and you need to anticipate road conditions more in advance. Around town absolutely no issues but at speed 80+ mph, due to the tall sidewall height and suspension travel, you need to be alert to changing road conditions.
Fuel mileage is well...it is what it is, you don't buy a Raptor for economy! I averaged about 14.2mpg coming across country. Gas was $262/gal in MO, and gradually increasing in price as I came West, reaching $4/gal in Cal. The roads seemed to get worse as the gas prices increased, I would have expected the opposite. Another thing I noted was in all states I crossed they have the "Slower Traffic Keep Right Unless Passing" signs posted and it really helped the flow on the freeways...most everyone was courteous and got back to the right after passing so you could be on your way. Much more efficient than in CA where one inconsiderate/clueless person going slow in the fast lane will cause all kinds of issues and frustration.
Engine performance was fine, however it does have the "built in throttle delay" off the line and I was in and out of Sport mode a lot. Will likely install a PC or other device as I have used the Sprint Booster on various other cars to eliminate the accel lag. Engine ran cool the entire trip, I was using 89 octane (mid grade) most of the way. 10 speed transmission took some getting used to, but I think it's sorted fairly well and when in the throttle the shifts were firm (not harsh). I was leery about the new 10 speed as I had a Range Rover in 2015 when they first went with their new (back then) 9 sp trans and it was awful. After 4 dealer appointment to have it reflashed, I finally sold the car. Sound, subjective I realize, but I think the Raptor sound is a good balance. Just loud enough to know something special is under the hood but I wouldn't want to increase the V6 sound any further. I think any louder and it will sound lame, but again, JMO.
First desert off road run outside of Monument Valley, was awesome!! I was having a blast (mostly flat dirt roads but determined to get her good and dirty) until I switched into Baja mode - the trans was holding the shift points really high so I switched back into Sport in 4A. I'll have to practice with the Baja Mode and learn how it works. Definitely going to apply bed liner in the rear wheel wells as coming off the dirt back onto pavement, you can hear the rocks nailing the inner wheel wells (and in some cases the bottom of the side steps). Which by the way are really stout and great anti-door ding devices. One night a mini van squeezed in next to me and next morning I went out to see if any door dings and noticed (due to the Raptor's height) his door would have only hit the side of the nerf bar
Shock and Awe factor! This Raptor garners it's fair share of attention/comments. Pretty much every gas station I stopped at folks were giving me the thumbs up, even Jeep drivers, LOL.
All in all I had a great road trip in my new Raptor and will post back as I get into mods and more miles on the truck!
Pics: 1) First roadside stop in KS to admire the new beast, 2) Another road side stop in KS for pics, 3) off roading 30 miles North of Monument Valley and, 4) Entering Utah en route to Moab.
The Raptor drove great and most of the stuff I ran into was really me getting to know the truck. I should preface this with the fact that I sold my 2016 KR Fx4 a couple of months ago in anticipation of the new Raptor and have been driving the Shelby GT350 as my daily driver...so the handling characteristics couldn't be further apart. Interior fit and finish is good, seats are really comfy, easy to get your perfect spot and with the memory easy to recall it. Synch 3 just keeps getting better/more intuitive every year and I noticed some small (but useful) differences between my 2016 KR and the new Raptor. The new B&O sound system is much better than the Sony Premium system and I may be able to live with it. 100 miles West of St. Louis, it rained so hard the entire freeway was down to 20 mph with wipers on full speed - Raptor moon roof passed the leak test with flying colors
I found the Raptor cruises best at about 75mph, much faster and the cross winds and road imperfections start to impact the driving experience. On straight, smooth roads the truck feels very stable. However, when hitting rough roads, especially sharp bumps, the suspension can start to bounce around a bit and combined with the body roll not a very stable feel. Coming down 70 West outside of Denver, I was taking a curve at the recommended 60mph and hit a rough patch of road (mid-curve) ...definitely had me tense there for a few seconds. And "trail braking" is tricky as the suspension travel and tires make it feel like you are going to step out the rear. Never did though, but thinking either Deaver and/or Hellwig anti sway bar would be a worthwhile upgrade. As I learned the truck's handling characteristics, I began to anticipate these situations so less trail braking was necessary. While the GT350 will make an average driver look good - I found the Raptor demands more attention and you need to anticipate road conditions more in advance. Around town absolutely no issues but at speed 80+ mph, due to the tall sidewall height and suspension travel, you need to be alert to changing road conditions.
Fuel mileage is well...it is what it is, you don't buy a Raptor for economy! I averaged about 14.2mpg coming across country. Gas was $262/gal in MO, and gradually increasing in price as I came West, reaching $4/gal in Cal. The roads seemed to get worse as the gas prices increased, I would have expected the opposite. Another thing I noted was in all states I crossed they have the "Slower Traffic Keep Right Unless Passing" signs posted and it really helped the flow on the freeways...most everyone was courteous and got back to the right after passing so you could be on your way. Much more efficient than in CA where one inconsiderate/clueless person going slow in the fast lane will cause all kinds of issues and frustration.
Engine performance was fine, however it does have the "built in throttle delay" off the line and I was in and out of Sport mode a lot. Will likely install a PC or other device as I have used the Sprint Booster on various other cars to eliminate the accel lag. Engine ran cool the entire trip, I was using 89 octane (mid grade) most of the way. 10 speed transmission took some getting used to, but I think it's sorted fairly well and when in the throttle the shifts were firm (not harsh). I was leery about the new 10 speed as I had a Range Rover in 2015 when they first went with their new (back then) 9 sp trans and it was awful. After 4 dealer appointment to have it reflashed, I finally sold the car. Sound, subjective I realize, but I think the Raptor sound is a good balance. Just loud enough to know something special is under the hood but I wouldn't want to increase the V6 sound any further. I think any louder and it will sound lame, but again, JMO.
First desert off road run outside of Monument Valley, was awesome!! I was having a blast (mostly flat dirt roads but determined to get her good and dirty) until I switched into Baja mode - the trans was holding the shift points really high so I switched back into Sport in 4A. I'll have to practice with the Baja Mode and learn how it works. Definitely going to apply bed liner in the rear wheel wells as coming off the dirt back onto pavement, you can hear the rocks nailing the inner wheel wells (and in some cases the bottom of the side steps). Which by the way are really stout and great anti-door ding devices. One night a mini van squeezed in next to me and next morning I went out to see if any door dings and noticed (due to the Raptor's height) his door would have only hit the side of the nerf bar
Shock and Awe factor! This Raptor garners it's fair share of attention/comments. Pretty much every gas station I stopped at folks were giving me the thumbs up, even Jeep drivers, LOL.
All in all I had a great road trip in my new Raptor and will post back as I get into mods and more miles on the truck!
Pics: 1) First roadside stop in KS to admire the new beast, 2) Another road side stop in KS for pics, 3) off roading 30 miles North of Monument Valley and, 4) Entering Utah en route to Moab.
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