Back to the drawing board?

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

melvimbe

FRF Addict
Joined
Jul 22, 2019
Posts
4,878
Reaction score
6,436
Location
Houston, TX
Yeah, the F150 is a bread and butter vehicle, no doubt. It’s Ford’s signature vehicle which is why they’re slow to make radical changes to it. But, the Raptor is a variant of the F150 and let’s be honest, most of us don’t need it, we want it. The Raptor caters to a driver who enjoys off roading, and now they’re bringing out an SUV to do the same. The SUV will be lighter, probably just as quick, and give up very little to the Raptor.

So, why is a buyer going to spend more for a Raptor when they can buy the Bronco for less and have pretty equal capability -assuming the Bronco makes it to market ;-)

But as you stated, people aren't buying the Raptor just for it's off road capabilities. Probably the majority of us use it as a daily driver as well. And a lot of us feel they can get a lot more use out of a truck then a Bronco. Besides the obvious of having a bed, I also want the large backseat for the kids and dogs and whatever else. And honestly, for an offroad vehicle, the Raptor does pretty good on the luxary side of things. You aren't getting heated and cooled leather seats in a Bronco. There will be many who want the bronco for it's capabilities and because it's what the cool kids are doing, and maybe the Raptor won't be as cool, but I think it will still have a market.

Will have to see how thinks shake out. I also think that if this does happen, where the Raptor goes away a couple years after it's starts getting a bit of competition, it won't be a good sign for Ford.
 

gobluejd

HAIL!!!
Joined
Jan 19, 2021
Posts
911
Reaction score
1,126
Location
NW Indiana
Yeah, the F150 is a bread and butter vehicle, no doubt. It’s Ford’s signature vehicle which is why they’re slow to make radical changes to it. But, the Raptor is a variant of the F150 and let’s be honest, most of us don’t need it, we want it. The Raptor caters to a driver who enjoys off roading, and now they’re bringing out an SUV to do the same. The SUV will be lighter, probably just as quick, and give up very little to the Raptor.

So, why is a buyer going to spend more for a Raptor when they can buy the Bronco for less and have pretty equal capability -assuming the Bronco makes it to market ;-)

As I mentioned before, if the TRX+Bronco sales significantly eat into Raptor sales, I think the model is in jeopardy.

If I am understanding your points correctly, you’re looking at this from a manufacturing perspective. I’m sure Ford can walk and chew bubble gum at the same time here and bring both models to market. I’m concerned about the implications of having basically direct competition in the same manufacturer line up, while lining up against another manufacturer’s off road truck.

Yes, I know these are different vehicles with somewhat different focus, but there’s enough common traits that consumers are going to look really hard at the Bronco even though the Raptor has the off road cred.

How much do Rap sales suffer?
I don’t know. I am a fan of the Raptor, and hope they keep on improving it.
In my opinion, I see more sales coming from prospective Jeep peeps than from people wanting a Raptor.
 

Rated R

Full Access Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2015
Posts
645
Reaction score
528
I think the TRX has been very well received as well as the Gen 5 Ram altogether. The days where Ford and GM ******** all over Dodge is over and has been over for a good long while. Yet I read here about how ugly they are and comments about their poor reliability. Ram is a serious contender. They make a good product that is competing toe to toe with Ford and GM. They may have gone a bit overboard with the TRX (avg mpg is terrible) but they're freaking selling, even with ADM.
 

smurfslayer

Be vewwy, vewwy quiet. We’re hunting sasquatch77
Joined
Dec 16, 2016
Posts
16,064
Reaction score
23,541
Ford is just a tease. Look at the Bronco. They have been striging that release for about 18 months. The less they show the more you want.

To be fair, there have been multiple problems with suppliers along the way and, if the qa is anything like the F150, the Bronco is getting tortured right now. Ford QA’s the living daylights out of their trucks, so you can beat on them from Gnome, Alaska to summer in Death Valley and everywhere in between. I think if they could have the Broncos out on the street and in the mud right now in consumer hands, they’d be doing it because every day is another day a consumer buys a jeep.

I think the Rap release was more for their “base”, which is most of us, here on FRF. Admit it: We’re the “primary voters” of the truck world and we’re largely partisan Raptor voters. Ford doesn’t want to alienate the Gen2 owners who might be thinking of trading up.
 

Sgt Beavis

Full Access Member
Joined
Dec 23, 2019
Posts
259
Reaction score
284
Location
Colorado
I work for a large software vendor and Ford is one of my customers. I’m on a call with them about once every couple of weeks. Almost without fail, the chip shortage or another part shortage comes up in passing conversation. Almost all of the OEMs are getting kicked in the balls by this shortage and it’s not going to end anytime soon.

Interesting side note. I’ve been shopping for a grocery getter. My wife and I were considering a Mini Countryman until we discovered there was exactly ONE new unit in all of Denver. Totally sold out. We’re now looking at something else.
 

Reaper308

FRF Supporting Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2020
Posts
451
Reaction score
541
Location
Texas
It’s inter to read all the post but what’s funny is I just sold my stock wheels to another Raptor owner who has a 19 Gen 2 and is selling it right now because the market seems high for his Raptor. He’s doing this because he has a Bronco on order. If I stopped their that would be one side supporting some of your arguments however he is selling at this time to get his Bronco for his wife mind you and he has another F250 to drive while he waits for the Raptor R to come out and he said if for some reason it doesn’t he’s buying the latest Raptor what ever that will be to replace what he is selling. Now I might not agree with selling his now for getting one later I would wait and sell then but we have seen and probably are all members of this forum because the Raptor either fits our life style or just makes us smile every time we are in it. Whether that’s hard core off raiding it, Desert Runs or Mall Crawling as some would say, but either way it fits for us and we keep coming back to buy. For the ones that left a Raptor to go to a TRX there are some that after having some MTX issues have come back to the Raptors! Either way it will be interesting to watch. As for me I love my 18Gen2 and only after watching for a while might get rid of her to get a Raptor R if it lights my fire if not I will when the time comes get another V6 Raptor. Bronco or Raptor the real question is those of you who have Jeeps and Raptors will the introduction of the Bronco cause you to change up from your Jeep to a Bronco when the time comes? Just food for thought Gents!
 

91Eunos

Full Access Member
Joined
Oct 18, 2018
Posts
644
Reaction score
904
Location
Hill country, Tejas
I’ll get an R only if I can get a SCAB...if not, well, I’ll drive mine until it can’t, or I can’t go any more.

If the former, I’ll find something else. If the later, well, I guess the point’ll be moot.
 
Top