Mister Pinky
Full Access Member
Welp... Who wants a write up?
I finally picked up my Performance Blue 801a SCREW last Sunday. She was optioned exactly as I wanted. (Torsen diff, spray in liner, 360 degree camera, no ******* twin panel moonroof)
I am speechless at how good this truck is. This is my first F-150. I have previously always owned Super Duties with my Silverado 1500 being the sole exception. My god this thing is on a whole nother level.
I’m no stranger to high performance vehicles. When I test drove a Raptor, the first thing I initially noticed was not the powertrain, but the suspension. I would offer that while the powertrain and suspension were designed to complement each other, the suspension is the real star of the show. It is absolutely unflappable and for the size and girth of this truck, profoundly stupid. On the way back from the dealership I spent some time bombing down some rough backroads in sport mode. Good lord. There’s no reason it should handle as well as it does for as hefty as it is. It’s nothing short of incredible.
I’ve been waiting for a 10 speed automatic for quite some time. The 6 speeds were a good start in the right direction, but I always felt being able to rip off shifts through multiple gears to keep the engine directly in the power band was the best solution. Ford’s 10R80 was exactly what I wanted. I can see some of the complaints about a rough shift here and there. It doesn’t bother me. It’s a truck not a Cadillac. Give it 5 years and they’ll have it down perfectly. When I bought my 5.0L Mustang last year, I wanted the 6 spd. manual for the driving engagement and because all the reviews were crapping on the auto. Now, I wish I had at least given it a try to see what it was like. It’s that transformative of an option.
Now the part where we all fight. The 3.5L HO Ecoboost was the best motor in Ford’s portfolio at the time the Gen 2 was conceived to power this truck. With the exception of the aural experience and in terms of raw performance, this is the best motor to ever fit in between the fenders of a truck based SVT/Ford Performance product. In fact, it’s so good, that not only was it king of the hill for four years straight against any other truck manufacturer, but it was only recently dethroned last week at the end of its product life cycle. The Ecoboost is an absolute monster of a mill and you wouldn’t have the same level of power or efficiency with a larger displacement engine. If you can’t get onboard with it and *have* to have a V8 in a truck, you might want to start looking at the competition. The 3.5L proved Ford’s little theory was right and they have managed to pull it off in spectacular fashion. The fact that they added the 2.7L to their engine lineup only reinforces that. I just can’t see how much longer Ford will continue to make the case for a V8 in a half ton with the numbers the Ecoboosts are reliably cranking out. Also, I’m not going to speculate on future plans for the 5.2 Predator in the Gen 3 here. That’s another subject entirely.
So with all this ranting and raving the praises of this truck, what’s the downside? This is my first Ford truck in awhile. I stepped away from the brand some years ago because I felt they had lost the simplicity that they were known for and had become too complicated to work on and fix. Case in point; look at the 98 F-150 and 99 Super Duty. They jammed the engine bay as tight as possible and made relatively simple repairs an absolute nightmare due to clearance issues. I am afraid this truck might be more of the same.
I’m very nervous about both of the turbos being constantly exposed to salt spray through the wheel wells. I am very nervous about how stuffed in everything is underneath.
I am very nervous about all the unnecessary “safety” assist ******** they load these trucks up with now because people can’t put down their ******* phones. I am very nervous about the amount of electronics that I see no real upside to. Just look at BLIS. I can accomplish the same thing with a well designed spot mirror or tow mirror.
Ford reminds me of a domestic BMW these days. I tell people the S550 Mustang is reminiscent of an E90 3 series/M3. The character of those cars is very similar. The problem with BMWs is while they are fantastic driving cars, (or at least they used to be) long term ownership leaves a lot to be desired because of the cost and complexity to fix.
I fear that Ford, in chasing the “Gotta Have Gismos” tech buyer, has compromised their long term durability, especially on an off road vehicle that will be seeing abusive environments. I really hope I’m proven wrong on that one.
But overall, I’m really excited about this truck in a way I haven’t been excited about trucks in awhile. Calling the Raptor just an F-150 is a complete disservice to the engineers at Ford Performance who put this batshit crazy thing together. Nearly every time we drive it, I look over at the wife with a laugh and remark, “This thing is absolutely stupid.” And it is.
I can just imagine the product planner who was probably sitting around a fire, drunk and high off his ass with his other product planner buddies, who said after taking a lengthy drag on his joint, “Alright hear me out. Let’s take an F-150, give it oversized tires, a lift kit, a crazy suspension with some ridiculous shocks, a motor that puts out crazy power, and lets run that sumbitch through the desert at 80 mph.”
His buddy, not to be outdone, hits the bottle and says, “I’ll do you one better. Make it ultra luxurious, make it thicker than a Snicker, make it ride like a BarcaLounger on four wheels, and give that fu**er paddle shifters mounted up on the steering wheel.”
Thank god for them.
Thank god for capitalism.
God bless America.
I finally picked up my Performance Blue 801a SCREW last Sunday. She was optioned exactly as I wanted. (Torsen diff, spray in liner, 360 degree camera, no ******* twin panel moonroof)
I am speechless at how good this truck is. This is my first F-150. I have previously always owned Super Duties with my Silverado 1500 being the sole exception. My god this thing is on a whole nother level.
I’m no stranger to high performance vehicles. When I test drove a Raptor, the first thing I initially noticed was not the powertrain, but the suspension. I would offer that while the powertrain and suspension were designed to complement each other, the suspension is the real star of the show. It is absolutely unflappable and for the size and girth of this truck, profoundly stupid. On the way back from the dealership I spent some time bombing down some rough backroads in sport mode. Good lord. There’s no reason it should handle as well as it does for as hefty as it is. It’s nothing short of incredible.
I’ve been waiting for a 10 speed automatic for quite some time. The 6 speeds were a good start in the right direction, but I always felt being able to rip off shifts through multiple gears to keep the engine directly in the power band was the best solution. Ford’s 10R80 was exactly what I wanted. I can see some of the complaints about a rough shift here and there. It doesn’t bother me. It’s a truck not a Cadillac. Give it 5 years and they’ll have it down perfectly. When I bought my 5.0L Mustang last year, I wanted the 6 spd. manual for the driving engagement and because all the reviews were crapping on the auto. Now, I wish I had at least given it a try to see what it was like. It’s that transformative of an option.
Now the part where we all fight. The 3.5L HO Ecoboost was the best motor in Ford’s portfolio at the time the Gen 2 was conceived to power this truck. With the exception of the aural experience and in terms of raw performance, this is the best motor to ever fit in between the fenders of a truck based SVT/Ford Performance product. In fact, it’s so good, that not only was it king of the hill for four years straight against any other truck manufacturer, but it was only recently dethroned last week at the end of its product life cycle. The Ecoboost is an absolute monster of a mill and you wouldn’t have the same level of power or efficiency with a larger displacement engine. If you can’t get onboard with it and *have* to have a V8 in a truck, you might want to start looking at the competition. The 3.5L proved Ford’s little theory was right and they have managed to pull it off in spectacular fashion. The fact that they added the 2.7L to their engine lineup only reinforces that. I just can’t see how much longer Ford will continue to make the case for a V8 in a half ton with the numbers the Ecoboosts are reliably cranking out. Also, I’m not going to speculate on future plans for the 5.2 Predator in the Gen 3 here. That’s another subject entirely.
So with all this ranting and raving the praises of this truck, what’s the downside? This is my first Ford truck in awhile. I stepped away from the brand some years ago because I felt they had lost the simplicity that they were known for and had become too complicated to work on and fix. Case in point; look at the 98 F-150 and 99 Super Duty. They jammed the engine bay as tight as possible and made relatively simple repairs an absolute nightmare due to clearance issues. I am afraid this truck might be more of the same.
I’m very nervous about both of the turbos being constantly exposed to salt spray through the wheel wells. I am very nervous about how stuffed in everything is underneath.
I am very nervous about all the unnecessary “safety” assist ******** they load these trucks up with now because people can’t put down their ******* phones. I am very nervous about the amount of electronics that I see no real upside to. Just look at BLIS. I can accomplish the same thing with a well designed spot mirror or tow mirror.
Ford reminds me of a domestic BMW these days. I tell people the S550 Mustang is reminiscent of an E90 3 series/M3. The character of those cars is very similar. The problem with BMWs is while they are fantastic driving cars, (or at least they used to be) long term ownership leaves a lot to be desired because of the cost and complexity to fix.
I fear that Ford, in chasing the “Gotta Have Gismos” tech buyer, has compromised their long term durability, especially on an off road vehicle that will be seeing abusive environments. I really hope I’m proven wrong on that one.
But overall, I’m really excited about this truck in a way I haven’t been excited about trucks in awhile. Calling the Raptor just an F-150 is a complete disservice to the engineers at Ford Performance who put this batshit crazy thing together. Nearly every time we drive it, I look over at the wife with a laugh and remark, “This thing is absolutely stupid.” And it is.
I can just imagine the product planner who was probably sitting around a fire, drunk and high off his ass with his other product planner buddies, who said after taking a lengthy drag on his joint, “Alright hear me out. Let’s take an F-150, give it oversized tires, a lift kit, a crazy suspension with some ridiculous shocks, a motor that puts out crazy power, and lets run that sumbitch through the desert at 80 mph.”
His buddy, not to be outdone, hits the bottle and says, “I’ll do you one better. Make it ultra luxurious, make it thicker than a Snicker, make it ride like a BarcaLounger on four wheels, and give that fu**er paddle shifters mounted up on the steering wheel.”
Thank god for them.
Thank god for capitalism.
God bless America.
