The Ford F-150 is undoubtedly one of the best trucks in America, and the numerous trims make it nearly impossible to choose one. The Raptor is one of the best looking F-150’s of the year, but is it worth the extra money? We’re comparing the XLT to the Raptor to figure out whether the upgrade is worth it.
Price
The first thing most people will notice is that the Raptor is substantially more expensive than the XLT. The starting MSRP on the XL is $26,730. Ford lists the Raptor with a starting MSRP of $50,155. That’s a significant hike in cost which can definitely put a dent in your monthly budget. Is the Raptor really worth nearly twice as much?
Powertrain
The Raptor has a heavily upgraded powertrain when compared to the basic Ford F-150 XL. The XL comes standard with a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine which gets 375 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque. Ford allows customers to upgrade to a 5.0-liter Ti-VCT V6 engine that produces 385 hp and 387 lb-ft of torque, but even the upgrade doesn’t compare to the Raptor at all.
The Raptor was built for power and fun, like off-road racing. Ford even has races revolving around this year's Raptor. It’s equipped with a 3.5-liter V6 engine with a 10-speed automatic transmission. This gives it 450 horsepower with 510 lb-ft of torque.
Towing
Most people purchase a truck so they can tow and haul more stuff. After all, shouldn’t your truck work as hard as you do? The Ford F-150 is one of the best trucks for hauling on the market with a maximum towing capacity of 5,100 lbs. and a maximum payload of 1,920 lbs.
Unfortunately, Ford doesn’t list explicitly how much the Raptor can tow. The powertrain seems stronger, with the engine being “high-output,” which could mean that it tows more. Some reviews claim that it has a towing capacity of up to 8,000 pounds thanks to the stronger engine, but fail to mention the maximum payload. Still, a whopping 3,000 lbs. extra may be worth the cost for some people.
Features
Keep in mind that the XL is the base for the Ford F-150, which means the features will barely compare to other trims. It comes with an AM/FM radio but lacks Sync, which means you won’t be able to connect your phone using Bluetooth. It does come with an auxiliary audio input jack, a 12-volt charging port, and a 2.3-inch productivity screen. As you can see, there’s nothing notable about the XL for interior features.
The Raptor is closer in features to the premium trims offered by Ford, and has plenty of bang for your buck. It comes with everything the XL has and more, including Sync technology with App link, a 110-volt port with a 400-watt power inverter, SiriusXM satellite radio, an 8-way power driver seat with lumbar support, Ford MyKey, a reverse-sensing system, a leather wrapped steering wheel, and so much more. It’s up to you to decide whether the added features are worth the extra cost. In the end, it’s probably going to come down to whether you need the extra muscle.
(All facts and figures from Ford. Images via Facebook, Facebook.)
