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The mega-horsepower pickups arms race is swole like Venice Beach on a Saturday. The Ram TRX has been the de facto factory pick for anyone wanting a supercharged V8 desert truck, although we’ve known for a year now that Ford would soon bring its own entry to the fight. The Blue Oval has now reentered the chat with its new 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R. To be fair, the regular Raptor has been around for plenty long enough to be considered a high-horsepower pickup—but 700 horsepower is rarefied lower troposphere air.
So how do the pickups compare? The top-shelf numbers don’t tell the whole story: Ram’s 702 horsepower and 650 pound-feet from a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 play a couple of trump cards on Ford’s 700-hp, 640 lb-ft 5.2-liter supercharged V8. Does 2 hp matter? Maybe. We’ll know more when we drive them. But if numbers were the only thing that mattered, “Rocky IV” would have been a much different movie. Let’s dive in.
2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R
- Price: $109,145
- Horsepower: 700
- Torque: 640 lb-ft
- Transmission: 10-speed SelectShift automatic
- Wheel travel: 13 inches (front), 14.1 inches (rear)
- Max ground clearance: 13.1 inches
- Off-road angles: 33.1° approach, 24.4° breakover, 24.9° departure
- Wheelbase: 145.4 inches
- Dimensions: 232.6 inches long x 87 inches wide x 80.6 inches tall
- Max towing: 8,700 pounds
- Max payload: 1,400 pounds
- Tires: LT37x12.5R17LT BFGoodrich AT T/A K02
2022 Ram 1500 TRX
- Price: $80,685
- Horsepower: 702
- Torque: 650 lb-ft
- Transmission: Eight-speed TorqueFlight automatic
- Wheel travel: 13 inches (front), 14 inches (rear)
- Max ground clearance: 11.8 inches
- Off-road angles: 30.2° approach, 21.9° breakover, 23.5° departure
- Wheelbase: 145.1 inches
- Dimensions: 232.9 inches long x 88 inches wide x 80.9 inches tall
- Max towing: 8,100 pounds
- Max payload: 1,310 pounds
- Tires: 325/65/R18 AT Goodyear Wrangler
If any of the above factors into your buying decision, you’re likely in the minority. Like candy bars and room service, these aren’t rational purchases.
Nonetheless, we consider both in a vacuum outside real-world money. The F-150 Raptor R is sure to be a hit because people have begged for a V8 in the Raptor ever since Ford took it away for the second-gen truck. Its 700 horsepower is shifted through a numerically superior, although somewhat indecisive 10-speed automatic transmission. The same goes for its factory 37-inch shoes, which are larger than the TRX’s 35s, and the F-150 Raptor R has suspension travel longer than a front-porch yarn from granddad. We can assume that Ford’s Baja race program has gifted the Raptor R some real-world advantage; its 13.1-inch ground clearance is downright impressive.
Even though the Ford F-150 Raptor R is the new kid on the block, its $109,145 starting price can’t be ignored. That’s a huge amount more than the TRX costs, and while people are still going to buy them without thinking twice, it’s a crucial moment when a half-ton truck crosses the six-figure MSRP threshold. And unless buyers work with dealers that honor the sticker price on every order, they’re likely to pay a lot more for Ford’s hottest pickup.
The Ram TRX benefits from its long time on sale and the aforementioned power advantage, which is surely important among spec hunters and armchair racers. There’s no second-guessing the Hellcat engine’s prowess and ability—that much is clear in the numbers. What may be overlooked is the Ram’s TorqueFlight eight-speed automatic, which is a ZF box and a first-ballot hall-of-famer in nearly every application.
What the Ram also has is the skeleton and dressing of a comfortable pickup, first and foremost. Among the domestic pickups, the Ram 1500 continues to impress in pretty much every way. This generation of F-150 Raptor is pretty special too, of course, and the Raptor R takes it a step further with pretty much all the niceties as standard.
We’re hard-pressed to pick a winner now. The Raptor R signals a return for a V8 to the Raptor and an impressive one at that from the GT500. The Ram TRX pairs an excellent pickup with a certifiably superlative power plant.
Who wins? Tough to say right now, but one loser is certain: Your wallet. Neither are cheap. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
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