Maybe you’ve been watching too many super hero movies this summer? Or maybe you fear that the apocalypse is near? Whatever your situation, if you need to let the beast within you out on the road there’s no better vehicle than the Ford F-150 Raptor. No matter where you drive—city streets, country backroads, highways, or dirt lanes—the Raptor will provide you with a smooth, comfortable ride for you and your five passengers.
You might feel like you’re coming to the party late with all of the awards that the Raptor has garnered. It’s been named Pickup Truck of the Year by Four Wheeler magazine and took home the Automotive Excellence Award for Pickup Truck of the Year from Popular Mechanics magazine. The new Raptor also was named Top Off-Road Truck by The Fast Lane Truck website and was on Car and Driver magazine’s 10 Best Trucks list. No matter—you’ll be able to brag to your friends and family what a great truck choice you’ve made.
High performance
If you’re looking for big, brawny, and unique, that’s the perfect description of the 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor full size sport pickup truck. Gone are the first generation 6.2-liter V-8 engines and replaced with a 3.5-liter turbocharged V-6 Ecoboost power paired with a new 10-speed automatic transmission. Raptor drivers are thrilled with how easily the aluminum and composite-body truck moves outputting its 450 horsepower. Another perk: its huge fuel tank lets you travel with ease not having to stop at gas stations to fill up.
If you’re an off-road enthusiast, the 2017 Raptor gives you the power and drive to excel off-road. Ford engineers based this newest model on the Ford F-150 Baja 1000 desert race truck and backed it with standard four-wheel drive. Drivers praise it for its nicely-weighted steering, robust suspension control arms, specially tuned springs, and impressive wheel travel. It will give you and your passengers a great ride over dirt paths or more challenging mountain terrain. To manage the power distribution between the front and rear wheels, Ford has added an all-new, four-wheel-drive, Torque-On-Demand transfer case. This newly-added capability combines the best attributes of clutch-driven, on-demand all-wheel drive with durable, mechanical-locking four-wheel drive. Ford engineers have also added a 3.0-inch Fox Racing Shox with custom internal bypass technology. This technology provides great off-road performance and a smooth ride on roads and highways. You can even select your own personalized graphics and interior accent packages for your off-road 2017 Raptor as well as mechanical upgrades like the Torsen front differential. This gives your 2017 Raptor greater capability when pulling itself over obstacles and up steep grades.
If you really want to test your off-road capabilities, you can take the newly-started Raptor Assault program for free at the Ford Performance Racing School with your purchase. Here you can challenge yourself in extreme environments like rock crawling and Baja runs.
Exterior décor
When you’re piloting the Raptor, everyone will know who you are. It’s an impressive, bold design. The Raptor comes in can-not-miss all black exterior decor with large Raptor decals on the sides of the rear fenders and s grille adorned with an oversized “Ford” spelled out in large dark capital letters across the front. Even at night, the Raptor shows off its LED-ringed headlamps to anyone on the road. Large Goodrich all-terrain tires, matte finished hood, and louver grilles add to the Raptor’s allure. Ford also allows its Raptor owners to choose colorful graphics for the exterior to personalize your vehicle or install pickup bed dividers and a bedliner for added functionality. For those in need of towing a boat or camper, the Raptor is rated with an 8,000 pound towing capacity. Its Pro trailer backup assist camera helps to maneuver in narrow spots.
The smooth-lowering tailgate opens to a courtesy LED-lighted 5.5-foot lined bed with tie-downs and factory-installed trailer hitch prewired with electrical connections.
Interior comfort
It might be a beast on the exterior, but the 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor offers a sleek, quiet, and comfortable vehicle interior. But don’t worry that it’s lost its hard edge. While it’s designed with attractive soft-touch surfaces, it doesn’t lose any of its rugged reputation. Drivers will find it easy to navigate using its clean and easy to read instrumentation system with a dual gauge dash and digital display. This latest Raptor model offers the best version of Ford Sync 3 touch screen technology to date with its upgraded Sony infotainment center on the center-mounted console. You will appreciate its restful and supportive black and gray leather-trimmed captain’s seat. Your family will have plenty of room on the rear bench seat where three full-grown adults can sit with generous legroom in the extended cab. Ford is also offering a SuperCrew body style for the first time, making the pickup truck even roomier. No matter what you and your family bring along, you’ll find a lot of thoughtful cubbies and storage bins for those items.
Technology
Not only does the 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor give you strong responsive driving and an impress exterior but it’s filled with luxury features. To get the best views along your off-road expeditions, you’ll enjoy its twin-panel moonroof. To get the best of your off-road experience, the Raptor features an all-new Terrain Management System. This system enables drivers to select from six preset modes, such as Street, Baja, Mud, and Sand, to get the best driving experience no matter where you choose to off-road. Passengers won’t want to leave after getting comfortable in its leather seats. Plus, when you need directions, a voice-activated navigation system can assist. Passengers will not need to worry about safety either. The Raptor has earned five stars for occupant protection in U.S. government frontal and side crash testing.
If you want to be the talk of the town, take a look at this sharp, responsive and strong pickup. It’s a tantalizing new option in this model year’s popular pickup segment.
