There are trucks, and there are tr-u-u-u-u-cks. And if you want the most ridiculous pickups in terms of power, performance and off-road capability, there’s no hotter duo than the Ford F-150 Raptor and Ram 1500 TRX.
So, following the debut of the new V8-powered Raptor R on Monday, let’s take a closer look at how these bad boys compare on paper. Does one truck have a clear advantage over the other, or can these rivals hang side by side?
Engine and performance
The main difference between the Raptor R and the standard F-150 Raptor is its engine. Rather than using a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6, the Raptor R gets a supercharged V8. That makes it a far more formidable foe for the TRX, which also has mega V8 power.
Powertrain specs
| Ford F-150 Raptor R | Ram 1500 TRX | |
| Engine | Supercharged 5.2L V8 | Supercharged 6.2L V8 |
| Power | 700 hp | 702 hp |
| Torque | 640 lb.-ft. | 650 lb.-ft. |
| Transmission | 10-speed auto | 8-speed auto |
| Drive | 4WD | 4WD |
| 0-60 mph | TBD | 4.5 sec. |
Off-road geometry
Given the sheer size and power of these trucks, you probably won’t be using them to tackle extremely technical sections of tight trails. But when it does come time to hit the rocks or dunes, both the Ford and Ram are nicely set up for success, though the Raptor has a clear advantage across the board here.
Off-road specs
| Ford F-150 Raptor R | Ram 1500 TRX | |
| Approach angle | 33.1 deg. | 30.2 deg. |
| Departure angle | 24.9 deg. | 23.5 deg. |
| Breakover angle | 24.4 deg. | 21.9 deg. |
| Ground clearance | 13.1 in. | 11.8 in. |
The Raptor R comes standard with 37-inch tires.
Ford
Dimensions
To call these pickups big is an understatement. They’re huge in every dimension — so much so that they’re legally required to have central amber marker lights because they’re so freakin’ wide. As you can see, though, the dimensions are pretty close. Neither truck really outdoes the other in this category.
Exterior measurements
| Ford F-150 Raptor R | Ram 1500 TRX | |
| Wheelbase | 145.4 in. | 145.1 in. |
| Length | 232.6 in. | 232.9 in. |
| Width | 87.0 in. | 88.0 in. |
| Height | 80.6 in. | 80.9 in. |
| Base weight | 5,950 pounds (est.) | 6,350 pounds |
The Ram has slightly less payload and towing capacity than the Ford.
Antuan Goodwin/CNET
Truck stuff
You can’t talk about pickup trucks without discussing their hauling abilities. Payload is the amount of weight a truck can carry in its bed, while towing refers to how heavy of a trailer it can pull. In both categories, Ford has a slight advantage.
Payload and towing
| Ford F-150 Raptor R | Ram 1500 TRX | |
| Max payload | 1,400 pounds | 1,310 pounds |
| Max towing | 8,700 pounds | 8,100 pounds |
Neither of these trucks is a slouch.
Antuan Goodwin/CNET
Tech
Inside, each truck boasts a 12-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen running its respective automakers’ latest and greatest systems. For Ford, that means Sync 4 with over-the-air update capability, and for Ram, it’s the easy-to-use Uconnect system. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard in both trucks, too.
These pickups have lots of active and passive safety systems, as well. Ford didn’t specifically detail anything on the new Raptor R, but considering the standard F-150 Raptor comes standard with the company’s Co-Pilot 360 suite of driver-assistance technologies, we can’t imagine the R will be any different. Ram offers a similar loadout of tech, with things like adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring and forward-collision warning available.
Price
So far, these crazy pickups seem pretty evenly matched, but when it comes to price, there’s a huge difference. Ford says the Raptor R will start just under $110,000, while the Ram 1500 TRX costs $80,595 including destination. Sure, you can option a Ram up to the six-figure mark, but that’s still quite a price premium.
The 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R goes into production later this year.
