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AUTO REVIEW
You don’t have to look hard to find cars Fox shock absorbers, and the Raptor’s frame The 10-speed transmission is worth a
or trucks with understated and elegant de- is strengthened over the regular F-150’s with word. I was concerned that it would hunt for
sign. Any Audi sedan qualifies as do their additional welds and stronger shock mounts. gears in normal driving, and it didn’t. That’s
new Q5 and Q7 SUVs. The Mercedes E- because, in everyday driving, the transmission
class is another one, and I’d add the new And yet, according to Car and Driver, usually shifts up and down two gears at a
Land Rover Discovery, Ford Fusion, Volvo those beefy shock absorbers, which stiffen time. Naturally, transmissions like this one are
S90, and Cadillac CT6. There are many as they near both full compression and full becoming ubiquitous because of emissions
more of course, and I applaud the stylists extension to prevent bottoming out during and fuel efficiency requirements, so we’d bet-
who penned these tastefully good-looking severe off-road driving, are also softer in the ter get used to them. But unlike continuously
vehicles. I admire them all. middle of their travel so that the ride in variable transmissions that lack any sort of
everyday conditions is softer than it would charm, Ford’s 10-speed is pleasant to experi-
And then there’s the Ford F-150 Raptor. be otherwise. ence, although it was a little strange to look
Festooned with armor-like body “enhance- at the dashboard at one point and note that I
ments” and aggressive styling elements ga- You’d be forgiven for looking at the Rap- was in 8th gear at 35MPH.
lore, the Raptor is as tastefully elegant as a tor and saying, “Sure, the trail-busting sus-
tuxedo t-shirt at the opera. In a world of pension has been tweaked for improved While the Ford Raptor is available with
Jason Garretts it's a Conor McGregor, and manners on normal roads, but it’s still gonna many options and option packages, space
yet it works because it appeals to its target be rough, right?” Actually, no. I expected a limitations prevent us from discussing them
demographic: outdoorsy guys, 30-45, in harsh ride and totally didn’t get it. Instead, in detail. All Raptors come with a 5.5 ft bed,
shape, maybe hunters, probably fisherman, commuting to work was a quiet and com- and either a SuperCab (extended cab) or Su-
certainly gun enthusiasts. And UFC fans too, fortable affair. I’d read so much about the perCrew (four real doors) configuration. As
come to think of it. Strong sales validate Raptor’s off road chops — which I didn’t always, Phil Hornbeak at BCMS headquar-
Ford’s decision to create this brawny spin- test, by the way — that the single biggest ters stands ready to help you find a Raptor
off of the uber-popular F-150. surprise for me when I drove this truck was or whatever other vehicle is right for you.
how comfortable the ride was. There’s more
In case you're curious, no the Raptor road noise than you hear in a standard F- The 2017 Ford Raptor is an automotive
doesn't work for me. I could happily own a 150, sure, but otherwise the on-road driving extrovert that’s a monster off road. You can
standard F-150 — a tastefully designed experience is similar. tell all that by looking at it, of course, but
pickup if there ever was one — but I’d the Raptor is also surprisingly civilized on
never buy a Raptor. It’s just too OTT. All Raptors now come with 4WD and a road despite all that off-road ability. So I
450HP 3.5L turbocharged V6 EcoBoost en- guess that makes it a good all-arounder, as-
For the record, a partial list of how the gine coupled with a yes-you-read-that-right suming you’re looking for a pickup with a
Raptor differs from a standard F-150 visually 10-speed automatic transmission. While it’s design that’s about as subtle as a Who Farted
is: big black grille with a gigantic FORD in- natural to worry about the V6 when you re- tank top.
signia, black fender flares over all four wheels, member that Raptors used to come with
prominent underbody skid plates, charcoal “honkin” 6.2L V8s, the new engine actually If you’re in the market for this kind of
17-inch wheels, and huge knobby tires. makes 39 more HP and 76 lb-ft of torque vehicle, call Phil Hornbeak at 210-301-
more than the previous motor. Fuel econ- 4367.
To their credit, Ford made sure the Rap- omy has climbed from an embarrassing
tor is much more than an F-150 with body 12MPG city/16MPG highway to a Steve Schutz, MD, is a board-
cladding. Thanks to a raised and bolstered umm...ok still pretty embarrassing certified gastroenterologist who
heavy-duty suspension and higher profile 15MPG/18MPG. (For the record, an F-150 lived in San Antonio in the
tires, the Raptor sits three inches higher than with 4WD and a similar but less potent 3.5L 1990s when he was stationed here
its standard F-150 brethren. In order to en- EcoBoost V6 manages 17MPG in the U.S. Air Force. He has been writing auto
sure maximal off-road mastery, that heavy- city/23MPG highway.) reviews for San Antonio Medicine since 1995.
duty suspension features beefy (3” wide)
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