Thursday, October 12, 2017

Ford's F-150 Raptor pickup is the picture of menace

A menu of Mark Glover’s AutoGlo reviews of the latest motor vehicle models also can be seen on The Sacramento Bee’s website at www.sacbee.com/news/business/article4005306.html

This review first appeared in the September 2017 edition of the Northern & Central California Cruisin’ News published out of Folsom, California – mg

Sacramento, California I’ve driven plenty of pickup trucks over the years, but nothing like the Ford F-150 Raptor, the picture of menace, power and intimidation.

This isn’t so much a truck as it is a statement.  And that statement is: I’m the baddest thing on the road, so get out of my way when you see me coming.

My tester was the sizable 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor 4X4 SuperCrew edition (pictured, photo by Charles Glover), with roomy seating in the back of the cabin and a 145-inch wheelbase.

Where to start?  Well, it looks like a rolling battering ram at first glance, riding on 17-inch forged aluminum wheels and an enormous grille that looks like it could squash a Hummer.  The saucy “Raptor” graphics on either side of the truck simply enhance the powerful look.

Starting the 3.5-liter, turbocharged V-6 engine produces a roar that brings the neighbors to their front windows to see who brought a top-tier NASCAR stock car into the neighborhood.

On the fly, you feel every bit of the 450 horsepower and 510 foot-pounds of torque at your command.  In fact, it’s a little frightening to feel how quickly the Raptor can get up to 70 miles per hour from a virtual standstill.  Fortunately, the four-wheel disc brakes are powerful enough to bring the beast under control quickly.

No one gets in the way of the Raptor.  You sense that right away.  I can’t tell you how many times I saw fellow commuters consider a quick lane change across my bow, only to duck back into their lanes when they sized up what was coming in their mirrors.

For all this muscle, I actually felt secure and comfortable in the big brute fairly quickly.  Kudos to Ford engineers who mastered the chassis/suspension package in such a way as to make the Raptor drive “lighter” than it actually is.  My sense of security also was bolstered by the vehicle’s five-star federal government safety ratings, including a perfect five stars in the overall vehicle score.

Inside the tester, exceptional comfort and four-star luxury could be found.

My ride included a twin-panel moonroof, inflatable rear safety belts, a trailer backup-assist system, steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters and a 360-degree camera.

Naturally, there’s a price to pay for all this: $69,995 on the sticker’s bottom line on my tester.  Yes, I agree.  WOW!  And yet, given all that it has, the Raptor’s price is pretty fair.

Here are some other numbers worth pondering: only 15 miles per gallon in the city and 18 mpg on the highway.  Consider that the Raptor is equipped with a 36-gallon fuel tank and … well, I’ll let you do the math on fuel stops.

OK, so you get the idea that this is not necessarily the truck you want to get scratched up at a work site or doing the heavy lifting on a farm or ranch.  If you want that truck, look elsewhere.

The Raptor is the kind of truck that bespeaks performance and a two-fisted attitude.  Argue with me if you like, but I’m telling you to take that to the bank.   And if you doubt the look-at-me appeal of this Raptor, just park it for a few minutes in a crowded lot.  In my week with the pickup, that was an invitation for a free show.

Numerous folks came up to me, asking: “Is that the Raptor?” or “How fast does it go? Or even: “Can you take me for a short ride, just around the block?”

If you crave that kind of attention, the Raptor won’t disappoint you.  Did I have a fun week in this menacing machine?  Really, what do you think?

 

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