F-150 Tremor vs Ranger Raptor

[blksn8k2]

I mentioned several days ago in another topic that I was still on the fence about the Ranger Raptor. I did talk to the local dealer about placing an order but the salesman didn't seem too hopeful about getting one. I've also had second thoughts due to it requiring premium fuel and the fact that the only gas station in my hometown only sells 87 octane and the nearest station selling premium is 15 miles away and their 93 is currently averaging 30 cents/gal higher than the 87 in town. Add to that the relatively small 18 gallon fuel tank and that all becomes a bit of an issue.

 

So, while I was at the dealer I test drove a '23 F-150 Tremor which was a dealer demo with a little under 1400 miles. It was equipped with the same drivetrain as my current '18 F-150 4x4 S-crew XLT Special Edition. Both have the 5.0L, 10-speed auto and 3.73:1 axle ratio with electronic locking rear axle. The Tremor was also an extremely nice truck and, just like my '18, it can burn anything from 87 to E85. I thought their pricing was a little out of whack though since they were asking more for that used truck than the MSRP shown on its original window sticker which I asked for and received a copy of. 

 

They also told me again that I could order any new vehicle including a Ranger Raptor or F-150 Tremor and pay MSRP with no markups. So, based on that, I could actually order a new F-150 Tremor with the options I really want and still pay less than they are asking for that used truck.

 

It also shouldn't be long before the '24 F-150 specs are available so there's that as well. Then there is also the intriguing possibility of a Ranger Tremor at some point. As far as the potential wait for any ordered vehicle is concerned, I have no issue whatsoever with driving my '18 for as long as it takes. It still has less than 38k miles on the clock.

 

Even a base F-150 Tremor is a few thousand $ more than a base Ranger Raptor but you are getting a much more capable TRUCK (especially payload and tow ratings) and with the V8 it should have similar performance and fuel mileage to the RR considering their similar power ratings and the fact that the F-150 could actually be lighter than a similarly equipped RR. The F-150 S-crew Tremor with the base V8 is listed as 4912 lbs curb weight while the Ranger Raptor is 5325 lbs. Granted the base RR is better equipped than a base F-150 Tremor so once you add a few heavy options like a moonroof (which isn't even available on any Ranger) that weight difference would likely evaporate but still, aluminum does matter.

 

I still believe the RR would be the better off-roader of the two but I also know that I would never test the limits of either one. I don't live anywhere near sand dunes or rock crawling trails. Even if I did my old Bronco would be better suited for that sort of abuse anyway. That's not to say that I never drive my '18 F-150 off-road. I do, especially during hunting seasons.

[akirby]

The 3.0L ecoboost does not require premium.  Runs fine on 87.

[tbone]

My cousin has a Tremor and he loves it.  I’ve been in it a few times and the suspension was an upgrade over the standard F150, based on my experiences in the vehicle.   Plus you get a few parts that are shared with the Raptor, which makes it more unique.  The power will be consistent with a standard F150 though, so no upgrade there.  
 

I think it boils down to whether you can handle the vehicle size difference, and if you have any intention of towing more that the RR can handle.  I can tell you that the F150 Raptor’s handling, suspension, and power level are a substantial upgrade over a standard F150, including the Tremor.  Even though I have not driven an RR, I would expect the experience to be similar to the F150 Raptor in that respect.  
 

if I could except the size difference, I personally would go with the RR.  

[blksn8k2]

 

23 hours ago, akirby said:

The 3.0L ecoboost does not require premium.  Runs fine on 87.

 

That's interesting. Just out of curiosity, I did a search and found this Ranger Raptor spec sheet. The recommended fuel is 91 octane but it doesn't say anything about the use of 87 or what the minimum octane is. 

https://media.ford.com/content/dam/fordmedia/North America/US/product/2024/ranger/All-New 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor Technical Specifications.pdf

 

What really caught my attention though was that it also states that it uses both port and direct injection. The Ford specs for the Bronco Raptor show DI only for the same engine. Seems odd that they would not be the same but they also don't have the same output numbers with the Ranger version being rated the lower of the two. With the dual injection system you would expect just the opposite or at least that was the result when they switched to dual injection on the 3.5L EB in 2017 from DI only in 2016.

 

I've seen errors before on the media.ford site so there is that as well. I just wish I had seen this before looking at the RR and talking to Carl Widmann at Carlisle...

 

BTW, the forums on broncoraptor.com seem to agree with you. 

https://www.broncoraptor.com/threads/curious-to-know….598/

 

This might all be a moot point anyway since I'm leaning more towards the F-150 Tremor anyway. Just a way more useful truck with little or no disadvantage in efficiency. A little harder to park perhaps but I've gotten used to that and since I retired I no longer live in an urban area where parking is an everyday issue anyway. I also have a larger garage now and a full-size truck fits just fine. I'm also spoiled by things like the moonroof, 36 gal fuel tank and tailgate step that are not available on the RR. I can also swap some of the accessories from my '18 like the Ford tonneau cover. And with the aluminum body there is far less risk of it becoming a pile of rust in less than ten years.

[akirby]

6 hours ago, blksn8k2 said:

 

 

That's interesting. Just out of curiosity, I did a search and found this Ranger Raptor spec sheet. The recommended fuel is 91 octane but it doesn't say anything about the use of 87 or what the minimum octane is. 

https://media.ford.com/content/dam/fordmedia/North America/US/product/2024/ranger/All-New 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor Technical Specifications.pdf

 

What really caught my attention though was that it also states that it uses both port and direct injection. The Ford specs for the Bronco Raptor show DI only for the same engine. Seems odd that they would not be the same but they also don't have the same output numbers with the Ranger version being rated the lower of the two. With the dual injection system you would expect just the opposite or at least that was the result when they switched to dual injection on the 3.5L EB in 2017 from DI only in 2016.

 

I've seen errors before on the media.ford site so there is that as well. I just wish I had seen this before looking at the RR and talking to Carl Widmann at Carlisle...

 

BTW, the forums on broncoraptor.com seem to agree with you. 

https://www.broncoraptor.com/threads/curious-to-know….598/

 

This might all be a moot point anyway since I'm leaning more towards the F-150 Tremor anyway. Just a way more useful truck with little or no disadvantage in efficiency. A little harder to park perhaps but I've gotten used to that and since I retired I no longer live in an urban area where parking is an everyday issue anyway. I also have a larger garage now and a full-size truck fits just fine. I'm also spoiled by things like the moonroof, 36 gal fuel tank and tailgate step that are not available on the RR. I can also swap some of the accessories from my '18 like the Ford tonneau cover. And with the aluminum body there is far less risk of it becoming a pile of rust in less than ten years.

 

All ecoboosts (with the possible exception of the Ford GT) run fine on 87.  I checked the Bronco Raptor owner’s manual to be sure.  What probably confused you is that you must use premium to get the advertised power levels.

 

The reason for the drop in power is that Ranger has a longer slightly different exhaust system.

[tbone]

I regular use 87 in my Raptor and have never been disappointed with the power level using that octane so it’s a bonus when I use a higher octane.  
 

The moonroof and tailgate step are two major options that carry a lot of weight with me, so I can understand going with the Tremor for that reason. 

[blksn8k2]

I also have an 18 ft box trailer and my '18 F-150 pulls that with no issues whatsoever. The RR is not rated to tow anything of that size. And, as we've already discussed, there are desirable options on the Tremor that are not even available on the RR. As far as suspension, like I said, I'll never find the limits of either truck no matter which one I choose. The FX4 suspension on my current truck works pretty well as is and the Tremor should be an upgrade over that.

 

I'm obviously still leaning towards the F-150 Tremor. I would definitely go with the 402A package and mainly because, among other things, that gets you the 4A transfer case setting.

 

I would also go with the 3.73:1 axle ratio, moonroof, tailgate step, towing package and 36 gal fuel tank. I might also consider the B&O sound system.

 

I realize that with all the options I am considering the price of a Tremor would not be all that far from a "standard" F-150 Raptor. But you can't get the 5.0L in the Raptor. Yeah, yeah, I get it, it's not as powerful as the Raptor's 3.5 but it's still no slouch and it sounds the way I want a truck to sound. Period. Not saying I would do this but Ford Performance just announced a 700 hp Whipple supercharger kit for the F-150 with the gen IV Coyote and it comes with a 3/36 warranty. Ain't cheap but what is these days?

 

Oh, and the salesman actually agreed that ordering a truck makes more sense than buying their dealer demo Tremor. Imagine that!

[fuzzymoomoo]

1 hour ago, blksn8k2 said:

Not saying I would do this but Ford Performance just announced a 700 hp Whipple supercharger kit for the F-150 with the gen IV Coyote and it comes with a 3/36 warranty. Ain't cheap but what is these days?

Roush also offers a supercharger for the coyote. My carpool buddy has a stage 2 on his 22 Mustang and he’s over 800 horsepower before he’s finished the exhaust and with the factory exhaust manifold. 

[tbone]

1 hour ago, blksn8k2 said:

The FX4 suspension on my current truck works pretty well as is and the Tremor should be an upgrade over that.

 

…that gets you the 4A transfer case setting.  

 

I might also consider the B&O sound system.

 

Yeah, yeah, I get it, it's not as powerful as the Raptor's 3.5 but it's still no slouch and it sounds the way I want a truck to sound. Period. Not saying I would do this but Ford Performance just announced a 700 hp Whipple supercharger kit for the F-150 with the gen IV Coyote and it comes with a 3/36 warranty. Ain't cheap but what is these days?

 

Oh, and the salesman actually agreed that ordering a truck makes more sense than buying their dealer demo Tremor. Imagine that!

It sounds like the Tremor is the right vehicle for you.  I will add the following:

 

Based on my experience, I believe you will see a noticeable improvement in suspension performance over your FX4.

 

Like you, I find the 4A setting is very valuable snow country and another option I would not want to go without.
 

The B&O sound system has been a major disappointment for me and my 2022. If you like bass, it is a downgrade from your 2018. I felt the system in my 2017 Raptor sounded much better.

 

The exhaust sound on my 2017 was probably the biggest disappointment about the truck, however, my 2022 is a major upgrade with respect to the exhaust sound. I certainly would’ve preferred to buy a Raptor R to get the V8 power and exhaust sound, but it was out of my price range.  However, I have not been disappointed at all with the 3.5HO’s exhaust sound, and my son concurs, lol.  
 

I tow a 7000 pound trailer with my Raptor. It does squat it some, but I usually don’t haul anything long distances so it doesn’t bother me.

 

No kidding about ordering the truck. Why would anyone want to spend more for a used vehicle.  These dealers are something else nowadays.  

[tbone]

40 minutes ago, fuzzymoomoo said:

Roush also offers a supercharger for the coyote. My carpool buddy has a stage 2 on his 22 Mustang and he’s over 800 horsepower before he’s finished the exhaust and with the factory exhaust manifold. 

I think these supercharger kits are fairly reasonable for what you are getting with big power and a warranty.  If I had suitable vehicle with a V8 I would strongly consider one. 

[fuzzymoomoo]

8 minutes ago, tbone said:

The B&O sound system has been a major disappointment for me and my 2022. If you like bass, it is a downgrade from your 2018.

That’s a very common complaint. I’ve seen audio engineers do analysis on the B&O systems and come to the same conclusion. 

[fuzzymoomoo]

1 minute ago, tbone said:

I think these supercharger kits are fairly reasonable for what you are getting with big power and a warranty.  If I had suitable vehicle with a V8 I would strongly consider one. 

I think he paid about $15k installed, which included all parts and labor. 

[tbone]

4 minutes ago, fuzzymoomoo said:

That’s a very common complaint. I’ve seen audio engineers do analysis on the B&O systems and come to the same conclusion. 

It appears the issue involves them moving the sub from under the back seat to the back wall which changed the sound dynamics. There are a few things you can do that won’t cost much money to help approve it, but it will cost money if you want to bring it back up the standards. It’s just disappointing that you buy a new model and something isn’t better or at least as good as the old model. 

[tbone]

11 minutes ago, fuzzymoomoo said:

I think he paid about $15k installed, which included all parts and labor. 

It looks like Ford has a package with the supercharger for  $12,350, which includes a bunch of visual things and lowering kit, but you can buy the supercharger only for $9500. What I’m unclear about is if those prices include installation or not.  I lean toward not, but I don’t know for sure. If they do, that’s a heck of a price for that warrantied power level. 

[fuzzymoomoo]

46 minutes ago, tbone said:

It looks like Ford has a package with the supercharger for  $12,350, which includes a bunch of visual things and lowering kit, but you can buy the supercharger only for $9500. What I’m unclear about is if those prices include installation or not.  I lean toward not, but I don’t know for sure. If they do, that’s a heck of a price for that warrantied power level. 

It was the reason why he got a GT PP1 over a Mach 1 or a pre-built Roush Mustang. The dealer that did the install on his car has a Roush Mustang sitting out front with a sticker price of $110k. He paid about $90k for his with the car, supercharger and suspension upgrades he installed, with an even better exhaust than what he put on and headers left to do. 

[blksn8k2]

22 hours ago, tbone said:

It looks like Ford has a package with the supercharger for  $12,350, which includes a bunch of visual things and lowering kit, but you can buy the supercharger only for $9500. What I’m unclear about is if those prices include installation or not.  I lean toward not, but I don’t know for sure. If they do, that’s a heck of a price for that warrantied power level. 

 Hopefully I won't get a double post but I thought I already posted this last night.

 

Anyway, Ford introduced that package basically during the Carlisle show a couple of weeks ago. Here is a video from Carlisle that explains the package pretty well and, no, installation is not included in that price. The guy doing the interview, Dorian (Boosted F-150) had been racing a combination he built several years ago that was real similar to the black reg cab in the video. His truck was 4WD. 

 

 

[blksn8k2]

After going through the F-150 Tremor Build & Price webpage I've come to the conclusion that Ford must have recently changed the packages and options. From what I can tell the major change is that they now have two Equipment Groups for the Tremor, Standard and High, instead of the previous numbered groups like 401A and 402A. Most of the reviews you see on youtube of 2023 Tremors still refer to the numbered system and that's what is shown on those older trucks' window stickers. That was confusing as hell when I first started looking at the B & P webpage.

 

I'm also thinking they may have eliminated what some of the reviewers were referring to as the "mid-level" 401A package group. However, since you can't create an actual window sticker in B & P it's impossible to know what would show up on one today.

 

My guess is that Ford is also trying to simplify the ordering process. For example, a lot of the reviewed trucks' had on their window stickers the option to remove the Auto Start-Stop feature. (BTW, why isn't that Auto Stop-Start? I mean it has to stop before it can start, right? LOL) Now I can't even find the option to remove it so I'm guessing Ford removed the feature altogether.

 

I'm also seeing that the 36 gal fuel tank seems to be standard now on the Tremor regardless of which Equipment Group you choose and that may have been the case before since there was no mention of fuel tank size on any of the older window stickers I have seen. What's a little confusing is that there is still an option to add the bigger tank but under that option it says "Included", regardless of which Equipment Group you choose. They should probably just list it as part of the groups instead of showing it as an option. I guess you could say that for a lot of other options as well. I suppose the real problem is that they use those same options on other F-150 models besides the Tremor in which case they could actually be an option. :shrug:

 

So, after all that, the major options I've picked so far are: High Equipment Group, Trailer Tow Package, Twin Panel Moonroof, Front Axle with Torsen Differential, and 2.0kW Pro-Power Onboard. As best I can tell, the 36 gal fuel tank, 4A transfer case setting and 3.73:1 axle ratio are now either standard on all Tremors or part of the High Equipment Group.

 

Haven't decided yet if I would want to spend another $995 to get the tailgate step since it's part of the Bed Utility Package. I already added the Boxlink handles on my '18 which I can re-use and I'm pretty sure I can find the tailgate step in a bone yard. I can do without all the fancy extra lighting and electric opening and closing tailgate that comes with that package.

 

I would also keep and re-use most of the accessories I added on my '18 including the tonneau cover, interior floor mats, bed mat, etc. 

[tbone]

On 6/13/2023 at 12:53 PM, fuzzymoomoo said:

It was the reason why he got a GT PP1 over a Mach 1 or a pre-built Roush Mustang. The dealer that did the install on his car has a Roush Mustang sitting out front with a sticker price of $110k. He paid about $90k for his with the car, supercharger and suspension upgrades he installed, with an even better exhaust than what he put on and headers left to do. 

You sure do have to pay to play though.  As pointed out earlier, nothing is cheap these days.  

[akirby]

1 hour ago, blksn8k2 said:

After going through the F-150 Tremor Build & Price webpage I've come to the conclusion that Ford must have recently changed the packages and options. From what I can tell the major change is that they now have two Equipment Groups for the Tremor, Standard and High, instead of the previous numbered groups like 401A and 402A. Most of the reviews you see on youtube of 2023 Tremors still refer to the numbered system and that's what is shown on those older trucks' window stickers. That was confusing as hell when I first started looking at the B & P webpage.

 

I'm also thinking they may have eliminated what some of the reviewers were referring to as the "mid-level" 401A package group. However, since you can't create an actual window sticker in B & P it's impossible to know what would show up on one today.

 

My guess is that Ford is also trying to simplify the ordering process. For example, a lot of the reviewed trucks' had on their window stickers the option to remove the Auto Start-Stop feature. (BTW, why isn't that Auto Stop-Start? I mean it has to stop before it can start, right? LOL) Now I can't even find the option to remove it so I'm guessing Ford removed the feature altogether.

 

I'm also seeing that the 36 gal fuel tank seems to be standard now on the Tremor regardless of which Equipment Group you choose and that may have been the case before since there was no mention of fuel tank size on any of the older window stickers I have seen. What's a little confusing is that there is still an option to add the bigger tank but under that option it says "Included", regardless of which Equipment Group you choose. They should probably just list it as part of the groups instead of showing it as an option. I guess you could say that for a lot of other options as well. I suppose the real problem is that they use those same options on other F-150 models besides the Tremor in which case they could actually be an option. :shrug:

 

So, after all that, the major options I've picked so far are: High Equipment Group, Trailer Tow Package, Twin Panel Moonroof, Front Axle with Torsen Differential, and 2.0kW Pro-Power Onboard. As best I can tell, the 36 gal fuel tank, 4A transfer case setting and 3.73:1 axle ratio are now either standard on all Tremors or part of the High Equipment Group.

 

Haven't decided yet if I would want to spend another $995 to get the tailgate step since it's part of the Bed Utility Package. I already added the Boxlink handles on my '18 which I can re-use and I'm pretty sure I can find the tailgate step in a bone yard. I can do without all the fancy extra lighting and electric opening and closing tailgate that comes with that package.

 

I would also keep and re-use most of the accessories I added on my '18 including the tonneau cover, interior floor mats, bed mat, etc. 

 

 

This would have answered all your questions on options and trim pkgs.

 

 

[blksn8k2]

This is interesting....

 

 

[tbone]

10 hours ago, blksn8k2 said:

This is interesting....

 

 

It is interesting.  I tried to see what the price was like on their website but they didn’t have any.  The only things I don’t like are things that mimic a Raptor.  I think it is best for the truck to have its own identity and not a Raptor wannabe.  I would lose the stickers for sure, but it does look good otherwise.  

[fuzzymoomoo]

3 hours ago, tbone said:

 I would lose the stickers for sure, but it does look good otherwise.

I don’t mind the Tremor sticker on Ranger. It’s not obnoxious like the F-150 one.

[tbone]

6 hours ago, fuzzymoomoo said:

I don’t mind the Tremor sticker on Ranger. It’s not obnoxious like the F-150 one.

I don’t mind the small Tremor sticker in the bed corner or something like that but I definitely don’t like the large garish stickers like this.  Every Raptor I have had has been sans bedside stickers.  My thought is if you are an enthusiast you know what it is, but if you need a huge sticker to tell you, you probably don’t care what it is.  

[blksn8k2]

6 hours ago, fuzzymoomoo said:

I don’t mind the Tremor sticker on Ranger. It’s not obnoxious like the F-150 one.

 

The sticker on the truck in the video is way larger than the factory F-150 Tremor decal. I assume they did that to emphasize that this is their special package and not a normal Tremor. 

 

9 hours ago, tbone said:

It is interesting.  I tried to see what the price was like on their website but they didn’t have any.  The only things I don’t like are things that mimic a Raptor.  I think it is best for the truck to have its own identity and not a Raptor wannabe.  I would lose the stickers for sure, but it does look good otherwise.  

 

I agree to a point. For someone like myself who doesn't need the extreme off-road suspension of the Raptor but does want the towing and payload capability of the Tremor along with power similar to a Raptor R this might be a really cool alternative at a price that is quite a lit lower than that of a Raptor R. They do currently have a white Tremor R listed for $89,950. 

https://www.long-mcarthur.com/searchnew.aspx?q=tremor

 

Edit: I also agree on the gargantuan stickers. I have a heat gun.

 

Edited June 16, 2023 by blksn8k2

[tbone]

58 minutes ago, blksn8k2 said:

 

I agree to a point. For someone like myself who doesn't need the extreme off-road suspension of the Raptor but does want the towing and payload capability of the Tremor along with power similar to a Raptor R this might be a really cool alternative at a price that is quite a lit lower than that of a Raptor R. They do currently have a white Tremor R listed for $89,950. 

https://www.long-mcarthur.com/searchnew.aspx?q=tremor

 

Apparently I’m blind and missed that one on their website.  I don’t disagree with you that it is a nice turnkey package, but I can be a cheap ass and like to maximize my dollars, and I think this truck could be done a lot cheaper if you chose to do so with the base Tremor.  
 

The one downside is they use the base Tremor, which doesn’t have the 4A setting for 4x4, based on Ford’s build and price.  In order to get that you have to add the High Package which is $7500 and if you add the trailer tow, sunroof, and tailgate step, your sticker will be $73,665, instead of $62955 they started with.  
 

I would also like more details on their Rough Country lift.  There could be a fair amount of money involved in that pending on the lift type. Whether it has coilovers or if it’s a basic leveling kit, would need to be known to understand the value.  
 

I could get the high package truck for invoice at my dealer have them install the Ford Performance  or Roush supercharger, and then get the 37” wheels and tires, a lift kit, and the flares and hood scoop, for very close to that price.  There is a lot of interior fluff in that package I could do without. The suspension system is where you could go crazy and either spend a lot of money or go basic.  
 

I’m curious if you could get a Ford factory extended warranty on the motor since it is a Ford installed product.  That would be sweet but I’m guessing it isn’t available on Ford Performance aftermarket items beyond the 3/36.