The weight that the name Ford Raptor carries may mistakenly lead some to believe it's the best factory tuned pickup truck for those that want to go the fastest when the pavement ends. But as we learned during a recent drag race between the Raptor and the top-trim Chevrolet Silverado 1500, that may not be the case. This time around, the Fast Lane Truck hits the trails of Moab, Utah, with a Ford Raptor, Toyota Tacoma TRD, and a Ram Power Wagon.

All three trucks are heavy duty off roaders straight from the factory, so your traditional tug of war and towing competitions are not the adequate tests for these vehicles. Instead it's all about ride height, approach and departure angles, and hill descent control, which all three vehicles have in some form or another.

Out of the three, the Tacoma is the smallest truck and unfortunately, it fares the worst because of this, scratching its mud flaps and rear end on rocks while despite being the easiest truck to pick an off-roading line with. On the other hand, the Raptor ends up with problems of its own, scraping its rear tailpipes on a steep decline, leaving the Ram Power Wagon to pass through the trail relatively unscathed compared to the other two trucks. However things may change during the high speed off road competition, the type of race that the Raptor is built for. The Raptor may still have our hearts, but at least this competition allows us to see past the Ford's facade as the perfect off-road truck.

Check comparison 3/4 ton truck.