F-150 Raptor

Make
Ford
Segment
Sports Car

The EPA's fuel consumption estimates for the Ford F-150 Raptor R have been revealed via its Monroney sticker sourced by TFL Truck, and to no one's surprise, it is a thirsty big fellow with a result of 10/15/12 mpg on the EPA's city/highway/combined cycles. With its 36-gallon tank, expect a range of 432 miles on a single tank with mixed driving. We'd have to admit that this may be a fair price to pay for that muscular Predator supercharged 5.2-liter V8 located under the hood, which gives the truck a power output of 700 horsepower with 640 lb-ft of torque.

How do these mpg estimates stack up against its biggest rival, the Ram TRX? It is in the same region, but the Ford has marginally lower figures, as the Hellcat-powered truck delivers an estimate of 10/14/12 mpg. Granted, it is heavier and has a larger engine, so this is to be expected. Either way, both are bound to require large budgets for refueling, particularly if you frequent city driving environments.

At least this is one area where the Raptor R covers some ground over the TRX since it reportedly loses the 0-60-mph sprint and has marginally less power. Ford doesn't seem too concerned about this figure, though, as it is confident its new performance truck will satisfy owners where it matters - off-road.

Another interesting point of comparison is how the Raptor R, with its detuned Predator unit, stacks up against its high-performance sibling, the Mustang Shelby GT500. The flagship muscle car uses a more powerful variation of the supercharged V8 and boasts a considerably lower curb mass figure, but its estimates come in at 12/18/14 mpg. The Raptor R's figures don't look too bad now, do they?

With the state of gas prices right now, we do ponder whether those looking for a quick pickup may just want to consider the F-150 Lightning. It lacks the grunt and aggression of the supercharged V8, but a 0-60-mph of 4.0 seconds should still get the blood rushing without giving you a headache at the pumps.

Ford is against doing an electric Raptor, so it is unfortunate that we may never get the best of both worlds. As it remains, both the Raptor R and Lightning are fast trucks that appeal to very different consumers. The former's estimated gas consumption may get some fans to second-guess whether the thrilling fire-breathing experience is worth it in the long run, but we doubt something as banal as mpg figures will noticeably affect how popular this epic truck will be.