Whaler27
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- Alex
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2020
- Threads
- 48
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- 1,902
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- Location
- Oregon
- Vehicle(s)
- 2019 JL, 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee Altitude Ecodiesel, 2005 Mustang GT, 2018 Ford Raptor, 2018 BMW R1200GSA, 2020 Honda Monkeybikes (2), 1972 Honda CT-70, 1980 Honda CT-70,
- Occupation
- Saving the world :-)
- Thread starter
- #1
Many of the folks responding to the thread on the new 392 have mentioned the Ford Raptor as a potential purchase alternative. I'm guessing the new Ford Bronco will be a closer match.
The Wrangler and the Raptor are completely different classes of vehicle, with virtually nothing in common other than four-wheel-drive and tire brand.
The Raptor is a terrible trail rig. It has mediocre ground clearance that's expensive to significantly and properly improve, and it's as wide as an aircraft carrier, with formed fenders that extend well beyond the truck lines. Okay, it's not that wide -- but it is more than a foot wider than a Wrangler. That makes a huge difference on the trail. If you live in an area where the government is shrinking parking places to force everybody into Priuses, that extra foot also makes the difference between fitting and not fitting in parking places. (I occasionally visit the People's Republik of Eugene, Oregon. In that town, with the exception of the building supply stores which appear to have been given a special exemption, centering the Raptor in a parking spot will put the fenders on both sides of the vehicle over the edge of the painted lines.)
I'm a Raptor fan, but it has plenty of limitations. It's doesn't make sense to modify for trail use, and it can't tow or haul like a regular pickup truck. it is designed for hauling @ss in open spaces, and it's great at that. It's a decent hunting rig too, though putting an elk in the back will change its handling more dramatically than a regular pickup. It's also amazingly comfortable at speed, and the seats are, bar none, the most comfortable seats I have ever sat on. The stereo, ergonomics, and other creature comforts are wonderful too. My wife and I are both old, and we both have bad backs, but we can blast across the country in the Raptor for ten or twelve hour days, while six hours in the Wrangler will leave us both stiff and sore.
I wouldn't discourage anybody from considering a Raptor, but it's not an off-road replacement for a Wrangler.
The Wrangler and the Raptor are completely different classes of vehicle, with virtually nothing in common other than four-wheel-drive and tire brand.
The Raptor is a terrible trail rig. It has mediocre ground clearance that's expensive to significantly and properly improve, and it's as wide as an aircraft carrier, with formed fenders that extend well beyond the truck lines. Okay, it's not that wide -- but it is more than a foot wider than a Wrangler. That makes a huge difference on the trail. If you live in an area where the government is shrinking parking places to force everybody into Priuses, that extra foot also makes the difference between fitting and not fitting in parking places. (I occasionally visit the People's Republik of Eugene, Oregon. In that town, with the exception of the building supply stores which appear to have been given a special exemption, centering the Raptor in a parking spot will put the fenders on both sides of the vehicle over the edge of the painted lines.)
I'm a Raptor fan, but it has plenty of limitations. It's doesn't make sense to modify for trail use, and it can't tow or haul like a regular pickup truck. it is designed for hauling @ss in open spaces, and it's great at that. It's a decent hunting rig too, though putting an elk in the back will change its handling more dramatically than a regular pickup. It's also amazingly comfortable at speed, and the seats are, bar none, the most comfortable seats I have ever sat on. The stereo, ergonomics, and other creature comforts are wonderful too. My wife and I are both old, and we both have bad backs, but we can blast across the country in the Raptor for ten or twelve hour days, while six hours in the Wrangler will leave us both stiff and sore.
I wouldn't discourage anybody from considering a Raptor, but it's not an off-road replacement for a Wrangler.
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