2021 Ford F-150

No, no—relax. There is no V-8 under the hood of the 2021 F-150 Raptor. At least, not yet—Ford says the eight-cylinder Raptor R super truck is rumbling its way toward the horizon break and should arrive sometime next year. For now, the standard Raptor is the top-of-the-line off-road baddie from the F-150 family.

Conner Golden

PROS Plenty of power from carryover powertrain • Excellent off-road capability • Nicer cabin and tech

CONS Difficult to distinguish from prior truck • Gets quite pricey with options • Feels like a stopgap

The Raptor was also the only F-150 Ford sent even though we invited the entire lineup—including the PowerBoost hybrid—as the refreshed trucks weren't available in time for last year’s competition.

Most of it is badass business as usual with the familiar 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6 making its return for the third-gen truck, meaning you get the same stout 450 hp and same custard-thick 510 lb-ft routed through the same 10-speed automatic. Our test truck’s optional 37-inch tires only slowed this powertrain slightly: The Raptor cracked off 0–60 in 5.6 seconds, up from the previous model’s 5.2 seconds, but that was a lighter SuperCab variant.

VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, 4WD, 5-pass, 4-door truck ENGINE, TRANSMISSION 3.5L twin-turbo port- and direct-injected 24-valve 60-degree V-6, 10-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 5,969 lb (56/44%) WHEELBASE 145.4 in LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT 232.6 x 86.6 x 80.7 in EPA City/Hwy/Comb 15/16/15 mpg