Ford RAPTOR vs Diesel????

winter4ever · Mar 7, 2014

Yeah, I dont think its really a fair question, to compare a raptor to a diesel for only the purpose of pulling. I drive a half ton and love the truck, but I would never compare it to a diesel for the sole purpose of pulling. The diesel is made to haul and pull trailers, the raptor is not. If it is going to be a strait up comparison of a Raptor vs ANY diesel for pulling trailers the diesel will win every time, thats what they are for.
Thats not to say the raptors and other half tons dont have their place. Maybe a better question is just, how does the raptor pull a trailer? I have wondered as well how the 6.2 does pulling.

Jimmy · Mar 13, 2014

AndrettiDog said:
A good buddy of mine had a Raptor. It does have a cool fun factor but he eventually got rid of it. He said it was built up for desert racing but that made it a very unpractical truck. It rode very stiff and while it pulled ok, it just wasn't designed for that. Good motor, nice features but terrible ride. If you want a Ford I'd go EcoBoost for a 1/2 ton and the diesel if you want real towing power.

Rode very stiff? The Raptor is the plushest riding truck out there. It makes chevy, dodge and standard F-150's feel like lumber trucks over small bumps. They are not a stiff lifted truck, but and engineered piece of equipment and I would have to say from your post it's obvious you have never spent time in one.

byeatts · Mar 13, 2014

drdiesl said:
Just keep ur diesel you will regret getting rid of it for a rapter. Yes the rapter may be more fun to drive but the power and torque is what you will really miss especially pulling a trailer.

Funny. My buddy has both trucks and leaves the raptor at home. I think he regretes the purchase..

KTMDirtFace · Mar 17, 2014

I traded my 2006 F250 Diesel in for a 2010 ford raptor pretty much the day the 6.2 version came out. My diesel was a big pile of junk 6.0 leaker. spent more time in the shop than anything.

I LOVE my raptor, but I only pull a 6x12 enclosed. I wouldn't want to pull much more its suspension is like a dirt bike I think the tongue weight allowed is only like 400-500 pounds. I have seen people do a bunch of stupid stuff like airbags and weird things to pull larger trailers and it just seems like they are using the wrong tool for the job then.

I'm sure the 6.2 can pull larger just fine but the suspension is too plush for any load.

fitler · Sep 30, 2014

Older thread but I thought I would add my 2 cents.
I have owned and towed a 17 ft enclosed alum triton for two seasons with my 2010 raptor. I have intake exhaust and programmer and it has plenty of power for towing the smaller trailer but is not quite the same as my friends diesel trucks. At the elevations it loses significant power but it is still ample and gets about 11 mpg towing up and down passes. The main problems I have with is,

1. Tow/haul mode is great for up hill pulls but if you leave it on during the down hill it will automatically down shift on its own. This creates a jerking through the drivetrain and can cause a break in traction that can be very dangerous. This might be the same on all f150s.

2. The traction control is good and bad. While it did save my *** one time there was some very very slick ice, it will cut power if there is any slippage of tires . This seems good but if you end up in deep snow that you need to power through you loss all momentum.

Still I love the truck. There are just some things you need to watch out for.

volcano buster · Sep 30, 2014

My '12 Lariat is likely set up the same with the tow/haul mode. So far I like it.

The traction control can be deactivated by a switch on the dash. Makes for better burn outs.

rhalloran · Oct 20, 2014

turboless terry said:
I would rather have a diesel but with your figures it would be a wash on both pocket books with the 82 cent price difference we have here. That makes up the 3 MPG difference.

Not really.

1000 miles @ 7mpg = 142.8 gallons.
1000 miles @ 10.5mpg = 95.23 gallons.

142.8 gallons @ $3/gal = $428.40
142.8 gallons at $3.50/gal = $499.80

95.23 gallons @ $3.82/gal = $363.78
95.23 gallons @ $4.32/gal = $411.39

So, two things - one, .82c/gal difference? Nowhere near that between Super and diesel in Colorado.

Two, I'm SURE the Raptor takes midgrade at LEAST - I'd be surprised if it did not demand super unleaded/91 octane at a minimum.

Looks to me like it'd be $50-100 cheaper per thousand miles in the diesel on FUEL - that does not count 3 gallon oil changes, but longer intervals, blah blah blah.

.02c - they're REALLY different trucks, I can see wanting either one, but 3mpg adds up FAST, especially when comparing 7 to 10 mpg.

KTMDirtFace · Oct 20, 2014

Raptor takes plain old regular fuel. Its tuned and designed for regular fuel. Still puts out 400 something horse.

Never ran anything but regular in mine for the last 4 years.

rhalloran · Oct 21, 2014

KTMDirtFace said:
Raptor takes plain old regular fuel. Its tuned and designed for regular fuel. Still puts out 400 something horse.

Never ran anything but regular in mine for the last 4 years.

That's amazing - big specific output on lower octane. Surprising.

Filled my diesel (Cummins) this morning - the delta between regular unleaded (85 octane here) and diesel is .34c. Diesel was .8c/gal more than super.

I don't know which one is better - Raptors are freaking rad - but fuel cost/economy, the diesel wins.

Factor in the diesel premium to GET a diesel, ridiculous oil change costs, etc etc etc, dunno.

KTMDirtFace · Oct 22, 2014

If you dont have to haul or tow anything the raptor is fun.. Its my only rig and daily driver.

I miss my diesel at times though when I want to pull something bigger than my little 6x12. Raptor is totally the wrong truck for pulling or hauling.

Chubbydog · Oct 22, 2014

rhalloran said:
Not really.

1000 miles @ 7mpg = 142.8 gallons.
1000 miles @ 10.5mpg = 95.23 gallons.

142.8 gallons @ $3/gal = $428.40
142.8 gallons at $3.50/gal = $499.80

95.23 gallons @ $3.82/gal = $363.78
95.23 gallons @ $4.32/gal = $411.39

So, two things - one, .82c/gal difference? Nowhere near that between Super and diesel in Colorado.

Two, I'm SURE the Raptor takes midgrade at LEAST - I'd be surprised if it did not demand super unleaded/91 octane at a minimum.

Looks to me like it'd be $50-100 cheaper per thousand miles in the diesel on FUEL - that does not count 3 gallon oil changes, but longer intervals, blah blah blah.

.02c - they're REALLY different trucks, I can see wanting either one, but 3mpg adds up FAST, especially when comparing 7 to 10 mpg.

Those are almost the exact #'s I was getting in my Duramax, and now with my gas truck. I can honestly see if you pull everyday, it only makes sense to own a diesel. My problem is I only pull a snowmobile trailer 4 or 5 times a year since we all take turns driving, and the other 360 days a year, I'm using it as my daily driver. Gas around here is abour .40-.50 cents a gallon cheaper than fuel. In my diesel, I got 14.5-15 mpg empty around town. In my gas truck, I get 15.5-16.5 mpg.

For me, driving something that gets the same mileage empty, but paying that much less per gallon is a no brainer. Not to mention that you get a much better ride, easier to park, & you don't have to let it warm up so much in the winter.
Of course I miss the power, and the acceleration of the Duramax, but I don't miss the repair bills.

KTMDirtFace · Oct 22, 2014

My Raptor gets about 10MPG tops in town driving empty.

15-18 on the highway ( under 65...start hiting 80mph freeway speeds and its 13mpg )

Jaynelson · Oct 22, 2014

In my experience - when it comes to diesels many of them are equipped with a special MPG mode called "lying," so it can be hard to directly compare.

Mafesto · Oct 22, 2014

Jaynelson said:
In my experience - when it comes to diesels many of them are equipped with a special MPG mode called "lying," so it can be hard to directly compare.

What are you talking aboot?
I had a powerstroke & if you had a decent tailwind you actually had to stop every so often & drain out a little fuel to keep it from over flowing.

warreng417 · Oct 23, 2014

I think the new diesels actually produce fuel as they drive, they are also faster than motorcycles

10003514 · Oct 23, 2014

Raptors are cool trucks but few important things holding them back. Payload is terrible and box is to small for anything unless you leave the tailgate down. So leaves you short on the truck part. I'm running a 2012 cummins, deleted, and Carli 3 inch suspension been a great truck. I'd keep your 2012 and put a Carli kit under it and have a better truck then a Raptor.

Bocephus · Oct 26, 2014

delete you cummins and put an H&S tuner on it. it will give you that "new pickup" feel and it will be a blast to drive. i love mine. i was ready to trade my stock 2012 cummins off for a ford until i rode in a deleted cummins. it literally made it a whole new pickup. i see a CONSISTANT, HAND CALCULATED 2 mpg better towing my camper and snowmobile trailer and 3 mpg empty at 65mph. i wont even throw a mpg number out there because it seems like everyone varies so much.....but my gains are consistent.

get a custom engine/transmission tune for the H&S tuner, and wow, completely different pickup again. i have anarchy diesel tuning my engine/tranny. i love the tranny tuning. the torque converter locks in 2nd gear ALL the time, 3rd gear ALL the time, and 4-6 are similar to stock. the converter lockup in 2nd and 3rd really puts the power to the ground. its also a bonus getting easily locked up in those gears because the exhaust brake holds all the time then too. its a breeze coming down the mountain. and its obviously nice going up the mountain too because the converter will lock in 2 and 3.

Vern · Oct 26, 2014

Since I chipped my dmax I get a steady 22-24 mpg in town, the DIC in my dash told me so.

Butta · Oct 26, 2014

rhalloran said:
That's amazing - big specific output on lower octane. Surprising.

Filled my diesel (Cummins) this morning - the delta between regular unleaded (85 octane here) and diesel is .34c. Diesel was .8c/gal more than super.

I don't know which one is better - Raptors are freaking rad - but fuel cost/economy, the diesel wins.

Factor in the diesel premium to GET a diesel, ridiculous oil change costs, etc etc etc, dunno.

I'm not sure where this idea of expensive or "ridiculous" oil change costs comes from. I spend about $84 every 8-10,000 miles to change the oil in my '13 Duramax, and I get the 4th one free (dealer special). Changing the oil in a gasser every 5,000 miles at $50-60/each, well, I just don't see the added expense to a diesel....

You could argue DEF costs, which seem to be right around $5/1000 miles driven for me, but that's about it. 55k miles so far and my truck's been flawless. Still on my stock tires, too.

Vern · Oct 26, 2014

If you are capable of doing your own oil changes they can be done for about $35-40 on a diesel closing the gap even more. With all the technology in gassers now days like direct injection and such I'm guessing repairs are not much cheaper than a diesel either.

Ford RAPTOR vs Diesel????

Well-known member

Well-known member

Active member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Similar threads