The 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R is a direct shot at the Ram 1500 TRX. The two are nearly identical in terms of engine power, and we now know that they also produce similar fuel economy figures. The US EPA rates the Raptor R as getting 15 miles per gallon on the highway and just 10 mpg in the city. It has a combined rating of 12 mpg, the same as the TRX. Both return the same mileage in town; however, the TRX is one mpg worse on the highway.
The Raptor R draws power from a supercharged 5.2-liter V8 that produces 700 horsepower (522 kilowatts) and 650 pound-feet (868 Newton-meters) of torque. It’s underpowered compared to the Ram, which produces less power than its supercharged 6.2-liter V8 – 702 hp (523 kW) and 650 lb-ft (881 Nm) of torque. Ford mounts its engine to a 10-speed automatic, while Ram uses an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
The supercharged V8 Raptor gets worse gas mileage than the cheaper, less powerful EcoBoost V6 variant. The non-R Raptor returns 15 mpg city and 18 mpg on the highway for a combined rating of 16 mpg. The EcoBoost V6 makes far less power, producing 450 hp (335 kW) and 510 lb-ft (691 Nm) of torque from its 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged engine.
The two trucks also differ in wheel size and rim size, with Ford sporting 17-inch wheels wrapped in 37-inch tires. Ram uses 18-inch rims and 35-inch tires. The Ford has more ground clearance and is lighter, weighing 5,950 pounds (2,698 kilograms) compared to the 6,439-lb (2,920-kg) TRX.
Ram launched the 1500 TRX for the 2021 model year, dethroning the Ford Raptor as the meanest off-road pickup at the time. However, FoMoCo didn’t sit idly by in the pit lane as the Rams took the victory lap. The automaker set to work on improving the Raptor, tucking a recalibrated and tweaked GT500 engine under the hood. The result is the Raptor R that Ford introduced earlier this year.
