One of the coolest trucks to come from the factory over the past two decades or so has to be the Ford F-150 Raptor. Built with high-speed desert running and rock crawling in mind, using long-travel suspension and serious all-terrain tires, it was among the first of its kind to push this idea of a factory-ready, pre-runner-themed pickup.
The Raptor was an immense success for Ford, of course, leading the brand to spawn more Raptor-badged trims for vehicles like the Ranger and the Bronco. Other brands took notice, too, building factory off-road pickups to capitalize on the market’s craze for sporty utility vehicles. See Chevy’s revived ZR2 trims for the Colorado and the Silverado, and Ram’s ferocious, supercharged V8-powered TRX.
Because of the original Raptor’s trick suspension and unmatched aura, I always simply assumed they’d remain too expensive to ever be worth considering. But as it turns out, they’re way cheaper than I expected. And it’s giving me bad ideas.
A New Segment Is Launched
When the first-generation F-150 Raptor debuted, it was a revelation. Packing 35-inch BFGoodrich all-terrains with reinforced sidewalls, unique off-road-ready suspension from Fox Racing, heat vents cut into the hood, and amber market lights in the grille, it was unlike any factory F-150 before it, and unlike any truck sold by the big three American manufacturers. The Raptor could go places and do things that the normal F-150 couldn’t, and virtually everyone who drove it seemed to love it. From Car and Driver’s original review:
On city streets, the suspension feels a little gummy, the Raptor leaning in turns and kowtowing its way up to a stoplight. In a truck meant for fast trail running, that’s a virtue. Special elongated aluminum lower-front control arms cast with the “SVT” logo are part of the Raptor’s package. The resulting 11.2 inches of front suspension travel (12.1 in the rear), damped by the big-piston Fox Racing Shox shock absorbers (the rears have remote reservoirs), allows the Raptor to practically float at 45 mph over deep water cuts, dried wheel ruts, rocky tufts, floundering cyborgs, and other desert nuisances that would pulverize other stock pickup trucks trying to keep up.
The only downside to that original, first-year Raptor was its engine, at least according to journalists at the time. The only available powertrain was a 5.4-liter naturally aspirated V8 making 310 horsepower and 365 pound-feet of torque, which MotorTrend described as not enough “to match the suspension’s capability.”
Ford fixed that problem the very next model year, making the 6.2-liter V8 from the Super Duty available as a $3,000 option, spiced up with its own unique cams and tune. Car and Driver liked this one even more:
The optional 6.2-liter V-8, new for 2010, was in the plan all along, Ford tells us, and a quick turn behind the wheel seems to verify that. The character of this engine matches the truck perfectly. With 411 hp and 434 lb-ft of torque, it imbues the Raptor’s powertrain with the same unflinching capability as the long-travel suspension does the chassis.
The rest is history. The Raptor quickly became a huge hit among the overlanding and off-roading scene, becoming the default choice for truck bros who want to fly over uneven desert terrain at highway speeds. After a successful first generation, Ford brought the Raptor back in 2017 with the new-model F-150, replacing the V8 with an even more powerful, more torquey twin-turbo EcoBoost V6. Then, in an effort to one-up the 702-hp Ram TRX, it released the 700-hp, supercharged V8-powered Raptor R.
I Feel Like This Is A Lot Of Truck For The Money
While a new Raptor R will run you over $115,000 out the door, used, high-mile originals can be found for six figures less. Some comments on my post about the F-150 recall from this morning inspired me to check Facebook to see what kind of F-150 I could buy for $15,000 or less, and I was amazed to see a swath of first-gen Raptors pop up on the screen.
These are not low-mileage garage queens, of course. A Raptor that costs less than the price of the cheapest new car on sale is going to have some miles, and it’s not going to be perfect (DrivingLine specifically mentions rust and the vacuum-operated locking hubs for the front axle as common issues). But still, a whole running, driving, F-150 Raptor, with the right tires and that Fox suspension, is a lot more attainable than I expected.
Let me give you a few examples. Here’s one listed on Facebook Marketplace in Illinois with 175,000 miles on the clock for $17,500, sporting the 6.2-liter engine and brand-new K02 all-terrain tires. Here’s another in Michigan with slightly more miles and a bit more rust, selling for just $15,000. This white model with the 5.4-liter V8 is up for grabs at a dealership in New Jersey for $13,900. If you care even less about mileage and don’t mind rust, this red one out of New Jersey can be yours for just over $10,000.
Again, these are not pristine examples. If you want something cleaner, you’ll probably have to spend over 20 grand, which, by the way, is still incredibly cheap for a truck with this much off-road equipment on board. And if you think these first-gen Raptors are just too old, don’t worry, the newer turbocharged versions are getting down there in price, too. They’re not as cheap as the first-gen trucks, obviously, but they’re still way cheaper than any new F-150. Here’s one listed for just $26,000 in Ohio, and another, in a lovely shade of blue, for $29,000, also in Ohio.
Would it be a terrible idea for me to buy a giant, high-mileage F-150 that gets 13 mpg as gas prices skyrocket, with nowhere to park it where I live in New York City? Yeah, probably. Do I have a couple of tabs open for deals nearby? Also yes.
Top graphic image: Ford
There are a couple of white ones around here without the sticker pack and they are way more appealing that way, subtle almost to the point of disapearing… I’ve always liked ’em, and if a decent one could be had for 25k I’d be tempted to replace my 4runner and c10 with it and pocket a bit of cash while gaining a ton of garage space back. But then I’d own a ford, so nope.
On first reading this I was very convinced – but the more I think about it the more a used Raptor feels like a potential catastrophe in the same way a used Hellcat does.
These are the kind of performance cars that are all but designed to be hooned. Sure, a Raptor is built to stand up to Baja levels of abuse, but it’s also designed with some pretty tight service intervals in mind. With each subsequent owner, the odds these service intervals are being met decreases – while the odds of hoonage likely increase.
I still would love to have a Raptor or a Hellcat in my garage – I feel like both would be ludicrous fun – but I’ve always tried to buy used cars from someone who babied them. It’s going to be difficult to find a 1st gen Hellcat or Raptor that was peepaw’s garage queen and was only driven on Sundays when it didn’t rain.
I toy with this idea from time to time. Something to watch for on these cheap ones is they almost always need the shocks rebuilt. Fox suspension requires full rebuilds with I think a 60k mile interval. Very few people keep up on this.
I would not recommend a Gen 2 raptor unless you really like giving your mechanic money.
Which years are the Gen 2s? And what breaks?
Not sure to be honest.
Last fall I found a great deal on one and asked a buddy who works at a Ford dealership what he thought. He told me to steer clear of the Gen 2’s because they have many issues. I didn’t dig too deep just ruled them out.
The problem with first gens is rust. Aren’t those still steel bodies? The whole point of getting a ford truck is the aluminum cab/bed.
I was recommended a Raptor because the roads here are approaching Baja 1000 quality in some places. This makes me wonder if it’s worth it.
Hmm. So what about picking up a rusted out one and swapping the motor into an 80’s Bronco … And then upgrading the drivetrain. And brakes…. And …
What year did Ford start with the alumnium bodies?? The chassis is still steel and will rust but the bodies stay minty fresh. And Ive watched a couple youtube videos of the 9-10 year old F150s, like the 1st year aluminum ones and the chassis was pretty clean on Ohio driven ones, just a bit of rust on the rear spring shackles that you could grind off and paint.
Still Id rather have a bit newer aluminum RCSB F150 with the Coyote v8 and a supercharger. Those are 10 second trucks and absolutely destroy anything on the street. You can launch them in 4 HI and they dont break(switch back to 2wd before you turn)
I hope all Raptors are six figures or less considering that a new one is 115k.
not or less, just less. As in 115,000 minus 100,000. Tripped me up at first too
It’s one step smarter than buying cheap first-gen Hellcats, but it’s a very tiny step.
those Fox racing shocks are completely wore out at 60k miles and expect to pay 5 grand for new replacements or put the truck on jackstands for about 60 days while you ship the original ones to fox and get them rebuilt for about $1200. thats before you get into the meriad of other issues that a 14 year old truck is going ot have.
Yeah, the shocks are really a huge consideration on these. There are companies with better rebuild turnaround times, but it’s an unavoidable expense for Raptors.
Are there any options for at home rebuilds? I know Fox can be pretty picky about who gets to service their stuff – but these have been around long enough I assume there would be some DIY supplies and guides out there.
i’m not really a ford guy i just did a deep dive into the first gen raptors when they first got sort-of into my price range and i was curious. supposedly when fox rebuilds them they “upgrade” them to the newest generation of the spec so they might last longer. but shocks are a major consumable item on raptors and the turn around time on rebuilds are rough many are forced to buy brand new because they don’t have a backup vehicle or want to pay for a rental. Many people don’t know they are rebuild able and just buy new ones from the dealer like it’s any old shock .. yikes.
Dew it!
If I was in the market I’d go with a late 1st gen Super Cab. It was the only trim in the 12th gen where you could get a Super Cab with the 5.5′ bed and a 133″ WB.
That’s comparable to a Mid-sized Crew Cab truck with a 5′ bed, which translates to a more manageable and garageable vehicle, as well as better off-road capabilities
Am I correct in thinking that the first two gens of the Raptor were the ONLY full-size trucks ever to have an extended-cab short-bed combination? I always get excited when I see one of those
I could have sworn back in the day I saw some regular 09-14 F-150 Supercabs with the short short bed (maybe even some 04-08 models), but maybe I just imagined it.
Yes there were 06-08 Super Cab trucks with the 5.5′ bed. They are rare for sure.
And just like Rebadged Asüna Sunrunner said, the 2nd gen Raptor (13th gen F150) was also offered in that stubby body style as well
Thank you for putting my mind at ease hahaha – I knew I’d seen them before!!
Considering the state of gas prices, these may be cheap to buy, but expensive to own.
If you’re serious about it, this seems like a good purchase to look to the south. In my area around Atlanta, there are options with the 6.2L showing around the same mileage but without the rust problems.
You guys all seem to be way too comfortable dealing with that stuff. Travel a little. Avoid rust. Profit?
Could they be cheap because they’re ragged-out, gas guzzling douchemagnets which suddenly and unpredictably shift into second?
I need less people to know about cheap gen 1s until after I get one. Also avoid the 5.4s
Raptors are douche magnets. There’s an idiot on my morning commute who drives one through rush hour traffic like it’s a damn sportbike… weaving through traffic, tailgating, cutting people off, etc. There’s a hyper aggressive bro energy that goes along with these things that makes the average RAM driver look like a little old lady on her way to church.
I’m sure there are ok examples out there. But do they do love to go in to a ditch and mess some stuff up. They like the right ditch more and the air intake is on the left side so there is that. The early extended cabs at least look like interesting. All the 4 doors look like every other nitwit that decided he needs a truck to haul his family around and needed wider bigger tires and probably some poorly installed external resovoir shocks for all that suspension travel needed to get into the drive way from the street.
Most of those 1st gen Raptors look like they are being dumped before the rust goes from noticeable to catastrophic. Within 2 years they’ll all look like Swiss cheese.
Mercedes lives in the mid-west, likes city cars.
Brian lives in NYC, and wants a Raptor.
Yep, The Autopian.
DT lived in the rust belt, loved Jeeps
Moved to SoCal, gets really into a carbon fiber-bodied BMW.
“Mercedes lives in the mid-west, likes city cars.”
I’m sure Mercedes likes the Honda City! Ha ha (or Honda “Shiti” according to wiki! Also known as Honda Jazz in Europe for older gens)
Just taking a wild guess since she bought a Honda Life. These are all such clever names; the Honda Today is a neat name too
That’s perfect for the frost heaved, pot holed streets of NY. You must buy one.
This seems suspiciously low for a decent condition truck.
Besides abysmal fuel economy, what’s missing?
I’m guessing High insurance rates.
They all have a boat load of miles.
I personally don’t think any of these are as “cheap” as the piece suggests. Heck, the newest one here is 9 years old, has 153k miles, and is asking $29,000. Sure, it’s a Raptor, but that ain’t cheap.
Cheap is relative. As stated, a new one will run you $115K.
And none of these were close to $115k when they were new.
So? That’s what a new once costs today.
You can do a lot of fixin’ for the difference between what one of these is worth and that new cost – though I would want one from WAAAAY South of the Mason-Dixon line.
Reliability and rust resistance.
The ones shown pricing wise is due to Rust and mileage. Lowish Mileage (150k or less) without rust are $20k+ and things like the suspension need frequent servicing and it’s expensive to do. Shockingly insurance for me was the same as a same year regular F150. However for $25k I don’t think you can buy a better truck dollar for value. The gen 1s routinely will go 300k miles without needing anything other than scheduled maintenance and if you buy a 13/14 you can add the current Sync 4 head unit.
Metal? The ones in the rust belt took “add lightness” to heart
depends a lot on what you would use it for. I would have to be paid to take on a 5.4 version, that motor is pretty much the worst. the 6.2 is ok, but might as well be a diesel with the amount of oil they consume, still it does this pretty reliably, so it can be lived with. the suspension part is the reason for both use cases.
Case 1, you want to own one of these for occasional jaunts out of the city onto fire roads and maybe camping. The suspension is actually kind of soft to handle the offroad nature, so it would be comfy enough and offroadish enough to do most things adequately, including say some not so technical stuff in Moab. But this setup also reduces truck capabilities. plenty of motor with the 6.2, but the suspension limits safe towing to about 5K.
Case 2 You want a truck, you want the truck to look cool in the mall parking lot and it makes you feel safer to have good offroad capabilities for the snow. Yep the truck should be fine for both. Though again, it lacks some capabilities of say a 400 HP 3.5 non raptor F150, that is newer and probably cheaper because of the lack of Raptor stuff. And snow is still going to be a problem with ice under it either way.
However I am a big advocate for buy what you want, enjoy it however you intend to and that is your business, not mine really
That suspension is very appealing to me, considering the roads in NYC are absolute trash
It’s the sidewall to keep from blowing out a tire and/or bashing a rim.
Goodyear makes a tire with Kevlar. That should help.
https://www.goodyear.com/en-us/tires/wrangler-all-terrain-adventure-with-kevlar_2732
I absolutely hated those tires. I had a set on my Tacoma. They are a bad mix of not very aggressive so not good off road, but they didn’t really make for good street tires either. They are just kinda bleh all the way around. Either go for something more aggressive, or something that is better for daily commute.
I loved the Duratechs but went with a milder tread when I traded for a 2wd.
Those look like the kind of tire that is turned into a whitewall on the passenger side from parking against the curb.
How about some Mickey Thompson Baja Legends
Those Goodyear tires are absolute garbage. Went through two sets in under 25k miles on my 2018 Grand Cherokee Trailhawk before replacing with Falkens. Major tread chunking & really bad wear. Poor traction in dirt, mud, & snow.
That’s a shame. I’ve had great experiences with their Duratechs.
FYI The fox shocks have a 50k rebuild service interval, budget $2k for that if they don’t have a documented rebuild recently.
I have spent way too much time shopping for one of these
Hmmm, are all those examples from rustbelt?
Some are most likely. https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/listing/436836675?sourceContext=autotempest&cgfv=0.37&cgfr=2&cgfab=Q&px8324=p110&dnetworktype=r&cgfdate=2026417&cgfloc=en#/
But not likely all are from there for about 20K
https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/21a39f61-6eb4-4d8b-9fd6-826cf110d4f8/?aff=atempest&utm_campaign=atempest&utm_source=autotempest&utm_medium=trp&utm_campaign_id=1&utm_trusted=TRUE
Man, am I the only one thinking those prices are high? When the Raptor came out, it was actually one of the more affordable trims. I remember giving my parents a hard time for getting a Lariat that was more expensive than a comparable Raptor. Honestly, most 1st gen Raptors were in the 40s and low 50s. Only dropping to 40-50% of their value after 10+ years and almost 150k miles is pretty insane.
it started as a mid-level XLT trim with off road bits. Cloth seats were standard, no stitching on the dash, base stereo, manual seats, etc. Once you added the leather package, Sony system with Navigation, power seats, Crew Cab and the 6.2 it was a mid $50K truck and let’s be real, almost no one bought a base 1st gen Raptor. Cheaper than a Platinum but comparable to a Lariat or King Ranch
Raptors with no options are rare, but there are a good number of supercabs without the leather or navi package. I really don’t get why all of these off-road trim level trucks have to be equipped like a 7-series.