Capsule Review: Ford SVT Raptor - US Border Patrol Edition - I drive on a narrow dirt track somewhere in South Texas at an unreasonabl...
I drive on a narrow dirt track somewhere in South Texas at an unreasonable pace but not pressed. As I have a turn, the arches on the ground in a big "hoot" a few meters in front of me. I can not go round and hitting the brakes will send me a slip in it almost at the same speed.
So far I've mostly steered the Ford Super Duty F250 or F350 in covered, while on patrol. They can be surprisingly able here in the desert, but they do not like to be driven fast over rough terrain. Hitting one of those "speedbumps Border Patrol" to anything above a cautious exploration turns the cabin into a world of violence such as industrial suspension crashes and stops your head hangs in the ceiling. I Brace for the inevitable.
moments later, I passed and all is well. My ass never left the seat cushion, and as far as I can tell, my tires never left the ground. Hell, even my water bottle is still resting serenely in the cupholder where I left it. There is a reason for it. Today, I am not in a Super Duty. Today I'm in a Raptor.
I wonder if some engineers sitting in Dearborn a day and said, "How bout we design the perfect truck for the uS Border Patrol"? It would not be an enviable job. Our trucks are operated in some of the most difficult conditions encountered outside of pure military duty, and they must withstand these conditions every day. They are driven on steep rocky mountain roads; through extensive deep, soft sand trap you up if you apply just a little too much or too little gas; through dense wet clay fixes that wraps around your tires, thick smooth layers. They are driven by adrenaline junkies who are not financially responsible for their repair or maintenance, and whose supervisors do not care particularly how many unnecessary abuse is started on the chassis as long as you do DENT the bodywork. We ask a lot, often too, our fleet.
Our vehicles slightly modified Chevrolet Tahoe and Ford Super Duty can do almost all the things of the Ford SVT Raptor is capable of. The difference is the ease (and speed) with which the Raptor is. When Tahoe Scrabbles a steep slope, struggling to find purchase in loose rock, Raptor mounts simply. When F350 churns through the soft sand, struggling to keep its massive volume afloat, the Raptor seems to glide over the surface. Our other trucks can be made to work in this environment, but the Raptor is born mansion.
Each component on the Raptor is designed to be used in this way under these conditions. By the way at least, this means fewer repairs because of parts being pushed beyond their limits. Even if an agent is not deliberately abusive toward his mount, the conditions in the desert sometimes require one less care. Get into a flooded ditch or a patch of boulders often requires a bit of momentum. I saw this technical result in the suspension components shattered, dislodged coolant and / or turbo plumbing, oil pans burst and dented rims.
Not with the Raptor. I have not seen a single sidelined for damage caused by excessive use of routine. This is not to say we have not "deadlined" some; if you want to find the limits of a product, give a Border Patrol agent. The patrol has determined that Raptor will be not float through an arroyo race during the monsoon season. Also, if you have too much fun playing with the display of the inclinometer included, it will roll on the low side of a mountain. Yet, to my knowledge, not even our wildest / most stupid officers managed to bend the frame on.
We have other trucks that may give the Raptor a run for its money in certain circumstances, but none of them do so without significant compromise. short wheelbase of the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon is a delight when browsing through narrow canyons and laces up tight, but it becomes temperamental when you dial a little more speed. Former H1 HMMWV / Hummer can bash his way through the landscape, but it is deeply unpleasant in every way and lead, I feel sad. In addition, each fluid in the venerable military vehicle will boil if it is hot or hilly, which can be a problem in the Southwest. The Raptor can be upgraded by a particular competitor in one percent scenario that competitor, but you'll be happy to have the big Ford when you realize 99% of the unit is still ahead of you.
When duty brings us back on the road, this clever off-road behaves politely driving behavior as well. Pin the throttle coming off a soft shoulder, and forgiving traction control allows the rear end to begin much like exhaust plays a siren song of thunder. Disappointingly, the government does not make us confidence sufficient to remove the electronic limiter 98 MPH, but the Raptor reach this limiter in a big damn hurry for such a fucking big truck.
Fortunately, the typical smuggler vehicle is a circa 1997 Ford Expedition and Chevrolet Suburban loaded beyond GVWR recommended by the manufacturer, so 98 is usually pretty quick. On an open road, the Raptor does not deign to do anything under 0, the cabin quiet and stable handling cut your perceived speed about half. On the rare occasion that the southwest hardtop becomes sinuous, Ford racing desert inspires more confidence than most vehicles in the class + 3 tons. The suspension resists leaning too far in his twelve inches of travel as 315mm BFGoodrich All-Terrains doubled against the sidewalk and lateral dynamic moves smoothly from one side to the other. Your average driver will have found its way out of the road, through a fence and into a tree long before a Raptor continuing strikes its limits.
Beyond the apparent savings repair costs, purchase costs appear very favorable as well. An F-250 built to the standard spec Border Patrol, with the turbodiesel engine and a PowerStroke Extended Cab goes for $ 44,710, according to Ford configurator. stickers A basic 4 × 4 Chevrolet Tahoe over $ 50,000 today. A 2014 Raptor starts at $ 44,995, and it does not require additional options for our purposes. Frankly, I do not know why the patrol bought anything else since the Raptor arrived in 2010. SVT takes a break from the game OEM off-road models for the years 2015 and 2016, but have already announced Raptor back with a successor covered with lighter aluminum as MY 2017. The 6.2L V8 will be removed in favor of a 3.5L EcoBoost V6 listening producing more power and torque than its predecessor naturally aspirated. I can not expect that the price will increase proportionately, I just hope he remains within reach of the federal government of the United States and its humble servants like myself. Is Uncle Sam to qualify for the financing of 0 months
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