The 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R and Ram 1500 TRX Treat MPG Like a Golf Score
Let’s be honest. If you are considering purchasing a 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R or a 2023 Ram 1500 TRX, […]
Monza Staff
Let’s be honest. If you are considering purchasing a 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R or a 2023 Ram 1500 TRX, fuel economy is not going to be your top priority. You can’t turn a dinosaur into a cheetah; it’s just not in their DNA. Even though you can still get a respectable tank out of these off-road powerhouses, you won’t find any modern trucks with a worse economy based only on the figures. The compromise?
With 700 horsepower and 640 lb-ft of torque from the Raptor R’s “Predator” 5.2-liter engine and 702 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque from the Ram TRX’s Shelby GT500-derived 6.2-liter, these throaty, gas-powered supercharged V-8s will calm the rebellious-at-heart. Fueleconomy.gov now has the official EPA fuel economy figures for the 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R: 10/15/12 mpg city/highway/combined.
There are no surprises. When towing, off-roading, and driving in cities, that economy should be anticipated to drop into the single digits easily and maybe even reach the upper teen range on a good tank. It needs to be well hydrated if we want the dinosaur to continue to roar. What is, is what is. How about the scourge of the 2022 Ram 1500 TRX?
Its EPA fuel economy ratings are 10/14/12 mpg city/highway/combined, which are essentially the same. In actual driving conditions, MotorTrend achieved an indicated 5.2 mpg over a 27-mile uphill stretch while averaging 10.8 mpg over 27,488 miles. It would be necessary for the Raptor R and the TRX to fill up at the same (premium recommended) pond because the Raptor R only has a single highway mpg advantage.
Overall, though, contemporary technology has made it possible for these performance trucks to maintain the efficiency of the past while putting more horsepower and torque onboard. The Raptor R weighs less than the TRX (approximately 6,100 pounds versus 6,350 pounds), but it comes standard with 37-inch tires (versus the TRX’s 35s), which is favorable for the Raptor R. The better tires for off-roading are those that are larger.
If you provide the TRX tires that are more robust, you will see that its statistics go down. How does the Raptor R stack up against the “regular” Raptor in terms of performance? The 15/18/16 mpg (city/highway/combined) rating for the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 F-150 Raptor is lowered to 15/16/15 mpg for the Raptor 37 Performance edition.
Consider this: the V-8 Raptor R loses only 3–4 mpg on the combined city/highway but gains a startling 250 horsepower over the V-6 Raptor. Additionally, it outperforms the naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V-8 (estimated at 12/16/13 mpg) in the Gen 1 Raptor by 289 horsepower while only losing (on paper) 1 mpg in combined driving. Gen 1 perceives a single-digit economy in actuality. Credit should be given to the Raptor R.
Also, if you’re looking for a fun V-8 off-roader, the 2023 Jeep Wrangler 392 has a 6.4-liter V-8 and gets 13/17/14 mpg (city/highway/combined), making it somewhat more “cost-effective” than the Raptor R and TRX. The final word? Have fun and disregard the statistics. Use the pump to fill up. Neglect those figures as well. Repeat. That is how to deal with these beasts.