2021 Ford F-150 Raptor First Drive Review (Autoblog)
The new five-link, coil-spring suspension raises the lofty bar even higher.
The speedometer touches 83 mph after standing on the gas while exiting a corner in a deserted sand wash, with the 2021 Ford F-150 Raptor’s tires resolutely planted to the uneven surface. Another rutted bend comes quickly into view, at which point I lift off the throttle and lightly trail brake into the corner. The truck drifts predictably and gradually until I sight the corner exit, bury the loud pedal and send it down the next brief straight. I’ve barely driven this truck in anger and have never seen this stretch of wash before, but I’ve already developed complete faith in how the new Raptor will respond.
Similar thoughts go through my head as I later send it skimming across the top of deep whoop-de-doos, scramble up hills and over uncertain rocky terrain, and schuss it through cone gates that are laid out like a sandy Super-G giant slalom course on the flanks of humongous dunes. The new Raptor gobbles it all up and spits it all out — in twin roosts of sand, at times — with better stability and more persistent power delivery than any previous Raptor before it. It frankly behaves as if it was built to do nothing else.
But this is nothing like a one-dimensional machine. Around town, the now crew-cab-only Raptor benefits from all of the comforts and thoughtful touches that adorn the latest F-150’s cabin, and it comes standard with a 12-inch instrument panel and a 12-inch center screen with Sync 4 and wireless smartphone connectivity. Its daily-drive ride is smooth, flat and largely devoid of aftershake after hitting rough patches. You’d be more than happy to spend all day behind the wheel, which is a handy thing because its 36-gallon fuel tank gives it well over 500 miles of highway driving range.
One single change is responsible for most of this, and that is the third-generation Raptor’s abandonment of leaf spring rear suspension in favor of a five-link setup with coil springs. If that sounds familiar, that’s what underpins most Ram pickups, including the Raptor's most obvious competitor, the Ram 1500 TRX. This setup makes for a smoother on-road ride, but it also helps a truck put power to the pavement (or dirt) with far less axle hop. No towing was involved in this event, but I fully expect improved trailering stability in crosswinds and on winding descents thanks to the new suspension's fifth link, the lateral panhard rod.
The Raptor’s interpretation of link-coil suspension is notably different from the TRX’s in two ways. Its four primary axle-locating links are considerably longer and connect farther forward on the frame, and its massive three-stage, progressive-rate coil springs connect to lower spring seat brackets that are bolted behind the rear axle instead of sitting atop it. The longer links open up performance potential, and the bolt-on spring seats create interesting possibilities for the upcoming Raptor R — not to mention aftermarket suspension kits.
(photo credit: Dan Edmunds - Autoblog)
