Fuel economy ratings for the 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R are officially posted to the EPA’s website, and the results are about as predictable as it gets for an off-road supertruck with a 5.2-liter supercharged V8 under the hood.
The official ratings are 10 mpg city, 15 mpg highway and 12 mpg combined. Compared to a regular Raptor with its 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6, the R takes a sizable hit in efficiency. However, the 37-inch tires (standard on the R) are also a big factor in reducing fuel economy. A regular Raptor with the 37-inch tire package is rated at 15/16/15 mpg. Go with the base Raptor truck, and those ratings bounce up to 15/18/16 mpg. Those tires hurt you at highway speeds, but don’t do much of anything to change the ratings in around town driving. What does hurt your around-town efficiency is putting the 700 horsepower supercharged V8 under the hood. But hey, at least the city rating is still a double-digit number.
Perhaps the most important comparison is versus the Ram 1500 TRX. It’s as close to a wash as could be, but the Raptor R does take the win in highway fuel economy, as the TRX is rated at 14 mpg highway versus the Raptor R’s 15 mpg. When fuel economy is as low as these trucks are, a 1 mpg difference can make a surprising difference in your wallet at the end of the year.
Comparing cost-to-run figures from the EPA is where the Raptor R stands out. The EPA predicts the Raptor R will cost $1,050 less in fuel over the course of a year (presuming you drive about 15,000 miles per year) than the TRX will — that’s how much the 1 mpg difference makes. That said, it’s hard to consider a $4,750/year fuel expense a win. To compare the R to the regular Raptor with the 37-inch tires, the R will cost an extra $950 to fuel for the year. Budget accordingly.
To get the full deep dive about what the Raptor R is like to drive, make sure to check out our recent First Drive review story here. Production of the Raptor R has started, so expect customer trucks to be out in the wild soon.
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Source: www.autoblog.com