500 mile Raptor Owner Review/Opinion

[bajabronco57]

No one may read or care about this, that is fine. I just wanted to voice some pro's and con's and maybe someone has found a way to address some issues I have. Some of these issues may not be specific to the Raptor but I haven't driven the other trims so bear with me.

Things I've enjoyed.

• On the road it feels like a sports car... not like a full-fledged sports car but it definitely wants to go fast.
• I was worried about the Blue Leather, but it looks amazing.
• The fenders look fine in person, I actually enjoy them being a different color than the body.
• I took it around a local off road race track and got up to 65MPH. If the fenders were painted they would already be chipped. Keep that in mind. A wrap will probably last longer but if you paint match the fenders and do anything high speed they will chip very fast.
• The suspension is butter smooth going over whoops and jumps at high speed.
• It is a blast to drive.

Things that annoy me or don't make sense.

• When pulling a small trailer YOU CAN NOT SEE THE TRAILER BECAUSE THIS IS A THICC BOY. The mirrors... they do nothing! The rear camera needs to stay on all the time in tow mode. Bronco's don't have a large towing capacity, I'm not going to be pulling a toy hauler that is easy to see. Most the towing will be small utility trailers.
• When backing up while pulling a small trailer the rear proximity sensors trigger the entire time. Yes Ford, I know there is something behind me... it is attached to my hitch. (UPDATE: This may be due to the trailer lights not working if someone could confirm I'd appreciate it)
• You need a drop hitch because the receiver is only about 1 1/2" below the spare tire. Not so much an issue just sharing. (I didn't have one because my previous vehicles didn't need them)
• The GOAT Modes need to stay when you start back up. Having the GOAT Modes default back to Normal after I start up is stupid. I'm on the side of a mountain, I want to be in one of the off road modes. Don't do some Normal GOAT Modes with bastardized 4H/L based on what I was in before.
• You need to wait after you start to switch GOAT Modes. The CPU does not boot up as fast as I am ready to cycle through the modes to get back to the GOAT mode I was in when I parked.

Basically, all of my issues relate to the computer and how they choose to set it up. I can learn to get over these issues but realistically Ford could push an update to the OS and resolve all of these issues. If you know of a way to fix any of these things let me know. Thanks.


UPDATE:
The reverse sensor can be disabled from the dash if the trailer doesn't auto disable or while off roading.
It still doesn't prompt to stay in a previous GOAT mode. While rock crawling yesterday I shut it off to get out and look at the angle and when I got back in I had to wait a minute for it to flip to normal then back to Rock Crawl. This really has to get fixed.
The seat belt indicator on the dash does not disappear until you push ok on the wheel... or at least it doesn't' disappear within the first 3 blocks of leaving my house and I get too annoyed to keep waiting to see if it actually goes away by itself.

700 Miles... I CHIPPED THE DAMN WINDOW.
Luckily I bought the extended service and maintenance from my dealer and they said that would cover the window so I'll find out next week.

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[Bojler]

Thanks for sharing! I'm signing the GOAT default mode missing feature and I would add, that the most annoying missing feature from my perspective is no auto-hold. So sad, even Bronco Sport has it.

 

[vrtical]

While towing put it in tow mode, I am pretty sure that will disable the rear sensor or at least that is how it was on my F150

 

[FLSTFI Dave]

Good review. I have just over 900 miles on mine. I have not had it off road yet.

It does want to go fast. It handles much better than I thought it would being on 37" tires, very stable and comfortable at 80mph. Corners very well on the East TN twisty roads. I have Raptor mode programed for Sport Suspension, Sport Steering, Baja exhaust and Auto start/stop disabled. I like the ride and steering better in sport, but do not want the delayed shifting. No problem passing on two lane roads.

I opted for marine grade interior. It looks good not as nice as the blue leather. It feels very good. I get complements on it. A few people have thought it was leather.

I like the fenders being black. The Front fenders do look very good. The back fenders look good. I do not feel they look out of place.

The steps on the Rock Sliders make this easy to use as a daily driver. My wife likes them, and had said on the Badlands I would have to get steps.

It is a total blast to drive.

I agree with some of the things that aggravate.

Goat mode should stay where ever you had it when shut off. You should not have to wait for computer to boot then select the mode you want. Even more aggravating if off road as you have to select mode, then how you want the axles and so on.

Heated seats, if they are on when the vehicle is shut off, the come back on when it is started. So in my case, if my wife has been passenger I have to remember to turn her seat off. Wasn't that way in my 17 F-150, or 0ur 22 Grand Cherokee.

Some times the dash come back to how you had it set on restart. Some times you have to select how you want the center of the dash.

I have too much wind noise. I think its something the dealer can Fix. They hard top badlands and hard top wildtrax I have driven didn't have near as much wind noise. I new there would be some, but this is way more.

All in All I love this Raptor. Second favorite vehicle I have every purchased. 18 Grand Sport is my favorite. This will be driven much more, it is my favorite daily driver.

 

[bajabronco57]

While towing put it in tow mode, I am pretty sure that will disable the rear sensor or at least that is how it was on my F150

I assumed the same. I was pulling a log splitter so I started in normal because I didn't need tow mode for it but it still beeps in tow mode. I was backing the log splitter up in the rental yard this morning to return it and the alert was going crazy. Seems like an oversight.

 

[JBowles]

I assumed the same. I was pulling a log splitter so I started in normal because I didn't need tow mode for it but it still beeps in tow mode. I was backing the log splitter up in the rental yard this morning to return it and the alert was going crazy. Seems like an oversight.

Did the log splitter have functional lights hooked up? The electrical load from the trailer lights is how the truck knows it has a trailer and ignores the back sensors and whatnot

 

[bajabronco57]

Did the log splitter have functional lights hooked up? The electrical load from the trailer lights is how the truck knows it has a trailer and ignores the back sensors and whatnot

You know I didn't check the lights now that you mention it. I hooked them up but never looked. I'll keep that in mind next time thanks.

 

[Johnny Mo]

Don't have mine yet but I totally agree with your thoughts. This sounds vaguely familiar to an argument I had with a Ford engineer back in 2015 about the SYNC setup in my Fusion - why do I have to go 4 menus deep to get to sound settings, and why is surround sound a single use setting - meaning it goes back to off when you shut the car off. My argument is that it should function like Bass/Treble - if I set it to on, it means I want it to be on - until I decide to change it.

 

[King Dusty]

Absolutely love, love, love it. Far exceeds my expectations.

 

[telenerd]

I’d imagine defaulting the Goat modes to Normal after starting vehicle is because Ford had to think about all the idiots out there.

For example, someone forgetting to take the vehicle out of rock crawl mode and burning up the transfer case.

 

[604Bronco]

 

[‘21OBX]

Does the raptor not ask to return to the goat mode it was turned off in? The regular Bronco does.
It’s still annoying but it’s a press of ok to put it back where you were.

On my OBX it disables the rear sensors and turns off blis if it senses a trailer. If the lights don’t work correctly I get a message on my dash but I imagine it has to have some connection for that to happen.
it would be amazing if ford pushed an update for trailer view while towing. I also only pull a small boat or utility trailer ya can’t see much in the standard Bronco either.

 

[diorbronco]

I am at 1100 miles and I haven't had more fun driving any vehicle. Only regret was not getting code orange seatbelts

 

[computertom]

I’d imagine defaulting the Goat modes to Normal after starting vehicle is because Ford had to think about all the idiots out there.

For example, someone forgetting to take the vehicle out of rock crawl mode and burning up the transfer case.

The defaulting is all about emissions and exhaust noise. Manufacturers have very different rules when a vehicle can stay in a setting. Look at the Hyundai issue with their stock exhaust getting ticketed in CA.

 

[Shazamalingo]

When you turn on the car, it will ask you if you want to return to the previous GOAT mode. Just hit yes.

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