With chrome and luxury doodads being the selling points of so many full-size pickups today, it's easy to forget that trucks are still supposed to get dirty. Thankfully, two automakers haven't forgotten. For today's Face Off, we've got a match between two specialized factory trucks meant to go off-road: the 2011 Dodge Ram Power Wagon and the 2011 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor.
The Raptor has been getting all of the attention lately because it's new, but the Power Wagon can claim to be the original. Both trucks excel in the dirt, but the devil's in the details: one is meant for high-speed running and the other low-speed crawling. Executive Editor Michael Jordan touts the Power Wagon while Senior Automotive Editor Brent Romans presents the case for the Raptor.
Brent Romans for the SVT Raptor:
The SVT Raptor debuted last year, and I do have to say, this is the king of sinister pickups. Just look at the thing. Widened track and fenders. Big knobby tires. Black-out grille. It even has cab running lights because it's so wide that government regulation mandates it. And it's not for show, either. Out in the desert, the Raptor specially tuned suspension allows it to take on just about any hill, rut or fireroad at speeds that would be illegal even on pavement. This is as close to a Baja-style race truck as you'll get from the factory.
And you know Michael, I've gone rock-crawling before. Most boring automotive adventure ever. It amounted to nothing more than driving a truck really, really slow over rocks while other people stood around watching me. They could walk and be faster than I was driving. The whole thing was as dull as watching golf on TV. Or maybe more, since you at least get plaid pants with golf.
Michael Jordan for the Power Wagon:
The Dodge Ram introduced the big-rig look to pickups. I saw people literally walk right past the then-new Dodge Viper to get close to the Ram. It still has the right kind of American muscle, while the Ford looks like a rental car with braces on its teeth -- a total wannabe. You wouldn't think a monster like Dodge could climb up a rockfall, but I've crept up trails in Moab, Utah, where even Jeep Wranglers feared to tread. The Power Wagon is the last of the manly trucks, complete with a 5.7-liter V8, solid axles, a jillion differentials, a manual-shift transfer case, skid plates, tow hooks, winch and even rooftop running lights.
And I don't care what kind of zippy suspension you have in the Raptor, the Power Wagon can still fly over the desert floor. And I'm not kidding about the flying part. I've driven all those old trails cut by the uranium miners across the plateaus near Moab and never had so much crossed-up, berm-smashing fun since I quit motocross bikes (or motocross bikes quit me). Especially love the quiet parts, which of course means you're flying through the air. In comparison the Ford Raptor drives like an old Crown Vic police cruiser in a truck suit, untroubled by obstacles but also no fun, either.
Rebuttals
Romans:
No fun? I'd say the Raptor looks pretty fun in this video. And I'd wager that its ultimately more capable for high speed work than the Power Wagon; not everybody lives near Moab, you know. Plus, I disagree that it looks like a wannbe. Sure, the side graphics are a bit silly, but those are just an option. For me, I'll take a truck that isn't afraid to show off a little. The Power Wagon, in contrast, hardly looks any different than a regular Ram. In fact, it looks a little short in the pants, with its stock-sized 17-inch wheel-and-tire combo.
Jordan:
The great thing about both these trucks is that they take you places. And by that I mean places other than the Dairy Queen on Friday night. Most of the roads in America are actually unpaved (and that doesn't even count the trails that are little more than dotted lines on your Forest Service map). I can't go by one of them without wondering where it goes. These are the vehicles I'd pick to take me, but for me the Raptor is a bit too set up for crashing through the whoop-de-doos across the trail in Baja (which is why Baja trucks all have that distinctive nose-high stance), and that makes it a little wobbly on both the street and on fire roads. The Raptor really needs a wide open trail, and I guess I like the Power Wagon because it'll do asphalt and yet still take you places in the dirt where only a motorcycle can go.
Which Truck Wins?
By cruiserhead1
on October 18, 2010
09:49 AM
This is a tough choice. Not because of the trucks, but because of the way they are spec'd.
W/ the 2500 chassis and solid axles, it will be easy to maintain and the durability must be off the charts. This is the truck to abuse and pass down to the kids.
I think the PW will be the truck to last until Jesus or zombies visit us.
However, the PW is only avail as a long 4 door.
It's not as wide as a Raptor but it's still going to be tough to negotiate trails.
I don't get this logic. If I want a 4 door LWB truck to haul my toys or tow, I'm getting the Cummins 2500 or Duramax.
If I want a fullsize wheeler, I'm looking at SWB single or extended cabs w/ shortbeds.
The Raptor is attractive because it seems the equivalent of a production supercar.
It is even more attractive because of the supercab/shortbed configuration that makes offroading in all terrains managable.
PW wins on simplicity and mechanical durability but looses on packaging.
I would take the Raptor and enjoy until I blew out the shocks and mashed the a-arms into Coke cans.
By pushrod
on October 18, 2010
11:35 AM
This is definitely a tough choice. I would pick it just for general non-urban usability: it can tow, perform well in almost any offroad situation. But being powered by the 5.7, even though it is a great engine, it just seems a bit underpowered in my mind, and I would rather it come with a diesel.
The Ford, while being a capable truck, is better suited to desert running. It does "okay" in other situations (mud, snow, rock-hopping), but that is definitely not it's bread-and-butter, and the PW is more versatile in that respect. The PW also has better towing and cargo capacity, so you can bring a lot of toys along for the ride.
However, when it comes to daily driving, the Raptor is probably a better fit. It's more maneuverable (relatively speaking), simply because of the cab/bed combination. I already have a crewcab shortbed truck, and it's nemesis is definitely the parking lot. Even with its width, the Raptor is more livable on a day-to-day basis. For what I would want, it's "good enough" for off-road duty, but would be superior in urban settings.
While both are great trucks (could I have 1 of each? call it a tie?), I have to give a slight edge to the Raptor.
By yankeez
on October 18, 2010
12:01 PM
It's a shame Dodge won't produce a truck version of the 6.1 (or better yet, the upcoming 6.4). The 5.7 Hemi is a great engine (already had 2 of them), but it's slowly becoming outclassed by Ford and GM's bigger engines. If they would, they'd have a true Raptor competitor.
By ahightower
on October 19, 2010
07:42 PM
I vote for the Ram because of the ford's wimpy payload and tow ratings.
By firstwagon
on October 20, 2010
12:53 PM
Way I look at it, get the Dodge if you need truck and the Ford if you want a toy to play with.
Since I would get a Mustang if I wanted a fast Ford that leaves the Dodge as the only choice here.
By cruiserhead1
on October 20, 2010
01:07 PM
I would love to see that Mustang speeding down the Mojave Road for a weekend of fun....
By firstwagon
on October 20, 2010
01:54 PM
I don't live anywhere near Mojave Road and the off roading you do in the mountains of BC can't be done at high speeds.
Like I said, "Way I look at it".
By wrinklebump
on October 22, 2010
07:36 AM
They're different cars. The Power Wagon is, like, a work truck for Smokey the Bear. The Raptor is more Wile E. Coyote.