By Christopher Mcgraw
The 2019 Ford F-150 Raptor is, inside and out, almost identical to the previous version. It has the same 3.5L twin-turbo V6, same BF Goodrich KO2 tires, makes the same 450 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque, and has the same bloated price tag. It's also still unabashedly fun, and, in the case of this specific tester, ridiculously good-looking in Velocity Blue. Almost nothing about this truck has changed.
Almost.
New Recaro seats offer more support than the previous version. Ordinarily I find Recaros to be constricting and uncomfortable, and I'm not a big guy. Not the case here. Like everything else in this truck, the seats are oversized but enjoyable, whether off-road or just cruising on the highway.
Adding to the comfort is the addition of new Fox shocks. These updated units allow for the same amount of travel as the outgoing model, 13 inches in the front and 13.9 inches in the rear. The biggest difference is the addition of Live Valve technology, which allows the Fox 3.0 internal bypass shocks to electronically adjust to changes in terrain in real time. The previous truck used to be a bit soft on the pavement, but thanks to these new shocks, the Raptor now handles the hairpin turns of a mountain pass not only with ease, but with precision not found in trucks this size. Read More