2021 Ford F-150

A Game of Inches

Highs: Increased clearances, composed ride, larger tires don’t inhibit performance. Lows: There is a V-8 coming, poor fuel economy, bedside “37” graphic is a bit much.

Ford knows people will pay a lot for two extra inches. Add the 37 Performance package to the F-150 Raptor, and the price balloons from $70,370 to $80,375, or about $5000 an inch.

Before you scoff at that, know that Ford’ s kit offers more than just two-inch-bigger tires. In addition to the 37x12.5R-17 BFGoodrich AllTerrain T/A KO2s for which it is named, the package includes 17-inch forged aluminum beadlock-capable wheels, front Fox dampers with a 1.0-inch rod diameter (an eighth-inch increase) to account for the extra mass, and a limited-slip front diff. Ford also modifies the back of the frame to fit a full-size spare tire. And owners can show off the bigger tire measurement with “37” decals on the bedside and tailgate.

Compared with the F-150 Raptor riding on standard 35-inch KO2s, the 37-inch tires increase approach, departure, and break-over angles by 2.1, 1.0, and 1.7 degrees, respectively. Ground clearance improves by 1.1 inches, and this Raptor stands 0.9 inch taller. But the 37s require suspension travel to decrease by 1.0 inch in the front and 0.9 inch in the rear. At a technical off-road park in northern Michigan, we found the increased clearances to be more impressive on paper. The taller sidewalls are great at soaking up rocks, ruts, and roots, however.

Regardless of tire size, the F-150 Raptor has a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 that makes 450 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque. With the new equal-length exhaust system set to Baja mode, the boosted six brap, brap, braps louder than the Ram 1500 TRX’ s supercharged V-8.

The larger rubber doesn ’t inhibit performance. Both Raptors reach 60 mph in 5.2 seconds. The truck riding on 37s was only 0.1 second slower through the quarter-mile at 14.0 seconds at 96 mph. At their 0.70-g limit, the 37s have 0.01 g more grip than the 35s (like that matters). t h e n u m b e rs

Vehicle Type: front-engine, rear/4-wheeldrive, 5-passenger, 4-door pickup

Base/As Tested ............... $78,695/$81,285

Engine: twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, port and direct fuel injection Displacement ......................... 318 in3 , 3496 cm3 Power .................................... 450 hp @ 5850 rpm Torque ................................ 510 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Dimensions

• Wheelbase ................................................ 145.4 in • L/W/H ................................... 232.6/86.8/80.7 in • Curb Weight .............................................. 5971 lb

t e s t R E S U L T S

60 mph ........................................................... 5.2 sec 1/4-Mile ................................... 14.0 sec @ 96 mph 100 mph ....................................................... 15.8 sec Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec. Rolling Start, 5–60 mph ....................... 6.0 sec Top Speed (gov ltd) ................................ 114 mph Braking, 70–0 mph .................................... 200 ft Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad ............... 0.70 g

C/D Fuel Economy

• Observed .................................................... 11 mpg • 75-mph Hwy Driving ............................. 16 mpg • Hwy Range ................................................ 570 mi

EPA Fuel Economy

• Comb/City/Hwy .......................... 16/15/18 mpg

Braking from 70 mph required 14 fewer feet. The larger tires also are not obnoxiously noisy on the highway—at 70 mph, volume inside the cabin was only one decibel louder. During 75-mph highway driving, we averaged 16 mpg, which is 2 mpg less than what we saw in the standard F-150 Raptor; both results match the EPA highway estimates.

The 37 Performance package gives Raptor owners another bragging point. But the truly numbers-obsessed might want to wait for the upcoming Raptor R, with its anticipated 700-plus-hp V-8. Now, that number is worthy of decals.