Compare the2024 Ram 1500 TRXVS 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the 1500 TRX are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The F-150 Raptor doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the 1500 TRX and the F-150 Raptor have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available collision warning systems, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

The Ram 1500 TRX weighs 544 to 690 pounds more than the Ford F-150 Raptor. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The Ram 1500 TRX’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the F-150 Raptor’s engines use an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the 1500 TRX has a standard 250-amp alternator. The F-150 Raptor’s 240-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Ram vehicles are better in initial quality than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ram second in initial quality, above the industry average. With 60 more problems per 100 vehicles, Ford is ranked 23rd, below the industry average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Ram vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Ram 2 places higher in reliability than Ford.

The 1500 TRX’s 6.2 supercharged V8 produces 252 more horsepower (702 vs. 450) and 140 lbs.-ft. more torque (650 vs. 510) than the F-150 Raptor’s standard 3.5 turbo V6. The 1500 TRX’s 6.2 supercharged V8 produces 2 more horsepower (702 vs. 700) and 10 lbs.-ft. more torque (650 vs. 640) than the F-150 Raptor R’s standard 5.2 supercharged V8.

As tested in Motor Trend the Ram 1500 TRX is faster than the Ford F-150 Raptor turbo V6:

The 1500 TRX’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s at 4500 in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The F-150 Raptor doesn’t offer launch control.

For better stopping power the 1500 TRX’s brake rotors are larger than those on the F-150 Raptor:

The 1500 TRX stops much shorter than the F-150 Raptor:

For better traction, the 1500 TRX has larger tires than the F-150 Raptor (325/65R18 vs. 315/70R17). The 1500 TRX’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the F-150 Raptor (325/65R18 vs. 37 x 12.5R17).

The 1500 TRX’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 65 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the F-150 Raptor’s standard 70 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the 1500 TRX has standard 18-inch wheels. Only 17-inch wheels are available on the F-150 Raptor.

The 1500 TRX has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The F-150 Raptor doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The 1500 TRX has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The 1500 TRX’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The F-150 Raptor doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The 1500 TRX has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The F-150 Raptor doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The 1500 TRX uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The F-150 Raptor doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The 1500 TRX has standard seating for 6 passengers; the F-150 Raptor can only carry 5.

The 1500 TRX has .1 inches more front headroom, .9 inches more front hip room, 1.6 inches more rear legroom and .8 inches more rear hip room than the F-150 Raptor.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the 1500 TRX’s available rear seats recline. The F-150 Raptor’s rear seats don’t recline.

The 1500 TRX has a much larger cargo box than the F-150 Raptor shortbed (53.9 vs. 52.8 cubic feet).

The 1500 TRX’s cargo box is larger than the F-150 Raptor’s in almost every dimension:

The 1500 TRX has an all welded cargo box to eliminate possible corrosion spots and to provide better chassis stiffness. The cargo box in the F-150 Raptor is bolted through the bed to the frame with large bolts. These bolts are a prime area for corrosion to start as the normal flexing of the truck’s chassis causes them to eat through the finish; they can also snag cargo as it slides in and out.

The 1500 TRX offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The F-150 Raptor doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

When the 1500 TRX is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The F-150 Raptor’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Optional air conditioned front and rear seats keep the 1500 TRX’s passengers comfortable and take the sting out of hot leather in summer. The F-150 Raptor doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats in the rear.

The Ram 1500 was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2023 and 4 more times in the last 5 years. The F-150 Raptor hasn’t been picked since 2018, and the F-150 Raptor has only been chosen twice.

Motor Trend selected the 1500 TRX as their 2021 Truck of the Year. The F-150 Raptor was Truck of the Year in 2018.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Ram 1500 as the 2019 North American Truck of the Year. The F-150 Raptor was last chosen in 2009.