2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R's Fuel Economy Ratings Leave Something To Be Desired

The Ford F-150 Raptor has almost always seemed like a parody of a typical American truck. Starting from the original iteration of the Raptor over a decade ago, every proceeding version of the truck has been more ridiculous. With the huge "FORD" lettering, it essentially invented the practice of spelling out the manufacturer's name on the grille that every off-road-focused SUV/truck seems to do nowadays.

The 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R takes the term "send it" to its full logical conclusion. When a manufacturer starts adding consonants to the end of a model name, you know it's serious. A 700-horsepower, supercharged 5.2-liter V8 ripped right from a Shelby Mustang powers the Raptor, allowing it to jump and cause mayhem as fast as scientifically possible (per Ford). Customers don't necessarily buy a $100,000+ truck capable of 700 horsepower for its fuel economy ratings, but it definitely becomes part of the equation. After all, if you're out in the desert plowing into dunes at 60 mph all day, you'd want the truck to have enough fuel to get home after. While the Raptor R can cruise on any terrain conceivable, you absolutely won't be passing by any fuel pumps.

To put it lightly, the Raptor R gets terrible fuel economy. According to the EPA, the uber-Raptor gets a combined 12 mpg. That's it. If you decide to drive the Raptor R in the city (why would you want to?), that drops to 10 mpg. That means it isn't outside the realm of possibility to get single digit fuel economy if you're really putting the pedal to the metal and making those 700 horses earn their keep.

10 mpg was relatively normal 50 years ago when most cars had giant V8s, and gasoline was of a lower quality, but that's absolutely unheard of in 2022 when EVs are gaining ground. It's worth noting that Ford is the same company that makes the F-150 Lightning, one of the first serious EV trucks. For comparison: A Bugatti Chiron hypercar has an 8-liter, 16-cylinder engine, makes well over 1,000 horsepower, and has four turbochargers and that manage to get 11 combined miles per gallon, according to the EPA. To be fair to Ford, the Ram TRX is another 700-horsepower supercharged truck where designers threw tact out the window, and that vehicle also gets 12 mpg.

While the Raptor R may be the perfect truck for driving like a maniac in the desert, it is perhaps the worst possible vehicle available for the fuel-conscious consumer.