Great Job Mike!!

I don't post here, normally, but I did read the pickup truck comparison on here, and was VERY impressed, and then saw this over on Autoblog today, and followed the link.

You guys do really good work. This is pretty much a faultless test, fairly measured, with no real bias. I did get the feeling that you personally liked the go-fast Raptor over the move mountains Power Wagon, but hell, everyone likes to go fast. If that bias existed, though, the test results didn't show it.

My compliments.

These two trucks are really specialized. Ford's pickup excellence is supreme, in that an F-150 beats a Ram 1500. But, Dodge has Jeep tech to call on, so once you enter high level 4WD matching, Dodge gives away nothing to Ford.

For me, the answer here is simple. For 90% of what I do for driving, the Raptor would be more...well, fun. But, for the other 10%, the Dodge would be able to DO what I'd need, and the Raptor occasionally, in extrteme positions, might not. Also, there's the case of load capacity and tow cap. Again, 90% of the time the Raptor is fine, and even excels, but again there will be times when the Power Wagon can do something the Raptor simply cannot.

Adding a bigger engine isn't going to cure that 10% gap the Raptor faces, and that's okay, because it's still part of the go-fast factor, and more is always better. Besides, in real life, it's likely that any Power Wagon buyer is going to be looking for an available Cummins Diesel engine, instead of the Hemi. What that might do to this test is unknown, but in this size truck, Cummins outsells Hemi by a healthy margin.

Thanks for a great read.

Excellent article, guys! Witty writing and great pictures really bring this story to life! You guys are definitely on my list of automotive sources. BTW, keep up the good tweets too!

Good write up. One area that wasn't covered quite well enough, was offroad driving. The Raptor's strong suit in this area is more than "Oh, it'll play better." type comment, it's along the lines of "There's no comparison, you can really make time offroad in the Raptor." Because that's the heart of the truck. The same speed on offroad would literally dismantle a Powerwagon, and/or it's occupants. No one knows how true this is until they've boogied arouind offroad in a Raptor.

One AMAZING attribute the Raptor has, that's never been expressed, is it's hill descent in REVERSE! I'm serious. Drive up the hairiest, scariest hill you can find, put it in reverse and slowly steer your way back down the hill. Wow, and I mean WOW. All the pucker factor is gone. Anyone who's been in that horrible position knows what a fantastic thing this truly is.

Another downplayed attribute of the Raptor is the ability to run the rear locker at speed in 2wd Hi. Oh man, what a hoot. It makes the truck a point and shooter that you simply can not appreciate unless you do it. Think of your favorite quad on steroids. Flipping the rear end around at will, nailing the throttle, and staying in it. Oh man, it's a real treat. It's a grin sticking thing that instantly makes you a drift king. Yeeeeeehaaaawwwwwww!!!!!

Then there's normal driving. The difference is there too that would help make someone's choice.

The trucks are for completely different purposes, I'd like to have BOTH of them. But where the Ram shines, on techincal slow trails, it doesn't make sense because it's so darned big and heavy, very heavy. There lies the limitation of the Raptor too unless you're very fond of brush scratches on that gorgeous paint, it's WIDE.

I need three rigs: A one ton for hauling/towing. A Raptor for 90% of my drive time on and off road. My Can-Am Outlander for serious offroad way back in the bush.

Yup, if I had a ton of money, I'd make Jay Leno look like a Miser!

Great write up, pretty much tells the story. I'll add this closing comment. Do NOT go riding with someone offroad in a Raptor, ever ever ever if you plan on wanting and needing a heavy duty trail rig like the Powerwagon. That plodding speed they're restricted to will drive you bonkers. You can add a winch to a Raptor much more cheaply and easily than what it would take to get the Powerwagon anywhere near as capable as the Raptor in the other areas. And that is simply the cash, nuts and bolts of it.

Oh yeah, one more thing, watching a DVD on the big honkin' Sync screen while you're eatin' a burger is pretty freakin' fun too!

Oh, one more thing, kewl factor. One's got it, the other doesn't! One looks Hot Wheels special, the other looks soooo sleeeeepy ZZZzzzzz.

Well said Huck BB62. I envy you.

Mike, Stewart,

You did a great write up differentiating these two entirely different off-roadsters from one and other. These are two different horses for different types of cowboys that readers need to understand. Good job!

Great review! Loved the pictures, makes me wanna go wheeling right now!

Both great trucks, but I do have one major problem. No diesel engine! Now, I can see why the Raptor cant have a diesel. Its designed for high-speed desert racing/pre-running. It would add to much weight and with diesel torque probably just spin the tires all the time. All the weight over the IFS would just eat suspension parts like cereal.

The Dodge on the other hand could use a diesel. @ Dodge, find a way to mount a winch with the Cummins intercooler intact. You can do it I know it. Where theirs a will theres a way. With the Cummins diesel and a 6-speed manual, 4.56 gears and dual lockers plus limited slip diff you could just put it in 4-hi or low put it in 1st gear let the clutch out and idle over anything in your way!! The Cummins makes peak torque just off idle, 1500rpm. People would buy that truck! I would say 99% of people who buy a Dodge Ram 2500/3500 buy it for the Cummins engine.

big, there's a reason you can't put the Cummins in a Powerwagon. The axles would have to be doublesized because of the lockers. If you put 100% of the torque from a new Cummins into the axles currently on the Powerwagon, you'd have carnage all of the time. Now, perhaps a downsized version of the Cummins, but where'd the fun in that be right? :) No diesels for Powerwagons, or Raptors. It won't happen.

Around here, the enthusiasm for diesels are beginning to wane unless you're hauling heavy all of the time because of the fuel cost, and the huge markup for the engine.

I dont know for 46k the raptor looks very gimmiky where The ram looks like it means buisness. sure the raptor could win a race in the desert but i wonder if for 46k thats realy worth it over The ram. 10k towing....a Heavy duty frame. u can go to the home depot and load it up with plywood or tow a 5th wheel and not be humiliated with it squatting. In the end i supose the Raptor is a race boys truck that is a one trick pony which it wil do exceedingly well but if your gonna spend 46k id go with that 2500 level truck EVERY time.

We specifically asked the Dodge engineering team why no Cummins. They had a long list of reasons, which boiled down to:

1) Expense. A Cummins would add more than the cost of the engine, because EVERYTHING would have to be upgraded to support the Cummins, including axles, electrical, cooling etc. etc. So you're looking at a premium of at least $10,000. At that price, does anybody still want the truck?

2) The winch would have to go, because the Cummins is long and needs an intercooler, which the winch would compromise.

3) The Cummins is a tow motor, working best at a steady state on the highway. But the Power Wagon is a high-mobility truck, which calls for throttle modulation. So the gas engine is better suited.

4) From a marketing point of view, the volume does not support two power trains. The Power Wagon is a small volume product, so manufacturing complexity needs to be managed.

5) We quote Engineer Aaron Hollub: “If you look at the vehicle application, a gas engine really is a better engine. You get quicker throttle response, a lighter vehicle overall, a more snap feel to it. The truck and rest of the suspension is geared toward high mobility, not towards high towing, so the diesel would lose its benefit as a towing engine.”
“With the axles and gears, when we’ve off-roaded these, I’ve never found a spot where I’ve wanted for more torque. So you don’t need a diesel. And the throttle response of a gas engine is going to be better. Gas is the right application, really."

Those are great point about why the Cummins cant be in the power wagon. I agree, I just wasnt aware of all of them before.

@ John Stewart, A Cummins motor will do great in any driving situation!!! Ever seen a modified Cummins pull 5000rpm down a dragstrip or sled pull track over and over again? Ever seen the Scheid Cummins powered dragster do a 6 second E.T. in the 1.4 mile? Ever seen the new Scheid diesel Cummins powered sled puller with 2000rwhp (not a typo!) yank a sled around? Dont think for a second its just a highway queen. Not saying you do, just wanted to point that out.

Anyway, I suppose what im saying is I'll never buy a Power Wagon or Raptor. Honestly I think gassers (gasoline engines) are just wastes of metal, because diesel fuel and compression ignition is superior in every way! So no diesel, no deal.

gregg, you're missing the point. The Raptor is more than gimmicky, it's an extremely well thought out purpose vehicle. It'll still haul. Perhaps not a whole pallet load of drywall or plywood, but it'll haul. It'll tow, not a 5th wheel or heavy equipment trailer, but it'll still tow. It's not just great for open desert. It takes ANY bad road, or offroad at triple to quadruple the speed of the Powerwagon. It drives and handles leagues above the Powerwagon during any condition with two exceptions, if you need the front locker or you're hauling heavier. The Powerwagon simply will not do well offroad at speed. That took engineering, and a whole lot of testing and developing. More on that "gimmicky" Raptor stuff, it's useful. There's auxiliary prewired switches. The offroad mode really means something. Running with the locker on in 2wd HI makes it an offroad machine par excellence in anyone's book.

The Raptor's just lighter and more nimble. That's the benefit of not being a modified 3/4 ton. The new Ford F-150 package is a great start and the Raptor's modified up from that. What people think they're comparing is apples to apples, again, it's a modified purpose built F-150 from Special Vehicle Teams compared to a modified 3/4 ton truck with a solid front axle, lockers and a winch. They're different. A person needs both.

There's weaknesses that the Powerwagon has that are glaring that are not pointed out here. People have the opinion that the Powerwagon is a heavy hauler. Only 900lbs more. Fill that back seat up with people, what have you got? Not enough for that copious quantity of plywood that one would think.

How about that turning radius? The Raptor's bad enough. But the PW is absolutly Titanical in it's turning radius, enough to whack a few icebergs!

The ground clearance? Perhaps one would NEED a front locker if you're hanging up more often! :)

And hey, this is 2010 models, where's the 6 speed with the granny first gear. It's my belief that all 4x4s should have a granny low first gear.

The hill descent mode on the Raptor, forward and reverse, as I've said before, can absolutely be a life saver.

Traction control? It works, period. I can tell you already that while it does make it slow down in the dirt, it keeps you from digging a hole to China and avoid shovel work or wait for a tow strap.

Five and a half inches. There's that much difference in track width. This translates into so many things. It doesn't state center of gravity but I can already say that it is very very difficult to turn a Raptor over. This is a huge benefit off and on the road.

It was far easier to develop the Powerwagon than it was to develop the Raptor. The electronics, transmission, locker, suspension, well, I guess it is gimmicky, but the package is amazing. The Powerwagon was a simple formula actually, no high tech marvel, just a well put together package that didn't really take a team to develop and test nearly as long and hard as the Raptor.

The six speed in the Raptor is awesome. It's combinations make it look like a Unimog compared to the Dodge! (plus it even has a deeper reverse)

Like I said, one trip offroad in a Raptor and no matter what your age, you'll feel like a "race boy" again. Wanna go at a utilitarian sedentary pace, well, the PW's the tool!

And well, there's that mexican engine thingy goin' on but hey, both of them are outsourced to a point right? (I do so wish they wouldn't)

For John Stewart:
The axles would have to be huge. They're right. I disagree on the some of the rest of the statements though. Unimog uses diesels, people love them, they work tremendously well. It's just an adjustment to driving style. The winch? Put it on a manual transmission (with that missing first speed granny gear) PTO and out in front of the bumper. No one says it has to be an internal mount, really.

thank you for finally clarifying that the raptor and pw are both offroad trucks but very different...i do not like ford...i like the raptor tho..although id never buy one..id just build my own dodge version of the 1500...thats just me tho

I want to clarify on point in this article. You state that you can haul 1,020 lbs in the bed of the Raptor, and still use it as a "truck". The Raptor that I looked at last weekend had a decal inside the drivers side door that said "The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed 839 lbs". So if I put my family of four in the cab of a Raptor I am left with a cargo capacity of about 150 lbs in the bed of the truck, which is far different from the 1,020 lbs stated in the article. I realize that different options on the truck will change the net cargo capacity, but that 1,020 lbs stated in the article also includes the weight of the occupants of the truck. I would not be stating that a vehicle that can carry 150 lbs in its bed after the passengers are in the cab can be used as a "truck".

That's the tire information decal. I'm not quite sure where they get their numbers from on that, or who is filling them out. The D rated 315s are rated at 3100lbs, each. Go figure. They also have the inflation recommendation at 44psi which is much too high for an unladen truck. That decal means not so much in my opinion. Just for grins, what does the tire loading decal say on a PW and how much load would it be able to carry with a cab load of people?

That is good news. The low rating of 839 lbs was the one thing holding me back from buying the truck. If it will carry 1,020 lbs with occupants included it will give me just barely enough extra capacity to handle the tongue weight of my all aluminum tilt bed trailer that I need to tow. The trailer only weighs 3000 lbs loaded, but will have a 300 lb tongue weight. Happy days, ... a Raptor is in my future.

Huck BB62's posting is the best reader response I've ever read on any site on any subject at any time! Bravo, Huck!

It is challenging to argue that these two vehicles are deserving of comparison--the Power Wagon is more directly comparable to the higher-numbered F-Series vehicles than it is comparable to a modified F-150. That being said, I agree that adding a winch to the Raptor pretty much removes any worthwhile advantages of the Power Wagon for hundreds of dollars whreas it would require untold thousands of dollars to make the Power Wagon the offroad equivalent to the Raptor. Dodge apparently thinks so too, as evidenced by the chromed grille surround and the chromed bumpers on the Power Wagon. The Power Wagon is a pavement piece with low-speed offroad abilities. Nothin' wrong with that.

The Raptor is a chunk of Baja 1000 for your garage! I'd gladly take on the Power Wagon and the Raptor anywhere off the pavement in my modified daily-driver '66 Bronco. I'd beat the Power Wagon for sure, but I'd crest the next ridge only to see the Raptor's dust goin' outta sight on the far and distant horizon...Nothin' wrong with that, either!

I wanted to add something here: I wish they'd do a driving tour where you could actually go play and test drive the Raptor in it's element. I do believe they could charge admission!!!! I just had a friend call me. Our other friend is the one I took out four wheeling the other day. He was in disbelief at how excited and freaked out the guy was. Ok, I find it hard to believe I scared him that badly, but hey, we did do some stuff that you just can't be used to in a vehicle without very very bad consequences. (airborn sideways in a drift?! Whooya!) Now he wants a ride. I just might oblige, only if they pay the car wash bill to get all the mud off of the truck! By the way, I came very near the posted 30" fording depth. That's pretty deep without a snorkel.

@ Huck BB62 That Phil was correct, 839lbs is the actual payload for that truck and I believe that includes a 150 driver. Thats it.

There are many, many forum discusions around how that makes no sense but it is true.

You tell me how a Raptor has a lower payload than a Fusion and I'll tell you how you shoudl have got your degree at a better school!

Figure it out. Soft suspension, tall tires. A Ford FX4 is rated to tow 8400 lbs. I do know that it makes a huge difference. I once tried to tow a car hauler with another Scout on it with my old Scout II, it had 33x9" BFG mudders on it with Rancho 9000s. I almost crashed the thing. I pulled off the highway, pumped the tires up to max pressure and set the Ranchos on max setting and it towed like a dream. That info's on the darned tire information sticker. Don't ask me why they downgraded the towing so much but you can't get a remarkably compliant suspension that's capable of what the Raptor does for free. There's a price to be paid. Some of us are willing, some won't be. The truck can take more, but the lawyers are involved. Need I say more? Think they sprinkled that magic spring dust on all the other trucks the past four years to make the GVWR go up and up?

Go crawl under a Raptor, then an FX4 and tell me the difference. Same frame. Different springs, long travel shocks, tall tires. Add a leaf spring, put some E range 10 plies on it and replace the Fox Shox with some Rancho 9000s and set 'em on 5 and you could tow a house. The mere thought of that makes me want to wretch, but go ahead!

I agree. Would be a shame to alter the suspension it came with. I think thats why even if they produce a crew, I can't do it. Unless I have two trucks.... Hmmmmmmmm

The Raptor is not made for hauling families of four or for towing. Unless you are using the Raptor for offroading, you are posing. Buy an XLT if you want to haul. Stay tuned for the payload special from Mike Levine.

Or you want to own the coolest looking factory production truck offered?

FORD RAPTOR BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Huck must be someone from Ford Marketing.

1. Huck mentions "offroad at speed" is better in the Raptor....Seriously how much speed do you need going down the Rubicon trail? Do you understand the difference between running at speed in the desert and crawling over rocks? How is the Raptor to do what the Dodge does (which has 32 inches of wheel travel) crawling over rocks.

2. The towing ability of the Power Wagon is above and beyond the Raptor, it's based on the 2500 series.

3. Calling the effort of the Dodge engineers essentially lame is dumb. You have no idea on the amount of time those people spent on making their truck a capable, strong, and reliable rig.

Oh and BTW you can watch DVD's on the front screen of the Dodge too, and since Chrysler didn't put a bunch of stupid buttons controlling the radio, if you wish to change to an aftermarket unit you can without a major hassle. Not to mention you can also equip 2010 HD Ram's with AUX switches on the dash.

Both are good trucks for their intended purpose. And both are very differen from each othert. Saying that the Raptor can do what the Ram can is laughable, because it's far from the truth, off-roading isn't just jumping a few curbs and calling it a day. Bottom line is that you won't find a Power Wagon in the desert, and you won't find a Raptor climbing over boulders on a mountain trail.

i have to correct you there are 3 offroad trucks. you forgot about the H3T alph which has front and rear lockers mega underbody protection and puts out similar figures as the raptor with gm's 5.3L not to mention its designed for one thing only offroading!

We ordered a Raptor from our local dealer in Sept. Picked the truck up end of Oct. No off-road yet due to busy schedule, etc. However, after a 2200 mile drive from NM to CA I can say this truck is the most comfortable vehicle I've driven in 40 yrs of driving! We live in NM and bought this for exploring roads and ruins of the southwest. Should be fun!

Two entirely different trucks built for two entirely different markets. Nobody is going to "cross shop" these vehicles.

Seriously, think about it.

Hank makes good points about the Ford. It is a great offroad truck for what it is supposed to be. But its supposed to be a Class 8 repliracer. And thats fine.
The Dodge, on the other hand is a TRUCK. Meant to work on a ranch or farm. Work Construction. Go hunting. Go camping. Haul the fishing boat to the lake.
So if your looking for a real truck you buy the Dodge, if your looking for a boyracer toy you buy the ford.

Well I for one think that $50K for a truck?? is a bit extreme. If I am going to put out that much I would rather add a bit more and get a CTX with leather and slide out bed in the rear.

This was an excellent, well-written review, and I agree 100% with Black's comments.

After 34 years in California I moved to New Hampshire where the terrain and weather is completely different. Most of New England is rural. New Hampshire and Maine are the two most heavily forested states in the nation, and most roads are not paved. For a full five months of the year, the ground is covered with snow and ice, followed by at least a month of sticky mud. Everyone I know depends on firewood for at least part of their heating, and most do their own logging. We haul our groceries in... and then haul our trash out. There's no public transportation. Similar conditions exist for about a third of the US. Our trucks and SUVs are most important to everyday survival... fun too, but a distant second place.

Please consider Big Bear, the Cascades or similar venues, during the winter, for your next off-road tests.

there's really no point in comparing the two because they're not even in the same class. the people that wrote this review said it themselves this wasnt an apples to apples comparison. to say that one is strictly better than the other is like saying a porche is better than a mack truck. better at what??

look, the raptor was designed after baja racing trucks so if you didnt know anything before reading this article, that should tell you a lot itself. it was designed to go fast off the road, durr. can the powerwagon do what it can? um....no, and if it did, the truck probably would be trashed. then again, if the raptor tried to do what the powerwagon can do, that would be a different story too.

everything about the powerwagon screams heavy duty just like everything about the raptor screams offroad racing. try pulling, towing, getting high centered, and going through things that the powerwagon can go through in a raptor. the raptor would have a tough time doing the same thing as the powerwagon, just as the powerwagon would have a tough time doing what the raptor can.

it seems to me if you want a fast 4x4 with awesome handling, suspension, and capabilities, then opt for the raptor. if you want a powerful, heavy duty, 4x4, work truck that can get through anything, opt for the powerwagon. i'd get the powerwagon personally, but i wouldnt be trying to go fast in it offroad and if i got the raptor, i wouldnt be using it as an offroad work truck.

I like both trucks, but for what I do, I'll have to take the Power Wagon.. I'm an Oregonian, that drives on logging roads in the rain, and going over logs and stumps if needed.. (currently have an 01 Explorer on 31" BFG All terrains, that suck in the mud, and use my Warn 9.5ti to get unstuck)

Late to the party as I only read the article today, but I wanted to point out that that the Hummer H2 has similar size tires to the Raptor and is a Load Range D.