2010 TOP SAFETY PICK
· The 2011 Ford Fiesta has earned a 2010 Top Safety Pick from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) – it is the first mini-car to do so since the introduction of a new roof strength test
· Fiesta’s energy-absorbing body structure is optimized for strength and stiffness and designed to absorb and redirect crash forces away from the passenger compartment
· Fiesta features the most standard airbags in the mini-car segment and standard stability control – a requirement for any Top Safety Pick vehicle
· Ford has the most Top Safety Picks of any automaker
DEARBORN, Mich., Aug. 25, 2010 – The 2011 Ford Fiesta is the first mini-car to earn a Top Safety Pick from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) since the introduction of a new roof strength test. The award applies to vehicles built after July 2010. The Fiesta is the eighth Ford Motor Company vehicle to earn the Institute's top designation – breaking a tie with Toyota for the most “Top Safety Picks” of any automaker.
Fiesta’s extensive use of high-strength steels, Trinity front crash structure, Side Protection And Cabin Enhancement (SPACE) Architecture® and advanced airbag technologies helped the car perform well in IIHS testing. Fiesta’s energy-absorbing body structure is optimized for strength and stiffness and designed to absorb and redirect crash forces away from the passenger compartment. Plus, it features the most standard airbags in its segment, as well as standard electronic stability control – a must-have feature for Top Safety Pick eligibility.
“Fiesta is proof that a small car can deliver big safety, and earning a Top Safety Pick further demonstrates Ford’s commitment to providing all of our customers with world-class crash protection,” said Sue Cischke, Ford’s group vice president of Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering. “Fiesta combines rigidity and more airbags – smartly deployed – than its competition, as well as standard stability control.”
Strong and stylish
Beneath Fiesta’s stylish exterior is a robust structure, crafted from high-strength steels engineered to preserve quality and enhance driver and passenger safety.
Fiesta uses significant cold- and hot-formed high-strength steel in the body structure. These components add rigidity and save weight, increasing structural efficiency while also helping Fiesta deliver class-leading fuel efficiency of 40 mpg, which is achieved with Ford’s new six-speed PowerShift automatic transmission.
More than 55 percent of Fiesta’s body structure uses these high-strength or ultra-high-strength steels in the floor structure, front rails, beams and in the ultra-rigid, integrated body reinforcement ring designed to help better protect occupants in side impacts.
Fiesta A- and B-pillars are fashioned from ultra-high-strength aluminized boron steel, adding robustness while allowing for slim width and rake to honor Fiesta’s distinctive design. Rocker panels – with welded baffles to absorb impact – also are crafted from very high-strength, dual-phase steels, known for their energy-absorption qualities. The side roof arch employs dual-phase steel construction. The under-floor support beams – so-called sled runners – and lateral floor reinforcements also use high-strength, dual-phase steel. These light but strong metals in Fiesta’s robust body shell help enhance crash protection by adding strength, rigidity and durability.
Segment-busting safety
The Fiesta body shell is well equipped with safety features to help protect its occupants in the event of a collision, including the most standard airbags in the segment.
Fiesta offers a segment-exclusive driver’s knee airbag, developed to help reduce lower leg injuries in the event of a frontal collision and to work together with other safety features. The knee airbag joins a suite of Fiesta safety features including dual-stage first-row airbags, side-impact airbags and side curtain airbags. A knee airbag won’t be found in Honda Fit, Nissan Versa or Toyota Yaris. Move up to Civic, Sentra and Corolla and you still won’t find a driver’s knee airbag.
“Smart” Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) sensors determine occupant weight and seat belt status to optimize deployment force. Smart sensors include the class-exclusive side-impact sensor that uses pressure to react up to 30 percent faster than previous sensor offerings.
Also available on the Fiesta is Ford’s AdvanceTrac® with ESC (electronic stability control), which uses sensors to detect and measure yaw, or side-to-side skidding conditions, by monitoring vehicle speed, throttle position and steering wheel angle. When AdvanceTrac senses wheel slip, engine torque is reduced and braking is applied where needed to help the driver keep the car tracking on its intended path.
“Fiesta sets a new benchmark for small car safety,” Cischke said. “Fiesta is a clear example that making a safe car doesn’t mean making a large car or a heavy car. Fiesta has it all; safety, good design and driving character.”
The 2011 Ford Mustang is the first car with more than 300 horsepower to get over 30 mpg on the highway, and a Ford team recently proved it can do even better: It stretched one 16-gallon tank of gas to 776.5 miles.
If you're not a mathematician, that's 48.5 mpg, which rivals numbers put up by today's most efficient hybrids like the Honda Insight and Toyota Prius.
There's an important caveat to that number, though. The drivers were cruising around the Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee at a limp 43.9 mph average speed. The Ford team originally wanted to see if the Mustang could get 1,000 laps (a total of 533 miles) but blew past that mark with the tank still a quarter full.
The driving team included Tom Barnes, Jonathan Mehl, Carl Ek, David Ragan and Seong Park, who took one-hour turns behind the wheel over the course of the 17 hours it took for the Mustang's tank to run dry.
Toyota's safety troubles appear to be spilling over to manufacturing quality as it tumbled from 6th to 21st place in this year's J.D. Power and Associates' annual Initial Quality Survey.
Porsche — its Panamera is shown above — was the top brand overall in fewest initial defects per vehicle. It was followed by Acura, Mercedes-Benz and Toyota's Lexus brand.
But Ford-brand vehicles came next, breaking into the top 5 for the first time in the study's 24 years. And in another first, the Detroit makers collectively beat imports, as Power hailed them in the study for their quality gains.
At the bottom with most defects: Land Rover, far behind the next worst-scorers, Mitsubishi and Volkswagen.
The study, the most-watched survey in the industry for quality straight from the assembly plant, measures how many problems show up in vehicles in the first 90 days of ownership.
The Toyota brand fell dramatically in rank as its count rose by 16 defects per 100 vehicles, from 101 to 117. The poor quality showing comes on top of a series of embarrassing safety recalls. "Clearly, Toyota has endured a difficult year," said David Sargent, VP of global vehicle research at J.D. Power and Associates. "Recent consumer concerns regarding Toyota's quality are reflected in the nameplate's performance in the 2010 study."
Said Toyota spokesman John Hanson: "Of course we are disappointed in the drop in the Toyota and Lexus IQS rankings. But this year's study was conducted at the height of intense media coverage of our recent recalls, so it's no surprise to see the impact this had on this specific rank for the vehicles involved."
He said that vehicles not involved in the recalls saw higher scores compared to last year
The industry average for 2010 in initial quality is 109 problems per 100 vehicles, up slightly from 108 last year. But initial quality for domestic brands rose 4 points this year to an average of 108, one better than the average for all brands.
"Domestic automakers have made impressive strides in steadily improving vehicle quality, particularly since 2007," said Sargent. "This year may mark a key turning point for U.S. brands as they continue to fight the battle against lingering negative perceptions of their quality."
Among individual vehicles showing improvement: Ford Focus, Ram 1500 pickup and Buick Enclave. Ford Motor has been improving steadily and has 12 models in the top three in their categories this year, more than any maker. General Motors wasn't far behind with 10 models in the category top threes. And four of Ford's winners were Volvos, a brand it has a deal to sell.
Even some new models, which often need time to work out kinks, showed high initial quality. The new Honda Accord Crosstour, redesigned Ford Mustang, Ford Taurus and Lexus GX 460 each ranked No. 1 in their respective segments. The Ford Fusion, Mercedes-Benz E-Class coupe and sedan and Porsche Panamera also launched with "notably high initial quality levels," says Power.
The 2010 Ford Taurus is definitely different enough to warrant another look if you've considered one in the past, or if you're in the market for a large sedan.
Although the mechanicals are basically the same as 2009 and before, the Taurus gets such a thorough reskin that you wouldn't be able to tell it. For all cosmetic considerations, the 2010 Taurus is an all-new car—a flashier-looking one.
The well-detailed grille and headlights, along with the creased hood, certainly bring a distinctive look, though the chromed side gills seemed a little gimmicky. From some angles, it's as if Ford has surrendered to the blocky, high-wasted look that Chrysler has been preaching with its 300C. To Ford's credit, the new Taurus has finally shed its frumpy side that it carried since when it was called the Five Hundred. The automaker has been attempting to frame the Taurus as its flagship model rather than the mainstream sedan the name referred to in the past (that's now the Fusion).
A couple inches off the top, a little tight inside
While the pre-2010 Taurus had a relatively high seating position, low beltline, and tall greenhouse—for an excellent view outward—the latest iteration of the Taurus could feel a little more secure—or a little claustrophobic, depending on the point of view. Two inches of roof height have been lost, and it's a difference you can feel.
All the styling changes that Ford made to the Taurus for 2010 altogether make it feel considerably tighter inside. The wide center console and curved instrument panel design leave the driver and front passenger with remarkably small areas, with those front seats seemingly wedged against the center console. The front seats themselves could be adjusted to an ideal position for a wide range of drivers, but the lower cushions felt unduly short, especially for a full-size car. The backseat area isn't so perfect, either; while wide and capable of holding three across, it's surprisingly tight for both legroom and headroom; the smaller Ford Fusion might be roomier, by some gauges. Overall, though the trunk is mammoth, there's a feeling that that some of this vast real estate could have been better spent.
We like the simple yet elegant look of the instrument panel, with brightly lit deep-dish gauges and a relatively simple layout. The only exception is that in looking down quickly, it's easy to get the four like-sized, like-feeling climate-control and audio knobs confused.
In the city, the Taurus rides and drives like a large vehicle, and the inability to see the front corners can be tough in tight spaces. The ride quality is a little odd—simultaneously jarring over potholes, pavement breaks, and the like, but also almost bouncy over the largest potholes or railroad crossings. We briefly had four aboard, and the Taurus' ride felt slightly more buttoned-down. For 2010, there have been extensive suspension changes, and to its credit the Taurus handles quite well for a more comfort-oriented large sedan.
Feels large in the city, just right on the highway
For those who do a lot of highway cruising, the story is quite different; then, the ride turns quite settled and composed, with road and wind noise kept to a minimum, and the steering has a nice weighting and reassuring on-center feel that won't wear on you.
The 263-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 in our Taurus had plenty of accessible torque, as well as higher-rev horsepower for passing, but it's a little too coarse-sounding when accelerating hard, and we didn't find the automatic transmission's shifts all that smooth compared to, say, the Toyota Avalon.
Fuel economy is about what you'd expect for a big 4,200-pound sedan with all-wheel drive. We saw about 18 mpg overall in a week and about 100 miles of mostly city driving. For only city driving, count on around 16 mpg; official EPA ratings stand at 17/25.
Standout safety and tech content
Safety remains one of the Taurus's strengths in the market. With top scores from the IIHS in all categories, including the new roof-strength test, it's a Top Safety Pick for 2010. Several more tech features, including Ford's updated Sync tools and MyKey system, have been added, too.
Here, Ford has traded off some functionality in the name of style. The Taurus still isn't a vehicle that you're going to fall in love with for its driving experience, but it is better-looking. Would you be buying a sedan for the look of it, or for the greater accommodations? That's your choice.
Stuck at a standstill in traffic and wondering if you have options? Or wondering if tomorrow's the right time for a blind date?
Through the new voice-activated Traffic, Directions & Information (TDI) application that Ford offers in 2010- and 2011-model-year vehicles, both are now possible behind the wheel. Ford has added horoscopes, stock quotes, and movie listings, along with travel information to the system's navigation and traffic features.
The services are call-based and don't require a data subscription, or rack up additional connection fees; they're provided by Microsoft Tellme, which allows drivers to use their Bluetooth-connected phone to give make voice requests. Much like the old voice- or touch-tone services like Moviefone, the service accesses information through a set menu structure, but ties in nicely with the Sync interface and uses the driver's current location.
New stock features allow you to receive real-time stock quotes or get a list of investor specifics such as price-to-earnings ratio. With the travel-based services, it will connect calls through to 150 different airlines, 50 hotel chains, or 11 major rental-car companies.
The TDI features of Sync already allow turn-by-turn navigation, business search, and customized traffic services.
All the new features–demonstrated below in a 2011 Ford Fiesta–will be immediately available to those who have 2010- or 2011-model-year Ford, Mercury, or Lincoln vehicles. Since the upgrade, the first time they connect they'll hear a statement announcing the updated choices.
On vehicles so equipped with a version of Sync that has TDI, the additional services come with no subscription fee for the first three years of ownership.
For over a year, Europeans have been driving Ford's new Fiesta and falling in love with it. The car became the best-selling vehicle across the continent in the first quarter of 2010 and all signs point to it continuing that streak for the remainder of the year. This makes the Fiesta something like Europe's version of the Ford F-150, the best-selling vehicle in America.
With proven success in Europe and increasing interest in small, efficient cars in the U.S., it made sense for Ford to offer it up to American consumers, although in a slightly different body style than the 3-door hatchback sold in bulk in Europe. More appealing to buyers in the U.S. (and China, says Ford) is a newly styled four-door sedan, which will be sold here alongside a slightly pricier five-door hatchback beginning in July. The starting price for the four-door base-level sedan is $13,995, while the five-door hatchback will go for $15,795.
We’ve seen European cars transplated to America before, however, we've typically been disappointed. Diluted, plucked and labotomized, American versions of European cars have disappointed us, especially those sold by American car companies. Will the Fiesta be any different?
Wisely, Ford kept the handling attributes of the European Fiesta intact, and did not compromise its crisp road manners for fear of offending U.S. customers. Detroit has historically (and mistakenly) assumed the mushy ride and isolated steering of big cars should be transplanted into their small cars as well. But the American Fiesta is almost identical to the European version. Suspension tuning for the American market actually incorporates firmer anti-roll bars than the Euro model, because Americans prefer more compliant all-season tires instead of rougher-riding and stickier summer tires. (In addition to wearing black socks with white shoes and sandals, many Europeans use separate snow tires in the winter, too.) A fun-to-drive European-bred car that's actually going to drive better for the American version? This we like.
The U.S. Fiesta comes only with the largest engine available in any Fiesta: a 1.6-liter four-cylinder that produces 120 hp and 112 lb-ft of torque, yet returns spectacular fuel efficiency when matched to a sophisticated new automatic transmission that makes its debut here. The engine features the most optimal variable valve timing setup, with independent control of both intake and exhaust. A refined five-speed manual transmission is standard, but for about $1,200 the so-called "Powershift" automatic six-speed raises the car's expected EPA test cycle performance from 38 to 40 mpg on the highway. In the city, the standard manual is expected to get 29 mpg, while the automatic gets 30 mpg.
The reason the automatic is more efficient is because it is a "twin-clutch" design. In short, that means there are the equivalent of two separate three-speed manual gearboxes that take turns routing the power while electromagnetic servo motors automatically actuate the two concentric clutches (hence the twin-clutch name), as well as the shifting mechanism. This design does away with the power-robbing hydraulic torque converter that you'll find on a conventional automatic. The electric servo controls on Ford’s twin-clutch transmission, a first for a subcompact in the U.S., are also lighter than the hydraulic systems used for twin-clutch transmissions in larger and more powerful cars like those from Audi, Volkswagen and Mitsubishi.
The slick automatic transmission would feel right at home on a luxury sedan or a sports car, and more refined than what you’d expect in an economy car. First, there is no slipping feeling or windup delay of a hydrualic torque converter like you get with a conventional automatic "slushbox.” The automatic Fiesta accelerates in direct proportion to throttle inputs, one of the reasons that purist car nuts prefer manual transmissions in the first place. The electronic tranmission controls do an excellent job of figuring out when to shift, sensing steering inputs and throttle movements, "using even more senses than the driver has," says John Rich, Ford's powertrain manager for the Fiesta.
The Fiesta will be Ford's smallest car in the U.S. at just 160.1 inches for the five-door, or about the same length as a Honda Fit. The Fiesta sedan is about a foot longer, which makes it just an inch-and-a-half shorter than the more powerful and heavier Focus compact sedan, a car that boasts an additional eight cubic feet of interior space.
2011 Ford Fiesta (Ford).
"Reads Your Mind"
The driveline is just one of three outstanding bright spots in the new Fiesta. Next is the ride and handling of the car. On a designer's notepad, the suspension looks straightforward, with an old-tech twist-beam rear axle and front struts. However, a wealth of experience and tribal knowledge went into tuning these pieces so they work well enough you'd think they were more complex. The ride is generally supple over bumps, but there are there are no stray movements on really bad roads.
Even though the Fiesta rides softly, it doesn't roll over onto the sides of its outside wheels in tight corners. Nor do the front wheels scrub much during a turn. The feeling is accurate and precise, the way Europeans have historically preferred their small cars. However, the more forgiving all-season tires allow stiffer anti-roll bars and therefore less body roll. In fact, the steering is so precise that it seems like it's trying to read your mind.
That's because of a "drift-pull" steering enhancement made possible by the electrical steering assist system. The Fiesta has the hint of racecar alignment, feeling like it's ready to go right or left at any impulse from the driver. However, unlike a racecar's setup, the Fiesta tracks straight as a freight train crossing Kansas.
Ford’s engineers made deft usage of boron steel, the strongest used in cars, as well as a high percentage of other high-strength steel in the Fiesta’s body, which makes it strong, light and safe. Anchored to this structure is safety equipment such as front, side and curtain airbags, and even a unique driver knee airbag, for a total of seven separate airbags, more than any subcompact yet available. Traction control, stability control, and grippy brakes are also standard on all Fiestas. To say that Ford put a ton of content in this Fiesta would be an understatement.
Ford has chosen to incorporate more convenience goodies as standard, too. The fuel filler is capless, and the steering wheel telescopes; optional is a steering wheel with audio and entertainment controls, and colored "usher" lighting on the floor and console keep the interior visible at night. In addition to Bluetooth connectivity, Ford's Sync system connects smart phones to the car, so voice commands can control phone and entertainment functions. By entertainment functions, Ford means a new downloadable free software system called AppLink will be available by the end of the summer to operate applications such as Pandora internet radio, Stitcher internet voice programming, and OpenBeak tweeting. Updated versions of these applications will be available through the Android Market and Blackberry App World, while other application creators are being encouraged by Ford to develop their own applications to work with the Sync system. The AppLink Sync system pairs itself to a smart phone, and can be accessed by voice or dashboard controls, or those found in the optional steering wheel. The standard Sync system includes turn-by-turn voice guidance as an option, but there is no display screen for a conventional navigation system. With nav systems selling for $150 or less these days, Ford made the right choice to leave out the screen.
2011 Ford Fiesta (Ford).
Inside, the Fiesta rides quietly enough to make phone calls, as well as to allow occupants to thoroughly enjoy the extensive entertainment functions. The seats feel soft, but have Euro-inspired support bolsters. In the rear, where European adults regularly ride, the seats are extended far enough to keep big people comfortable, either on the plush cloth seating or the optional leather with exposed stitching. The instrument panel and door panels are covered in quality-feeling soft-touch material, similar to the larger Focus'.
Overall, the new Fiesta is comfortable inside with no shortage of safety equipment. The nimble, responsive chassis gives the driver confidence on crowded freeways and twisty backroads. The smoothness of the driveline makes the Fiesta feel more refined than its low price suggests, too. Ford successfully ported the Fiesta to America without losing any of its charm. While we don't expect it to outsell the F-150 any time soon, buyers who opt for the smallest Ford will figure out in quick order what the Europeans have been talking about for years.
In recent months and years, U.S. automakers have rallied that American cars are now on equal or better footing than Japanese (and Korean) cars in terms of quality, reliability, and durability.
The campaigns, along with sea-change improvements in some of the products coming from Detroit, as observed by TheCarConnection.com, seem to have worked. With critically acclaimed success stories like the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid, Ford (NYSE:F) has gained significantly with U.S. shoppers; the percentage singling out Ford as the automaker producing the best quality cars doubled since 2006, from nine percent to 18 percent.
It's not surprising, given the slew of recalls that have been announced in recent months—including some that have applied to the automaker's iconic 2010 Toyota Prius flagship—Toyota took the hardest hit when poll-takers asked who produces the best quality cars. It fell from 25 down to 15 percent.
The results come from an AP-GfK Poll, taken by GfK Roper Public Affairs and Media, and based on 1,002 adults 18 and older—702 by landline and 300 by cellphone—then weighted to the Current Population Survey. It was conducted March 3 and March 8 of this year, but included in the poll results were those from December 2006, when many of the same questions were asked.
Compared to 2006, a slightly higher percentage said that they would consider buying an American car (68 percent now versus 64 percent then). But there's still progress to be made on behalf of the U.S. industry; the perception remains that foreign cars are better quality, better made, and/or longer lasting.
When asked which country produces the best quality cars, 38 percent of respondents thought U.S. vehicles were tops (up from 29 percent in 2006), while Europe was down slightly (from 17 to 15 percent) and Asia was down significantly (from 46 percent in 2006 to 33 percent in March). Japan took the hardest hit, down from 44 percent to 29 percent.
In a test of image, respondents were asked to name their dream car. There, 38 percent responded with a foreign brand, with models from Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Lexus placing highest. Domestic models were chosen by 31 percent, with Chevrolet, Ford, Cadillac, and Chrysler ranked at the top (though Corvette was separated out as a separate brand).
Interestingly, vehicle ownership looks to have dropped slightly during this time according to this demographically adjusted poll, with 83 percent owning or leasing one or more vehicles in 2010, versus 89 percent in 2006. A surprising 17 percent said this year that they didn't own or lease a vehicle at all—that's way up from ten percent then.
One stereotype that hasn't changed is that those in the Western U.S.—along with those who have completed more education—are far more likely to hold their high regard for Asian-made vehicles. Older and rural residents remained more positive about American cars.
When the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor was first unveiled in 2008, auto enthusiasts of all stripes were stopped in their tracks by the sheer outrageousness of Ford's off-road pickup truck. There has never been a factory-offered high-performance car or truck engineered to travel at speeds up to 100 mph in places where little more than rocks and sand are the only sources of traction. After several turns behind the wheel of the 5.4-liter V-8 model, we were shocked and awed by how well the Raptor fulfilled Ford's go-fast-in-the-dirt and air-catching promises.
But suddenly, the original Raptor is a base-model truck. A new 6.2-liter V-8 Raptor has arrived with the most powerful engine available in a half-ton pickup, and we've just driven it hard in the unforgiving Mojave Desert of Southern California.
PickupTrucks.com reader Matt Davis, who hangs out with the Raptor driving crew at SVTOffRoad.com, picked up his 6.2-liter Raptor last week and was kind enough to let us borrow it for a day. Also driving alongside us, our good friend Sean Holman, tech editor at Four Wheeler Magazine (you can read Sean's initial opinion of the truck at the Four Wheeler Blog).
More Power!
For years, if there was one gripe that Ford F-150 owners collectively shared, it was the distinct lack of power (and bragging rights) that come with a large-displacement V-8. The all-new 6.2-liter is meant to answer this glaring hole in Ford's powertrain lineup.
The single-overhead cam 6.2-liter V-8 is rated at a brawny 411 horsepower and 434 pounds-feet of torque. The fact that it's making its debut in today's frugal times is rather odd, like seeing the strongman sideshow freak turn up in a Cirque du Soleil performance. Where Ford's latest gas and diesel engines are modern marvels that feature direct injection, turbochargers, compacted graphite iron engine blocks and slick tech like twin intake variable cam timing, the 6.2-liter V-8 is a bit of a throwback. It has two valves and two spark plugs per cylinder, a cast-iron engine block and aluminum cylinder heads. It also features a cast-iron crankshaft, forged steel connecting rods and cast-aluminum pistons. "Powered by Ford" is proudly embossed on the valve covers.
In addition to the Raptor, the 6.2-liter V-8 can also be found bolted under the hood of the new 2011 F-Series Super Duty, where it's rated a bit lower at 385 hp and 405 pounds-feet of torque.
Before we made a beeline for the California outback north of Edwards Air Force Base to try out the whole truck, we paid a visit to our friends at K&N Air Filters in Riverside to borrow time on their chassis dynamometer to empirically measure the horsepower and torque curves of the 6.2-liter.
With the transmission in third gear, maximum torque was measured at 361.64 pounds-feet and horsepower peaked at 344.52 hp. Both measurements were made at the rear wheels instead of at the crank, which is what Ford uses to claim its advertised rating of 411 hp and 434 pounds-feet.
A 20 percent power loss from the crank to the rear wheels from friction and rotational parasitic forces is a fair number to use, gauging the relative difference between claimed and dynoed numbers. In that context, the power the 6.2-liter V-8 was able to put on the ground was better than we expected. It's got more horsepower and just a bit less torque at the rear wheels than the legacy 310-hp, 365 pounds-feet 5.4-liter V-8 has at the crank! And we were using 87-octane regular unleaded fuel, not the pricey premium fuel that's needed to get peak power in other competing large-displacement V-8s.
On the Road
After K&N, the freeways and backroads from Riverside to Mojave gave us plenty of seat time to see how the 6.2-liter Raptor behaved on the road. After all, you don't need to trailer this desert prerunner from home to OHV park or Baja Mexico.
A spring storm passing through Southern California threw hard rain at us at times, so we were able to drive on asphalt in wet and dry conditions. In both cases, the 6.2-liter Raptor felt very secure and solid on the road despite its tall stance, big 35-inch BF Goodrich tires and long-travel suspension. The ride seemed distinctively better than the 5.4-liter Raptor, though you could feel some chassis float when changing lanes.
Perhaps it's the extra weight from the larger mill or revised suspension tuning, but road feel was our first confirmation that the extra time Ford has taken to deliver the 6.2-liter Raptor has paid off well.
The second indicator that the 6.2-liter Raptor is an improved truck came from the noticeable lack of fussiness from the six-speed automatic transmission, which is the same gearbox paired with the 5.4-liter V-8. In past drives, we noted how the 5.4-liter V-8 tended to hunt for gears, looking for the best balance between speed and fuel economy. Our solution to that issue was to use tow/haul mode to hold gears longer before shifting. There's virtually none of that frequent cog swapping in the 6.2-liter Raptor, which shifted only as needed and used the engine's larger power band to stay in gear.
When it came time to plant the accelerator to pass slower vehicles, the Raptor responded by smoothly dropping a gear and revving up to its peak torque sweet spot that's available from 3,500-5,700 rpm. But the rush of power wasn't EcoBoost shove-you-back-in-the-seat-and-keep-shoving strong, like we've experienced in Ford's latest EB-powered vehicles. Opening the Raptor's throttle produced a confident and steady stream of power instead of urgent torque sent to the rear wheels. Its power nicely patches all the gaps the 5.4-liter has, but not excessively so.
To find out just how fast the Raptor is on the road, instead of relying on our butt dyno, we made a couple of runs with the truck at Willow Springs Raceway north of Los Angeles. During three passes in a stormy crosswind, we measured a best zero-to-60 mph time of 7.61 seconds, according to instrumented testing using the VBOX we brought along. That’s with the truck’s launch-optimized 4.10 rear axle, though that low final-drive ratio is somewhat negated by the Raptor’s very tall 35-inch tires. It's 1.2 seconds faster than what we measured in the 5.4-liter V-8 Raptor, and it's very respectable considering the Raptor 's hefty curb weight tips the scales at more than 6,000 pounds.
In the quarter-mile, we hit 89.04 mph in 15.86 seconds.
All of the runs were performed in two-wheel drive with off-road mode on and stability control off, so throttle interference from electronic nannies wouldn't be a problem, though that apparently introduced rear axle wrap and some wheel hop when we went wide-open throttle from a brake-torqued standing start. That's not surprising, since we've experienced similar behavior before in a standard 5.4-liter F-150.
After leaving Willow Springs, we pointed the Raptor toward the wide-open high desert near Johannesburg, Calif. It's where we recently tested a 5.4-liter V-8 Raptor, so we could put the 6.2-liter Raptor on some of the same trails but still try some new ground.
In the Dirt
We turned off the main road into Last Chance Canyon for a quick excursion up a wash that was freshly covered in spots with large rocks that fell from cliffs during the recent rains. Where possible, we squirted up open sandy sections and dodged boulders, getting a feel for the 6.2-liter V-8's power on loose surfaces. As hoped and expected, the strong engine enabled the Raptor to hunch down in the dirt for traction without feeling or becoming bogged down in excessively silty sections. That same power also allowed us make precise course corrections during rapid turns around water-formed bends in the dry riverbed, which wouldn't have been possible with the slower and lower power response with the 5.4-liter V-8. Deft punches of the right pedal could be used for maneuvering instead of being power-limited and having to brake around an obstacle, risking getting bogged down.
We followed several power line roads and dirt bike trails looking for just the right place to jump the Raptor — you are supposed to jump the truck, after all — but we didn't have much luck this time finding the right rise. We didn't want to break the truck, either.
What we did find were some great straightaways with odd and random mixes of hard-packed dirt, old crumbling asphalt and small to moderately sized whoops that proved to be an excellent refresher of how well the Raptor's specialized front and rear Fox shocks handle rapidly changing terrain conditions at speeds up to 50 to 60 mph. The 2.5-inch diameter maintenance-free dampers deliver over 11-inches of front and more than 13-inches of aft wheel travel. Three oil gates inside their barrels control the dampening rate as the shock responds to every surface condition the truck encounters, from pothole to mudhole.
The 6.2-liter V-8 excelled in these trail situations as well. Faced with the on-the-spot decision to immediately brake and crawl at low speeds or, instead, quickly speed up to leverage the suspension to rapidly cross changing surfaces — like washboards that gave way to wider-spaced dips or whoops that grew deeper troughs — the extra power rapidly pushed the speedometer to the right so we didn't bounce too hard over stuff that would be tough on the truck and passengers at lower speeds.
What also works well with the 6.2-liter V-8 is the Raptor's specialized off-road mode. Enabled with the push of a button, off-road mode changes the engine’s throttle map to give the Raptor linear throttle response, like a race truck, instead of high power at the beginning and tapered at the end, like a street truck. Off-road mode also changes the transmission’s shift points to hold its gear and not upshift after letting off the throttle at high speeds. It also locks out the sixth-gear overdrive at the top of the transmission to keep the rpm high.
We also spent some time just running the Raptor hard in a wide open desert expanse, drifting and power sliding on the dirt to get further familiar with the 6.2-liter V-8's power band without risk of hitting rocks, bushes or an unexpected deep rut. Flatland isn't part of the Raptor's native hilly and rutted trail-running habitat but it sure is fun throwing the rig around a field.
Adding It All Up
But there's more to the Raptor we tested than just go-fast antics. In addition to the $3,000 upgrade to the 6.2-liter V-8 over the 5.4-liter Raptor's $38,020 starting price, this Raptor also came with the Luxury Package ($1,950) with 10-way power leather heated front seats, power adjustable pedals and a Sony audio system; a moonroof ($995); Ford's Sync entertainment and navigation system ($2,430); a bed extender ($250); tailgate step ($375); and a rearview camera that's a lifesaver backing up off-road ($450). The grand total was $48,445, including a $975 destination charge. Not included: the $1,075 "digital mud" exterior graphics option, so we could decorate the truck with the real stuff.
Are those luxuries worth it? Maybe not the moonroof, but all of the others make sense if this is your ultimate fantasy pickup that can be used for work and play.
One disappointing thing we noticed about the 6.2-liter Raptor was its lack of external differentiation from the 5.4-liter version. Both have the same twin exhaust tips and wheels. In the Ford Racing Raptor XT that was shown at SEMA, there was a cool 6.2-liter V-8 badge that clearly identified the powerplant residing in the truck's engine bay, but on this truck there was nothing. It's an issue that deserves a fix, even one as simple as a small badge.
The last item we measured was fuel economy. We tallied it at two points during the trip. The first part combined freeway and country road driving with off-road driving, and it came out to a lowly 10.4 mpg. The second part only examined highway miles, which were better at 14 mpg but certainly nothing to brag about.
Those familiar with the telenovela development history of the 6.2-liter V-8 powertrain — which is too long to get into in this story — know that this engine has been in development since the early part of the last decade. What might have been considered efficient or satisfactory had it arrived around 2006 isn't necessarily the case today. Yes, it has gobs of power, but even a six-speed transmission isn't enough bring mileage up to where it should be. That's the biggest challenge Ford SVT has in front of it with the Raptor because the rest is brilliant.
Compared with the 5.4-liter truck, the 6.2-liter V-8 Raptor is a better balanced package of power and refinement on and off the pavement. There's no doubt that the 6.2-liter V-8 gives the Raptor the extra capability it's been demanding. It's an incredibly good deal for only an extra $3,000.
In recent months and years, U.S. automakers have rallied that American cars are now on equal or better footing than Japanese (and Korean) cars in terms of quality, reliability, and durability.