MotorTrend did what few actual off-road truck shoppers will have the opportunity to do. They compared Ford’s ultimate off-road flier, the 700 hp gas-powered F-150 Raptor R, to the 1000 hp electron-powered Hummer EV 3X. While measuring these two vehicles side by side doesn’t quite seem like an apples-to-apples comparison, Benna Ford believes that the contrast brings forward the best of both powerhouse vehicles.
The Moon and Terra Firma
Perhaps inspired by the Hummer’s lunar-surface-themed interior details, Motor Trend starts their comparison with a reference to the Lunar Roving Vehicle, which was used on the Apollo 15, 16, and 17 missions. Colorfully describing it as “a $10 million buggy that looked like a pair of lawn chairs bolted to a VW Beetle floorplan”, they illustrate it as embodying “that treasured American value that we still hold dear today: Why walk when you can drive?” It is a viable comment since both the Hummer and Raptor R devote a lot of horsepower and hardware to something that can cover ground more easily traversed by two legs and a decent pair of hiking boots.
Big and Quick
MotorTrend quickly points out that while the Hummer’s three motors produce 43% more horsepower than the Raptor’s Supercharged 5.2-liter V8, it also weighs 49% more, thus delivering similar power-to-weight ratios. Nevertheless, in a drag race, the instant electric motor torque with the Watts to Freedom (WTF) mode temporary power boost gets the 9,000-pound Hummer from rest to 60 mph in 3.1 seconds, which is 0.8 seconds faster than the Raptor. They point out that before launch, the WTF mode creates a vibration in the seats and a low rumble in the speakers to simulate what the Raptor does naturally.
A first glance at either vehicle would cause one to assume that they ride rough on the road. However, suspensions specializing in compliance from dune-jumping actually give them a soft ride on the highway, though this comes at the expense of a fair amount of roll in the curves and longer braking distances.
One is an Off-Road Monster
While the Hummer’s four-wheel steering makes it more nimble in parking lots, it ironically becomes an issue off-road where tire placement is essential. “When you’re not used to it, it’s just one more thing to plan for. Oh, and if there’s a practical use for the wow-factor, diagonal-driving Crab Walk mode, we haven’t found it.”
When it comes to the fun these trucks are built for, the Raptor R was the clear winner. “Its ability to turn small humps into big air and big air into cushy landings makes it the ultimate big-kid toy…the Raptor R traverses sand, mud, boulders, and slick rock with the casual competence of a Lexus making a Starbucks run.”
By contrast, the Hummer, already with an as-tested price over $5K more than the Raptor, really needed an extra $10K Extreme Off-Road package, which allows the truck to catch up with locking front and rear differentials, rear recovery hooks, front skid plates, and mud-terrain tires on 18-inch wheels. Without it, the Hummer was described as clumsy off-road, more so than any other EV they have driven off-road. MotorTrend says, “…buyers shouldn’t need to shell out $10K for basic competence.”
They Can Tow, But…
While they have no shortage of power or structural robustness, the soft suspension of both models reduces their towing capacity to 8,700 pounds for the Raptor R and 8,500 pounds for the Hummer. If you want to tow something big, there are other F-150 models capable of up to 14,000 pounds, and as far as the Hummer is concerned, towing with EVs still means you better not plan on going far.
The Verdict
The “verdict” for each vehicle sums things up perfectly: For the Hummer, it was “Everything about the GMC Hummer EV is outrageous—including how much it struggled off-road.” And for the Raptor R: “It crawls! It jumps! It sprints! It shouts! It’s a Raptor R, and there is no substitute.”
As you may have guessed by now, the Raptor R is a specialty vehicle at Benna Ford. However, if you are interested in this monster performance truck, contact one of our sales professionals, and we will source one for you.
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