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Looking for some feedback from G owners who have also driven the 2nd Gen Ford Raptor:
I currently drive and E43 AMG but am looking at what will replace it this fall. I have wanted a G for a while but the Raptor became more interesting while researching.
A 2014 G63 and a 2019 Raptor are both around $70k however that is where the similarities end. I will be using this as my daily vehicle as well as a weekend adventure machine. I hope to slowly modify the truck over time.
The G63 has a lot going for it (AMGs are rare in my city, iconic styling, badass sound, unlimited capability) but also some negatives (atrocious mileage, bad ride, poor handling).
The Raptor has the advantages of being new with a warranty (as well as much newer tech, a more comfortable ride, lower maintenance and gas costs when compared to the G63, imposing presence, extra utility of a truck bed) yet it looses put to the G in terms of uniqueness (as well as being unreasonably large and not having a luxury image).
If you have driven or owned both and have any feedback I would be hugely grateful. Thank you so much!
What Is your garage situation? When I originally started shopping for my next car, I looked at full size trucks and found the shortest wheel base Raptor was the only four seat truck that could even barely fit into my garage lengthwise.
Both vehicles are unique...one is definitely not a daily driver if any real distance is part of your routine-the G63 , especially pre 2016 g63s are a hard riding beast...with a turning radius and ability to do u-Turns on par with a semi...The g63 is easier to park in small spaces for sure...very narrow and not prone to getting door dings, etc....The Raptor would be my choice (if only one)...warranty, and cost of driving all point to Raptor..the g63 has very high driving costsemotionally the g63 is fun choice..logically the 2017-2019 Raptor is a better choice... My 2018 Ford Raptor (Leadoot) and 2014 G63 (Plat Matte)....one fits on the garage...one does not...Cheers
Ive owned both since new. A 2015 G63 and a 2017 Raptor. Here are the pros and cons of both.
G63 Pros - easier to drive short distances and easier to park due to its size. Engine sounds like a beast and in matte black it looks menacing. Build quality is very high. Feels a lot safer.
G63 Cons - horrible for long distance drives. Less room both in the front and back seats than the raptor. The technology is outdated (no apple carplay, nanny options). Service cost more than the raptor. Cant really tow much with a max of 5k lbs iirc.
Raptor Pros - really comfortable for what it is. Newer tech makes it much more user friendly. I really love the newer F150s. Great for long trips. I also tow quite a bit. You also have a ton of room in the cab in addition to having a bed which is a big plus. surprising how much room is inside. 11k lbs towing capacity with a WDH. Tows like a champ
Raptor Cons - I dont like driving it for short distances or in town. Its big so parking and turning in tight spots are sometimes tricky. It doesnt fit in my residential garage. The sound is not as mean as the G. The build quality is not as high as the G.
Conclusion - They are both very different. I have both mostly because I had to get a truck for towing. I use the Raptor for long family trips and when I need to tow. I drive it 10% of the time. I use the G for the rest.
If you only own one car, the Raptor is certainly more practical, and will ride much better, especially for trips more than traversing to your nearby local mall. G-wagons are fine if you own 2 or 3 other cars, as its meant primarily for driving to your local Starbucks on Saturday mornings, taking your wife out to dinner, fantasizing about driving it off-road, etc. But, not so much for trips of any significant distance, or time. Most folks put like 3,000 mi/yr on their G-wagons, if even that much mileage, which I think validates my point.
If you only own one car, the Raptor is certainly more practical, and will ride much better, especially for trips more than traversing to your nearby local mall. G-wagons are fine if you own 2 or 3 other cars, as it’s meant primarily for driving to your local Starbucks on Saturday mornings, taking your wife out to dinner, fantasizing about driving it off-road, etc. But, not so much for trips of any significant distance, or time. Most folks put like 3,000 mi/yr on their G-wagons, if even that much mileage, which I think validates my point.
Up to 2018 G63, that's true.
However, I don't think this is true any longer with 2019 G. You can take road trips on it as it is very compliant. I plan on doing that, although it'd be the fourth car, but primary for the wife and family road trips my other vehicles are sport cars and a beater (volt)
Sad to see the Volt is soon to be no more. The Tesla Model S and Model X are very nice cars, but when you're out of charge, good luck fighting for the next available charge port. Nice thing about the Volt is you never ever had to worry about running out of charge. I really regret having sold my Volt.
Sad to see the Volt is soon to be no more. The Tesla Model S and Model X are very nice cars, but when you're out of charge, good luck fighting for the next available charge port. Nice thing about the Volt is you never ever had to worry about running out of charge. I really regret having sold my Volt.
couldnt agree more about Volt! Its a gem but couldve benefitted with more than 53 miles battery range. Again amazing what it does with minuscule tank of gas now over to main topic :P
If you only own one car, the Raptor is certainly more practical, and will ride much better, especially for trips more than traversing to your nearby local mall. G-wagons are fine if you own 2 or 3 other cars, as its meant primarily for driving to your local Starbucks on Saturday mornings, taking your wife out to dinner, fantasizing about driving it off-road, etc. But, not so much for trips of any significant distance, or time. Most folks put like 3,000 mi/yr on their G-wagons, if even that much mileage, which I think validates my point.
Ive taken my G on many road trips (long distances) so far, since ownership last Agust 2018. It was the last '18 G wagon in north California and was a showroom truck, rolled out with 17miles, I'm nearing 10K to date 🙃
The '18 G truck drives fine and smooth to me and no complaints by passengers during long motorway drives. The only thing is the front seats are a bit hard, and you cant take tight bends fast lol, the truck likes long sweeping bends tho. The best mpg I've gotten is 13.3MPG motorway driving from North California to South California, getting gas twice from a full tank.
Anyhow, when I ran VIN code on the G, it had "Sport Suspension" or something like that as an option, which I thought was neat.
But between the Raptor and G63...honestly, G63 hands down. Its purposely built, nothing like it on the road. Gas is gas, it's a necessity, your gonna need it regardless
These are two vehicles target two different groups...unless you're a dual personality like myself and own both. They both have their pros and cons. Maintenance and Fuel economy goes to the Raptor. Its a unique truck but under those wide fenders and massive shocks is Ford F150 and there is a Ford dealership on every corner in America. So finding someone to work on it want be an issue. I know people dump all over Ford but the only serious mechanical issue I have encountered in nearly 9 yrs of owning one is linked back to a POS transmission Ford bought from Europe...the same POS used in BMWs, Audis, Range Rover's and even a Royal's Royce. Disadvantages of owning a Raptor is minimum to me, the main thing that stands out is what makes a Raptor a Raptor and that its its width. A lot of parking spots in cities are designed for micro compact vehicles. So I have to be mindful of where I'm going and parking options. The rear back up camera is a must for a Raptor, especially those of you living in larger metros. I really didn't need this living in my one horse West Texas town but it was including with the GPS option. Several years later we moved to downtown Dallas and I thank God I had the back up camera. I always had to parallel park every where i went. Another semi issue is the height of the Raptor. My truck is factory, not perch mods. I can navigate 6'8" garages no problem...6'5" is another story. My antenna drags lets me know its getting tight either way.
My G63 is much more narrow making it easy to park almost anywhere. The fuel economy sucks but lets face it, no one buys a Raptor or G Wagon and is worried about fuel economy. Maintenance on the G Wagon is high and AMG dealer/mechanics are limited to large metros. The steering on the G is miserable when you've hurt your driving arm, hurts just typing this out. The Raptor is so much easier to steer in that regard.
If I could only have one, that would be a Raptor! The Raptor is just a more versatile and practical vehicle in my opinion.
[QUOTE=Polishmike;7723601]I had both at once. Had to sell one. Still have this:
Very interesting. Based on many posts by owners who have owned both a G63 and a Ford Raptor, thus far the popular votes say the Ford is the clear winner, particularly if you can only afford to own one car. I guess its icing on the cake that this decision saves a guy over a $100,000 to do other things with. Hard to argue this logic. Plus, lots of Raptor owners will definitely go off-road with this truck, whereas no one takes a 2019 G63 off-road, other than maybe in their fantasy dreamworld.
I had both at once. Had to sell one. Still have this:
Very interesting. Based on many posts by owners who have owned both a G63 and a Ford Raptor, thus far the popular votes say the Ford is the clear winner, particularly if you can only afford to own one car. I guess its icing on the cake that this decision saves a guy over a $100,000 to do other things with. Hard to argue this logic. Plus, lots of Raptor owners will definitely go off-road with this truck, whereas no one takes a 2019 G63 off-road, other than maybe in their fantasy dreamworld.
to be clear this thread is comparing older (2014?) g wagons with new raptor, which are almost at price parity and very different than 2019 g
I'm anxiously awaiting the new 2021 Ford Raptor with Ford's all new 7L 428 V8 (Canadian motor plant they dumped north of a Billion $'s into). Man, that is going to be one nasty off-road truck, maybe even better than a G63. I read an article recently saying the 2021 Raptor equipped with the new 7L mill will eventually be offered with a beautiful blower. Makes sense that marketplace pressures could force Ford's hand to do this. Ford may need to in order to effectively compete with the impending 2021 Dodge Hellcat-powered Rebel TRX. But, I'll take a blown 428 Raptor any day over a Dodge. So many cool cars and trucks coming in 2021!
I would pick the G Wagon, Its an awesome combination of status symbol plus off road legacy. High end, but not douchee! The Raptor probably is a better vehicle, but its no G wagon
I would pick the G Wagon, Its an awesome combination of status symbol plus off road legacy.
IMHO, I truly believe if ppl are brutally honest with themselves, they would admit (at least to themselves) the overwhelmingly primary reason they buy a G (or an S-Class, etc.) is so others will think they are some kind of a richie-richie big shot. Fact is, most G-owners are anything but truly rich, as they buy these cars on time, or lease em, as truth be told, they could absolutely not afford to lay down the necessary hard cash for an outright, full purchase. Obviously, there are exceptions, but I believe this is broadly the typical case. I recall one of my MBA finance profs talking about this, saying when you buy a car with all cash, one should have at least 10 times this amount in liquid cash assets. He also said if you buy a private jet, you should have 20 times the purchase price in cash assets, or you can't afford to fly and maintain it. You'll find the older you get, the less this status fakery means, if anything at all, to impress strangers with your phony façade of projecting fake wealth. In fact, happily, it eventually becomes absolutely meaningless. A good friend of mine is a banker, and he is constantly laughing how some bloke came in that particular day and secured a bank loan to buy a new high end Merc, or a $40,000 Rolex, and they barely qualified for the loan, let alone had sufficient liquid cash on hand to pay for the car outright. Kind of sad, really.
02-12-2019, 12:12 AM
