TRX Owners Won’t Trade Down Even With Raptor R On Dealer Lots

9 minutes reading

Thursday, 1 Oct 2026 20:00 0 5 autotech

Pickup trucks have gone from mere work vehicles to something that adds a bit more thrill to your life. The idea of a sporty truck isn’t necessarily new. In the 1970s, Dodge created the Li’l Red Express, which was born from the idea of being a muscle car with a bed. GMC then toyed with the idea in the 1990s with the Syclone, and Ford wouldn’t want to be left out, so they followed with the F-150 SVT Lightning.

What The Raptor Brought To The Table

Two 2018 Ford F-150 Raptor Meetup

Ford

From Street Truck To Baja Monster

The idea of a street truck sounds good on paper, but it was somewhat of a compromised idea. Sure, it looked good and drove well enough for its intended purpose, but there’s no way you can ever make a truck handle like a sports car. At best, it can only accelerate like one. By lowering its ride height and giving it a bodykit, you also compromised on its payload capability and off-road capability.

What you end up with is a truck that, in my opinion, looks handsome, but is neither as good as a sports car nor as capable at doing the hauling and the off-roading that a pickup is supposed to be good at. The segment died with the discontinuation of the lowered Dodge Ram 1500 RT in 2018, while other models before it also went the way of the dodo. The street truck segment is somehow in a renaissance in 2026, but that’s a story for another day. What blossomed after the street truck craze of the 2000s was a genre of trucks that the F-150 Raptor created in its 2009 debut, one that was still great at doing the truck duties, but now with the lunacy of a purpose-built pickup that’s meant to take on the Baja 1000.

Is this the successor to the street truck idea? Not quite, but by going the opposite route of the street truck, the F-150 Raptor’s Baja-conquering capabilities made it a dune buggy that had creature comforts and the cargo flexibility (even if not necessarily the payload rating due to its coil springs) that a pickup still needed to be useful.

3/4 side action view of 2024 Ram 1500 TRX driving off-road

It wouldn’t be until 2020, or more than 10 years since the F-150 Raptor’s initial debut, that a rival would finally emerge. The Ram TRX is based on the Ram 1500, and it would go on sale for the 2021 model year. The TRX came just as Ford was bringing back the V-8 in the F-150 Raptor in the form of the Raptor R.

The Raptor R’s 5.2-liter supercharged Carnivore V-8 produced 700 horsepower, so unsurprisingly, Ram tried to one-up the Ford by giving the TRX’s Hemi supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 a slightly higher output of 702 horsepower. This is a segment that’s defined by one-upmanship, after all. The TRX would immediately become a cultural icon less than half a decade into its existence.

Front view of 2021 Ram TRX 1500 with visible skid plate and off-road lights

The Ram 1500 has already made a name for itself since around 2018 for its interior that was truly luxe in the higher trims such as the Limited. Combine that aspect with capabilities and performance that made it more extreme than the F-150 Raptor R, and you’ve got a great all-rounder that was luxurious, high-tech, and possessed the personality of a muscle car.

Why TRX Owners Won’t Trade Their Truck For A Raptor R, Even After A Test Drive

Front Three-quarters shot of the 2024 RAM 1500 TRX

The Ram TRX experienced instant success, and as a competitor to the Raptor R, both trucks have interestingly close traits. With that in mind, here are the standout traits that made customers head to a Ram dealer instead of settling a deal with a Blue Oval sales agent.

The Cabin That Makes Raptor R Owners Feel Like They Settled

Both trucks can be dissected from their performance capabilities and features, but what immediately sets the Ram TRX apart from the Raptor R is its interior. This is a place you’ll spend most of your time in, so it had better be one you’re willing to dune-bash in, right? The Ram TRX offers an interior that even our team was impressed with when they reviewed one back in 2022.

At its core, the TRX’s interior is plush and is filled with supple leather and Alcántara. The paddle shifters are made from aluminum, and so is the center plaque that constantly reminds you that you aren’t just inside any ordinary Ram 1500. This sentiment is reflected in these two Reddit threads. One user notes that the only thing that the Raptor R has going for it is its suspension tuning.

Shot of 2027 Ram 1500 TRX interior showing rear seats

Though this is a matter of personal preference, comparison reviews like the one conducted by Motor1 prefer the softer and more compliant suspension of the Raptor R. Past the slight suspension tuning difference, customers truly love the Ram TRX’s interior, and there’s no way they’ll switch to the Raptor R because its interior feels more utilitarian.

The TRX’s Brash Personality

Raer three-quarters shot of the 2024 RAM 1500 TRX

Going back to Motor1’s comparison review, the stiffer (but still comfortable) tuning of the TRX makes it the sportier one, especially when it comes to on-road driving. With less body roll, the TRX is more capable through the corners. Once off the pavement, though, the softer suspension of the Raptor R has the advantage.

That’s also why Car and Driver’s comparison summarizes that the F-150 Raptor R is toy-like, but the Ram TRX is like a ballistic missile. At this point, it was a matter of preference, but Ram TRX owners unsurprisingly went with their choice, given their affinity for the TRX’s character. The TRX constantly reminds you of its personality with its whining supercharger, which means it has a slightly noisier cabin than the Raptor R—but to owners, this is exactly what they wanted.

2027 Ram 1500 TRX close-up of the damper

The TRX is brash not just from its looks, but from its personality as well. Does this mean that the TRX is the better car? As always, that depends on your preferences. Obviously, TRX owners will remain loyal to their choice, as it fits their preferences well, but if you prefer the Raptor R, that doesn’t necessarily make it the wrong choice.

And The Ram TRX Is Back For Vengeance

The Ram TRX was discontinued in 2024 due to emissions compliance, but it’s now back with a vengeance for the 2027 model year. In doing so, it gained more power, as well as three additional letters to highlight just how much this super truck has improved.

Triple Sevens: Why 777 Horsepower Finally Ends The Raptor R Power Debate

Close-up shot of 2027 Ram 1500 TRX SRT engine bay

No, I’m not talking about the Boeing 777, but when it returned this year, the Ram TRX’s 6.2-liter Hemi supercharged V-8 has been massaged to produce 777 horsepower—up from its previous 702-horsepower output. Ram, of course, wouldn’t let Ford’s 20-horsepower boost for the F-150 Raptor R win the power race, right? Upon its return, the Ram TRX would gain three familiar letters: SRT. Yes, the Ram TRX would become the poster child for Street and Racing Technology’s brand revival.

Sure, despite the power gain, its 0–60 mph time of 3.5 seconds is on par with the improved Raptor R, due to the Ram SRT TRX being about 700 pounds heavier, but that’s only half the story. Beyond the numbers, it’s how the V-8 delivers its power that also matters. This engine’s 2.4-liter supercharger is louder than ever, making every drive down the boulevard an event in itself. When combined with the V-8 roar, the 2027 Ram SRT TRX would even make the Raptor R take a back seat.

And It Adjusts Itself Every Millisecond

But the Ram SRT TRX wouldn’t just be blessed with more power, with engineers calling it a day at that. Yes, it’s now the most powerful gas-powered pickup in existence, but what’s the point of going fast in a straight line if it can’t handle its own weight through the corners or on dunes, right? Ram’s engineers also tweaked the chassis by giving it upgraded Bilstein Black Hawk e2 adaptive performance shocks, and these can constantly adjust themselves, including being fully extended while the Ram SRT TRX is airborne.

Indeed, the technology works, and reviews highlight how the Ram SRT TRX is making light work of absorbing jumps because the occupants’ spines are never shattered when the pickup lands. Alongside the updated adaptive shocks is an improved Baja mode, which now biases more power toward the rear wheels. The jounce bumpers have also been updated, as they now absorb extreme bottom-outs and heavy compressions—all in the name of keeping occupants comfortable as you plow through the desert. All in all, the Ram TRX’s comeback with an SRT badge is a sign that the super truck wars are still ongoing with no signs of being tamed.