2025 Ford F-150 Raptor vs. Ram 1500 RHO: Tests of Suspension and Speed

• Two high-horsepower trucks go head-to-head in the desert.
• Both trucks have technologically advanced suspension systems.
• We were impressed by both, but a deep price gulf separates the two.

The trucks

The Raptor R is the ne plus ultra of off-road trucks. In addition to 720 hp, its 5.2-liter supercharged V8 puts out 640 lb-ft of torque. All of that glory goes through a 10-speed automatic transmission and there are multiple drive modes to handle any kind of terrain. Plus, Ford partnered with Fox to develop this truck's live-valve shocks and this beast wears 37-inch BFGoodrich tires. The cost is astronomical: You’ll pay over $110,000 for the privilege of owning one.

The Ram 1500 RHO isn't quite as bonkers — not like the 710-hp TRX that came before, anyway. Under the RHO's hood is a 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six engine with 540 hp and 521 lb-ft of torque. An eight-speed automatic transmission takes care of shifting, and Bilstein Black Hawk e2 dampers are found at each corner. The 35-inch tires are courtesy of Goodyear. For those watching their wallet, the RHO is definitely the better choice, starting at a smidge under $72,000.

Give it the beans

For this comparison, we started with a test of outright speed on a dry lake bed. After marking out a quarter-mile course and prerunning it at a slow speed to make sure there were no gotchas, we put each truck in Baja mode and let 'em rip.

The Raptor R bested the Ram, but not by as much as we expected. However, the rumbly noise coming from the Raptor R’s exhaust was glorious and gave it a serious edge. The RHO sounded puny by comparison.

Whoops, we did it again

Whoops are a result of desert traffic — think of them like a washboard surface gone crazy. Some can be as deep as 3 feet or more and they can be spaced close together or far apart. To handle this kind of terrain, both trucks have the same amount of suspension travel: 13 inches in the front and 14 inches in the rear. Plus, they both have solid rear axles with a five-link suspension setup and rear coil springs for added ride comfort.

Both the Fox Live Valve shocks and the Bilstein Black Hawk e2 dampers can electronically read inputs from off-road events and adjust their rebound and compression on the fly. We expected both setups to be able to handle the whoops equally well, but the Ram was easier to control.

Send it

Now, we didn’t want to just huck these trucks into the air like hooligans. We found a nice jump that would get all four wheels off the ground to see what happens when the trucks come back to terra firma.

Both shock systems have internal bump stops that should make these trucks land smoothly. We accelerated toward the jump and flew for a brief second, but one truck landed better than the other. Sure, both felt controlled but one was almost cushy and the other succumbed to gravity with just a touch of harshness. You'll have to watch the video above to see which truck did better.

Winner: Ram 1500 RHO … sort of

At the end of the day, the less expensive Ram 1500 RHO performed almost as well as the Ford and the Raptor's extra power wasn't worth the extra price. We also liked the Ram’s interior better. However, the aural experience of the supercharged V8 set our hearts aflutter.

If money is no object, then it’s the Raptor R all the way. But for our money — and yours — the Ram 1500 RHO is a better buy.