The 3 famous trucks that may on the outside look like they belong together, but when you dive in deeper you will see how different they really are. Let’s see what they have to offer and how they compare to each other.
The differences between the Dodge Ram Rebel, the Ford F-150 Raptor, and the Chevy Silverado Reaper pickup trucks are most evident in the engine type and the horsepower they produce. With Chevy Reaper being the winner, having a 6.2L V8 engine producing 550-horsepower leaves the rest of them in the dust with their V6 engines. The Raptor producing 450-horsepower and the Rebel only 305-horsepower.
These numbers will trickle down and affect the rest of the specs in these 3 trucks. From torque to MPG, from towing capacity to payload. The prices are about similar but the Chevy Reaper is in the middle, even though it is the winner in the power department. All of these trucks don’t offer manual transmissions and only have automatics.
Ram Rebel VS Ford Raptor VS Chevy Reaper Chart
| Options | Ram Rebel | Ford Raptor | Chevy Reaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 3.6L V6 | High-Output 3.5L V6 | 6.2L V8 Supercharged |
| Horsepower | 305 HP | 450 HP | 550 HP |
| Torque | 410 lb.-ft. | 510 lb.-ft. | 575 lb.-ft. |
| Transmission | 8-Speed Automatic | 10-Speed Automatic | 6-Speed Automatic |
| MPG | 25 | 18 | 16 |
| Towing Capacity | 7,430 lbs. | 8,200 lbs. | 12,000 lbs |
| Payload | 1,800 lbs. | 1,370 lbs. | 2,133 lbs. |
| Seating | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Price | $53,440 | $76,775 | $60,000 |
The Dodge Ram 1500 Rebel
The Ram Rebel TRX was introduced in 2015 as an off-road focused version of the Ram truck. It was an option to compete with the Ford Raptor. This truck started out as a Crew Cab Ram 1500 but the upgrades it got are bigger tires, a 1″ lift with an air suspension system that lets you get another inch of lift with a press of a button. They also changed the front bumper to allow for a better approach when crawling some rocks.
This truck is powered by a 3.6L V6 Pentastar engine producing 305-horsepower and 269 lb.-ft. of torque. If that is not enough, you have 2 engine options, you can upgrade the engine to a 5.7L Hemi V8 that can output 395 horsepower with 410 lb.-ft. of torque. This is not the hellcat engine that you probably hoped it would be.
Even though the Rebel is am off-road truck, it can still tow a trailer like a champ. With the towing capacity of 7,430 lbs. and payload limit of 1,800 lbs. this truck can tow a boat or a medium size trailer with ease.
The Ram 1500 Rebel Specs
- Engine: 3.6L V6
- Transmission: 8-speed Automatic Transmission
- Horsepower: 305
- Torque: 410 lb.-ft.
- MPG: 25
- Towing Capacity: 7,430 lbs.
- Payload: 1,800 lbs.
- Seating: 5
- Price: $53,440
* Data source: RamTrucks.com
The Ford F-150 Raptor
In 2010 Ford came out with the Raptor label to name their high performance Ford F-150 truck that is designed for extreme off-roading abilities. This truck is powered by a high-output 3.5L V6 EcoBoost engine that can deliver 450 horsepower and 510 lb.-ft. of torque.
What makes the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor special is the Terrain Management System that allows the driver to adjust the performance for whatever terrain they are driving on. The dual-mode transfer case that controls the all-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive systems and electronic lockers to improve performance in all terrains.
This truck is not just rugged and powerful but also comfortable. The high level of interior comfort and luxury as well as advanced technology has not been spared in the truck so you can enjoy the drive on or off the road.
The Ford F-150 Raptor Specs
- Engine: High-Output 3.5L V6
- Transmission: 10-speed Automatic Transmission
- Horsepower: 450
- Torque: 510 lb.-ft.
- MPG: 18
- Towing Capacity: 8,200 lbs.
- Payload: 1,370 lbs.
- Seating: 5
- Price: $76,775
The Chevrolet Silverado Reaper
The Chevy Silverado is a great truck, and the Reaper label was not a factory model from General Motors. It is a dealer upgrade developed in 2014 by Lingenfelter Performance Engineering and Southern Comfort Automotive to fill a void from Ford Raptor being temporarily out of production that year. This was smart on the Chevy part to grab this market while Ford was snoozing. The Chevrolet Reaper upgrade included suspension upgrades for improved off-road performance. A 3″ lift, long-travel off-road suspension, Fox Racing shocks and skid plate was a part of this upgrade.
The look of the truck also got a face lift. A redesigned front grille, the bumper allowed for higher clearance, and the “Reaper” graphics package made the truck look aggressive and ready to go climb some hills.
With this package they also offered to beef up the engine, with a supercharger, and other tuning improvements to an already beast of an engine, the 6.2L V8. The fuel efficiency is out the window at this point with this truck only making 16 MPG, but that’s what you get with power.
The Chevy Silverado Reaper Specs
- Engine: 6.2L V8 Supercharged
- Transmission: 6-speed Automatic Transmission
- Horsepower: 550
- Torque: 575 lb.-ft.
- MPG: 16
- Towing Capacity: 12,000 lbs
- Payload: 2,133 lbs.
- Seating: 5
- Price: $60,000
Which One Is Better?
When deciding which one of these three trucks are better, you have to keep focused on the purpose of the trucks, and it is to drive off-road. With that in mind, we know that we need the suspension to allow the handling on rugged terrain and also it has to be powerful enough to do the work with ease. We also want to be comfortable while doing this.
So we want the truck that has great suspension, a strongest engine and comfort. We can easily say that all 3 trucks have about the same level of comfort, so that is a checkmark. Suspension is also very well thought through on all three trucks, they all got a special suspension for this specific application. I do like the Reaper’s 3″ lift and the long front and rear suspension travel though.
The last factor is the engine and this one goes hands down to the Reaper for its supercharged 550 horsepower, 575 lb-ft of torque of madness. This is a bigger truck that the other 2, so maybe it needs all this power. But in my eyes, I think the Chevy Reaper takes the top spot for off-roading and wins the prize. What do you think? Unfortunately there is no new Reaper available today. It’s been discontinued after that craze was over in the late 2010’s.
Valik loves tinkering in the garage and is currently restoring a 2000 GMC Sierra 1500 truck. He also writes about the progress on this blog. When not in the garage, Valik is also a web developer and a blogger. I know, strange, a hand in two completely different worlds. And that is the way he likes to keep it.
