have these folks actually purchased a vehicle in the past 20 years... used raptors are still more then my rebel :/
Car driver seemed a little harsh on the rebel
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I so sick of people putting this truck down. I love how TFL says its more like an FX4 or car and driver just bashing the truck. The last FX4 roaming around my neighbor hood has 20inch rims with Pirelli tires, low bumpers, no special shocks, no skid plates, its just a normal F-150 with a sticker placed on it. Rebel was intended for someone that is going to be that weekend worrier driving through the trails, not blast through a Baja race @ 90mph. I live in NY and I take my trucks through the woods. having a raptor wouldn't be any different in the woods then a raptor. I love my rebel and can assure many people that its a worthy offroad truck.
Read the comments at the bottom, I may have just written a length positive response for our team! Go Rebel!
I stopped reading halfway through. Those bums never had any intention to review the truck for what it is, and that seems to be the case with most reviews so far.
Surprisingly they admit in the article that it isn't advertised as Raptor competition, but more of a styling package... um, that's the only reason I pulled up to the dealer... because it's a badass looking 1500!! I didn't expect a Raptor because I was looking for something different in a 1500 package, and in my humble opinion, the Rebel is a freakin homerun in that department! I never hold any real weight in reviews, I always say proof is in the pudding and the Rebel has plenty of pudding!
Also, I don't cross any rough desert terrain on my way to work and neither does the fella down the street that has a Raptor. And hands down we have one of the coolest and nicest interiors of any truck I've seen recently. A buddy of mine has a 2015 Longhorn fully equipped and he can't stop talking about the Rebel.
Harsh, maybe, more like ignorance and ego is what I took from the review.
Also, I don't cross any rough desert terrain on my way to work and neither does the fella down the street that has a Raptor. And hands down we have one of the coolest and nicest interiors of any truck I've seen recently. A buddy of mine has a 2015 Longhorn fully equipped and he can't stop talking about the Rebel.
Harsh, maybe, more like ignorance and ego is what I took from the review.
VadarRebel,
I agree totally. The Rebel is a really well thought out package and appeals to me more than the Raptor: it costs less, it looks better, is more comfortable and is exactly what I was looking for since I only go off road in the mountains once or twice a year. The rest of the time I want a vehicle that can haul my toys, go through the snow and entertain me while I'm driving it. It almost seems the Raptor crowd needs to keep convincing themselves that their money was well spent.
I agree totally. The Rebel is a really well thought out package and appeals to me more than the Raptor: it costs less, it looks better, is more comfortable and is exactly what I was looking for since I only go off road in the mountains once or twice a year. The rest of the time I want a vehicle that can haul my toys, go through the snow and entertain me while I'm driving it. It almost seems the Raptor crowd needs to keep convincing themselves that their money was well spent.
I think that's the direction most people take on the Raptor, they think they want an offtoad racer, but they work in a bank and the only gravel the truck ever drives on is a patch of construction downtown. It's really similar to the Rebel in the fact that it's a package, slightly based on the family of trucks that came before it. But at least the Rebel is grounded in reality and doesn't look like the ass end of the Millennium Falcon.
If I want to go racing in the desert, I'll build a real trophy truck and throw some stickers and numbers on it. If I want a real world truck that is as comfortable as a BMW inside and can work as hard as I do AND just happens to look badass, I'll buy a Rebel any day of the week.
It's all about your individual taste and needs. I would never call a guy out for owning a Raptor, just like that reviewer should never have been too quick to judge the Rebel for being just another 1500, because that's what it is and that's what a lot of people want.
If I want to go racing in the desert, I'll build a real trophy truck and throw some stickers and numbers on it. If I want a real world truck that is as comfortable as a BMW inside and can work as hard as I do AND just happens to look badass, I'll buy a Rebel any day of the week.
It's all about your individual taste and needs. I would never call a guy out for owning a Raptor, just like that reviewer should never have been too quick to judge the Rebel for being just another 1500, because that's what it is and that's what a lot of people want.
I am actually pretty disappointed in car and driver. I would have thought they were professionals but comparing one vehicle to another when everyone and the manufacturer agree was not intended to go head to head with. This seemed to be more of an opinion piece not a true evaluation. I know I won't be reading any of thier pieces going forward as I cannot trust thier professionalism or journalism.
It was a terrible review. Too many reviews of too many things have been subverted by this hipster snark nonsense. If C&D paid the author, they could've saved a few bucks and just asked a teenager which truck he thought looked better and gotten the same review.
The negatives in this review are implied, not detailed. I don't have a Rebel, but I'm thinking about getting one, and I would like to read about its potential flaws as well as its positives. In this review, the author seldom approaches specific negatives. Here's one of the few instances:
This seems like specific criticism:
The rest of the review is weird Raptor worship. There's no attempt at all to explain why the Raptor is better suited to a task than the Rebel, just plenty of insistence that it is. If someone is looking to make a $50-60k decision between the two vehicles, he'll find no information in this "review."
The negatives in this review are implied, not detailed. I don't have a Rebel, but I'm thinking about getting one, and I would like to read about its potential flaws as well as its positives. In this review, the author seldom approaches specific negatives. Here's one of the few instances:
If the reader is not familiar with the base 1500, this insight means nothing, because the author himself is clearly not familiar with it. He just heard it was so. What mechanical changes were needed, but not delivered? What stayed the same that hinders the performance? I don't think he's even familiar with the Raptor, as he talks almost exclusively about its looks rather than performance.They’re the same parts that you’ll find in other Rams, where apparently they’re slouching. There are no other mechanical changes.
This seems like specific criticism:
This reads like typical music-review exaggeration ("this album literally sounds like a bag of cats yelling to get out"). It's also completely contradicted by the Cars.com Rebel vs Tundra TRD Pro video.If that were actually the case, though, the tread design would be smeared, because the Toyos rarely meet a throttle application they don’t turn into positive slip.
The rest of the review is weird Raptor worship. There's no attempt at all to explain why the Raptor is better suited to a task than the Rebel, just plenty of insistence that it is. If someone is looking to make a $50-60k decision between the two vehicles, he'll find no information in this "review."
Big mistake looking to Car & Driver for truck expertise. They have zip, imho.
The reason I bought the rebel is because I live in the country and in the winter we get big snow dumps. Have to say I am very pleased how it has handled the winter this year. Love it.
that's what i've seen lately a lot of positive reviews in winter.The reason I bought the rebel is because I live in the country and in the winter we get big snow dumps. Have to say I am very pleased how it has handled the winter this year. Love it.
but a lot of trucks are like that.
I rarely listen to professional critics. I don't do it for movies, and unless the review is someone that is super technical reviewing the actual mechanical and technical underpinnings of something, I don't do it for anything else.
I made up my own mind and I bought it because:
a.) It's a Dodge/Ram/Whatever; I like me some Mopar.
b.) I needed a vehicle that my family fits into and is safer than a Wrangler--admittedly, that's probably a lot of vehicles--and has room for stuff.
c.) It sets itself apart from other Rams by its appearance; I like different.
d.) Its price point was within my reach, even if I did bend myself over on trading in the Wrangler too soon.
The closest "desert" from here is probably in Okanogan county, way east of where I drive daily. Although there are dunes in Moses Lake.
For that and hardcore wheeling, I have other rigs.
Admittedly, I like the Raptor. But as already stated, it is a wholly different use-case than the Rebel.
I made up my own mind and I bought it because:
a.) It's a Dodge/Ram/Whatever; I like me some Mopar.
b.) I needed a vehicle that my family fits into and is safer than a Wrangler--admittedly, that's probably a lot of vehicles--and has room for stuff.
c.) It sets itself apart from other Rams by its appearance; I like different.
d.) Its price point was within my reach, even if I did bend myself over on trading in the Wrangler too soon.
The closest "desert" from here is probably in Okanogan county, way east of where I drive daily. Although there are dunes in Moses Lake.
For that and hardcore wheeling, I have other rigs.
Admittedly, I like the Raptor. But as already stated, it is a wholly different use-case than the Rebel.
Oh, +1 for the movie critic comment. I always figured the worse the critics rated a movie, the better it was. If Siskal and Ebert panned it, I'd go see it.
These reviews are written from biased perspectives. Years ago Car and Driver had this obsession with BMW. They'd win every single "shootout" it was one of the reasons I stopped reading. The bias was so noticeable it was laughable. Then I started to notice the overwhelming number of BMW ads throughout the mag and it all finally came clear. Those who pay the most win the most. I much prefer online reviews through youtube from regular people.
I assume that goes for most well known motor publications so I don't put much stock in them anymore. That's what forums are for.
I do have to acknowledge that BMW is to the road what Jeep is to off-roading. I've owned 3 BMWs for that very reason. Best-feeling cars on the road I ever drove. And fast, great handling. In fact, European racing has had to make a lot of changes to give other companies better chances of winning in several classes, all because BMW tended to dominate certain classes for years.
My all-time favorite was actually a 330xi. The larger 6 in it, AWD, and understated looks. Wouldn't outrun a muscle car on the strip, but was a serious pleasure to drive for long periods of time. Typical handling, good fuel economy but lots of power, and cruised at high speeds all day long. Drove through snow on mountains with ease, as long as it wasn't deep enough to bottom the car out. Way ahead of its time in features, too. Remote key fob was linked to memory. Unlock the car, and by the time I was getting in, my seat was adjusted, the radio was configured for all the stations I listened to (and the last source I was listening to, at the same volume), the interior light on/off as I left it, the sunroof, the exterior mirrors, and the climate control where I'd left it. And that was a 2003. The wife's key was tied to all her settings. Awesome feature.
My all-time favorite was actually a 330xi. The larger 6 in it, AWD, and understated looks. Wouldn't outrun a muscle car on the strip, but was a serious pleasure to drive for long periods of time. Typical handling, good fuel economy but lots of power, and cruised at high speeds all day long. Drove through snow on mountains with ease, as long as it wasn't deep enough to bottom the car out. Way ahead of its time in features, too. Remote key fob was linked to memory. Unlock the car, and by the time I was getting in, my seat was adjusted, the radio was configured for all the stations I listened to (and the last source I was listening to, at the same volume), the interior light on/off as I left it, the sunroof, the exterior mirrors, and the climate control where I'd left it. And that was a 2003. The wife's key was tied to all her settings. Awesome feature.
It was a terrible review. Too many reviews of too many things have been subverted by this hipster snark nonsense. If C&D paid the author, they could've saved a few bucks and just asked a teenager which truck he thought looked better and gotten the same review.
The negatives in this review are implied, not detailed. I don't have a Rebel, but I'm thinking about getting one, and I would like to read about its potential flaws as well as its positives. In this review, the author seldom approaches specific negatives. Here's one of the few instances:
If the reader is not familiar with the base 1500, this insight means nothing, because the author himself is clearly not familiar with it. He just heard it was so. What mechanical changes were needed, but not delivered? What stayed the same that hinders the performance? I don't think he's even familiar with the Raptor, as he talks almost exclusively about its looks rather than performance.
This seems like specific criticism:
This reads like typical music-review exaggeration ("this album literally sounds like a bag of cats yelling to get out"). It's also completely contradicted by the Cars.com Rebel vs Tundra TRD Pro video.
The rest of the review is weird Raptor worship. There's no attempt at all to explain why the Raptor is better suited to a task than the Rebel, just plenty of insistence that it is. If someone is looking to make a $50-60k decision between the two vehicles, he'll find no information in this "review."
except there are changes. the rebel comes with offroad tuned blistein shocks. it comes with a stock lift over other 1500 trims. it also does not lose any of its payload or towing capability. have you seen the raptors towing and payload? its laughable. the raptor can barely even work as a truck and its a horrible daily driver (7 inches wider than the standard f150). the raptor sacrificed pretty much everything else in the name of being a factory desert runner. the rebel got a few tweaks for more offroad chops without sacrificing anything. thats my feelings on the subject.
tldr if you want a truck that works (that will do real work) and is offroad capable,you don't want a raptor.
I do like the 0-60 time they put down. I have 1600 miles on a 2016 rebel and what I like most is the truck has amazing power and handling for a 6K lb truck. I would just like to keep it from leaving off rd mode at 26mph!!
Love this forum!
Thank
Love this forum!
Thank
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