We pulled up to the Rowher Flats staging area just after noon. Nestled in the mountains north of Sleepy Valley, CA, it’s home to dozens of off-roading trails ranging from the fun to the truly challenging. I’m in the Roush F-150, equipped with the tuner’s performance suspension kit and a supercharger that pushes its 5.0-liter V8 to 705 horsepower.
Alongside me sits a friend in the 2025 RAM 1500 RHO, the TRX’s V6-powered successor. Parked around us, you’ll find an abundance of modified Jeep Wranglers, kids ripping around in ATVs, and families in four-seaters side-by-sides. Two off-roading novices in brand-new decked-out trucks, what could go wrong?
While this isn’t a comparison piece between the Ford and the Ram, the Roush F-150 isn’t lacking in potential rivals. With an as-tested price of $112,000, it costs about the same as a similarly optioned F-150 Raptor R. Given their similar power outputs, off-roading intentions, and beefed-up exteriors, can this modified truck prove that Raptor isn’t always the answer?
As you might expect, the Roush starts life as a standard F-150. The Michigan-based tuner works off the STX, XLT, and Lariat trims, with the only requirement being that you option Ford’s naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8 and all-wheel drive. My tester utilizes a fully loaded XLT as its base, benefiting from factory upgrades such as a locking rear differential and most of the premium in-cabin extras available for this truck.
Pricing for the Roush F-150 is challenging due to the sheer variety on offer. While this package starts at $19,995 above the price of the base truck, it offers its own list of standard and optional equipment. In the standard category, you’ll find Roush’s Performance Coil-Over Suspension, 20-inch satin black wheels, 33-inch General Grabber A/TX All-Terrain tires, and dual exhaust tips. Visually, Roush adds a new branded grille, fender flares, hood extractors, and a front bumper cover.
Since Roush built this particular truck to showcase its various offerings, it sports plenty of optional upgrades. These include the Roush Off-Road Premium Package, which adds exterior lights, an active exhaust system, an auxiliary switch panel, and interior carbon fiber trim. Roush’s Premium Leather Package re-trims this truck’s interior with brown and black leather and contrasting stitching. The Ready Package sneaks in a locked vault in its center console, while new bedside graphics display the Roush name.
Thanks to a direct partnership between Ford and Roush, you can walk into various dealers nationwide and buy one ready-made. However, due to emissions regulations, this tester’s $8,649 supercharger kit has to be purchased separately and installed as an aftermarket component. Despite this, it’s still covered, as is the rest of the truck, by Roush’s three-year/36,000-mile warranty. Assuming that a comparatively optioned XLT costs around $70,000, this fully-loaded Roush F-150, including the purchase and installation of its supercharger, comes in at around $112,000.
With all-wheel drive engaged and this truck’s rear differential locked, we head straight for some of the more challenging trails Rowher Flats offers. As I follow my friend in the Ram through the snaking path, the Roush showcases some of its strengths. Like the Raptor R, the RHO sports massively flared fenders, meaning that as the trail narrows, its paint makes contact with passing leaves and branches. While the Roush F-150 sports wheel arch extensions, it’s not significantly wider than a stock truck, making it more maneuverable on these tight tracks.
Alongside its comparatively narrow footprint, this truck benefits from two inches of extra ground clearance over a stock XLT, courtesy of Roush’s leveling Performance Coil-Over Suspension. Yet despite raising its nose, this upgraded setup doesn’t affect towing or payload ratings, nor does it interfere with Ford’s hands-free BlueCruise driver assist system. Out on the trails, however, it means that the Roush F-150 traverses rough surfaces without transmitting unnecessary harshness through the cabin.
It’s a similar story on the road. Roush’s suspension setup feels well-dampened, improving the stock truck’s ride quality while lifting its nose. This coil-over system nicely balances off-road performance and on-road comfort. According to Roush, it has the benefit of not stressing any of the stock truck’s joints and bushings. It also doesn’t raise the truck so much as to not fit in home and multi-story parking garages.
As we continue to climb, a sign out of my right window indicates that we’ve now turned onto one of the most challenging trails at the park. However, the Roush F-150 has yet to struggle. For one, it sits just high enough off the ground to not bottom out in places where the RHO certainly does. Simultaneously, its beefier wheel and tire package means I can crawl through rough surfaces without fear of inviting a flat at the worst possible moment.
Inside, the Roush F-150 benefits from some off-roading features shared with the Raptor and Raptor R. The most useful is Ford’s 360-degree camera system, which not only provides a birds-eye view of the truck to increase its maneuverability, it also displays a live feed of the road ahead. This allows you to better place your tires out on the trails while also making avoiding rocks a breeze.
On open sections with more forgiving surfaces, the Roush F-150 feels tremendously quick. It rips up various hills easily and has enough power to feel fast, even on steeper grades. Its claimed 305-hp increase at the crank over stock certainly helps. The tuner achieves this through its Roush RS2650 TVS Supercharger, boosting this truck’s output to 705 hp and 635 pound-feet of torque. For context, the Raptor R’s supercharged 5.2-liter engine develops 720 hp and 640 lb-ft, making straightline performance about a level playing field.
Disable traction control and send power exclusively to its rear wheels however, and the Roush F-150 is playful on loose surfaces, effortlessly sliding around on command. At the same time, its upgraded suspension keeps body motions settled, creating a feeling of confidence. While Ford’s 10-speed automatic transmission tends to hunt for gears while not always being the smoothest, it’s quick under wide open throttle, allowing the Roush F-150 to feel every bit as swift as it should be.
It feels even quicker on the road, with its supercharged 5.0-liter V8 delivering power consistently to the redline while emitting a throaty note from its twin rear pipes. Yet even at higher speeds, Roush’s coilover suspension feels planted and comfortable, giving this F-150 a true dual personality.
As the day continues and we crest a handful of the park’s peaks, it’s clear that although the Roush isn’t a trophy truck for the road like the Raptor R, it’s tremendously capable in its own right. Not only has it matched the off-road performance of Ram’s flagship RHO, but it’s also done so with ease.
Of course, the Raptor R has its advantages, especially given that the pair cost about the same. For one, both the Raptor and the Raptor R have a distinct look that’s become a hallmark of Ford’s off-roader. Simultaneously, it’s a far more off-road-focused machine with a reinforced chassis, added ground clearance, long-travel suspension, and larger wheel/tire options. There’s also the matter of resale, with the Raptor historically retaining value well in the used market.
Although they cost about the same, the Roush F-150 courts a slightly different buyer. It’s a milder off-roader because it uses a standard F-150 XLT as its base. Despite this, my drive through Rowher Flats’ most challenging trails proves that it’s nonetheless tremendously capable. The modified truck has the added benefit of a true dual personality, which doesn’t forget that on-road comfort is equally important.
Given that it matches the Raptor R’s straight-line performance, its party piece is its superior towing capacity. While the R tops out at 8,700 lb, by retaining the stock XLT’s towing rating, the Roush F-150 can push that figure to 13,500 lb.
It’s also worth pointing out that the Roush offers greater variety. Many of the parts this truck wears are sold as individual upgrades to non-Roush-branded trucks. Its supercharger is a significant contributor to its elevated price tag, a component that’s nice to have but not required if a naturally aspirated truck will do.
As such, while the Ford F-150 Raptor R remains one of the most exciting trucks produced over the last decade, by sticking to a versatile persona, the Roush F-150 proves compelling in its own right.
