Graphics or no stickers on your new Ford Raptor truck?
You've been dreaming about buying a new Ford F-150 pickup, and now you have decided on getting the off-road performance 2024 Ford Raptor R. It's an expensive truck, but you just received a $20,000 year-end bonus at work; it's been a good year, and you are ready to pull the trigger.
You pull into the Ford dealer's lot and spot the Raptor R sitting right up front. It's the one you saw in the dealer's ad over the weekend, and it hasn't been sold. This Agate Black Metallic beauty has your name on it.
You walk inside and are greeted by a salesman who is more than eager to show you the truck. He gets the keys, opens it up, and it's everything you imagined and more. This is the one for sure.
After taking the Raptor R on a short test drive, you go back inside with the salesman and discuss the price and the financing options. You are able to negotiate a reasonable price on the truck, an acceptable price for your trade-in, and get the payments that you want, and you're ready to see the finance manager and look through the final paperwork.
The salesman never mentioned this when you were discussing the price.
As you review the paperwork, a $1,800 charge for the dealer's Raptor R graphics catches your eye. It's a significant amount, and you're not sure if the stickers are worth it.
You ask the salesman to remove the graphics, or you will not buy the truck. He says he has to talk to his manager about it. After a few minutes, he comes out and reluctantly says he'll remove the sticker from the hood, side, and rear of the truck. Getting it into the service department will take time, but you are willing to wait.
How much does the 2024 Ford Raptor R cost?
The Raptor R starts at $109,145 before destination, delivery fees, taxes, and license. The price does not include extras like graphics on the hood, side, and back of the truck.
One Ford dealer installs the Raptor graphics on every new R model they sell. The charge for the stickers is an additional $1,800 to the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP).
The Ford salesman in this story is (@captain driver), who sells a lot of Ford Raptors. He says his customers always want him to remove the stickers off the hood, side, and rear of the off-road performance truck.
Ultimately, the decision is yours. What would you do?
The salesman says, "My Ford Raptor R customers always want me to remove them."
"This is one of my customers' trucks; it's a new Ford Raptor R," he says as he walks around the truck. "One thing I've noticed about every single Raptor customer I've ever sold is that they always want me to remove the graphics from the MSRP price."
"It's like $1,800 for the stickers on the hood, side, and back of the truck."
"One of the gentlemen I sold it to, as I was walking out of the finance office to give him the rest of the paperwork, I saw him yanking off the stickers off the new side of his new Raptor R truck."
"Nobody wants the stickers on the Raptor. Ours, apparently," he says, laughing.
"Maybe there's a reason why. I can't afford one, but I would keep the stickers on. I don't know. What would you do?" he asks.
Conclusion:
Of course, the Ford dealer and the salesman would want the customer to keep the graphics on the Raptor R truck. It's a nice extra profit margin for the dealer and salesman.
I don't know what the stickers cost the dealer, but the Ford dealer likely makes a 70-80% profit on the stickers. That's nearly $1,500 in pure profit for the dealer. The salesman gets a commission on the sale of the graphics, too.
So, of course, they want to sell every Ford Raptor R plastered with stickers. Why wouldn't they?
Here are a few of the comments from the captain drivers' post.
dosmin1 - "Decals are tacky, period. It already has badges; there is no need for it to look like a Hot Wheels."
user4758163519436 - "Nobody wants the dealer's logos in their vehicles, either. Yet, y'all still do it."
RTFM - "The stickers are coming off, and so is the added fee."
Crush - "$1800 for stickers is criminal. It's about like the dealer pricing."
gamerchicklexi - "I would also take off the dealership decal and the dealer logo while I'm at it."
Dallas.EVO - "The stickers make it look like a kid's truck or a matchbox car."
It's interesting to note that among the comments, there's a common sentiment-no one seems to be in favor of keeping the expensive Raptor R graphics. It seems like is the only one who would keep them on the truck is the salesman. No surprise there.
What about you?
Imagine you're about to purchase a 2024 Ford Raptor R. The truck is adorned with striking graphics on the hood, side, and back. Now, here's the twist-you have the option to keep these graphics and pay the full price, or have them removed and save $1,800 off the MSRP . A Ford dealer claims his customers always opt for the latter.
What would you choose? Click the red Add New Comment link below and let us know.
Check out this Ford F-150 story.
My Ford F-150 Has Lost So Much Value, $20K In Negative Equity Since Ford Decided to Tank the Brand Due to Reliability and Cutting Corners. Get the amazing story here.
I am Denis Flierl, a Senior Torque News Reporter since 2012. My 30+ year tenure in the automotive industry, initially in a consulting role with every major car brand and later as a freelance journalist test-driving new vehicles, has equipped me with a wealth of knowledge. I specialize in reporting the latest automotive news and providing expert analysis on Subaru, which you'll find here, ensuring that you, as a reader, are always well-informed and up-to-date. Follow me on my X SubaruReport, All Subaru, WRXSTI, @DenisFlierl, Facebook, and Instagram.
Photo credit: Denis Flierl via Ford dealer