2016 Roush F-150 SC review – Roadshow

The Good The supercharged 5.0-liter V8 makes the F-150 laugh-out-loud quick. Roush’s performance exhaust produces a thunderous exhaust note. SVT Raptor-inspired visual upgrades look menacing. On-road ride quality is still compliant on Fox suspension.

The Bad The 600 horsepower comes at the expense of lower fuel economy compared to the stock truck. Premium fuel requirement puts a bigger beating on you at the pump. Cost of admission into a Roush F-150 SC gets pricey.

The Bottom Line While not as off-road worthy as the SVT Raptor, the Roush F-150 SC still offers enough capabilities off pavement, while also being an absolute terror on the street.

Tackling sand dunes in the 600-hp Roush F-150 SC

A supercharger, upgraded suspension and styling changes produce a truck that’s a riot, both on- and off-road.

by Jon Wong

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Drag

Test Hill is among the tallest piles of sand at West Michigan’s Silver Lake Sand Dunes. For 20 minutes, I sit in my Roush Ford F-150 SC, looking at it and contemplating whether I should attempt a run up the monster hill. While numerous trucks make it to the top as I play spectator, many don’t and have to reverse back down in shame.

Admittedly, I’m a newbie when it comes to driving on sand. Paved racetracks are my comfort zone, but the urge to conquer Test Hill overwhelms any doubts I have, compelling me to jump out of the truck to take a few more pounds of air out of the already deflated tires for more grip. Power isn’t going to be a problem with the Roush’s supercharged 5.0-liter V8, but hitting the hill at high speed doesn’t seem to be the ticket to a successful run.

Instead, beginning the climb with just the right amount of momentum and gradually feeding in more power as you get higher seems to be the best strategy to prevent the truck from digging into the sand and getting stuck. With the truck’s four-wheel-drive system in 4-Low and 10 pounds of pressure in the tires, I stomp on the throttle and shoot towards the base of the hill.

Getting up Test Hill on the first try.

Nick Miotke/Roadshow

My heart threatens to explode out of my chest as I start my ascent. The Roush scampers up halfway without a problem, but I can feel momentum begin to bleed off. I squeeze in more power, and am careful not to mash the gas pedal to tear the tires off and beach the truck. I hold myself together long enough to get the F-150 to the summit, joining a gaggle of other trucks to take in the surrounding sights of other dunes and Lake Michigan.

It’s a relief to not embarrass myself and the truck, which attracts lots of attention from folks at the top with its aggressive visual changes. A blacked-out Roush grille includes clearance lights that follow in the footsteps of Ford’s own Raptor. It also has a new front bumper cover, fender flares with clearance lights and a tasteful slathering of Roush graphics. The entire package rides on dark-finish 20-inch Roush wheels wrapped in Mickey Thompson Baja ATZ tires.

From there, I motor around the rest of the off-road park, climbing other hills, charging through hoops and splashing through puddles of water where the Fox performance suspension works overtime to handle impacts. The SC’s off-road capabilities prove to be plenty for the dunes, which Roush says targets trucks like the Ram 1500 Rebel and Chevrolet Silverado Z71. Power aside, what it definitely is not is a full-blown SVT Raptor fighter.

As capable as it is off-road, I think the F-150 SC is actually more in its element on the street, mainly because of the power it’s packing under the hood. My test truck’s 5.0-liter V8 originally left Ford’s plant with 385 horsepower and 387 pound-feet of torque. After going through Roush’s facility in Plymouth, Michigan, the engine now spits out 600 horsepower and 557 pound-feet of twist thanks to an Eaton supercharger and performance exhaust system.

On the pavement, all that muscle shoots the F-150 SC forward in a brisk manner, but obviously it doesn’t build speed at the same rate as a 600-horsepower sports car. However, it is incredibility quick for a vehicle weighing nearly 4,900 pounds. Roush doesn’t quote performance numbers, so I’m not exactly sure how quick the SC gets to 60 mph or covers the quarter mile, but when you drop the hammer the speedometer needle sweeps upwards pretty darn fast as you get pinned back into the seat.

In a way, I see the SC filling the high-performance street truck void left by OEMs vehicles like the F-150 SVT Lightning, Silverado SS and Ram SRT-10, all of which are a long way back in history’s rearview mirror. Roush admittedly gives the SC more off-road ability, which isn’t something normally found in a thoroughbred street truck’s DNA. It’s there, though, all packed into a pickup that’s also a capable muscle truck with good handling and ride comfort. Consider the SC something of a dual-sport athlete, a slightly different performance truck specimen.