I’m not going to lie. When a Roush-tuned Ford F-150->ke423 showed up in my news feed recently, I instantly pictured a modern-day Ford Lightning or at least some sort of off-road performance truck to tide the market over until the 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor arrives. Boy, was I disappointed.

Instead of a truck version of Roush’s 670-horsepower 2014 Stage 3 Mustang, this F-150 is essentially just a styling package with a minor suspension upgrade. That being said, Roush did put a lot of work into creating a custom, performance look for the F-150, and with as many lifted F-Series trucks that I see riding around on oversized wheels and tires, there’s no doubt that truck lovers and F-150 and Roush loyalists will eat them up.

The lack of any performance mods will probably be cancelled out by the fact that truck customers can get the 2015 Roush F-150 at select Ford dealerships, and in addition to the factory warranty, the truck’s changes will be backed by Roush for three year or 36,000 miles.

Continue reading for my full review of the 2015 Roush F-150.

Exterior

One of the focal points about the new F-150 has been its aluminum body, and that is the highlight of this 2015 Roush F-150, too. The front end gets a Raptor-inspired grill with LED clearance lights and the “ROUSH” lettering in place of the Ford oval, and it also has Roush-specific bumper caps and a black graphic that almost completely covers the hood. There are more graphics on the windshield, lower doors and tailgate, and there’s even an option for digital mud graphics – another throwback to the Raptor.

Adding to the off-road performance-truck look, Roush adds a set of high-clearance running boards, wide fender flares and blacked-out 20-inch Roush wheels. These wheels are wrapped in Mickey Thompson Baja ATZ tires that measure 305/55, which help give the truck a custom, trail-ready look. Roush didn't say if the suspension has been lifted to accommodate the bigger, taller tire/wheel combination, but Roush did add some Fox coil-over shocks for better handling.

Interior

The only upgrade you’ll see here is a set of molded WeatherTech floor mats and a Roush console badge with the truck’s serial number on it. For the price, you'd expect some bigger upgrades... at least some Roush-embossed seat backs or headrests.

Drivetrain

Note: 5.0-liter V-8 from 2015 Ford F-150 shown here.

If body decals really do add five horsepower, then the F-150’s power would be up considerably, but the only changes made to the powertrain is a performance exhaust system. Roush did not reveal which of the four engine options this F-150 would be available with, but the press release does mention that upgraded coil-overs will only be offered on 5.0-liter V-8.

Prices

Roush says that this package will start at $10,600 for the core components, and there are a handful of options for which pricing has not been announced. This, of course, comes on top of the purchase price of a 2015 Ford F-150, which starts at $26,030, but Roush has yet to say whether or not the package will be offered on all configurations.

Competition

2015 Ram 1500 Rebel

Tip-toeing the middle ground between stock and off-road performance, the 2015 Ram 1500 Rebel is perhaps the best head-to-head rival for the Roush F-150. The Rebel’s styling is hands-down the most obnoxious currently offered in the truck segment, and it is probably priced in about the same neighborhood as well, starting at $42,970.

Read our full review of the 2015 Ram 1500 Rebel here.

2015 Chevrolet Silverado Midnight Edition

When it comes to appearance packages, the 2015 Chevrolet Silverado Midnight Edition might be the best currently on the market. Starting with a 2015 Chevy Silverado Z71, this Chevy->ke199 gets an all-black exterior including the grille, Chevrolet badges and wheels – even the headlights are smoked to add to the sinister look. This limited edition is offered as an option package (ranging from $1,595 up to $1,995) on select versions of the Silverado->ke1787.

Read our full review of the 2015 Chevrolet Silverado Midnight Edition here.

Conclusion

The 2015 Roush F-150 might look the part of a Roush-tuned performance vehicle, but it is far from Lightning or Raptor successor. As much tuning potential as Roush->ke1434 has at its disposal, the 2015 Roush F-150 will surely be a letdown to performance enthusiasts, but it’s better than the list of options that Roush currently offers for the new F-150 – limited to a hitch cover and the floor mats included in this package. Still, with a red-hot truck market filled with customers who love to stand out from the crowd, there probably won’t be a shortage of Roush F-150 buyers at Ford dealerships.