![]() ![]() I got a chance to beat the hell out of the Bronco Raptor and never felt like I was even close to reaching its limits. You probably won’t be surprised to learn that the Bronco Raptor feels incredibly capable off-road, equally adept at high-speed desert running and low-speed rock crawling. ![]() Who Cares About on the Street? What About Off-Road? Lowly though those ratings may seem, they still mostly best the Wrangler Rubicon 392, which requires premium and is EPA-rated at 13/17/14 mpg. It’s EPA-rated at 15/16/15 mpg city/highway/combined, and Ford recommends more expensive premium gas. It can make highway driving feel fraught when you’re in the passing lane because you can’t tell if someone is right behind you.įuel efficiency is probably low on the list of concerns for Bronco Raptor buyers, but with gas prices near record highs, it’s worth knowing what you’re signing up for with this SUV. The giant full-size, rear-mounted spare tire and taillight assembly is big enough to hide entire cars. Visibility is an issue, with the Bronco’s large front windshield pillars restricting the driver’s view when cornering. The standard 37-inch BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 tires are fairly quiet at speed, too, which isn’t always the case with off-road tires. There’s also a fair amount of road and wind noise in the cabin, though it’s worth remembering that the Bronco’s doors and roof are removable it’s a fair trade to me. The Sport drive mode includes aggressive downshifting and automated throttle blips as you decelerate, but the engine sound simply isn’t as pleasing as the throaty rumble of a V-8. The V-6’s adjustable exhaust note leaves a lot to be desired even in its loudest Baja setting. All the tweaks to turn a Bronco into a Bronco Raptor have also resulted in a maximum towing capacity of 4,500 pounds, a 1,000-pound increase. The Bronco Raptor’s brakes are also borrowed from the F-150 Raptor and do an admirable job of uneventfully bringing this 5,700-plus-pound SUV to a stop. That’s a whopping 8.2 inches wider in front and 8.6 inches wider in back versus a base Bronco. The Bronco Raptor has a much more advanced suspension with heavier-duty components borrowed from the F-150 Raptor, upgraded steering components, increased rigidity and significantly increased track widths of 73.2 inches in front and 73.6 inches at the rear. Steering feel and handling are significantly improved over the regular Bronco, too. The 10-speed automatic transmission shifts smartly. The twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 producing 418 horsepower and 440 pounds-feet of torque makes the Bronco Raptor feel quick but not blindingly fast. Like the F-150 Raptor, the Bronco Raptor is a sloppy kind of fun on pavement it’s not perfect, but it’s not meant to be. ( pays for its own airfare and lodging when attending manufacturer-sponsored events.) Driving the Bronco Raptor on the Street But is it worthy of the Raptor name? To find out, we traveled to Palm Springs, Calif., at Ford’s invitation to drive it on- and off-road. The Bronco Raptor makes more horsepower and torque than the regular Bronco courtesy of a larger twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 engine, and the Raptor version is so significantly upgraded that the two barely look alike. Related: 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor: Could This Be the Perfect Raptor? Though Ford has ceded the horsepower war for now, the automaker has confirmed that an F-150 Raptor R, powered by a V-8, is on its way. Both vehicles subscribe to the “put a powerful V-8 in it and it’ll be fine” way of thinking, while Ford has taken a different route with the F-150 Raptor by giving it incredible off-road prowess but dropping its V-8 engine for a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6. Versus the competition: The Bronco Raptor has the specs and abilities to match or beat the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 off-road, and it can more than hold its own on-road, too.įord used to have the high-performance, factory off-road market cornered with the F-150 Raptor, but in the last few years, Stellantis - parent company of Jeep and Ram - has one-upped the Blue Oval with vehicles like the Wrangler Rubicon 392 and Ram 1500 TRX. The verdict: The 2022 Bronco Raptor delivers on just about every promise Ford made when the off-road SUV debuted, with incredible off-the-lot capabilities that seem up to tackling almost anything owners can throw at it. 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor | photo by Brian Normile
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