2023 Ford Bronco Raptor

Amidst the success of its F-150 Raptor, Ford wasted no time in applying the Raptor formula to the recently-reintroduced Bronco SUV. Launched in 2022—just a year into the Bronco’s run—the wider, taller, butched-up Bronco Raptor is already headed into its second year of production. Poised to compete with the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon—particularly the V8-powered Wrangler 392 variant—the Bronco Raptor gives its established competitor a run for its money. The “Braptor,” as its fans call it, emphasizes power, high-speed desert-style travel and general off-road prowess, but it retains a surprising level of on-road composure.  

The Bronco Raptor sits at the top of the Bronco lineup—with its starting price of $75,375 including destination, it’s a significant $20K more expensive than the next-nearest off-road variant, the Bronco Everglades and over two times the sticker price of the base model. The Bronco Raptor is offered exclusively in a four-door configuration and, unlike lesser trims, cannot be optioned with a manual transmission.

With that considerable price tag comes an impressive list of equipment. A fully-boxed, high-strength steel frame, along with reinforced B and C pillars, give the Raptor better torsional rigidity than the standard four-door Bronco. Fox Racing internal bypass semi-active dampers, reworked shock towers, and Ford Performance control arms enable off-road dexterity. Its beefed-up axles are shared with the hardcore Bronco Desert Racer; burlier front and rear driveshafts, an upgraded transfer case, larger-diameter tie-rods and 37-inch BFG KO2 all-terrain tires help the Raptor triumph over the most punishing terrain. 

The Bronco Raptor is nearly 10 inches wider than the regular Bronco, with 8.6 inches greater track width. It also boasts 13.1 inches of ground clearance, 4.8 inches more than the standard 4-door Bronco. It gets a set of smartly-tuned terrain modes that Ford calls G.O.A.T. modes—Goes Over Any Terrain—along with helpful off-road assists. Trail Control is an off-road, low-speed cruise control of sorts that helps the driver maintain a terrain-appropriate speed while wheeling. Trail Turn Assist brakes the inside rear tire to facilitate an ultra-sharp turning radius, and the One-Pedal Driving mode applies brake as you lift off the accelerator, a boon for rugged crawls and inclines.

Finally, all Bronco Raptors come equipped with a specially-tuned version of the 3.0-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V6. Rated for 418 horsepower and 440 pound-feet of torque, it’s the most powerful Bronco in the lineup, with the standard Bronco’s 2.7-liter turbo V6 rated at 330 hp. A version of Ford’s 10-speed automatic transmission and dual-range transfer case funnel torque out to the front and rear axles.

At 191 inches in length, the Bronco Raptor is a 5-seater midsize SUV, but there are few direct competitors. The Jeep Wrangler 392 is the only similarly-hyperbolic off-road SUV in the segment. One might be tempted to include the larger Land Rover Defender V8 in this group, but as a luxury SUV, it’s in a different price segment. Plus, removing the Defender’s roof requires a reciprocating saw with plenty of spare blades, and the reinstall process is darn near impossible. And it would be a stretch to consider the aging but capable Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro in the same class, as it’s a closer match to milder off-road Broncos like the Everglades.

Performance: 14/15

Despite its breeding as a very fast and capable performance off-road SUV, the Bronco Raptor is surprisingly well-rounded. Its quick acceleration is better than what you get out of a regular Bronco, particularly in Sport mode, though it’s not as blistering as the Wrangler 392. In addition, the Raptor’s droney exhaust note isn’t nearly as satisfying as the Hemi’s throaty growl and doesn’t seem to change much between exhaust modes. 

Off-pavement, the Raptor’s power is plenty for gnarly crawls and dune-bashing alike, and its fortified chassis feels invulnerable to the most punishing terrain. The smartly-tuned terrain modes and 4WD hardware make for a competent off-roader. Front and rear lockers work in concert with grippy 37-inch tires to help it hang on during steep and rock-strewn climbs; the electronic swaybar disconnects can be operated on the fly, engaged or disengaged even when the axles are already articulated. The Bronco Raptor refused to get stuck in even the soupiest sands of Moses Lake Dunes and reliably succeeded in clawing its way out of every close call. 

Back on the road, the Bronco Raptor feels tall and bouncy and can be a smidge hard to place through turns at speed, but it’s not a discombobulated hot mess on the highway like the Wrangler 392 can be. Instead, the Bronco Raptor balances its off-road prowess with decent on-road manageability, precise steering at lower speeds and a tight turning circle that helps with in-city maneuvers. Though it doesn’t have the impeccable handling of the F-150 Raptor, the Bronco has a tidier footprint and feels commendably composed for an SUV so capable in the dirt. 

Fuel Economy: 9/15

The Bronco Raptor’s aggressive tune and sticky terrain tires mean it’s thirsty at the pump—and it drinks premium. The Bronco Raptor’s 3.0-liter EcoBoost wears official EPA estimates of 15 mpg city and 16 highway and 15 combined. Oddly these numbers are exactly on par with the larger and more powerful F-150 Raptor pickup. Both EcoBoost Raptors at least edge out the 392 Wrangler, which only returns 13 mpg city, 17 highway and 14 mpg combined. 

Safety and Driver Assistance Tech 10/15

The Bronco Raptor comes standard with automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, blindspot warning with cross-traffic alert, front and rear parking sensors, and auto-high beams. A 360-degree view camera is also standard. Though it lacks the detailed close-up views of some off-road oriented systems, it is a welcome addition due to the Bronco’s limited outward visibility. Trailer sway control is onboard to help make towing easier, but adaptive cruise control can only be added via an available package.  

The IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) awarded the Ford Bronco 4-door its highest score of “Good” on all crashworthiness tests except Head Restraints & Seats, where it scored “Acceptable.” The Bronco is still too new to have received an overall safety rating from NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), which dings its score slightly. However, it scored four out of five stars on frontal crash overall, though just three out of five on rollover resistance. With its taller profile but greater track width, it’s unclear whether the Raptor version would see an improved score on the latter.

Comfort and Room: 13/15

With its nicer materials, and more aggressively bolstered seats, the Bronco Raptor is somewhat more comfortable up front than the regular Bronco and certainly more so than the Wrangler, especially for long trips. Dual-zone climate control and heated front seats are standard on the Raptor, and the chunky and well-sculpted sport steering wheel is optionally heated. 

The Bronco Raptor’s enhanced ground clearance means it’s a big step up to get in, and for whatever reason, the standard running boards installed to help with that tend to reach out and knick your shins. In addition, outward visibility isn’t the best, with the Bronco’s short windshield and flat horizontal hood constricting the view out the front and its massive externally-mounted spare tire and center brake light obstructing the rearward perspective. 

The rear seat is standard Bronco fare, with minimal amenities and 36.3 inches of legroom to the Wrangler’s 35.7. The seats recline slightly, but overall the second row doesn’t have the space and the creature comforts you’d find in a conventional crossover. There is a handy 110v outlet in the back of the center console, though this would be more useful in the cargo area. 

Infotainment 13/15

The Raptor gets a horizontally-mounted 12-inch center touchscreen and runs Ford’s Sync 4 infotainment system with its intuitive operation and simple white graphics. This big screen includes a bonus pane on the right that displays multiple functions simultaneously. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, and a lush-sounding 10-speaker B&O sound system, navigation and a wireless charging pad are available with the Lux package. 

The vibrant 12-inch full-color digital gauge cluster is almost as impressive as the center screen, and the Raptor flashes realistic animated graphics when you switch drive modes. It also provides a wealth of performance and off-road metrics via the “Raptor Information” menu. It’s a vast improvement over the standard Bronco’s split-screen setup, and we hope a version of it migrates across the lineup in the future.

Cargo Space and Storage 11/15

The Bronco Raptor will hold about 38 cubic feet of cargo behind the rear seats, or nearly 83 cubic-feet with them folded down. That’s quite a bit more than the Jeep Wrangler’s 31.7 cu-ft with seats and 72.4 total, but less than similar two-rows like the 4Runner (89.7 cu-ft total). Like its nearest rivals, the seats are manual fold with no remote flippers. Moreover, the Bronco’s seats don’t fold all the way flat, and access to the rear can be awkward—the side-opening tailgate has to swing wide to prevent interference with the flip-up rear glass, and it’s hinged on the wrong side for curbside loading.

If you want to expand its carrying capacity, the Bronco Raptor will actually tow stuff, unusual for an off-road variant, up to a maximum of 4,500 pounds. That beats both the regular Bronco and the Wrangler by 1,000 pounds. Only the 4Runner tows more in this group, with its 5,000-pound max.

In the cabin, the Bronco Raptor has the kind of scarcity of storage you’d expect for this type of vehicle. Cupholders are few, the center console compartment is on the small side, and there isn’t much in the way of cubbies. There are a few helpful features, like cargo nets and a mesh tie-down surface on the front seatbacks, but by and large, there aren’t a ton of places to stash things. 

Style and Design: 9/10

The Bronco Raptor is almost cartoonishly macho-looking. Bristling with heat extractors, bash plates, and its massive tires and fender flares, it makes even the regular Bronco look shrimpy. At nearly 10 inches wider than its base counterpart, it requires marker lights to be street-legal, and other LED elements like the unique amber daytime running lights add pizazz and hint at the Raptor’s specialness. While it’s an imposing menace in the dunes, the hulking Bronco Raptor can feel vaguely ridiculous just running everyday errands—a portrait in overkill. 

Inside, the Bronco Raptor feels more lavish than the utilitarian Bronco—for a price. Available suede upholstery ($2,495) and an interior carbon fiber package ($1,725) help the cabin feel convincingly premium. However, we think the base marine-grade vinyl and hose-able rubberized floors are better for adventures in the dirt. While the underlying Ford bones convey quality and heft, there are occasional details that don’t feel quite dialed in—like some unfinished edges on the removable roof panels that can slice your finger if you aren’t careful.

Is the 2023 Ford Bronco Raptor Worth it? Which Ford Bronco Raptor is the Best Value?

The Bronco Raptor seems to have gotten a significant price hike for 2023, from the $68,500 MSRP indicated at last year’s launch to the $73,780 on Ford’s website at the time of publication. But even with its $1,595 destination fee added, a base-spec Raptor still undercuts the Wrangler 392’s starting price by $5,800. 

Suppose you skip all the leather and carbon fiber and opt for the $2,300 Lux Package (adaptive cruise, wireless charging, heated steering wheel, navigation, B&O sound). In that case, you’re looking at a nicely-equipped dune basher for well shy of the $80K mark—even if you treat yourself to one of the upgrade paint colors and a splashy graphics package to make your Raptor even more conspicuous. 

That said, $78K is a lot for an SUV, even one as brutally capable as the Bronco Raptor. Though it’s not in the same league, the Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro also has Fox reservoir shocks and offers about as much capability as the average user will ever need—for over $20K less. But for the buyer for whom only the most over-the-top off-roader will do, the Bronco Raptor is a deal. 

How Much Does it Cost to Insure the 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor?

Despite its similar hardcore intentions, insuring the Bronco Raptor isn’t nearly as expensive as its F-150 Raptor sibling. Our research suggests that a typical 30-year-old female driver with a clean record can expect an average annual premium of $2,064 though this averages all 50 states. The F-150 Raptor pickup runs about $3,091. But the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 is slightly more expensive, running approximately $2,185, but individual drivers’ numbers will vary. To get a more accurate picture of your potential insurance expenses, visit our car insurance calculator.