Nominated for Sport Utility Vehicle Of The Year award, I'm confident majority of us would all vote for our Bronco Raptor.
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Ford Performance didn't play around when it Raptorized the Bronco: It stiffened the body, enlarged the engine, supersized the tires, and fortified the suspension, including a massive increase of 9.8 inches in track, bringing it within an inch of the girth of a Hummer H1. All the important numbers—horsepower, torque, ground clearance, suspension travel, and approach, breakover, and departure angles—read less like a spec sheet and more like a wish list.
So, yes, our off-road course barely tickled the Braptor's extreme capabilities; no question, the Bronco Raptor was the most capable off-roader at this year's SUVOTY competition. As digital director Erik Johnson put it: "Performance of intended function [one of our six OTY criteria] is off the freaking charts. This is just a pure, unvarnished ass-kicking machine." Associate editor Alex Leanse added, "It's precision-engineered to enable tomfoolery."
You're probably expecting the word "But …" to show up any second now, but (heh) that isn't going to happen—because for all its off-road specialization, the Bronco Raptor proved to be an unexpectedly capable on-roader. We prepared ourselves for excessive noise, clumsy handling, and a bouncy-castle ride, but the Bronco Raptor surprised us: It's no Bentley, but it's a damn sight more livable in these areas than it has any right to be. Even the interior is nicer than we expected.
Yet despite the Braptor's' on-road acceptability, we can't really say it's a good choice as a daily driver. For one thing, its massive width makes it a real pain in the tailgate to wield. Wherever you think the front tires are, they're always farther away. And there are some OTY criteria where the Bronco Raptor simply cannot get ahead.
On-road safety is always going to be somewhat compromised in a vehicle this focused on off-road ability. There's just no getting around that. Efficiency? The Bronco Raptor's 15 mpg EPA combined rating is maybe higher than you might think, but it's still 15 mpg. Value? If you're a hardcore off-roader planning to build your ultimate go-anywhere machine, then we don't have to explain why our Raptor's $81,085 as-tested price is a bargain—but to anyone else, we probably can't explain. Also, good luck getting your mother-in-law into the back seat for the ride to her Saturday canasta game.
Yet the Braptor still charms. From its 37-inch tires to its 418-hp engine (410 on California's 91-octane fuel) to its cheery blue paint, the Bronco was a welcome reprieve from the ranks of ordinary family trucksters competing in SUVOTY—a cartoon intermission in the middle of a serious documentary. Not making it a finalist felt a bit like betraying a good buddy.
Johnson's lament summed it up: "Really, it's a shame the Braptor falters on some of the criteria, because it's just so, so good. We always give our Golden Calipers to a hugely deserving and well-rounded machine—but sometimes being transcendent at one or two things equals a different kind of greatness. After all, Tom Brady, the greatest quarterback of all time, can't catch all that well, doesn't block, and he sure as hell can't run, but man, can he throw."
MotorTrend Bronco Raptor video's posted on this site:
Article copied below, courtesy reference link to original article on MotorTrend.
Article also has been added to this sites Bronco Raptor Reviews Library
The Braptor is not just a one-trick pony—er, Bronco.
Aaron Gold - Writer; Darren Martin - Writer | Oct 17, 2022
Pros
- Unstoppable off-road
- Surprisingly docile and agile on pavement
- This is hardcore off-roading done right
Cons
- Wide as a building
- Width makes it tricky to drive, park
- Engine note doesn't match up to the rest of the package
Ford Performance didn't play around when it Raptorized the Bronco: It stiffened the body, enlarged the engine, supersized the tires, and fortified the suspension, including a massive increase of 9.8 inches in track, bringing it within an inch of the girth of a Hummer H1. All the important numbers—horsepower, torque, ground clearance, suspension travel, and approach, breakover, and departure angles—read less like a spec sheet and more like a wish list.
So, yes, our off-road course barely tickled the Braptor's extreme capabilities; no question, the Bronco Raptor was the most capable off-roader at this year's SUVOTY competition. As digital director Erik Johnson put it: "Performance of intended function [one of our six OTY criteria] is off the freaking charts. This is just a pure, unvarnished ass-kicking machine." Associate editor Alex Leanse added, "It's precision-engineered to enable tomfoolery."
You're probably expecting the word "But …" to show up any second now, but (heh) that isn't going to happen—because for all its off-road specialization, the Bronco Raptor proved to be an unexpectedly capable on-roader. We prepared ourselves for excessive noise, clumsy handling, and a bouncy-castle ride, but the Bronco Raptor surprised us: It's no Bentley, but it's a damn sight more livable in these areas than it has any right to be. Even the interior is nicer than we expected.
Yet despite the Braptor's' on-road acceptability, we can't really say it's a good choice as a daily driver. For one thing, its massive width makes it a real pain in the tailgate to wield. Wherever you think the front tires are, they're always farther away. And there are some OTY criteria where the Bronco Raptor simply cannot get ahead.
On-road safety is always going to be somewhat compromised in a vehicle this focused on off-road ability. There's just no getting around that. Efficiency? The Bronco Raptor's 15 mpg EPA combined rating is maybe higher than you might think, but it's still 15 mpg. Value? If you're a hardcore off-roader planning to build your ultimate go-anywhere machine, then we don't have to explain why our Raptor's $81,085 as-tested price is a bargain—but to anyone else, we probably can't explain. Also, good luck getting your mother-in-law into the back seat for the ride to her Saturday canasta game.
Yet the Braptor still charms. From its 37-inch tires to its 418-hp engine (410 on California's 91-octane fuel) to its cheery blue paint, the Bronco was a welcome reprieve from the ranks of ordinary family trucksters competing in SUVOTY—a cartoon intermission in the middle of a serious documentary. Not making it a finalist felt a bit like betraying a good buddy.
Johnson's lament summed it up: "Really, it's a shame the Braptor falters on some of the criteria, because it's just so, so good. We always give our Golden Calipers to a hugely deserving and well-rounded machine—but sometimes being transcendent at one or two things equals a different kind of greatness. After all, Tom Brady, the greatest quarterback of all time, can't catch all that well, doesn't block, and he sure as hell can't run, but man, can he throw."
| 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor Specifications | |
| Base Price/As Tested | $70,095/$81,085 |
| Power (SAE net) | 418 hp @ 5,750 rpm |
| Torque (SAE net) | 440 lb-ft @ 2,750 rpm |
| Accel, 0-60 mph | 6.2 sec |
| Quarter-Mile | 14.9 sec @ 91.0 mph |
| Braking, 60-0 mph | 145 ft |
| Lateral Acceleration | 0.69 g (avg) |
| MT Figure Eight | 29.0 sec @ 0.56 g (avg) |
| EPA City/Hwy/Comb | 15/16/15 mpg |
| EPA Range, Comb | 318 miles |
| Vehicle Layout | Front-engine, 4WD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV |
| Engine, Transmission | 3.0L twin-turbo direct-injected DOHC 24-valve 60-degree V-6, 10-speed automatic |
| Curb Weight (f/r dist) | 5,747 lb (56/44%) |
| Wheelbase | 116.5 |
| Length x Width x Height | 191.0 x 85.7 x 77.8 in |
| On Sale | Now |
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