It isn’t even out yet and people have already coined a new term for the all-new Ford Bronco Raptor. Say hello to the BRAPTOR. The Bronco is clearly for those folks out there, where the Sasquatch packagee on the regular Bronco just doesn't cut the mustard. The BRAPTOR borrows a lot of bits and bobs from the F-150 Raptor. The Blue Oval really has turned up the heat on this Ultra4 inspired off-roader.
Overview
While it might not be an apples-to-apples comparison, the one SUV that comes close to the Bronco Raptor is the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392, or as I like to call it, 'The Muscle Jeep'). The 392 in itself was Jeep's response to the standard Bronco that came out last year. It also finally gave the Wrangler, an engine that Jeep enthusiasts had been asking forever. Anyway, with the arrival of the new Bronco Raptor, Ford is keeping its tabs on the Wrangler. Let’s see how these two dune bashing rigs stack up against each other.
Exterior Design
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Coming to the design, I’m sure you’ll agree that the Ford is the more brawny of the two if you’re into that. The Wrangler in this company at least looks rather restrained, but it's a timeless design nonetheless. The Bronco carries forward the Raptor philosophy very well. You’ve got Raptor-specific body panels like the front grille, the hood, a new tailgate, and those ridiculously wide fender flares.
The Jeep too has a functional hood scoop to help that 392 V-8 engine breathe better and you can’t mistake it for anything else as you have a Rubicon and 392 badges displayed proudly. One of distinguishing the Rubicon from the regular Wrangler is with the bronze accents, sprinkled across the bodywork. You’ll find it on the Rubicon and Trail Rated Badge, the tow hooks, etc.
Now I know design is subjective, but going by the first impressions, I’m sure that most of you will agree with me on this. The Bronco clearly has more presence when compared to the Rubicon and the dimensions are proof of it. With a width of 85.7 inches and height of 77.8 inches, the Ford pips the Jeep, however, the Wrangler does have a slightly longer wheelbase at 118.4 inches.
Both the BRAPTOR and the Rubicon will only be available in four-door form, although both models will offer customers an open-air experience with removable doors and the ability to have the roof open. The Bronco Raptor even features removable fender flares which should come in handy on narrower trails.
The Cabins
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Now although these two off-roaders are the most extreme iterations of their respective models, they are the top-spec models and both automakers have thrown in the kitchen sink to spruce things up on the inside considerably. You get premium appointed premium cabins over their respective standard models.
The cabin of the Bronco Raptor can be had in two flavors. You can have it with marine-grade upholstery and rubber floor mats, or you can step it up to the more luxurious Premium trim that has nicer Leather/Alcantara seats and carpeting. You have Raptor-specific touches like the code orange contrast bits, which you’ll find on that new thicker rimmed steering, the stitching on the dash, the armrest, the G.O.A.T Mode dial, the air vents the seatbelt, and the seats. Now in addition to this, a Lux package will also be available which will add stuff like a premium 10 speaker B&O audio, heated steering wheel, and wireless charging pad.
Coming to the Rubicon’s cabin, it continues with that same Bronze theme that I spoke of earlier. You’ll find bronze accents and touches at several places throughout the interior. Be it on the seats, the gear, and 4x4 shift lever, the handbrake, etc. But apart from the Rubicon 392 embroidered on the seats, there isn’t much to distinguish this cabin over other Wrangler models. It is fancier don’t get me wrong. Both SUVs also get thicker steering wheels with paddle shifters. The one on the Bronco Raptor is particularly meaty to hold and features magnesium paddles.
Engine And Transmission
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Coming to what’s under the hood, this is where the Wrangler Rubicon 392 clearly seems to have an advantage of over the Bronco Raptor (Period). Under the hood of the Wrangler 392 lies the legendary 6.4 liter Hemi V-8 that puts out 470 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque. 0-60 mph? 4.5 seconds.
Now that's quick, especially when you consider the Wrangler tips the scales at 5098 pounds. Also, you can’t ignore the deep rumble of that Hemi, thanks to those quad-exhausts on the Rubicon 392. There is in fact a button on the dash that you can toggle for a throatier engine note.
| Engine | 3.0 L Twin-Turbo V-6 | 6.4 L Hemi V-8 |
|---|---|---|
| Horsepower | 418 hp | 470 hp |
| Torque (lb-ft) | 440 | 470 |
| 0-60mph | 5.7 sec | 4.5 sec |
| Transmission | 10-Speed Auto | 8-Speed Auto |
The Bronco Raptor meanwhile is powered by a 3.0-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V-6. Ford hasn’t revealed the official power figures yet, but this same mill is used on the Ford Explorer ST, where it puts out 400 horses. Clearly, the Jeep seems to have the advantage on power, however, Ford could be working on a more powerful Raptor R. I’m just speculating here.
As for sound, the Bronco Raptor features a new exhaust system that you find on the F-150 Raptor. It is an equal-length design with four exhaust note modes to make that V-6 sound raspier. As far as transmissions are concerned, the Jeep employs an 8-Speed auto while the Ford Bronco has two more cogs with a 10-Speed auto.
Off-Road Equipment And Suspension Hardware
Okay, now let's get to the bit that really matters. Both Off-roaders should feel right at home be it on a rocky trail or out in the desert bashing up the dunes. As far as the off-road kit on the Bronco Raptor is concerned, Ford dips into its off-road racing know-how. Ford has added a fair bit of kit to buff up the Bronco even more.
You’ve got heavy-duty front and rear bash plates, rock rails along with removable running boards and the overall body on the Bronco Raptor is now up to 50% stiffer than the standard model thanks to additional reinforcements on the B and C Pillars. You’ve got an upgraded electronic differential lock at both ends. You’ve got Dana 44 half shafts up front and a Dana 50 HD solid rear axle.
Both Off-roaders come with FOX shocks, although they have been tuned very differently by each automaker. The Ford has a more sophisticated HOSS 4.0 System system with 3.1 live valve adjustable dampers, compared to the Jeep’s Monotone shocks, that's also tied into the drive modes as well. It allows for 13 inches of front and 14 inches of rear-wheel travel, which is considerably more than a base Bronco.
| Crawl Ratio | 67.88 to 1 | 85.9 to 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer Case Ratio | 3.06 to 1 (4LO) | 4.0 to 1(4LO) |
| Rear Axle Ratio | 4.71 to 1 | 4.56 to 1 |
| Suspension Travel | F:13 in R: 14 in | - |
| Tires | 37 in BF Goodrich KO2 | 35 in BF Goodrich Tires |
The Jeep Wrangler 392 employs a full-time four-wheel-drive system with a Selec-Trac two speed-transfer case, 44 Dana front, and rear solid axles, with a disconnecting sway bar and a two-inch factory lift kit and unique suspension geometry, straight from the factory. The Jeep has also carried out reinforcements to the frame along with beefed-up driveline components to make help it handle the abuse be with those high-speed jumps our out on a rocky trail.
Wheels And Tires
For the wheels and tires, the Bronco Raptor is stilling on 17-inch rims wrapped in mammoth 37 inch BF Goodrich KO tires. These are in fact the highest-profile tires ever fitted to a production SUV in North America. You have this same option on the F-150 Raptor as well.
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The Rubicon 392 meanwhile is also sitting on some pretty beefy rubber at 33 inches but the optional $3995 Xtreme Recon package steps it up to 35 inch BF Goodrich KO tires. Both SUVs feature bead-lock capable rims (option on the Bronco Raptor) as well as substantial fender flares to house these massive tires. The Bronco Raptor is so wide that Ford had to include special amber running lights in order to comply with the federal mandate for vehicles over 80 inches in width.
Drive Modes
The Bronco as you know comes with its famous G.O.A.T (Goes Over All-Terrain) mode, allowing you to switch between the various drive modes on the fly.
- Normal
- Slippery
- Tow/Haul
- Off-Road
- Crawl
- Baja Mode
You have a two-speed transfer case with
- 4High
- 4Low
- 4Automatic
The new TOW mode, now allows the Raptor to haul 4500 pounds. The other mode of interest is an all-new BAJA mode, that has been optimized to eliminate Turbo lag and keep the engine in the meat of the power band.
The Jeep also lets you switch between various drive modes, however, you can’t switch to just two-wheel drive, which I’m sure many would have wanted to unleash that big V-8 to pull some 11s. However, you do get low-range four-wheel drive and the Off-Road plus driving mode will allow you to lock the rear differential at high speeds.
This mode softens the throttle response at slower speeds making for a smoother ride. The other two modes are Sand and Rock. Pretty self-explanatory. However, you do still have a low range The Jeep can also tow, but not as much as the Ford. The Rubicon is rated at 3500 pounds towing capacity. The Rubicon 392 features
- 4WD Auto
- 4WD High, Neutral
- 4WD Low
On-Board Tech And Convenience Features
One of the primary upgrades to the tech on the Bronco Raptor is its all-new configurable 12” digital drivers display, with a new Ford Performance mode, that now sees a new giant tachometer take center stage. You’ve got Ford’s new SYNC4 Interface for the 12” infotainment touch screen.
- Enhanced Voice Recognition
- AppLink with app catalog Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Compatability Information on Demand
- Front parking sensors
- 360-degree camera
- Rearview camera with backup assist grid lines
- Digital owners manual
- 911 assist
- Adaptive Cruise Control
The Jeep meanwhile features a smaller 8.4” UCONNECT 4 Nav radio that you also find on other Wrangler variants. You get traditional analog gauges along with an 8” driver information system. Now it obviously won’t be as configurable as the Bronco’s all-digital unit given its smaller size, but it still handles the essentials like navigation and speed control, pitch and roll, etc.
- Forward-Facing Off-Road Camera
- Connected Tech - Amazon Alexa
- Nine-speaker Alpine Premium Audio System
- All-weather subwoofer and 552-watt amplifier
- Heated Seats
- Heated MirrorsAdaptive Cruise Control
Safety Features
Now the safety features are quite extensive on both rigs, considering they are top-of-the-line trims for their respective models.
Ford Bronco Raptor Safety Features
- ABS
- Electronic stability control
- AdvanceTrac with Roll Stability Control
- Trail sway control
- Electric power-assisted steering
- First-row driver Airbag
- Passenger dual-stage front and seat side airbags;
- Safety Canopy side-curtain airbags with rollover sensors for all rows
- Pre-Collision Assist
- Pedestrian Detection
- Forward collision warning
- Dynamic brake support
- BLIS (Blind Spot Information System) with Cross-Traffic Alert
Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 Safety Features
- ABS
- Electronic stability control
- Driver front-impact airbag
- Passenger front-impact airbag
- Driver side-impact airbag
- Passenger side-impact airbag
- Front passenger airbag occupancy sensor
- Side impact beams
- 4-wheel brake assist
- Traction control
- Blindspot Warning
- Forward Collision Mitigation
- Parking sensors - Rear
Price
The Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 comes in at $77,000, with a fully loaded example seeing the price climb to $85,000. This is where the Bronco Raptor seems to have a slight edge as it undercuts the Jeep by a lot with a starting price of $69,995, including destination, before options of course.
This comes as no surprise really as Ford really is trying to tap into every corner of the Wrangler range. Yes yes, the Bronco Raptor comes pretty loaded out of the box, but I’d be hard-pressed to believe that anyone will drive it out of the dealership without adding some more tweaks and accessories.
At this end of the market, things are never bone stock. People like to kit out their rigs to not just make them their own, but to improve functionality even further, be it with more hardcore bumpers, rock doors, tire carries, lighting, custom graphics. The sky is pretty much the limit as far as customization is concerned.
Jeep buyers for instance spend anywhere between $800 to $1000 more on accessories. With Jeep of course you've got Mopar at hand and the aftermarket scene is very mature, but you've got Ford Performance address that for the Bronco. The aftermarket will also evolve to cater to the ever-increasing number of Bronco buyers.
To Sum It Up
So there you have it. A brief comparison of two of the most extreme off-roaders out there stack up, straight from the factory. Now obviously the new kid on the block i.e the Braptor is pretty well kitted out and is coming for the Wrangler 392. However, Jeep loyalists will argue that the Ford is lacking with some poke under the hood. Having said that, Ford is already working on the F-150 Raptor R with a V-8 under the hood, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see that engine make it to the Bronco Raptor as well, albeit with a slightly different tune of course.
The sub-70 Grand pricing also works in the Bronco’s favor. However, given the current state of the market where people are paying ridiculous prices to get their hands on a Bronco, we'll have to see if the ongoing chip crisis settles by the time the Raptor is out. We also now have to wait and see how Jeep responds to this onslaught from the Blue oval. In the end, what needs to be seen is if the Bronco can sway Jeep loyalists in its favor. In the end, the ultimate way to compare these dune-bashing rigs is to take probably take them out to a place like Moab and see what’s what.
Here’s what some hard-core Jeep people had to say about the Bronco (Not the Bronco Raptor).
