Until the start of this decade, the only off-roader that Ford had in its arsenal was the F-150 Raptor. Even that was an off-road variant based on a standard truck. But, in 2020, we were blessed with a fantastic off-roader built from the ground up, and it was christened the ‘Bronco’. Fast forward to 2022, and the automaker has elevated the Bronco by slapping it with the ‘Raptor’ moniker. With the standard Bronco being a pretty potent off-roader to begin with, how much difference does the Raptor make?

Ford Bronco vs Bronco Raptor – Exterior Dimensions and Off-road Angles

Let’s jump straight to the dimensions first. The Bronco Raptor measures 191 inches in length, 85.7 inches in width, and 77.8 inches in height.

The Bronco, on the other hand, is 189.4 inches long, 75.9 inches wide, and 73 inches tall. This makes the Bronco Raptor 1.6 inches longer, 9.8 inches wider, and 4.8 inches taller than the standard Bronco.

As for the track widths, the front and rear tracks are 73.2- and 73.6 inches wide on the Bronco Raptor, whereas, on the standard Bronco, they are 65 inches wide on both ends.

The best off-road angles you get on the Bronco are with the 35-inch tires. But, even the most rugged and toughest Bronco lacks when compared to the Bronco Raptor. You can’t have 37-inch tires here like the Bronco Raptor. The standard Bronco boasts an approach angle of 43.2 degrees, a breakover angle of 26.3 degrees, and a departure angle of 37 degrees.

The Bronco Raptor, as expected, beats it in all aspects. It boasts an approach angle of 47.2 degrees, a breakover angle of 30.8 degrees, and a departure angle of 40.5 degrees.

The Bronco Raptor sits 13.1 inches off the ground, whereas the Bronco with the 35-inch shoes sits 11.5 inches off the ground. The maximum water fording is rated at 33.5 inches on the Bronco and 37 inches on the Bronco Raptor.

Ford Bronco vs Bronco Raptor – Off-Road Gear

This is where things are a lot different between the two. The Raptor features Bronco’s high-strength steel frame, but with new shock towers and seven cross members that increase wheel travel and off-road durability.

Both the Broncos feature the HOSS – High-performance Off-road Stability Suspension – setup, but the one on the B-Raptor is the upgraded 4.0 version which comes with Live Valve technology. The HOSS 4.0 on the Bronco Raptor comes with FOX 3.1 Internal Bypass Semi-Active Dampers with integrated reservoirs at the front and remote reservoirs at the rear. Courtesy of this, the wheel travel has now increased to 13 inches at the front and 14 inches at the back. This is 60-percent and 40-percent more, respectively, than the standard Bronco.

The standard Bronco, on the other hand, can be had with Spicer front and rear electronic locking differentials for improved traction over rough terrain and long travel, position-sensitive Bilstein off-road shock absorbers with end-stop control valves.

While the Bronco comes with an independent front suspension and Dana 44 five-link, coil-sprung solid rear axle, the Bronco Raptor features an upgraded Dana 44 AdvanTEK front-drive axle with a 4.70 ratio, and a Dana 50 heavy-duty AdvanTEK solid rear axle, also with a 4.70 ratio. }} The five-link rear setup comes with a Panhard rod and outboard coilover springs. The Bronco Raptor also comes with an advanced 4x4 system with three drive modes. There’s an upgraded two-speed transfer case with a 67.88:1 crawl ratio as well.

Unlike the standard Bronco, the Raptor features a sweet-sounding, dual-exhaust system that makes use of near-equal-length pipes for better exhaust notes. You get to select from four exhaust modes here, which include Normal, Sport, Quiet, and Baja.

The Bronco Raptor also comes with a Terrain Management System with G.O.A.T. Modes. It comes with seven modes - Normal, Slippery, Tow/Haul, Sport, Off-Road, Rock Crawl, and Baja modes. The standard Bronco also comes with six of these, but not on all trims. The Tow/Haul mode is exclusive to the B-Raptor. The Trail Toolbox, which consists of the Trail Control, Trail Turn Assist, and Trail One-Pedal Driving, is offered on both off-roaders.

Ford Bronco vs Bronco Raptor – Drivetrain

Whereas the Bronco Raptor is offered with a single-engine option - a 3.0-liter, twin-turbo EcoBoost V-6. Unfortunately, there’s no V-8 here and Ford never planned to offer one either. It’s the same engine that’s found under the hood of the Explorer ST as well, however it makes more power in here. The Bronco Raptor churns out 418 horses and 440 pound-feet of oomph.

The standard Bronco can be had with either a 2.3-liter, four-cylinder turbocharged EcoBoost or a 2.7-liter, turbocharged V-6. The four-cylinder engine puts out 275 horsepower and 315 pound-feet of twist when filled with regular fuel, and 300 horses and 325 pound-feet of torque when on a premium fuel diet. The 2.7-liter V-6 makes 315 ponies and 410 pound-feet of twist with regular fuel and 330 horses and 415 pound-feet of oomph with premium fuel.

The Bronco Raptor will come with a 10-speed automatic gearbox as standard and the only option here. There is no manual gearbox on offer, unlike the standard Bronco, which can be had with a seven-speed manual gearbox. This can surely be a deal-breaker for a lot of enthusiasts.

Ford Bronco vs Bronco Raptor – Exterior

There are a lot of differences between the standard Broncoand the Bronco Raptor. If you talk about the exterior, the Bronco Raptor is a Bronco on steroids. The Bronco Raptor is offered only in the four-door avatar, unlike the standard Bronco which can also be had with two doors. The round headlights are retained, but the DRLs are different. While the standard Bronco comes with a simple hood, the one on the Raptor comes with an integrated vent and is finished in Carbon Black. Both the models come with steel bumper and removable bumper side caps for better off-road clearance. The Bronco Raptor features two tow hooks, Rigid LED fog lamps, and off-road lamps integrated here.

The Bronco Raptor features the signature two-piece Raptor grille unlike the standard SUV’s grille with the ‘BRONCO’ lettering. I’m calling it – this grille will be one of the most popular accessories soon. You’ll probably see a lot of Broncos with the Raptor grille in the future. Since the Bronco Raptor is wider than 80 inches unlike the standard Raptor, you get three amber lights on the grille, as mandated by the government. There are supposed to be five in total. The other two are placed on the wing mirrors.

Moving to the side profile, the Bronco Raptor features unique front and rear quarter panels and fenders. The fenders extend out to significantly more than the Bronco, and that’s mainly to accommodate the tires. They also come with integrated heat extraction ducts. The B-Raptor also features reinforced rock rails and removable running boards as standard.

The Bronco Raptor comes with 17-inch black high-gloss painted wheels as standard, whereas two beadlock-capable designs are optional. They are shod in 37-inch BFGoodrich KO2 all-terrain tires from the factory and are the largest ever offered on a production SUV. The regular Bronco, on the other hand, comes with tires ranging from 16- to 18 inches, and 17-inch beadlock wheels are optional. You can have 35-inch wheels as part of the Sasquatch Package, but there’s no option to get 37-inch tires here. The tailgate on the Bronco Raptor has been reinforced to bear the weight of the full-size spare tire mounted on it.

Apart from this, heavy-duty bash and skid plates are placed underneath the body to protect the back of the engine, transmission, and transfer case. These are different from the protection offered in the Bronco.

Ford Bronco vs Bronco Raptor – Weight and Towing

The Bronco Raptor weighs 5,733 pounds. The four-door Bronco’s curb weight differs based on the trim and engine option, but even in its heaviest avatar, it is still 413 pounds lighter than the Bronco Raptor.

The Ford Bronco Raptor is better at towing as well. It can tug up to 4,500 pounds, which is 1,000 pounds more than the standard Bronco’s 3,500-pound towing capability.

The four-door Bronco with the four-pot engine weighs between 4,499- and 5,226 pounds, depending on the trim and transmission. The V-6 Bronco weighs between 4,661- and 5,320 pounds.

Ford Bronco vs Bronco Raptor – Pricing

The Bronco Raptor is priced at $68,500 before destination, which makes it $15,500 more expensive than the costliest Bronco.

As for the standard 2022 Bronco, here’s how it’s priced (two-door/four-door):

- Base - $31,300/ $35,200

- Big Bend - $35,785/ $37,880

- Black Diamond - $37,950 /$40,045

- Outer Banks - $41,355 / $43,450

- Badlands - $44,495 / $46,590

- Wildtrak - $49,780 /$51,225

- Everglades - $53,000