It’s 2022 and my childhood dreams have come true. Please someone mark this in my permanent record.
A Tonka Truck-like vehicle now not only exists for consumers, but it’s street legal and can apparently do it all for the (not so low, low) price of $69,995 including destination.
No need for introduction, the 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor– uh, Braptor – Raptorizes the Bronco with long-travel suspension, massive tires, cartoonish design, comfortable interior, more power and ridiculous capability. But its power feels underwhelming, its design doesn’t fit or cater to everyone’s lifestyle, and it guzzles fuel quickly.
After spending several sessions living and doing things that no Braptor owner is likely to do, here’s where this wondrous and absurd creation hits and misses.
2022 Ford Bronco Raptor
2022 Ford Bronco Raptor
2022 Ford Bronco Raptor
Hit: the cartoon comes to life.
As I pulled into my driveway on my road bike and (again) laid eyes on the Eruption Green Braptor shining in the sun, an overwhelming, uncontrolled fit of laughter washed over me. It’s so absurd and hilarious. It’s like an actual Tonka truck that I played with in my parent’s basement as a kid. The bolt-on fender flares look overdone, but they serve to widen the stance 8.6 inches over a standard Bronco to cover the well-sunk Fox long-travel remote reservoir shocks. The 37-inch BFGoodrich KO2 all-terrain tires feel like pillows (there’s a joke about planes, trains and automobiles here). The LED daytime running lights are amber rather than white, and there are marker lights (because this thing is over 7 feet wide). It all comes together in the best way to look crazier than any Wrangler or Defender money can buy from the factory.
2022 Ford Bronco Raptor
2022 Ford Bronco Raptor
2022 Ford Bronco Raptor
Miss: Terrorizing others, parking lots and garages
As I speed down Hwy 169 in the dark with the factory-installed LED headlights and rigid LED fog and driving lights (pretty sure the driving lights are for off-road use only, oops!) pushed behind a mid-2000s Honda Civic. The Braptor’s bumper was at the height of the Civic’s trunk. The Braptor must have looked terrifying in the rearview mirror because I’ve never seen a Civic change lanes so quickly in my life. The Braptor fits in my standard-size garage (built in 1997) next to my wife’s 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee, but a Ford spokesperson was shocked when I told them. The Braptors too big for the assembly line (it barely squeaked under my garage door with little room) at nearly 6.5 feet tall. It’s nearly the width of an average parking spot, which makes getting in and out of spots with cars on either side of the Braptor an exercise in attention to detail. It’s not as bulky as an F-150 Raptorbut it’s a handful.
2022 Ford Bronco Raptor
Hit: nothing bothers him
The Braptor is the real GOAT. This thing just keeps its cool no matter what. Potholes ? Braptor laughs at them. Speed bumps? More like a ripple in the road. Borders? The Braptors don’t care about sidewalks. With 13.1 inches of ground clearance paired with 13.0 inches of front suspension travel and 14.0 inches of rear suspension travel, Braptor’s Fox 3.1 in-house semi-active shocks are magic. Pair all that with 37-inch rubber and it’s a recipe for comfort and control. I rode the hills around Blue Ridge, Georgia like no Braptor owner ever will, shocking even editor Robert Duffer. The Braptor didn’t care. Not that I would ever skip a set of train tracks because it would be irresponsible, but if a Braptor attempted such a thing, he wouldn’t flinch.
2022 Ford Bronco Raptor
Lack: Doesn’t tear hard enough
The Braptors have a 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 making 418 hp and 440 lb-ft of torque mated to a fantastic 10-speed automatic transmission. The transmission could be the highlight of the powertrain with the ability to execute incredibly quick and perfect shifts in Sport and Baja mode that wouldn’t be out of place in a sports car. But at 5,733 lbs, the Braptor just doesn’t rip the line as hard as the lighter 4,754 lbs. 2-door Wildtrak and its 2.7-liter turbo-6 with 330 hp and 415 lb-ft of torque. Power doesn’t match the rest of the Braptor’s outrageousness and is topped by the Wrangler 392’s 475-horsepower V8, both on fire and fury. The bad news is that a more powerful Braptor isn’t in the works as the team believes the the engine is already big enough. They are wrong.
2022 Ford Bronco Raptor
Hit: Comfortable Recaros
The Braptor comes standard with Recaro bucket seats up front. They are comfortable, comfortable and look great. Unfortunately, my tester didn’t have the blue color as an option, but that didn’t interfere with their comfort. They’re much more comfortable than any seat found in a Wrangler, even an $83,400 V-8-powered Wrangler. The rear seat is basically the same as the one found in other four-door Broncos, which is to say, it’s fine if not a bit flat.
2022 Ford Bronco Raptor
Miss: Drinks a lot
In what won’t surprise anyone, the Braptor loves to drink fuel. It has EPA fuel economy ratings of 15 mpg city, 16 expressway, 15 combined. I’m here to tell you that these not-so-great numbers aren’t realistic. Over 227 miles of mixed commuter driving, the Braptor averaged 13.2 mpg according to the on-board trip computer. This side of the Nissan GT-R, and basically corresponding the F-150 Raptor with a bigger, more powerful twin-turbo V-6, the Braptor’s V-6 gets some of the worst fuel economy I’ve ever experienced in a production 6-cylinder in everyday driving. It might as well have a V-8, because it’s similar fuel economy to the Jeep Wrangler 392.
2022 Ford Bronco Raptor
At $69,995, but $75,770 tested thanks to graphics, optional wheels, leather-trimmed suede seats and a keyless entry keypad, the Braptor seems reasonably priced for its out-of-the-box capabilities. . That’s if you can find one for the price of the sticker during these wild times.
The Braptor isn’t in a class of its own, but it looks rarefied and feels like the most complete and best package. This is easily one of the most outrageous things, and my most ridiculous new favorite thing money can buy.
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2022 Ford Bronco Raptor
Base price: $69,995 including destination
Price as tested: $75,770
Powertrain : 418-hp 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6, 10-speed automatic, four-wheel drive
EPA Fuel Economy: 15/16/15mpg
The hits: Cartoon-like design, fantastic transmission programming, unflappable ride, comfortable seats
Failures : Fuel guzzle, looks terrifying in a rearview mirror, almost as wide as a parking spot, slight power deficit