Bronco Raptor | You Drive It - You'll Buy It
When someone asks if you want another Bronco Raptor, you say “YES!!” I’m pretty sure I remember a line simpler to that from a movie somewhere, but it still holds true. Anytime I’m given the chance to drive a BRaptor, even though I own the first one ever sold, you can bet I’m going to take it. So when Ford offered to send us one spec’d out way differently than mine, I jumped at the opportunity.
This particular truck was bathed in Ford’s Iconic Silver paint, which I believe is one of the best paint codes available from The Blue Oval. On top of that, this one is loaded up with the Lux Package and the optional leather seats. One other stand out difference between this silver BRaptor and my personal unit is one I can never get used to in a Bronco: carpet. That particular floor covering seems antithetical to the intended use of a Bronco, but I do have to say that the black carpet in this particular truck does look good. However, if you want to see why I would always select the vinyl floor option in a Bronco check out our video review:
I know this is an odd thing to say, but I really haven’t given my Bronco Raptor driving impressions. It’s particularly odd when you consider that I’ve owned mine pretty much longer than anyone. However, now is the time to end that streak. The easiest way I can put this is as a warning; if you don’t want to buy a BRaptor, you better not drive one. I’ve given that warning several times, and everyone I know who has taken one for a test drive has ended up driving one home. There's a good reason for that.
Everything you love about the standard Bronco is magnified with the BRaptor. The steering is better, the braking is better, the handling is better, the ride is better, the towing capability is better, the engine is better, and on and on. On the road, a Bronco Raptor is supremely comfortable. The steering is extremely precise and twin-turbo power is always on tap. Still; as great as the Bronco Raptor is on-road, off-road is where it truly shines.
Striped down and ready to ride. Days like this are why you own a Bronco.
I love the orange lightning on the BRaptor.
The Fox Racing shocks that make on-road imperfections imperceptible work to soak up the types of harsh conditions that would shake a lesser vehicle to pieces. Though we didn’t get to push this silver BRaptor to anywhere near its limits, we did get to spend a lot of time driving in off-road conditions that are typical for the Coastal Carolina region. Sand, lots of sand.
We stripped this BRaptor of its roof and doors, then headed to one of our favorite beaches. Over the years I have seen many lesser 4x4s stuck, buried up to their frame rails, and hoping someone would come along and snatch them free before the rising tide swallowed their ride. In a Bronco Raptor; about the only way something like that could happen, would be through shear driver stupidity. The massive BFG tires and ample ground clearance make riding over and through the rutted beach sand a breeze.
These 37-Inch BFGs laugh in the face of mere beach sand. 'Tis no challenge at all.
Ruts are starting to get a little deep.
Seeing as we were riding the beach during turtle nesting season we didn’t want to get too nuts, but I was definitely able to play around enough to get a good sense of the Bronco’s capabilities. The BRaptor can basically handle sand any way you would like to tackle it. You can take it slow and allow the BFGs to float over most surface conditions, or you can hoon around while pour on the throttle and be confident that the lockers will find enough traction and the 3.0L EcoBoost will have enough power to keep your momentum up and you out of trouble. If you want to kick it up to ludicrous speed the suspension is ready to absorb the punishment and smooth out the ride. To put it succinctly, the beach is no match for a Bronco Raptor.
On some of the backcountry trails in the area we again got to put the Fox Racing shocks to the test on some roads covered in dried out dozer tracks. At speeds that would leave most vehicles rattling to pieces, the silver BRaptor just trucked along like it was any other Tuesday. A Bronco Raptor represents the rare instance where a performance vehicle is dialed in to perform its given purpose to perfection, without sacrificing on–road comfort.
There's no better way to explore the back roads of the Coastal Carolina region.
Beefy is a good descriptor for the BRaptor.
Speaking of on road comfort, that’s where this particular BRaptor has some significant advantages over my rig. The Lux Package leather seats, with micro-suede inserts, are far more comfortable on a longer trip than the marine-grade vinyl seats I opted for in my unit. I chalk this up to the vinyl surface’s inability to breathe, which on a long enough trip eventually leaves my skin feeling like it's crawling. However, actual positional comfort seems identical. I also feel that the carpeted floor covering makes for a more inviting interior than the vinyl floor I selected for my Raptor.
All that being said, for the way I use my BRaptor I still prefer the vinyl seats and floor. They are super easy to keep clean, which is very important to me. This fact was proven to the extreme after our trip to the beach with the silver Bronco Raptor. Some of the sand we kicked up during our no-doors & no-roof photo shoot managed to find its way into the cabin. I had to spend the better part of a day with a shop-vac, including removing the front seats (also more difficult to clean), to clean the carpeting properly. Once sand gets embedded in that stuff it is a major pain to extract. I live at the beach, so for a vehicle like the BRaptor carpet is a No-Go from the start. It looks better and is more comfortable, but for the way I use my Raptor it’s just not for me. Still, I love that Ford makes it possible for you to outfit the Bronco in so many different ways – to fit many different use models.
The graphics package looks great with an Iconic Silver background.
Times like this make me really appreciate having a vinyl floor in my BRaptor.
Put this on a poster and hang it on your bedroom wall.
Another difference between this one and ours is the graphics package. I purposefully ordered mine without graphics because I believed that would not look great with the Velocity Blue paint color we chose. However, this one is bathed in Iconic Silver paint and festooned with the graphics package. To me, that makes a great looking combination. Both have the optional forged bead-lock capable wheels. After driving this press truck around for a while Iconic Silver has become one of my favorite paint colors. I would not hesitate to order one that looks just like this.
In conclusion, of all the performance Fords I’ve driven over the years the Bronco Raptor is easily the most dangerous to your wallet. If you happen to find yourself behind the wheel of one on a test drive, it’s probably all over for you. As several SVTP Members can attest, you’re going to buy one. You can configure many of the options to fit your needs, and personalize it suit your tastes. That may just be the best part about the best Bronco, the ability to turn it into what you want it to be. Whether you want to make 500+ HP to the wheels or lift it and install 40’s, it’s all possible. That’s a design philosophy Ford can hang their hat on, and I can’t wait to see what’s next for mine.
-SID297
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