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The year is 2022 and my childhood dreams have come true. Please someone mark this in my permanent file.
Not only is a Tonka Truck-like vehicle now available for consumer purchase, it’s street-legal and can seemingly do just about anything for the (not-so-low, low) price of $69,995, including destination.
The 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor—er, Braptor—needs no introduction—Raptors the Bronco with long suspension, massive tires, a cartoon-like design, a comfortable interior, more power, and ridiculous capabilities. But its power seems overwhelming, its design doesn’t fit and suit everyone’s lifestyle, and it guzzles fuel quickly.
After several sessions, living and doing things that no Braptor owner is likely to do, here this wonderful and absurd creation hits and misses.
2022 Ford Bronco Raptor
2022 Ford Bronco Raptor
2022 Ford Bronco Raptor
Hit: A cartoon brought to life.
As I pulled my road bike into the driveway and (again) caught a glimpse of the Eruption Green Braptor glistening in the sun, I had an overwhelming, uncontrollable fit of laughter. It is such an absurd and funny look. It’s like a real-life Tonka Truck that I used to play with in my parents’ basement as a kid. The bolt-on fender flares are over the top in appearance, but they raise the stance of the standard Bronco by 8.6 inches to cover Fox long-term reservoir shocks stuffed into the wells. The 37-inch BFGoodrich KO2 all-terrain tires look like pillows (planes, trains and cars joke here). The LED daytime running lights are amber rather than white, and there are marker lights (since this thing is over 7 feet wide). It all just comes together in the best possible way to look more insane 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 cruised down the 169 freeway in the dark with LED headlights and factory-installed rigid LED fog and daytime running lights (pretty sure the running lights are for off-road use only, oops!), I bumped into the back of a mid-2000s Honda. Citizen. The Braptor’s bumper was at the height of the Civic’s trunk. The Braptor looked terrifying in the rearview mirror because I’ve never seen a Civic change lanes so quickly in my life. The Braptor fit in my standard size garage (built in 1997) next to my wife’s 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee, but the Ford rep was shocked when I told them that. The Braptor is too tall for the conveyor (it barely squeaked under my garage door, space was tight) and is almost 6.5 feet tall. It’s almost the width of an average parking space, so getting cars in and out of the Braraptor on either side is an attention to detail. It’s not as cumbersome as the F-150 Raptor, but it’s a handful.
2022 Ford Bronco Raptor
Hit: Nothing will interfere with it
Braraptor is a true GOAT. This thing just keeps calm no matter what. Songs? Braptor laughs at them. Retarders? More like a ripple in the road. Curbstones? Braraptors don’t care about curbs. With 13.1 inches of ground clearance and 13.0 inches of front and 14.0 inches of rear suspension travel, Braptor’s Fox 3.1 internal semi-active shocks are magic. Couple it all with 37-inch rubber and it’s a recipe for comfort and control. I tore around the mountains surrounding Blue Ridge, Georgia in a way no Braptor owner ever does, shocking even Senior Editor Robert Duffer. Braraptor didn’t care. Not that I’d ever jump on railroad tracks because that would be irresponsible, but if the Braptor tried something like that, it wouldn’t flinch.
2022 Ford Bronco Raptor
Miss: Not tearing hard enough
The Braraptors have a turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 with 418 hp and 440 lb-ft of torque mated to a fantastic 10-speed automatic transmission. The transmission may be the highlight of the drivetrain, as it can deliver incredibly quick and perfect shifts in Sport and Baja modes that wouldn’t be out of place in a sports car. But at 5,733 pounds, the Braptor just doesn’t rip as hard as the lighter 4,754-pound 2-door Wildtrak and its 2.7-liter turbo-6 with 330 hp and 415 lb-ft of torque. Power is no match for the rest of the Braraptor, and it’s bested in both fire and fury by the Wrangler 392’s 475-horsepower V-8. The bad news is that a more powerful Braptor won’t be made because the team feels the engine is already big enough. They are wrong.
2022 Ford Bronco Raptor
Hit: Comfortable Recaros
The Braraptor comes standard with Recaro bucket seats up front. They are supportive, comfortable and look great. Unfortunately, my tester didn’t have the optional blue color, but that didn’t detract from their comfort. They’re far more comfortable than any Wrangler seat, even the $83,400 V-8 Wrangler. The back seat is basically the same as other four-door Broncos, which means it’s good, if not a little flat.
2022 Ford Bronco Raptor
Miss: Drinks, a lot
To no one’s surprise, Braraptor likes to drink fuel. It has EPA fuel economy ratings of 15 mpg city, 16 city highway, 15 combined. I want to tell you that these not so big numbers are not realistic. On a 227-mile mixed suburban drive, the Braptor averaged 13.2 mpg, according to the trip computer. The Nissan GT-R on that side, and essentially matching the F-150 Raptor with a bigger, more powerful twin-turbo V-6, the Braptor’s V-6 is one of the worst fuel economy models I’ve experienced in a 6 Series. -cylinder in daily driving. It might as well have a V-8 because it’s as fuel efficient as the Jeep Wrangler 392.
2022 Ford Bronco Raptor
With graphics, optional wheels, leather-trimmed suede seats, and a keyless entry pad, the Braptor costs $69,995, but $75,770 as tested. That’s if you can find a sticker like this for a bargain in these wild times.
The Braptor isn’t first class, but it’s in rarefied air and feels like the most complete and best package. It’s simply one of the most outrageous, and my new favorite, most ridiculous things money can buy.
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2022 Ford Bronco Raptor
Base price: $69,995 with destination
Price as tested: $75,770
Transmission: 418-horsepower twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6, 10-speed automatic transmission, all-wheel drive
EPA Fuel Economy: 15/16/15 mpg
Hits: Cartoon-like design, fantastic gearbox programming, smooth ride, comfortable seats
Misses: Guzzles fuel, looks awful in rear view mirror, almost as wide as parking space, slight lack of power
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