The 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor is the SUV designed by your 7-year-old inner child. And we drove it as hard as we dared for this review.
It’s 106 degrees and I’m roaring across the desert, plumes of dust trail brownish red into the blue sky. But inside the 2022 Bronco Raptor, the temperature is a cool 68 degrees and the tunes are thumping. And, things are getting rowdy.
I stomp the gas pedal to the floor and feel the 5,731-pound machine claw at the dry lakebed. I accelerate — 60, 70, 80 miles per hour. Passing a set of cones, I mash the brakes as hard as I can to trigger the anti-lock braking system.
My chest heaves forward into the seat belt as I prepare to stomp the skinny pedal and rocket into the next turn. And one huge grin spreads across my face.
![_X8I3459 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor test drive off-road](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2022/06/X8I3459.jpg)
The Bronco Raptor is one heck of a toy. And it’ll misbehave with the best of us.
2022 Bronco Raptor Review
More Fun Than a BMX Bike
If you’re beginning to already see a theme in this review, well, you should. Over and over through the two days I tested the Bronco Raptor on windy roads, gnarly rock crawls, and high-speed desert runs around Palm Springs, California, I remarked that this truck speaks to the inner child. From the outside, it just looks cool. It’s the Hot Wheels truck everyone would have wanted on the playground.
And inside, well, it’s even cooler! From sharp, modern graphics and screens on the dashboard to utilitarian but catchy color splashes, this thing is just dialed. Any kid would be stoked to hop in the passenger seat and go for a spin. But it’s even better as a 40-something adult who gets to take the wheel!
So, let me get into some details as to why the Bronco Raptor, at least in a short two-day test window, is the most fun vehicle I’ve driven, maybe ever.
Sport Mode Tour
While the meat of the Bronco Raptor is found off the pavement, let’s face it, most people will use this SUV 90% of the time on paved roads. And after driving it on a winding 50-mile course through the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument on the Pines to Palms Highway, I’d say, right on!
Even with enormous 37-inch tires and Raptor HOSS 4.0 (High-Performance Off-Road Stability Suspension system) with FOX Live Valve technology suspension, this thing is amazingly good on paved curvy roads.
I pushed the Bronco Raptor as hard as I dared during the test drive. And I fell in love with the Sport Mode on the 10-speed SelectShift automatic transmission. Cruising along at about 50 to 60 MPH, the truck would cling to 4,000 RPMs even when I let off the gas.
Ford engineers told me this was a deliberate decision. In sport mode, they wanted to keep the turbos spinning and revs high when you let off the gas. That way, you’d get an instant response when you accelerate out of the corner. I did this a lot.
And to me, it worked very well. And I took note of the rev-matching engine blips as the transmission downshifted. While I am unsure how much the blips change performance, they sure sound great and give a bit of a sense of manual driving.
Speaking of manual — I did use the manual shifters, both on-road and off. But ultimately, the automatic transmission was just way better than me, at least during this brief introduction. So, yes, there are paddle shifters. They work well. But the automatic drive mode was even better.
By the end of my tour, I was confident in the Bronco Raptor on road. No, it’s not a sportscar. But for what it is — a big, capable off-road race truck — it is crazy good fun on a curvy paved road.
Bronco Raptor Driving Impressions Off-Road
![_P6A1669 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor rock crawling](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2022/06/P6A1669-e1655733329838.jpg)
![2022 Ford Bronco Raptor 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor rock crawling](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2022/06/P6A1697-e1655733152943.jpg)
![IMG_4286 Camera view from the Bronco Raptor](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2022/06/IMG_4286.jpeg)
Baja Mode!
![Ford Bronco Raptor jumping Ford Bronco Raptor jumping](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2022/06/X8I4166-e1655733175942.jpg)
2022 Bronco Raptor Pricing & Specs
2022 Ford Bronco Raptor Specs
- Engine: 3.0L EcoBoost putting out 418 hp @ 5,750 rpm; 440 lb.-ft. @ 2,750 rpm
- Transmission: 10-speed SelectShift automatic
- Suspension travel: 13 in. (front), 14 in. (rear)
- Approach angle: 47.2 degrees
- Ramp breakover angle: 30.8 degrees
- Departure angle: 40.5 degrees
- Minimum running ground clearance: 13.1 in.
- Maximum water fording: 37.0 in.
- Terrain Management System with G.O.A.T. Modes: Standard – with 7 modes, including Normal, Slippery, Tow/Haul, Sport, Off-Road, Rock Crawl, and Baja modes
- Trail control, turn assist, and one-pedal drive: Standard
- Tires: 37 x 12.5R17 All-Terrain