The 2023 Ford Bronco Raptor Is a Legit Baja Truck

Our Take on the 2023 Ford Bronco Raptor

The 2023 Ford Bronco Raptor is the closest thing to a race-ready Baja machine you can buy right now. Massive ground clearance and long-travel suspension means it can go virtually anywhere, over any terrain. But the wild off-road-ready upgrades haven't ruined the Raptor's on-road manners.

The Raptor and its long-travel suspension would be perfect for cities with crumbling infrastructures like New York if it weren't for its sheer width. Those Raptor-specific fenders add 9.8 inches in width over a normal Bronco, making squeezing through tight places a real struggle, even more so than driving a full-size pickup. But it's not especially long, so parallel parking is still relatively easy... so long as you don't mind those fenders sticking out a foot into the road.

The 3.0-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V-6 delivers 418 hp, but the Bronco Raptor can only be described as quick, not fast. Remember, it has to spin those gigantic tires and push that squared off, aerodynamically inefficient body through the air. Still, thanks to the quick-shifting 10-speed automatic, you'll never be wanting for more grunt, especially at low speeds.

What's New

Nothing has changed in the move from the 2022 to the 2023 model year for the Bronco Raptor. It's still available in just one trim, in four-door guise only. The V-6 and 10-speed are the only powertrains available, with just one option package, the Lux package, as the only big extra to choose from.

Pros

• More road presence than any supercar on sale today

• True go-anywhere suspension, clearance, and tires make off-road travel easy and fun

• Genuinely balanced, with impressive on-road manners

Cons

• Lots of wind and tire noise at speed

• Not very fuel efficient

• Almost too wide for some roads

Performance, Engine & Horsepower

The Bronco Raptor comes standard with Ford's 3.0-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V-6. Factory rated at 418 hp at 5750 rpm and 440 lb-ft of torque at 2750 rpm, it's well matched to the truck's rowdy nature, with lots of low-end grunt to get those 37s spinning. Throttle response is good, as is the rumble coming from the exhaust pipe. A V-8 would be nice, but this engine didn't draw any complaints.

The EcoBoost V-6 is mated to Ford's 10-speed automatic transmission and a two-speed transfer case with high and low ranges. Drivers can select between two-wheel drive and four-wheel-drive on the fly.

The powertrain is enough to get the Bronco Raptor to 60 mph in just 5.6 seconds, onto an electronically limited top speed of 114 mph.

Check out how the Ford Bronco Raptor performs on a dyno

Features & Specs

The Bronco Raptor was built to quickly off-road, meaning 418 hp from a twin-turbo V-6 and a 10-speed automatic transmission sending power to all four wheels. The truck can sprint from zero to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds, with a quarter-mile time of 14.4 seconds at 94 mph.

Curb weight is a substantial 5764 pounds, thanks in part to the upgraded drivetrain, different bodywork, and long-travel, Baja-ready suspension setup.

MPG/Range

The block-like shape, ultra-wide stance, and off-road-focused tires do nothing to help the Bronco Raptor's fuel economy. It's EPA-rated at 15 mpg city and 16 mpg highway, for a combined rating of 15 mpg.

That mileage was about what we saw during our test. Thankfully, the Bronco's 20-gallon tank is spacious enough to keep from constant fuel stops.

Test Drive

During a particularly rainy spring weekend, we ventured with the Bronco Raptor throughout the New York City area trying to find as many broken roads, cavernous potholes, massive speed bumps, and foot-deep puddles as we could. Smacking imperfections in the road with the massive 37-inch BFGoodrich K02 tires became a game, while flooded roads were a signal to smash the gas rather than the brakes.

The EcoBoost 'six and 10-speed are well-matched to the Bronco Raptor's attitude, though people venturing into city spaces with limited lane width should take caution of the extended fenders.