2023 Ford Bronco Raptor

Ford adds exciting Raptor versions to many of its off-road capable vehicles, and the roster also includes the new Ford Bronco Raptor SUV. The Bronco Raptor combines a stonking 418-horsepower twin-turbocharged V6 engine with a practical four-door SUV body, hardcore off-road gear, and Fox suspension that will allow it to go almost anywhere. You can do the school run with it and intimidate Corollas at football practice, or you can remove the roof and doors and go high-speed off-roading; the 2023 Bronco Raptor can do it all - while gulping unleaded at a terrifying rate. The only rivals available locally come from within the Wrangler family; the similarly priced Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 is another high-performance SUV with real off-road credentials. The Mercedes-Benz G63 could be seen as something in the same outrageous vein, but that's massively expensive at a base price of around $180k and has a more luxurious approach these days. With its sub-$84k starting price, the Ford Bronco Raptor's unique skill set is unmatched in this corner of the market.

In standard form without any extras fitted, the default trim will cost you $83,580. Keep in mind that this is the Ford Bronco Raptor's MSRP and excludes the destination fee of $1,795. Extras, customization, dealer markup, and packages can add thousands of dollars to the price.

The Bronco Raptor is a riot to drive. Body rigidity has been increased by 50%, the suspension attachments have been strengthened, and the front and rear tracks are more than six inches wider than those of the Bronco with the Sasquatch package to enable high-speed off-road work and the ability to swallow huge undulations while doing so. You'd imagine that the enormous 37-inch all-terrain tires and the 13-plus inches of suspension travel would conspire to make this near-6,000-pound SUV heave and float like a boat at sea, but it's surprisingly adept at daily driving, with the HOSS 4.0 suspension system and its Fox Live Valve 3.1 dampers soaking up shocks and the beast going around corners with little drama, even if the tires don't offer much grip on tarmac. Off-road, its gravity-defying prowess translates into superior rock-crawling ability, while high-speed off-road work is easy as pie with the G.O.A.T. (Go Over Any Terrain) system set to Baja - one of seven modes. The 418-hp twin-turbo V6 delivers strong punch and fires through the ten ratios of the SelectShift transmission with alacrity.

The Bronco Raptor is one of the best SUV for off-roading thanks to its impressive resume of abilities. Nothing else gets even close when it comes to the ability to go absolutely anywhere, while still being usable and liveable every day. A Wrangler Rubicon 392 might do most of these things, too, but it has no answers for the Raptor's high-speed ability on rough terrain, a talent that makes you feel like a true Dakar Rally contender, nor does the Rubicon 392 manage the daily commute as easily. The trick suspension in the Bronco Raptor is incredible at soaking up shocks, and the Baja mode's anti-lag feature keeps the power fully "on" even on treacherous terrain at speed. All that in a practical two-row SUV body. It's big, brutish, and thirsty, but we are completely bowled over by its all-conquering abilities.

There's just one Raptor trim, so it all comes down to how you spec it. We'd skip the $2,495 leather upholstery, as the standard marine-grade vinyl is better suited to doors-off driving, but we'd add the $3,050 Lux package to get a wireless charging pad, more USB ports, built-in navigation with three years of service, a ten-speaker B&O audio system, a heated steering wheel, and additional driver assists that include adaptive cruise control and evasive steering assist. This should bolster the promising safety review the Ford Bronco Raptor has. All the most important off-road gear is standard, and in this guise, you still end up on the sunny side of $90k, destination included.