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Unless you haven’t really been paying attention to the car industry… for well like 3 years, you probably have known that the Ford Bronco was coming back!
Of course it would be hard to track when it was coming back due to constant delays caused by a myriad of problems ranging from a global pandemic, all the way to someone’s birthday getting in the way.
However, it finally has been revealed, and oh man have I gone through a roller coaster ride of either not liking it, to wanting to buy it at the first chance I get.
That was of course until I really got to thinking, would I be willing to give up the usability of a truck, and replace it with the short wheel base of an SUV.
Of course, when I refer to a truck, I mean the Raptor. The one truck that I really want. That is unless the Ram TRX really blows the Raptor out of the water.
So I thought I would put together my thoughts, on why I might still choose the Raptor over the all-new Bronco.
Side note: Yes, I know, everyone is comparing the Bronco to the Wrangler or Gladiator. However over time, I have really found I like trucks, and I personally have not been impressed with the crash test ratings of those vehicles, and it is difficult to make it a serious contender for me.
Plus as we will talk about later on, I would prefer faster off-roading, to rock crawling, and every Jeep (except the Mojave Gladiator) is more geared towards rock crawling, slower off-roading. End of long side note.
Price
While let’s be completely honest, I probably won’t be buying either truck any time soon, I think that price needs to be discussed first, as I think it will make it rather obvious why I would end up with the Raptor much sooner than a Bronco.
Why is this? Because I can shop for a used Raptor.
Personally, I don’t find the first generation SVT Raptor all that old. I think everything has stood up to time really well, especially the V8, and the styling. This means that I can get a good Raptor, that I think is still competitive with a new truck, for around $20,000, making the truck a bargain when compared to a brand new Bronco.
Exterior Styling
Obviously the Bronco has just been announced, and I haven’t seen it in person, however while not as polarizing as the Cybertruck, I definitely have been going back and forth as to whether I like the retro styling of the Bronco.
Meanwhile, the Raptor hasn’t had to live up to the history of its predecessors like the Bronco has. This means they have been able to make it as modern as they can, without alienating fans of an original vehicle.
This leaves both the 1st and 2nd generations Raptor’s with an aggressive, modern feel.
We’ll see how history lives out on the Bronco. I do like the styling, but I’m just not quite sure it is for me.
Interior Styling
Much like the exterior styling of the Raptor and the Bronco, the interior is also completely up to the eye of the beholder. Personally, I like the more modern styling of the Raptor, both the 1st and 2nd gen.
Do I need the retro feel of the Bronco? No not really. I would prefer the usable interior of the Raptor.
Offroading
Alright, so this is probably the biggest sticking point of most people when comparing these two vehicles. While 99% of either vehicle we are discussing will more than likely be on the pavement, it still is really what these two vehicles are meant for.
This is the one category where I think the Bronco may actually win out. Thankfully Ford has come out with a high speed offroading version of the Bronco so they both fill that want that I have.
Ultimately, without driving both at once, I probably have to lean on the Bronco as being the better off roader.
I mean it has to win at least one category for me right?
Usability
In the end, usability is the biggest tipping point for me between the Bronco and the Raptor. I just can’t quite give up having a bed on my truck. We use it constantly (woop woop, I actually use my truck), and we just need a truck because of it.
All that said, I personally think there is going to be a pickup version of the Bronco within the next year to compete directly with the Gladiator, so this opinion may change here soon.
Conclusion
Obviously this is an extremely high level comparison of the Raptor and the Bronco, and we can get into departure angles, types of shock absorbers, conversations about removable doors.
However if you (like me) are wondering which one you would want if you had both sitting in front of your right now, this is probably the quick comparison you would make.
In my opinion, I would get the Raptor. It’s tried and true, has a truck bed, and I think most importantly, you can shop for a used 1st generation and be extremely happy with it.
