Ford Bronco Raptor vs. Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392: Battle of the Badass Off-Roaders!
The Braptor and Wrangler 392 are fun to drive over any terrain—but which one wins this off-road SUV brawl?
The Ford Bronco Raptor and Jeep Wrangler 392 exist to please American enthusiasts who are looking to do crazy things. Fuel efficiency is not on their list of priorities, but having fun is, and both vehicles deliver.
The Braptor's heart is a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6 with 418 hp and 440 lb-ft of torque, coupled to a 10-speed automatic transmission. The hardware is largely the same as found in the Ford Explorer ST, but the Bronco has more power and a different mission, necessitating a new tune for the gearbox. A suspension overhaul comes courtesy of the Ford Performance team—who also birthed the Mustang Shelby GT500—including new Fox shocks and unique control arms. The result is 13.0 inches of front travel and 14.0 at the rear, with ground clearance checking in at 13.1 inches. Our as-tested price was a not-insignificant $77,015, above a starting sticker of $70,095.
The 392, on the other hand, starts even higher than our test Bronco, at $81,190; our test vehicle carried a $87,165 tag. A massive, 6.4-liter Hemi V-8—Ford doesn't offer an eight-cylinder Bronco—rumbles underhood to the tune of 470 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque. Its eight-speed automatic sends that power to all four wheels via a full-time active transfer case. In 4WD Auto, this Wrangler sends 70 percent of torque to the rear axle but can send up to 50 percent to the front in certain conditions. Several changes were made to accommodate the bigger powerplant, including relocating the suspension mounts. The rear springs are 20 percent softer and the front springs 10 percent stiffer compared to the regular Rubicon, and Fox 2.0 monotube shocks are fitted.
OK, So How Do They Drive?
The 52-hp and 30-lb-ft gap between the Raptor and the 392 is certainly felt, with the Wrangler being much faster and more eager to pile on speed than the Bronco. The delta between the two to 60 mph is a big 2.0 seconds, at 4.2 versus 6.2, and stays the same through the quarter-mile mark, which the Wrangler covers in 12.9 seconds.The Jeep backs up its numerical victory with a sensory one. Press the throttle, and the active exhaust erupts with a sound like a dragon breathing fire. The Braptor simply doesn't have the shove or the sonic chops of the 392. "It's not slow, but it ain't that fast, either" features editor Scott Evans said of the Ford. The Raptor is also less engaging to drive, though only slightly. To the good, its width makes it feel much more stable than the Jeep, which turns in a bit more eagerly but always feels more top-heavy, and the Ford's ride is suppler. But that girth also makes the Ford more of a handful in urban environments. It's harder to see out of and—although the 360-degree camera system helps—more difficult to maneuver and park. The Wrangler offers superior outward visibility and feels like a microcar in comparison. Ultimately, though, on-road manners are a secondary point for these rigs, even if that's where they'll likely spend most of their time. It was time to head for the dirt.
Gettin' Dirty
Located south of Lone Pine, the Olancha Sand Dunes offered the perfect opportunity to test these go-fast off-roaders in their natural habitat. The Bronco's suspension keeps it gliding over bumps, especially as you pick up speed, and vibrations are better tamed than in the Wrangler, which feels more skittish as you traverse whoops and small lumps. The Bronco also landed softer when jumping at the dunes, where it simply felt more comfortable. "It's not a trophy truck, but it's closer than just about any other street vehicle you can buy new, even the F-150 Raptor and Ram 1500 TRX," Evans added.For the ultimate off-road test, we headed south to California's Rowher Flat, where we'd previously compared the Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid with the Bronco Sasquatch. (The Wrangler won that day.) By this point, we had already noted the many ways the Bronco Raptor improves on its lesser siblings on all surfaces, but it was here where we got the clearest impression. Obstacles that were struggles for the Bronco Sasquatch were conquered easily—practically cruised over—by the Braptor. We applaud Ford for the improvements baked into the Braptor; it's miles ahead of the Sasquatch in terms of ability, refinement, and overall execution. "I think these all-terrain tires are the real game-changer off-road. The mud-terrains on the Bronco Sasquatch couldn't hack it on other surfaces," Evans said after completing the trail, it must be noted, without engaging low range. But the SUV's width was an omnipresent concern here, too; we covered the trail without any damage, but there will be places this thing simply doesn't fit.
In contrast, there were a few instances where the Wrangler required multiple attempts or approach angles to cover the same terrain, even as its narrower track and superior visibility proved quite helpful. We also needed to go into four low to lock the front and rear differentials on occasion, something the Raptor can do in four high. "There are plenty of off-road situations where four high and a locked rear are all you need, not low gears and lockers," Evans said.
The Cabins Of The Beasts
Hopping from the Wrangler's cabin and into the Bronco's is like swapping an iPhone 10 for a 13 Pro—the Wrangler gets the job done, but it lacks the latest technological polish, having carried forward basically unchanged for five years. The Wrangler's 8.4-inch Uconnect touchscreen, for instance, has tons of features, but its resolution appears lower and it feels tiny compared to the Ford's big 12.0-inch display. Both infotainment setups have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but the Bronco's offers a wireless connection. And although the Jeep's off-road maps are extremely useful, you have to activate its breadcrumbs feature yourself. The Raptor automatically drops little dots on a map when it notices you've gone off the road, a neat feature in the event you get lost. We also prefer the look and overall customization of the Bronco's digital instrument cluster over the Jeep's analog speedo and tachometer.The Bronco is also more spacious, with more room between driver and front passenger, and the rear seat feels like a living room next to the far cozier Jeep's. In the 392, as in all Wranglers, the driver's and front passenger's shoulders are much closer, and Ford puts its extra room to good use serving up more cubbies and bins to stuff your stuff in.
Lower-trim Broncos can feel chintzy inside, but the Raptor largely banishes that perception. The hard plastics on the door handles are wrapped with soft leather, and the leather and microsuede seats are a step up over the regular Bronco's lower-grade upholstery. For $77,000, you expect to feel like you're in something special, and for the most part, you do; the $87K Wrangler Rubicon 392's interior isn't any more notable than the one you'd find in a regular Rubicon. And the Ford's interior is significantly quieter than the Jeep's, although in these monsters that's a relative assessment. Still, you can actually have a conversation with someone in the cabin or over the phone in the Braptor without much issue.
So, Jeep Or Bronco?
After driving both SUVs back-to-back over different terrains, we didn't have a clear winner. Both SUVs are big fun, can tackle anything in their paths, and offer distinct takes on a rowdy off-roader. The Jeep is faster, sounds better, and is more nimble, but the Bronco has a more versatile suspension, looks like nothing else, and is a nicer, more modern place to spend time.Deciding first and second place came down to value. We asked ourselves if the Wrangler 392 is $10,000 better than the Bronco Raptor, which keeps pace with or exceeds the Jeep in nearly every area. The Wrangler 392 is the off-roader that speaks louder, but the Bronco Raptor offers a slightly broader range of capabilities for less. Both are excellent vehicles, but that makes the Braptor our pick of this ridiculous—and ridiculously impressive—litter.
