Bronco Raptor First Impressions from Bronco Super Celebration

[BRVOL]

First this is just my opinion after spending two days looking at, touching, sitting in and asking lots and lots of questions about the Bronco Raptor which was and is still at Bronco Super Celebration in Townsend TN.

My first impressions are that I really like it and am very glad I spent the time to find an allocation.

Is there anything that I do not like? No! Yes that includes the fender flares. The fender flares are huge but needed to cover the width of the vehicle. There are small mud flaps on the back of each fender flare. These can be removed. I posted a lot of pics on the thread about the Bronco super celebration that shows they can be taken off. The fender flares however are bolted onto the Bronco and require taking the wheel liners out to unbolt them.

The carbon fiber interior is very nice. Yes it was very pricy but those that opted to not get it will regret it. Yes you can add carbon fiber after the fact but will it be "real" carbon fiber and will it look as good. The small touches with the Bronco and American flag on the shifter to the Raptor on the steering wheel are extremely nice.

The seats are very comfortable and of the same design of the F150 Raptor but not the same seats. These seats are smaller to fit inside the Bronco. The materials on the seats and the stitching is nicely done as well.

The steering wheel is in a class all by itself. I have owned some German sports cars and driven may others. This is by far the nicest steering wheel on any car I have ever driven. The wheel is smaller and much thicker than most steering wheels and the leather and stitching is top notch.

All the vents in the fenders and the hood are functional and are nicely designed.

The dash does have a covering that is stitched. It is nice and feels like a synthetic material, not leather.

After a few days checking it out I am only more excited to get mine and start putting the miles on it. If you get a chance definitely go by and check it out. I didn't cover a lot here but a few things I thought people might wonder about. If you want to know anything about it I might be able to answer send me a message.

You all are going to love this thing!

 

[Rob41]

Thanks for sharing. Wish I could have been there to actually see one in person.

 

[Dragoon]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts after getting to spend some time with it. I'm more excited than ever about the new Bronco Raptor after hearing first-hand information about it. I know it's going to look killer in person and I can't wait to get some seat time in one!

 

[Losy]

Nice write up. Good to hear about the seat comfort and features that popped.

 

[TurboS]

Thank you for taking the time for this informative write up. I just now read it for a second time, definitely adds to the enthusiasm.

 

[supersix]

Thanks for making the wait that much harder @BRVOL Great write up!

 

[BRVOL]

Just wanted to add a little more to my first impressions. As there was anticipation on what grill Ford would use they went with the FORD grill similar to the F-150 Raptor. It is very well done and looks great. The front skid plate is steel and silver in color. Some think this would look better black and it might. I like it and will probably leave mine silver "if" it is produced this way. I also like how they incorporated the smaller Rigid lights into the sides of the front bumper. The front bumper is steel and modular like the regular Bronco. I am also a big fan of adaptive cruise controls and am very glad the Bronco Raptor has this option. One area that I am still waiting on Ford to improve is the Ford front winch mount. This mount looks great but hinders the front camera and the adaptive cruise control. Looking forward to a good fix for this from Ford. Walking around the side you see the very nicely done fender flares that incorporate the heat extractors into them. Very nicely done by Ford as well as the ones on the hood of the Bronco Raptor. For those that don't know the Bronco Raptor only shares the doors and hard top roof with the standard Bronco. Going down the sides Ford has incorporated a very nice removable step into the rock rails. The step is aggressively coated to limit foot slippage and has the Raptor logo stamped into it. It can be removed in a few minutes, with your Bronco tool kit that's included with every Bronco, as it is held in place by Bronco bolts. As you climb inside the Bronco Raptor you have a nice carbon fiber grab handle on the driver and front passenger side of the vehicle. These are nicely done however a grab handle on the A-pillar would have worked better. Once you are seated in the Bronco Raptor you are in a beautiful place to operate this beast. The seats, steering wheel, large electronic dash and 12 inch navigation screen just couldn't be any better. You have to give yourself a few minutes to settle in and stop smiling because it is all so SWEEEEET!!! Everything on the interior is easy to reach and exactly where is should be. Ford listened and did their homework by placing the window controls on the center console, frameless doors to mirrors on the body of the Bronco and not the doors. The view to the rear in the side view mirrors is very good. I have heard people say why no electric folding mirrors? I have asked Ford reps and they believe because Ford wanted to save money and weight on the mirrors and save money for consumers that may break their side mirrors and need to replace them at a cheaper cost over a mirror with a motor in it. My take on this is I don't need electric folding mirrors. It takes a split second to fold them. One area on the interior that I have seen complaints are lack of grab handles on the roof and interior lighting. I have seen the interior lighting at night and yes it is week on the interior of the Bronco's. Companies like IAG are working on these solutions. I did not sit in the back but the seats looked comfortable and yes there are cup holders in the middle of the seat that fold down. There are also no vents leading to the rear passengers for air. I did not get any pics of the undercarriage but there are skid plates protecting everything. This thing is built to take a beating. As you open the rear tailgate you will notice it swings out slowly and can be pushed open to a very wide position to be out of the way if your loading the rear area. The one area I think Ford could have cleaned up is the exposed wiring harness leading from the main body of the Bronco into the tailgate. The wires are just covered with a cloth tape. There is a good amount of storage in the back. With the rear seats folded down there is a hump so if you're planning on sleeping in the back you will have to off set this. This is another area Ford could have improved. The rear carbon fiber brace looks great and should not hider rear storage much if at all. I also tried to address the question some had about the engine bay and why there was not plastic cover on the engine. I know they do look much cleaner with the cover. I was told that is was done to help release the heat from the motor. They said the plastic engine covers retain a lot more heat plus this is the exact areas you have a lot of the heat extracting vents in the hood so that made perfect sense to me. I hope this extra bit of info helps. I was planning on adding it initially but just didn't have the extra time at that moment.

 

[luterdan]

Just wanted to add a little more to my first impressions. As there was anticipation on what grill Ford would use they went with the FORD grill similar to the F-150 Raptor. It is very well done and looks great. The front skid plate is steel and silver in color. Some think this would look better black and it might. I like it and will probably leave mine silver "if" it is produced this way. I also like how they incorporated the smaller Rigid lights into the sides of the front bumper. The front fender is steel and modular like the regular Bronco. I am also a big fan of adaptive cruise controls and am very glad the Bronco Raptor has this option. One area that I am still waiting on Ford to improve is the Ford front winch mount. This mount looks great but hinders the front camera and the adaptive cruise control. Looking forward to a good fix for this from Ford. Walking around the side you see the very nicely done fender flares that incorporate the heat extractors into them. Very nicely done by Ford as well as the ones on the hood of the Bronco Raptor. For those that don't know the Bronco Raptor only shares the doors and hard top roof with the standard Bronco. Going down the sides Ford has incorporated a very nice removable step into the rock rails. The step is aggressively coated to limit foot slippage and has the Raptor logo stamped into it. It can be removed in a few minutes, with your Bronco tool kit that's included with every Bronco, as it is held in place by Bronco bolts. As you climb inside the Bronco Raptor you have a nice carbon fiber grab handle on the driver and front passenger side of the vehicle. These are nicely done however a grab handle on the A-pillar would have worked better. Once you are seated in the Bronco Raptor you are in a beautiful place to operate this beast. The seats, steering wheel, large electronic dash and 12 inch navigation screen just couldn't be any better. You have to give yourself a few minutes to settle in and stop smiling because it is all so SWEEEEET!!! Everything on the interior is easy to reach and exactly where is should be. Ford listened and did their homework by placing the window controls on the center console, frameless doors to mirrors on the body of the Bronco and not the doors. The view to the rear in the side view mirrors is very good. I have heard people say why no electric folding mirrors? I have asked Ford reps and they believe because Ford wanted to save money and weight on the mirrors and save money for consumers that may break their side mirrors and need to replace them at a cheaper cost over a mirror with a motor in it. My take on this is I don't need electric folding mirrors. It takes a split second to fold them. One area on the interior that I have seen complaints are lack of grab handles on the roof and interior lighting. I have seen the interior lighting at night and yes it is week on the interior of the Bronco's. Companies like IAG are working on these solutions. I did not sit in the back but the seats looked comfortable and yes there are cup holders in the middle of the seat that fold down. There are also no vents leading to the rear passengers for air. I did not get any pics of the undercarriage but there are skid plates protecting everything. This thing is built to take a beating. As you open the rear tailgate you will notice is swings out slowly and can be pushed open to a very wide position to be out of the way if your loading the rear area. The one area I think Ford could have cleaned up is the exposed wiring harness leading from the main body of the Bronco into the tailgate. The wires are just covers with a cloth tape. There is a good amount of storage in the back. With the rear seats folded down there is a hump so if you're planning on sleeping in the back you will have to off set this. This is another area Ford could have improved. The rear carbon fiber brace looks great and should not hider rear storage much if at all. I also tried to address the question some had about the engine bay and why there was not plastic cover on the engine. I know they do look much cleaner with the cover. I was told that is was done to help release the heat from the motor. They said the plastic engine covers retain a lot more heat plus this is the exact areas you have a lot of the heat extracting vents in the hood so that made perfect sense to me. I hope this extra bit of info helps. I was planning on adding it initially but just didn't have the extra time at that moment.

Thanks, this is very helpful and nice to see. What are your thoughts on the paracord or leather grab handles being made, are they going to be in the right place to help people get in and out? Are there any grab handles or help for little ones (or guests) to climb into the back?

 

[Ironmike]

Just wanted to add a little more to my first impressions. As there was anticipation on what grill Ford would use they went with the FORD grill similar to the F-150 Raptor. It is very well done and looks great. The front skid plate is steel and silver in color. Some think this would look better black and it might. I like it and will probably leave mine silver "if" it is produced this way. I also like how they incorporated the smaller Rigid lights into the sides of the front bumper. The front fender is steel and modular like the regular Bronco. I am also a big fan of adaptive cruise controls and am very glad the Bronco Raptor has this option. One area that I am still waiting on Ford to improve is the Ford front winch mount. This mount looks great but hinders the front camera and the adaptive cruise control. Looking forward to a good fix for this from Ford. Walking around the side you see the very nicely done fender flares that incorporate the heat extractors into them. Very nicely done by Ford as well as the ones on the hood of the Bronco Raptor. For those that don't know the Bronco Raptor only shares the doors and hard top roof with the standard Bronco. Going down the sides Ford has incorporated a very nice removable step into the rock rails. The step is aggressively coated to limit foot slippage and has the Raptor logo stamped into it. It can be removed in a few minutes, with your Bronco tool kit that's included with every Bronco, as it is held in place by Bronco bolts. As you climb inside the Bronco Raptor you have a nice carbon fiber grab handle on the driver and front passenger side of the vehicle. These are nicely done however a grab handle on the A-pillar would have worked better. Once you are seated in the Bronco Raptor you are in a beautiful place to operate this beast. The seats, steering wheel, large electronic dash and 12 inch navigation screen just couldn't be any better. You have to give yourself a few minutes to settle in and stop smiling because it is all so SWEEEEET!!! Everything on the interior is easy to reach and exactly where is should be. Ford listened and did their homework by placing the window controls on the center console, frameless doors to mirrors on the body of the Bronco and not the doors. The view to the rear in the side view mirrors is very good. I have heard people say why no electric folding mirrors? I have asked Ford reps and they believe because Ford wanted to save money and weight on the mirrors and save money for consumers that may break their side mirrors and need to replace them at a cheaper cost over a mirror with a motor in it. My take on this is I don't need electric folding mirrors. It takes a split second to fold them. One area on the interior that I have seen complaints are lack of grab handles on the roof and interior lighting. I have seen the interior lighting at night and yes it is week on the interior of the Bronco's. Companies like IAG are working on these solutions. I did not sit in the back but the seats looked comfortable and yes there are cup holders in the middle of the seat that fold down. There are also no vents leading to the rear passengers for air. I did not get any pics of the undercarriage but there are skid plates protecting everything. This thing is built to take a beating. As you open the rear tailgate you will notice is swings out slowly and can be pushed open to a very wide position to be out of the way if your loading the rear area. The one area I think Ford could have cleaned up is the exposed wiring harness leading from the main body of the Bronco into the tailgate. The wires are just covers with a cloth tape. There is a good amount of storage in the back. With the rear seats folded down there is a hump so if you're planning on sleeping in the back you will have to off set this. This is another area Ford could have improved. The rear carbon fiber brace looks great and should not hider rear storage much if at all. I also tried to address the question some had about the engine bay and why there was not plastic cover on the engine. I know they do look much cleaner with the cover. I was told that is was done to help release the heat from the motor. They said the plastic engine covers retain a lot more heat plus this is the exact areas you have a lot of the heat extracting vents in the hood so that made perfect sense to me. I hope this extra bit of info helps. I was planning on adding it initially but just didn't have the extra time at that moment.

Glad to hear your comment about the doors and roof being identical to the regular Bronco. Are you including the pillars in that assessment? This would have a bearing on roof or pillar mounted light racks. Hoping to leverage as many existing aftermarket options as possible.

 

[BRVOL]

Thanks, this is very helpful and nice to see. What are your thoughts on the paracord or leather grab handles being made, are they going to be in the right place to help people get in and out? Are there any grab handles or help for little ones (or guests) to climb into the back?

I have not seen any grab handles for smaller people/kids. I have not tried the paracord/leathers grips personally but I have seen these installed and I believe they will work well. One concern people had with the added grab handles was interference with the side curtain airbags. I don't see this as a concern because the airbags do not deploy inward they deploy straight down. I will probably add some of the paracord ones to mine.

 

[BRVOL]

Glad to hear your comment about the doors and roof being identical to the regular Bronco. Are you including the pillars in that assessment? This would have a bearing on roof or pillar mounted light racks. Hoping to leverage as many existing aftermarket options as possible.

The only difference with the roof area is the addition of the stabilizing bar between the rear passengers and front of the vehicle and the rear stabilizing bar in the storage area. The A,B and C pillars are all the same design as the regular Bronco. The same hard top is used and does not interfere with the middle stabilizer bar because the stabilizer bar sits a little lower to allow for the operation of the hard top.

 

[luterdan]

The only difference with the roof area is the addition of the stabilizing bar between the rear passengers and front of the vehicle and the rear stabilizing bar in the storage area. The A,B and C pillars are all the same design as the regular Bronco. The same hard top is used and does not interfere with the middle stabilizer bar because the stabilizer bar sits a little lower to allow for the operation of the hard top.

Ok, so the roof sections don't connect to the B Pillar? We were wondering if that could stabilize the front 3 sections and allow it to operate without the back on, but keep the front 3. Oh well. But if it's lower, did you notice any loss of headroom? or is it far enough back to not hit? remember, tall people tend to have the seats all the way back too.

 

[Ironmike]

The only difference with the roof area is the addition of the stabilizing bar between the rear passengers and front of the vehicle and the rear stabilizing bar in the storage area. The A,B and C pillars are all the same design as the regular Bronco. The same hard top is used and does not interfere with the middle stabilizer bar because the stabilizer bar sits a little lower to allow for the operation of the hard top.

Nice! That’s pretty much what I was expecting.

How about the tailgate itself? We know there is a reinforced spare tire mount, but is the tailgate swing door itself identical to the regular Bronco? Thinking about fitment of tailgate tables here…

 

[BRVOL]

Nice! That’s pretty much what I was expecting.

How about the tailgate itself? We know there is a reinforced spare tire mount, but is the tailgate swing door itself identical to the regular Bronco? Thinking about figment of tailgate tables here…

The tailgate is the same as the standard Bronco.

 

[BRVOL]

Ok, so the roof sections don't connect to the B Pillar? We were wondering if that could stabilize the front 3 sections and allow it to operate without the back on, but keep the front 3. Oh well. But if it's lower, did you notice any loss of headroom? or is it far enough back to not hit? remember, tall people tend to have the seats all the way back too.

I don't think it will interfere with anyone sitting in the front seats. It is only lowered enough not to interfere with the hard top. There are some ok pics of the bar on the Bronco Super Celebration thread. The bar appeared to be just slightly behind the B-pillar. The hard top all locks together and is identical to the regular Bronco. I was wondering this as well with the additional roof structure.

 

[TurboS]

Thank you for the very informative write-ups!