Ford Bronco Raptor Vs Bronco Badlands: What's The Difference?

The Ford Bronco has many variations available, nine in total, and they are all equipped for different tasks. While all of them will perform just fine on a traditional highway, some people pick up their Bronco to go off-road, and if you're doing that you'll want something that's up to the task. The Bronco Raptor and Bronco Badlands may be two models you're deciding between, and the price gap between the pair suggests some big differences.

The Badlands MSRP begins at $50,095 while the Raptor climbs to $90,035. This makes the Raptor the most expensive of all the variants, and it's not particularly close.  With the price of an entire Bronco Big Bend separating the two, it's clear the Raptor is for people with a much higher budget. To justify the price, the Raptor comes equipped with a more powerful 3.0L EcoBoost V6 engine compared to the 2.7L engine powering the Badlands. That's not the only change between the two, and it becomes clear the Raptor is the pick for people who want to tackle any terrain thrown at them.

The Raptor's 10-speed automatic transmission makes it versatile enough to tackle rough terrains, something that could prove to be difficult with the Badlands' manual transmission, although buyers have the option to swap in that same 10-speed transmission. The Bronco Badlands come with sizable 19-inch tires aluminum tires, but the Raptor comes with much larger 37-inch all-terrain tires that give extra traction in tough terrain.

The big thing that makes the Raptor an off-roading king is the HOSS 4.0 system it comes with. This system equips the Bronco with several sensors that constantly update and adjust the suspension as it comes across the terrain. The idea behind it is to create as smooth of a ride as possible, which isn't the easiest if you're going through a bunch of uneven terrain. Remember that this doesn't make the Badlands an inherently bad vehicle, because it's far from that. While off-roaders will benefit greatly from what the Raptor offers, a lot of those features are overkill for somebody who's mostly driving on main roads.

Ultimately, what Bronco you pick comes down to what you intend to use the vehicle for — and it's tough to go wrong with the sixth-generation Broncos in general. There's no question the Raptor is the best option for people looking to off-road, but that comes at a steep price of over $40,000 than the Badlands. The Badlands is still no slouch while off-roading and the Bilstein stocks included as part of the HOSS 2.0 package are formidable. 

Both models seat four or five people for the 2-door and 4-door variants respectively, and both come with several USB charging ports and an AC power outlet. It's all topped off with an LCD screen — although the Raptor has a 12-inch screen, compared to the 8-inch screen for the Badlands. Both Broncos have removable doors and tops, so there are a lot of similarities between the two models outside of the performance. If you want something that handles work commutes along with off-roading here and there without breaking the bank, the Badlands is your pick. If you're looking for top-end off-roading performance, the Raptor is the clear winner and one of the best off-road vehicles available.