Ford Bronco Raptor Vs. Bronco Heritage Limited Edition: What's The Difference?

With nine different Ford Bronco models to pick from, all varying in price, it's difficult to track down what works the best for you. The first thing you have to do is set a budget for yourself, of course — which will presumably eliminate the Raptor from the equation for a lot of people. If you still have the money to pick one up, it's a solid choice, but you might be more interested in the cheaper (but still expensive) Bronco Heritage Limited Edition. 

These two models are the most expensive in the Bronco line, so you'll need to loosen the purse strings to afford either option. Even with them being in the upper echelon of price, the Raptor MSRP begins at $90,035, compared to the Heritage Limited Edition's $69,685. With roughly $20,000 separating the two, there would have to be some big changes that separate them. That's indeed the case, and you'll want to figure out what you're using your Bronco for before making a purchase. 

If you plan on taking it off-road often, the Raptor is the clear winner, but the Heritage Limited Edition looks more appealing if you're spending more time on paved roads and typical driving situations.

In an effort to justify its high price tag, the Raptor prides itself in being the best in its class for off-roading. Ford equipped this iteration with the HOSS 4.0 system that automatically adjusts the vehicle's suspension and shock rates actively, depending on the terrain. All of this is done to make off-roading as smooth as possible. The big 37-inch tires also make all terrains a breeze to handle, so if you're looking for the best off-road performance a Bronco offers, you can't go wrong with the Raptor.

That said, just because the Raptor is the best Ford offers in that category doesn't mean the Heritage Limited Edition is a dud. It still handles off-roading well, and comes with competitive 35-inch tires, but it downgrades to the HOSS 2.0 system. While not the cutting edge top-of-the-line system, the HOSS 2.0 package still improves handling for your Bronco and provides a very good off-road experience with Bilstein dampers and position-sensitive shocks. It's largely outclassed compared to the Raptor, but for $20,000 less, that's to be expected.

Both Broncos are equipped with an EcoBoost V6 engine, but only the Raptor comes with the powerful 3.0L option. The Heritage is built with the 2.7L V6, which is still a fine choice, but hardcore off-roaders will benefit from the extra strength found in the Raptor.

It's tough to definitively say one Bronco is better than the other, as it comes down to how you'll be driving it. For pure off-road experiences, the Raptor comes ahead as the winner. Both have a 10-speed automatic transmission, large wheels, and the HOSS system to help make off-roading a pleasurable time, but the Raptor's advanced suspension system, more power, and bigger tires still takes the slight edge.

For work commutes, the gap closes. The Raptor has the beefier 3.0L EcoBoost engine, but that comes at the expense of fuel economy. The Raptor is rated for 15 combined mpg for city/highway driving while the Heritage Limited Edition gets a slightly better 17 combined mpg for city/highway. That may be a large enough gap to save you a lot of money at the gas pump if you intend to do more commuting than dedicated off-roading. The Heritage Limited Edition does start to make more sense in that regard. Of course, if that's not a big enough difference in miles per gallon for you, the good news is it's hard to go wrong with any of this generation's Ford Bronco variants, as all of them are solid offerings.