Travel the same commute every day at around the same time, and you’re bound to encounter the same drivers on the road. After dropping off my daughter at daycare on weekday mornings, I eventually chuckle to see a familiar white 2022 Ford Bronco zoom past me on the same stretch of highway. What’s amusing is the license plate on the Bronco, which reads “NOT OJ.”
That’s how much the Ford Bronco has pierced through the cultural zeitgeist – nearly 30 years after O.J. Simpson famously fled from law enforcement in his white Ford Bronco, someone can simply have a “NOT OJ” license plate, and we all immediately get the joke. It’s undeniable that that one unfortunate incident back in 1994 cemented the Ford Bronco into legend, and though the vehicle took a 25-year hiatus starting in 1996, Ford reintroduced the Bronco in 2021 to much fanfare. The icon was back and seemingly at the perfect time. American drivers – including this Dad Driver – were looking for more fresh, adventurous vehicles, and a year after its announcement, drivers are discovering the joys of off-roading in a whole new way.
Ford offers a whopping 12 configurations of the 2022 Bronco, and we recently tested out two of them – the Raptor and the Everglades editions. Both are equipped for an impressive off-road experience, but it was clear that the Everglades edition was better suited for muddy adventuring while the Raptor was all about raw power that also works on urban streets. But how does the Bronco handle the urban jungle with two wild creatures onboard – I mean children – harnessed in the back? This Dad Driver ventured to find out!
What this Dad Digs about the Ford Bronco Raptor and Everglades edition
Create Your Own Adventure – During my two weeks with both the Raptor and Everglades editions of the 2022 Bronco, I was consistently discovering new features and capabilities every single day. No joke. The Bronco was obviously built for drivers to discover new horizons, but there’s so much discovery to be had within the vehicle itself. The best part of this odyssey of discovery is that each Bronco can feel unique to its driver, given the amount of options and accessories that can be added at the dealership – not to mention aftermarket. From the removable door and roof panels to the graphics applied to the exterior of each edition, there is a Bronco for everyone. And if your ideal version doesn’t exist, start with the base model and build up to your heart’s content. This ability to customize the Bronco to fit your needs should bring out the kid in all of us drivers.
Bringing Sexy Back – Ford absolutely killed it when it came to designing the reimagined Bronco. It’s a combination of sleekness and toughness rarely pulled off at this level of success in the off-road segment of the auto industry. From the swanky circular headlights that nicely frame the grill badging to the aggressive fenders that give the body an active shape, Ford took great care in molding a vehicle that turns heads and nods to its own history. The Raptor edition I tested was incredibly sexy with its “Velocity Blue Metallic” paint job and digital claw mark graphics. The Everglades edition I drove shortly after was a bit more subdued but the “Eruption Green Metallic” paint and the Florida Everglades map graphics emitted a serious “I’m going on an expedition” vibe. Even the Everglades snorkel felt expertly integrated into the Everglades design (more on the snorkel and its function in a bit.)
The hip but aggressive design motif extends to the interior of the Bronco in mostly appropriate ways. The bulky and angular interior is what you’d expect from an off-road vehicle, but the optional accessories in the Raptor edition came with some eye-catching features like the reddish-orange seat belts and the carbon-fiber texture throughout the cabin. Admittedly the quality of some of the materials used in the interior of both editions felt subpar in places, but it wasn’t enough to distract from the overall impression.
My daughter’s car seats fit snugly in the back seat of the 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor.
Built For Toughing It – Both the Raptor and the Everglades version of the Bronco visually scream for rough, unpaved, and muddy roads off the beaten path. Thankful “Built Ford Tough” means both versions – and presumably, all versions – of the Bronco are built to tackle all kinds of outings. Let’s start with the Raptor
Underneath the hood, the 2022 Bronco Raptor comes equipped with a twin-turbo, 3.5-liter V-6 engine that produces 400 horsepower. It’s a capable powerhouse that’s combined with a gnarly suspension and 37-inch BFGoodrich all-terrain tires. Before I took it off-road, I found a track-like stretch of pavement to launch from, where I was filled with adrenaline at the ability to punch the Bronco from 0 to 60 in just under 6 seconds. A vehicle this size doesn’t look like it should go that fast but boy, was I wrong.
Off-road, the Raptor really shines, even when driven by a less-than-experienced off-road driver. Rocky terrain was bumpy, but the Raptor never skipped a beat, maintaining some impressive speeds. When the rocks got larger, I slowed this bad boy down and found it very capable and reasonably comfortable, thanks to the Raptor’s adaptive dampers. I didn’t dare take the test vehicle on any sand dune-style jumps however, simply climbing and descending steep hills was effortless and empowering.
The 2022 Bronco Everglades is a different animal altogether – an animal suited for the swamp or mild rivers. Equipped with a 2.3-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine the Everglades is more at home at pursuing more easygoing treks, both on and off-road. With 300 horsepower and 325 lb-ft of torque, the Bronco Everglades is a smooth ride going on urban streets, but at times, it did a little sluggish. The Everglades is one of the heaviest, if not the heaviest, model the Bronco comes in and it certainly felt heavy while driving it. I didn’t necessarily feel a need to try a 0-60 test, but I did anyway – it took me a solid 7 and a half seconds.
The Everglades’ prowess is best felt off-road, specifically in the mud and water. The snorkel and the wench notwithstanding, I felt confident tackling the mild, muddy terrain I took the Everglades through. The heavy and grounded nature of this Bronco gives the driver a sense of reassuring stability. I, unfortunately, didn’t have an opportunity to get myself stuck in the mud and require the use of the wench, but it is rated to pull up to 10,000 pounds. The only downside of the wench is that it doesn’t allow for this version of the Bronco to be fitted with a front-end camera. That front end camera came in mighty useful on the Raptor.
What Gets a Down Vote From this Dad
“What did you say?” – Because of its ability to lose body panels and doors easily, there isn’t a truly quiet cabin to speak of in the Bronco. Driving on the highway in the Bronco isn’t an uncomfortable experience by any means, but you will indeed hear the rush of wind. This isn’t a problem unless you have two young kids in the back who normally fall asleep on long car rides. Although with the front roof panels off, my daughter was thrilled to experience the open sky and the occasional bridge passing overhead. I tend to enjoy listening to my curated playlist while in the car, but even with all the panels and doors on, the noisy cabin made listening to music more of a challenge than I would like.
Fuel Whomp Whomp – Fuel Economy for both the Raptor and the Everglades edition isn’t great: the Raptor rates at 15 mpg in the city and 16 mpg on the highway, while the Everglades estimates about 18 mpg in the city and 17 mpg on the highway. These numbers are pretty much on the nose, which was a bit disappointing. The Bronco feels like the perfect example of a modern reinvention and succeeds at that in every way but in fuel economy. These are heavy vehicles with powerful engines, so I get it. I just can’t wait to see what the inevitable electric Bronco will bring to the table.
Reinvented for the Post O.J. Era
My kids will never fully grasp the significance of the OJ and Bronco connection – mostly because they didn’t live through it like I did – and that might be a good thing. This reinvention of the Ford Bronco deserves to stand on its own, free of its past and only beholden by the spirit of its off-road origins. What is perhaps most important is that the Ford Bronco has emerged in an age where its ability to be customized can be fully appreciated. If you’re into off-road or adventure driving, the Raptor and Everglades editions are excellent choices for any Dad Driver. But even within these two options, there are a wide variety of Dad lifestyles to consider.
Raptor or Everglades? – Which of these two editions of the Bronco is right for the average Dad or Mom driver? Both have their pros, but they share most of the same cons, which I touched on above, so instead, I’ll share what appeals most about each edition.
The Bronco Raptor – Confident, aggressive, and new for 2022, the Bronco Raptor is the cream of the crop or, better yet, the “Superman” of the Bronco editions. It’s meant to climb over rocks ia single bound, traverse sand dunes with ease, and leap into the air like it’s about to take flight. The Raptor has a wider stance to ensure stability at higher speeds, and its suped-up suspension is intended for better handling off-road. Combined with the 37-inch all-terrain tires, this Bronco will snarl-up a hill as competently as it will going down the highway. And that’s where the beauty of the Raptor edition lies – it effortlessly transitions from street prowler to mountain climber with enough power and style to excel at both. I’ve touched on the power capabilities of the Bronco Raptor above, but it bears repeating that the Bronco Raptor experience is thrilling.
If you are an active driver who loves taking adventurous detours on the weekends or on vacation, the Bronco Raptor might be for you. I found that I felt as comfortable sitting in it in the middle of rush hour traffic on the way to pick up my daughter from school as I did taking it on some off-roading excursions. Admittedly it can feel like overkill on urban streets, but there is a coolness factor that comes with driving this in a populated environment where other drivers can admire it. My daughter thought the Bronco Raptor was amazing – her words – and I think some of my excitement while driving it rubbed off on her. I felt like a “hip” Dad Driver climbing in and out of it, and sometimes that’s what you need after a hard day of work.
Bronco Everglades – A notch below the Raptor in the Bronco edition hierarchy, The Bronco Everglades is tailored for a more specific Dad or Mom Driver. With this edition, Ford forgoes some of the urban comforts of the Raptor edition in order to focus on getting wetter and wilder. Like to go mudding or sloshing through wetlands in your off time? The Bronco Everglades is your ticket to braving opportunities that might leave other drivers stuck in the mud. I took the Bronco Everglades to an off-roading park near my home and took it through a moderately muddy track. I’ve never felt more confident in that type of unstable terrain than I did in the Bronco Everglades. Handling this beast of a bronco through the dirt and mud wasn’t nearly as challenging as I had expected, and the experience actually boosted my driving confidence to tackle more aggressive terrain. I didn’t get a chance to use the wench to get me unstuck from the mud, nor did I go in water deep enough to really utilize the snorkel, but I truly believe that I could after spending only a few days behind the wheel of the Bronco Everglades.
Day-to-day driving of the Bronco Everglades can be just as confident, albeit a little less thrilling. This edition is slower than other Bronco Editions because it is designed to do so over unstable terrain. You feel this down step in power while driving on an urban road, but it also comes with a feeling of stability and strength. I felt safe for my family, inside both Broncos, but doubly so in the Everglades edition because of its lower, seemingly heavier stance. Admittedly, the Everglades edition doesn’t make a ton of sense for the driver who doesn’t off-road much. I think features like the wench and the snorkel are wasted on Dad Drivers who never take advantage of them. Both are impressive accessories, but they say something about the driver’s lifestyle. During my week with it, I felt like the Bronco was always too clean on the outside and needed some mudding tracks across it’s body. Personally, I don’t go muddin’ often enough to make this edition fit into my life.
Lastly, there is the price to consider. The 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor edition starts at just over 70k. The 2022 Ford Bronco Everglades edition starts at $54,595. Both are slotted well above the most basic version of the 2022 Ford Bronco, which starts as low as $32,895. This is where the Everglades holds a very slight advantage – for 20k more over the base price, drivers can get an awesome off-road experience that can provide some fun experiences. Plus the Everglades edition brings with it some of those sick design features – like the graphics and the snorkel – at a reasonable price. The Raptor’s price is a tougher pill to swallow, even if it is more of a robust and well-rounded experience.
Ultimately, Dad Drivers can’t go wrong with either edition, and isn’t that really the mark of a great vehicle? Or, as the quote goes, “wealth isn’t about money but about the opportunity of having options.” If that’s true, you can certainly feel wealthy behind the wheel of the Bronco.
Phillip is a filmmaker, an award-winning playwright, screenwriter and craft beer aficionado. He writes about cars, car tech, and various other cool Dad things. He lives, works and plays in Dallas, Texas.
