Bronco ‘Lux Package’ Review: Is the Bronco Raptor (Or Any Bronco) Actually Luxurious?
Should the Bronco Raptor feel more luxurious for its $81K MSRP? Diving into on-road manners, interior amenities, and digital technology with a Bronco Raptor Lux Package!
It should come as absolutely no surprise that the Ford Performance branded Bronco Raptor is an all-time champion in all sorts of off-roading environments. But the quick version is this — it may be the most fun you can have in a factory Ford when you’re not on a racetrack. Spirited. Playful. Capable. And to repeat myself, FUN.
But does all of this off-road capability ruin its around-town manners? And, with the optional 347A Lux Package, which helps bring the B’Raptor’s total MSRP north of $80,000, is this SUV — or any of the standard Broncos with a similar package — actually a luxury vehicle?
Let’s dive in!
Click the links below for all of our Bronco Raptor coverage!!!
The Bronco Raptor is the Off-Roader Your Inner Child Has Always Wanted
Top 5 Things We “HATE” About the Bronco Raptor
Is the Bronco Raptor Actually Luxurious? (Lux Package Review)
Full Vehicle Walkaround TourAnnnnd CLICK HERE to join our Bronco Raptor forum discussion!
Slaying Suburbia (On-Road Bronco Raptor Driving)
The best news about driving a Bronco Raptor around town…? It’s still a ton of fun. Yes, it wallows and bounces more than the F-150 Raptor, but it drives really well and lacks the harshness found with many aftermarket-built tough trucks.
Most B’Raptor jokes center around the idea that most customers are going to keep these SUVs as mall crawlers and garage queens. But even in this scenario, the halo Bronco absolutely slays surbia. Crumbling asphalt, big curbs, and monstrous speed bumps slowin’ you down?
Not so in the Bronco Raptor.
Obstacles are practically optional in this hulking, four-door beast. So crawl those curbs. Fly over those speed bumps. And cruise over your crumbling infrastructure, friends. The Bronco does, however, feel a little lethargic off the line — thanks to large tires and turbo lag. But at speed, there’s no slowing it down. And it’s a freakin’ hoot to push it into corners like its Mustang cousins. Just know that body roll is pervasive and its brakes aren’t up to Mustang levels (at least, not for this weight class).
Still, despite its weight and width, the Bronco Raptor is practical around town and offers a good amount of storage. And, thanks to its shorter wheelbase, it actually fits into parking spaces (unlike the F-150 Raptor).
10-Speaker Bang & Olufsen SYNC4 Sound System
As a surround sound nerd who used to run a website dedicated to home theater enthusiasm, it’s hard to call any vehicle sound system audiophile quality. But in the luxury vehicle market, many systems do a pretty good job providing fidelity and overcoming vehicle imperfections. On the Ford side of things, their current top-of-the-line system is the Bang & Olufson Unleashed system in the higher-end F-150s (including the Raptors). Again, it’s not perfect, but it’s pretty darn good.
The Bronco, much like its Mustang cousins, isn’t in the same league, even with the Lux Package 10-speaker Bang & Olufson sound system as routed through the large 12-inch SYNC 4 screen (more on this in a moment). I’d argue this system gets the job done, especially when one considers driving a Bronco either as a convertible or with lots of highway-speed road noise. In this sense, it does a pretty good job with the mids and highs. And offers a bit of air-moving bass and thump. But the low-end, it lacks the creamy clarity and smoothness of better systems.
As for SYNC 4 itself, it appears to be a very similar system to what you’ll find in the F-150. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. HD and Satelite radio. A well-organized interface. Two screen sections for multitasking. Integrated Navigation. Digital owner’s manual and pages of vehicle settings to adjust and tweak. Over-the-air updates.
SYNC 4 is pretty nice, overall. Much faster than SYNC 3. And here it works mostly as it does in other applications, but we did experience a few screen pauses. Not sure if this represents the experience for all Broncos with this setup or just our pre-production loaner.
Digital Gauges
The other half of the Bronco’s screen-team is the digital gauge cluster. It changes colors and layout along with each driving aka G.O.A.T. (Goes Over All Terrain) mode — Normal, Sport, Tow/Haul, Slippery, Off-Road, Baja, Rock Crawl. Different modes place the vehicle into different steering, throttle, suspension, traction control, drive (2H, 4H, 4L, 4A), and exhaust settings. Owners can also flip between a Performance gauge mode that highlights the tachometer as well as customize what sensors display on the dash (trans temp, oil pressure, etc.).
I wish Ford allowed for a little more customization, but it’s a nice, clear system overall with access to vehicle settings, radar cruise control settings and lots of information from the radio. For example, even if you’re using Apple Maps, upcoming turns appear on the gauge cluster almost as they do from Ford’s own navigation.
Is it a luxurious gauge cluster? Mostly. I think companies like Audi and Lexus boast more refined user interfaces. But Ford’s up there in terms of overall quality and ease of use, even if the graphics aren’t always razor sharp.
The real concern, I’d argue, is, how much will it cost to replace if the screen dies after a decade (well outside of warranty)?
Recaro Seating
I still remember the first time I sat in a Mustang with factory Recaro sport bucket seats. The added bolstering at the hips. The sensation of it hugging your shoulders. All designed to keep you tucked in the seat to focus on the driving experience. Admittedly, for larger folks, they can be awful, but if you fit in them, they’re a godsend for spirited driving applications.
Earlier this year, Ford tucked a set of Recaros into the F-150 Raptor 37 that were — alongside the optional lie-flat massaging captains chairs available on high-end F-150s — the best truck seats I’ve ever experienced. Well-bolstered, but not confining. Plus, they were heated and ventilated.
So color me stoked when I ripped open the driver’s door to the Bronco Raptor Lux Package and saw (what appears to be) the same blue Recaro seats. Again, they’re comfortable and supportive in all the right ways minus one omitted feature. No ventilation. Which leaves Bronco Raptor owners one step behind their F-150 Raptor buddies. And a little sweaty.
Not the end of the world in ye olde grand scheme, but still a disappointment at this price point.
Otherwise, the seats are awesome.
Is The Bronco Raptor Lux Package Actually Luxurious?
For a Bronco? Maybe. Compared to actual luxury vehicles? Not so much.
The big takeaway from the Bronco Raptor’s on-roading and Lux Package amenities is this. It’s pretty well equipped for a Bronco, but most of what you’re paying for here is performance related. More power. Incredible suspension. And better seats. Throw in a large infotainment screen, customizable gauges, and a solid (for this application) radio, and it’s a terrific experience overall.
Just not one I’d call fancy despite the wallet-crushing price tag.
If genuine luxury is what you’re looking for, the F-150 — Raptor and otherwise — offers a bit more refinement. Or you’d need to head over to Europe to find something more to your standards.
