2025 Ranger vs. Bronco Badlands.

[Cool Contractor]

I just had my 2024 Bronco Badlands totaled out due to an accident. I am undecided if I should buy a 2025 Bronco or a 2025 Ranger. If I go with the Ranger, I haven't decided between the Lariat FX4 or the Raptor. More interested in off roading than towing. More trail/ rocks than desert running at 80 mph. Has anyone else gone from a Bronco to a Ranger and was it a good decision or a mistake? Another bit of info is that I have a 2019 F 150 Lariat FX4 that I need more for the bed usage than towing. If I get the Ranger, I could sell the F 150 and consolidate into 1 vehicle (Ranger).

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[TwoTone]

Key question only you know, how often did you take the top off the Bronco?

 

[Cool Contractor]

On my previous Jeep, once or twice a year. On my Bronco, zero times in 15 months.

 

[superj]

No bronco needed than.

We never take the tops off our wranglers either. If the wife didnt love her wrangler, i wouldnt have another wrangler. They are so niche, limited real life use vehicles they are like miatas, just opposite end of the spectrum

 

[TwoTone]

On my previous Jeep, once or twice a year. On my Bronco, zero times in 15 months.

Then a PU would be more useful. I'm the opposite, had 2 Jeeps and a 60's Landcruiser.
Hard Top and Doors came off in the spring and didn't go back on until late fall.

 

[RRUIZ]

Current RR owner so definitely biased but I say go for the Ranger Raptor. The MSRP between a modest spec lariat and the Raptor is just a few grand and yet you get so much increased capability for that cost. I think especially if you are coming from a special vehicle like a Badlands you are going to appreciate what the Raptor offers. They have very similar capabilities but you will appreciate the quiet cabin.

 

[TheRealSasquatch]

I own a Bronco 23 Badlands 4D 2.7 SAS and a 24 RR. They are two different animals that I love for different reasons.
The Bronco is Definitely for rock wheeling and the RR is Dirt speed. That is way over simplified but in a nutshell.
I love both around town but my wife likes the Bronco for the higher seating position and the cameras are better.
Recent odd take in things. My wife was driving the Bronco I was passenger. We got collected in an accident on the highway. My wife did great getting on the brakes and avoiding a Lexus that lost control and darted in front of us. Just got a scuff on the front bumper and I thought we might be clear. That same Lexus hit the center divider and bounced back somehow. She was still hard on the brakes and we were nose down. The Lexus hit the driver rear and I think the rear tire went up over the hood and took us airborn. We rotated at least 90 degrees in the air and came down on the passenger front. That turned us another 90 and we stopped facing oncoming traffic.
We were very lucky not to roll. EMS and the State troopers could not believe we didn’t roll. They said they usually see Broncos rolled in highway accidents.
So the point of that is if I had to repeat the accident I would rather be in the RR. BUT! I don’t want to give up the Bronco it has been too much fun off-roading all over Colorado and Utah.
Just my .02 cents past the obvious Spec differences between the vehicles.

 

[LDHunter]

I came really close to buying a new Bronco and I looked at several models but didn't want the sport model. My interest was in a 4 door model and I'm a hunter and fisherman and wanted a fully capable true off road truck with towing capabilities. I have absolutely no rock crawling interest.

After a couple weeks sorting through the many options and the different models I was becoming aware that the Bronco was very impractical for me and unless I got the Bronco Raptor I wasn't going to get the performance and power I crave.

I had already owned a 4 door 2019 F-150 Raptor and loved that truck but it was simply a lot bigger and wider than a hunting truck should be for me. When the dealership I bought if from offered to buy it back from me in 2021 (Covid times) for what I paid for it, I jumped at the prospect and sold it back.

I still had a couple more pickup trucks including a 2002 Tacoma 4wd which I recently sold (my hunting truck) and a 2009 GMC 2500HD Z71 4wd with a 6.0 gas motor which I have kept for heaving towing and as a backup vehicle.

I spent 4 years driving a couple of Mustang GT's which are a blast to drive and I'll always miss that classic V8 sound and performance.

Soooooo..... I started looking at getting something more practical and came close to buying a 2024 Ranger Raptor off a dealer's lot but didn't want to buy a truck that was already a year old for MSRP so when my favorite salesman at my local Ford dealership offered me a 2025 Model that was precisely the way I wanted it I JUMPED and committed to buying it. It was still in transit and I had a 2 week wait before it showed up.

I had already test driven a 2024 RR so I knew what to expect and when I took possession of my new 25 model I was very happy BUT coming from a 2022 Mustang GT California Special Edition with a 5.0 liter 460 horsepower V8 with an incredibly appealing exhaust note and 0-60 in 4.3 seconds and a top end of 160mph it was a bit of an adjustment to say the least.

Now after owning the RR for about a month and getting used to the feel and sound of it I'm very happy with it. It's very capable in the dirt and very quick for a pickup on the street. It's incredibly practical and useful as a pickup utility vehicle and yet still mostly satisfies my need for speed.

If my story helps with your decision then I'm glad. I DO love to tell my story. I've owned a lot of really nice, mostly high performance, vehicles in my life and as I approach retirement, I needed to get more practical and yet have something fun enough to drive that I wouldn't end up going back to truly high performance vehicles that weren't practical.

The RR checks almost every box for me and I now have no regrets for buying it and it's now my do everything vehicle from daily driver to off road high performance truck with the ability to tow my big trailers although the GMC 2500 King Cab Z71 is still my primary tow vehicle for the big stuff and as a backup vehicle.

Long live the Ranger Raptor. By the way... Almost NOBODY I've shown it to or have encountered around this area have ever even heard of a Ranger Raptor. They get confused and get really quiet as they try to digest the idea of a mid size pickup with true Raptor performance.

 

[Ianayasm]

I went from a Bronco to a Ranger Raptor recently, and honestly, no regrets. It's not quite as nimble on tight trails as the Bronco, but it handles rocks and rough stuff surprisingly well, and the ride is way more refined on-road. If you're not into high-speed desert stuff, the Raptor’s still worth it just for the suspension and off-road tech. Selling the F-150 and consolidating could work fine if you’re not hauling big loads often.

 

[ColeTrainsRR]

I currently have a Bronco Badlands and its getting traded in for my ordered Ranger Raptor as soon as it arrives. I anticipate May sometime due to it getting built next week. i used my Bronco pretty heavily and having a bed, especially for deer hunting. Always have to put deer in a hitch basket and that gets old. I love my Bronco but the Raptor will be better for my lifestyle and needs. Plus i cant pass up the trade value they gave my Badlands and the fact i'm getting the Raptor for $3k under MSRP.

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