• last year
We thought a $35,000 UTV would make the $82,500 Ford Bronco Raptor look silly off road, so we pitted a 2023 Kawasaki KRX 4 against a 2023 Ford Bronco Raptor to find out! Was our prediction right, or did the Bronco blow us away?

Check out the full feature at https://www.utvdriver.com/reviews/ford-bronco-raptor-vs-kawasaki-krx4-1000-es-trail-review-video-2023/

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Transcript
00:00 What's up UTV driver? Today I'm here with a pretty exciting vehicle. This is the
00:04 2023 Ford Bronco Raptor. We've been waiting for this rig for a long time as
00:09 everyone has and we finally got our hands on one. It's a pretty exciting rig.
00:13 It's got a 418 horsepower twin-turbo V6. It's an EcoBoost motor which is a really
00:20 solid platform from Ford and it's got some really cool features on it. It's got
00:23 Fox live valve suspension. It has 37-inch BF Goodrich KO2s from the factory. I
00:30 cannot stress enough how cool that is. So much like the Ford F-150
00:36 Raptor, we're gonna go see what it can do off-road. Now we had a little thought
00:40 here because kind of like the Jeep Wrangler 392 Rubicon, this thing sort of
00:46 is a side-by-side. I mean with leather seats and air conditioning and Apple
00:49 CarPlay but in spirit that's what it is. But it also has a tow hitch so we
00:54 figured why not see if the Ford Bronco Raptor can tow your side-by-side to the
01:01 trails, wheel all day alongside your side-by-side in comfort and dry and then
01:07 hook back up and tow your side-by-side home. It's gonna be an interesting day.
01:11 We've got a buddy along to help us find out. We're gonna get right into it.
01:17 Alright, welcome aboard. We're here at Windrock in Oliver Springs, Tennessee
01:28 and standing next to me is the buddy I told you about. This is Jonathan Ramsey.
01:32 He is a car writer extraordinaire, works for Autoblog.com and many others. He's
01:38 come out today to help us out a little bit. So John has been in a UTV plenty of
01:42 times before but it's not his, it's not your comfort zone is it? Not exactly.
01:48 No, not yet. So we figured what better way to test the capabilities of a
01:53 four-wheel drive off-road crazy machine like this Bronco Raptor versus a UTV by
01:59 bringing someone who's not endemic to UTVs. So on the way up we're gonna put
02:03 John in the in the KRX. I'm gonna ride behind him in the Bronco and we're gonna
02:08 see what happens. But first, John, how was the ride over here? You rode with me in
02:11 the in the Bronco. Felt pretty good, huh? It was it was tall and pillowy.
02:19 But we're here alive. We're here alive. Yeah. 37-inch tires on the street are...
02:24 And heavy. Yeah. A lot of dancing from the tires and wheels.
02:30 Yep, yep. It feels like you're moving around a lot. It does feel like a Tonka
02:33 truck. I gotta say... Well, because it is a Tonka truck. It is a Tonka truck. It is a
02:36 Tonka truck. I do have to say though, towing 70 miles an hour is about the
02:41 limit or you start to get a little bit of sway. But if you stay within that
02:45 parameter it did okay. I mean this is a big long rig with all of its weight at
02:48 the back. How fast do you normally tow if 70 is a limit for this? 70 to 75. I would
02:55 say 75 is usually my upper limit. But like you wouldn't want to do that in
02:58 this. Right. Anyway, we got here safely so now we're gonna test out their off-road
03:03 capabilities. Let's get into what they're for. All right, we'll see you at the top
03:07 of the mountain.
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05:01 All that sort of chatter and jitter you feel on the street because of the big
05:05 tires and the off-road suspension. There's a reason that it has off-road
05:09 suspension and this is it. I've been blasting Fleetwood Mac, you know, but
05:14 having a little karaoke sing-along in the Bronco. I apologize to our viewers who
05:19 will who might catch some of that. You know, I got my seat heater on with the
05:23 windows down. You know, I can hear myself think I'm not wearing a helmet because
05:28 I've got curtain airbags. What would I need a helmet for? And you know, then
05:31 outside I've got 37 inch tires that will get me over whatever is out here. You
05:36 know, I think that's the other thing. As big as this car feels on the street, it
05:41 doesn't feel that big on the trail. It's really weird. Like I was telling the
05:46 GoPro a minute ago, you know, you forget that it has 37s. When you're on the
05:51 street, it won't let you forget how big the wheels and tires are. But out here
05:54 you see a Rockstep and go, "Oh, you know, I'm in a street vehicle." And then it just
05:58 walks over it. And that's all down to the tires. But yeah, it's just kind of
06:02 incredible how it mode shifts once you get off-road. You know, it's a
06:07 chameleon. You didn't feel the the tires weren't sort of dropping off all that
06:13 weight? No, no, no, no. They were just carrying you down. You know, it's felt
06:17 super smooth. And part of that, you know, the Wrangler Rubicon 392, the other big
06:23 side-by-side off-roader that I've driven has this too, but it's got a trail
06:27 camera. When you put it in 4-low, the 12-inch screen changes to just a
06:32 camera view of the trail ahead of you with two tire tracks on it. And where you
06:36 put those tire tracks is where the tires go. So it's really, it's a cheat code.
06:42 Again, I said this earlier in the video, but the 37s, you know, if 35-inch
06:49 tires are the master weapons cheat on Grand Theft Auto, the 37s are just the
06:55 master money cheat. All the cars, everything. They're just, they're
06:59 unbelievable and it is a marked difference for those two inches.
07:02 You sure you don't want to trade? Not yet. Not yet. I want to get it a little dirtier. I
07:07 will give it over to you. I promise. I've got my side-by-side gear. I've got my
07:12 helmet. I won't drag you all the way down here and make you... I'll make sure you can wear this.
07:15 Yeah, you know, I'll give you your windscreen. I'll give you your heated
07:19 seats. We'll get to that. This is built for an American shape, you know.
07:24 Right. So anyway, guys, we're gonna get into some more off-roading out
07:29 here. We're gonna enjoy the views here at the top of Windrock and then, yeah, we're
07:33 gonna go get into some...
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10:20 All right, John, here we are, one of Windrock's many beautiful waterfalls.
10:26 We've just done a little bit more technical off-roading, nothing that you would call serious off-roading,
10:31 but a little bit more than we did this morning. Got some rocky climbs in.
10:35 Has your position changed? Where are you at? What do you like? Let's start with that.
10:39 The suspension is good.
10:43 And the screen, the little dash screen, I like that.
10:49 Yeah, just keeping you informed about what all's going on.
10:53 It's bright and colorful. Okay, bright and colorful.
10:56 That's it. That's it. What do you not like? Same Whitney? Everything else.
11:02 I mean, like I said before, I had a Polaris General XP1000. XP4-1000.
11:09 Yes. That's the one. Bingo.
11:12 So much better. In every way. Really?
11:16 Feels more substantial, larger cabin, nicer seats, nicer to be in, Ride Command, navigation, like down the list.
11:27 Interesting.
11:28 Ride Command is a handicap that Polaris, you know, it's almost not worth mentioning, right?
11:33 Because like, I don't know of any other manufacturer that does a stock navigation system that's as good as Ride Command.
11:41 You know, it's just kind of like...
11:43 But see, again, so why wouldn't you? For the money, why wouldn't you?
11:48 Yeah, so this is like $35,000, right? How much was your Polaris?
11:52 See, I gotta look that up. So I'll look that up and I'll get back to you.
11:56 Okay.
11:57 But it can't be, it can't cost more than would make it worth it.
12:04 Okay.
12:05 And then I would save the money and get the Polaris anyway.
12:07 Because this is like, even like the back is not so roomy. You've got that roller coaster bar to hit your knees on.
12:15 Right.
12:16 And I have a bruise here.
12:18 Yeah. Okay. So hot, uncomfortable, doesn't feel substantial.
12:22 Well, not hot, but it's a cold day.
12:23 It is, right. Okay.
12:24 So otherwise.
12:25 Okay. All right. So that balances out.
12:27 Yeah.
12:28 Well, my review hasn't changed. I've been swaddled in luxury this whole time.
12:32 I will say I was a little nervous about how big this thing is and some of the tighter, more technical stuff.
12:37 And I said earlier in the video, you know, I've been worried about pinstriping it.
12:40 Right.
12:41 Because it costs 80 grand and I don't want to screw up nice paint, but like, okay.
12:46 You know, that's.
12:47 It's cost to do a business.
12:48 Yeah, exactly. Either don't take it off road or it's cost to do in business.
12:51 And when you do take it off road, yeah, it just, it hasn't flinched at anything we've seen today.
12:55 Now, again, we're not in Moab and we're not going after Windrocks most technical trails.
13:00 We want this thing to get us home.
13:02 But all that being said, it has still outperformed my expectations with Apple CarPlay and a heated seat.
13:09 I cannot stress that enough.
13:11 So now it's time to put you in the Bronco and me in the KRX.
13:16 I'm going to get my UTV gear on.
13:18 I'm going to strap a helmet on and I'm going to eat your dust all the way down the mountain.
13:24 We'll see you guys back at the parking lot and wrap this thing up.
13:29 Just got finished testing these in a full day of Windrock.
13:32 Now it's time to tow home.
13:34 We're back. We made it.
13:52 We've towed with the Bronco Raptor.
13:54 I've now driven the KRX.
13:56 We didn't do this at Windrock because we wanted to get our towing impressions.
14:00 I got to say, I disagree with you a little bit.
14:02 I think that is a fine machine.
14:04 I'm still 100% behind the suspension and that thing retails for $30,000.
14:10 That's a good deal.
14:12 But for, I looked up the price for just two grand more, Polaris General XP1000 Ultimate.
14:21 For two grand more.
14:23 More substantial, does everything much nicer, bigger, bed in the back, a tilt bed with a tailgate.
14:31 And you get Ride Command.
14:33 And you get Ride Command.
14:35 We've said it before, we've said it again, we've said it a thousand times.
14:38 Ride Command is industry standard and for an extra two grand, okay, I see your point.
14:42 And I agree with you about the suspension.
14:44 I agree with you that side by side it will do.
14:47 That is a fantastic handling rig.
14:49 I've never gotten into a situation in a KRX where I've thought, man, I'm really up against it here.
14:54 Like, it just, it doesn't have the most horsepower of the bunch, but it will just go through and over whatever you point it at.
15:01 Anyway, that's enough about the side by side.
15:03 We talk about those all the time.
15:05 What about the Bronco Raptor?
15:07 What did you think?
15:08 You drove it, so I towed that rig to Windrock with it.
15:11 You towed it back.
15:13 What did you think?
15:14 Well, I thought, so I had a little bit of time on the trail coming out.
15:19 Big, heavy, a little pillowy, a little jittery, but phenomenal.
15:27 Right? Isn't it good?
15:29 I mean, it's a main battle tank.
15:32 I've got my Abrams and I'm just going to jiggle my way down the hill.
15:37 Hooking up this to tow, I'd say, what, this is probably about 3,200 pounds.
15:43 The trailer and UTV and everything right at 3,000.
15:48 So it's a little unsettling.
15:53 I'm sorry, it gets a little unsettled with, because it's what, 4,500 pounds is the max?
15:57 That's the tow rating, yeah.
16:01 Not the most composed when you hook a trailer up to it.
16:05 Sure.
16:06 I mean, for what it is in the, this is what you're going to get.
16:10 Yeah, 37s.
16:11 As a package, nothing to complain about.
16:14 Right, it's a really well-realized street car, which I think is great.
16:17 It's luxurious, it's comfortable, all those things we said before.
16:21 Yeah, on the street you can tell that it's an off-road oriented vehicle that rides on 37-inch tires,
16:26 but I'm willing to forgive.
16:29 I think I'm willing to forgive.
16:31 It is forgiven.
16:32 And again, if you need to justify your $80,000 purchase of a Bronco Raptor by saying,
16:38 "Look, it's utilitarian," well, we've proven that.
16:41 Look, Bronco Raptor buyers don't justify anything.
16:45 Nor should they.
16:46 But if you found yourself in a position to justify this purchase to your father-in-law,
16:52 look, we can tow the side-by-side to the woods with it.
16:55 So, all in all, a successful day.
16:59 Hey guys, thanks for watching.
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