Ford’s Bronco Raptor vs. Land Rover’s Defender 130 – UPSCALE. OUTBOUND.

Ford’s Bronco Raptor vs. Land Rover’s Defender 130

UPSCALE. OUTBOUND.

For some, adventure is more important than money, and the 2024 Ford Bronco Raptor and Land Rover Defender 130 offer luxurious and muscular—if pricey—paths to the high country.

It may seem counterintuitive to compare Ford – a middle-class American brand – with a high-brow English moniker, but both vehicles sell in the six-figure range and suck gas like thirsty camels trekking through the Sahara—capable and resilient but always in need of a refill.

Keep these beasts fed, however, and, OH MY GOSH, the things they can do.

The Bronco Raptor and Defender boast rugged, off-road-oriented designs, but a quick glance at their respective sheetmetal makes differences in lineage obvious. Befitting a nation that gave the world the muscle car, the Bronco does a body-builder pose, while the Defender looks like it went to a school where everyone wore coats and ties.

Car and Driver describes the Bronco Raptor as ‘a beast of a truck, with bulging fenders, massive tires, and an aggressive stance’. Meanwhile, the staff at Motor Trend notes the Defender’s ‘clean, modern take on classic Land Rover design cues’.

Regarding off-road readiness, both vehicles offer impressive ground clearance and approach/departure angles. However, the Bronco Raptor stands out with its standard 37-inch tires and heavy-duty skid plates, earning praise from Edmunds for being ‘an off-road powerhouse’.

Different cabins

The Defender impresses with its upscale, modern interior, featuring high-quality materials and a 10-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. As noted by Consumer Reports, the Defender offers a ‘premium driving experience, both on and off the road’.

Visceral luxury seems a subjective criterion for assessing a vehicle, but the Land Rover’s opulence and quiet demeanor make driving rewarding. We found ourselves looking forward to even mundane, in-town excursions. 

The Bronco Raptor’s plasticky interior and thick rubber mats, on the other hand, invite long treks down seldom-used roads. We tried that, too, and enjoyed the confidence of knowing that no matter how isolated the locale, the Bronco Raptor would get us home.

As long as we kept it fed, that is. An afternoon exploring pig trails in the Ouachita Mountains drained $50 worth of fuel. Getting home cost another $30. The EPA estimates the Bronco Raptor delivers an average of 15 mpg. The best we could do was around 13.5. The Defender 130, rated at 17 mpg, gave us 16. 

Both will cost $1,800 to $2,000 more a year for fuel than the average SUV, and both have some of the worst greenhouse ratings on the market. Still, if being in the great outdoors is more important than protecting it, both are a hoot.

While the Bronco Raptor’s interior is less luxurious, it offers a 12-inch infotainment system with Ford’s excellent SYNC 4 technology, which Car and Driver lauds for user-friendliness. Both vehicles have advanced safety features and driver-assist technologies, such as adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist.

Performance and Capabilities

The Bronco Raptor excels in off-road performance, thanks to its standard 3.0L EcoBoost engine, which produces 418 horsepower and 440 lb.-ft. of torque. 

Not enough? No problem. Ford dealers have an $850 software calibration that boosts those numbers to 536 horses and 455 pounds of torque. Ford fails to mention what this might do to fuel economy.

More power answers our most significant criticism of the Bronco Raptor. For all its capability, it does not have the exhilarating pop of the F-150 Raptor. They ride on the same platform, but the pickup weighs 750 lbs. less.

The upgrade includes an optimized shift schedule for the 10-speed automatic transmission, which Ford has nearly perfected. As with the F-150 Raptor, we discovered that the programming in the transmission logic module, with input from sensors all over the truck, does a better job than a human driver under demanding conditions. Just steer and leave the paddle shifters alone.

Though both have immense off-road capability, the systems serve different purposes. 

With a powerful engine and advanced, long-travel Fox suspension, the Bronco Raptor is in its element running high-speed across rolling deserts. The Defender 130 offers a more versatile off-road experience with adaptive air suspension and multiple engine options.

Off-road gear on the Bronco Raptor includes:

• High-performance off-road suspension with remote reservoir shock absorbers and front active anti-roll bar.
• Multiple skid plates
• 37-inch all-terrain tires with bead lock wheels for times when low tire pressure is required for a larger contact patch
• Off-Road Modes: Seven off-road driving modes, including Baja mode for high-speed desert running.
• Two-speed transfer case
• Ground Clearance: Approximately 13.1 inches.
• Off-road rock rails to protect side panels.
• Trail control, a low-speed cruise control during steep climbs and descents.
• A free, one-day training school in high-and low-speed performance driving at one of four U.S. locations. The nearest for Texans is Horseshoe Bay, near Austin.

The Land Rover Defender 130 gets:

• Engine Options: Multiple options include a 3.0-liter inline-six with mild hybrid technology, producing up to 395 horsepower.
• Adaptive air suspension with terrain response system.
• Skid Plates: Comprehensive underbody protection.
• All-terrain tires on standard 20-inch rims or optional 22-inch rubber.
• Off-Road Modes: Terrain Response system with selectable driving modes.
• Two-speed transfer case
• Ground Clearance: Adjustable air suspension goes up to approximately 11.5 inches.

Motor Trend highlights the Bronco Raptor’s ‘incredible suspension articulation and traction, which makes it a force to be reckoned with on tough terrain’.

Edmunds describes the Defender’s driving experience as ‘smooth and refined, both on-road and off’.

Pricing and Value

The Bronco Raptor starts at around $73,780, while the Defender has a base 4-cylinder engine starting at $53,325. Car and Driver notes, ‘The Bronco Raptor’s higher starting price reflects its superior off-road hardware and performance capabilities’.

The prices of both our testers shot well past those marks.

Our Bronco Raptor had a high-luxury package, which included a navigation system, front and rear locking axles, a sound-deadening headliner, and a 10-speaker sound system. It started at $90,035. Add leather seating and a $1,895 delivery fee; the sticker read $94,425.

The Defender 130 is an extended version of the standard Defender, offering more cargo space and a third row of seats. The Defender 130 Outbound is a unique trim level of the Defender 130 that sacrifices the third row for even more cargo space and features specialized towing and hauling capabilities. 

Our Defender 130 Outbound started at $84,500. An extensive list of options included a front console refrigerated compartment, heated and cooled seats, torque vectoring, satin protective paint film ($5,155 – Really!), Wi-Fi, and head-up display. The bottom line (atop the pricing pyramid): $101,093.

In terms of warranty coverage, both vehicles provide a standard 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty and a 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty. Neither of these brands has an excellent history of durability.

Bottom line

For adventure-seeking buyers, both the 2024 Ford Bronco Raptor and Land Rover Defender offer impressive off-road capabilities and distinct design elements. The Bronco Raptor excels in off-road performance and features, while the Defender provides a more luxurious interior and efficient hybrid powertrain option.

For those who wish to project to others that they have arrived and value serenity above adventure, the Land Rover is more luxurious and has more cache. If you love playing in the mud or flying across the desert, the Bronco Raptor would seem the wiser choice.

If keeping an expensive vehicle on the road matters, here are two critical numbers. Ford has 3,604 dealers across the United States, while Land Rover has 202.