Buyers looking to save money at the pumps in light of insane fuel costs should not consider the 2022 Ford Bronco. Even at its absolute best (with the 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine), the Bronco only manages 20/21/20 miles per gallon city/highway/combined. That already unimpressive fuel economy takes a dip if you opt for one of the more off-road-focused models or get the more powerful 2.7-liter twin-turbo V6 engine. So what's going to happen if the Bronco gets even more power?

Fuel economy for the 2022 Bronco Raptor recently became available on the official EPA website and they aren't pretty. As a reminder, the Bronco Raptor gets a larger 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 producing 400 horsepower, and it rides on massive 37-inch tires that are bound to have a negative impact on fuel efficiency. They do, but not as much as we expected.

The Bronco Raptor is officially rated at 15/16/15 mpg. Yes, those are horrendous numbers that would absolutely qualify for a gas guzzler tax (if the Bronco wasn't an SUV), but it's not so significant given the substantial performance increase. That 15 mpg average is two less than a comparable 2.7-liter Bronco Sasquatch riding on 35-inch tires, representing an 11.7% decrease.

According to the EPA, you can expect to spend around $4,500 per year (on average) to fill the Bronco Raptor, compared to $3,950 for the Bronco Sasquatch. We doubt anyone spending $70-80,000 on an off-road SUV will notice a $550 yearly increase in fuel costs. Considering the Raptor gets 70 extra horses, larger tires, and wider fenders, that fuel economy loss seems tolerable. Sure, it's not great, but what did you expect?

So how does the Bronco Raptor compare to other gas-guzzling off-roaders? The most comparable vehicle in the segment, the V8-powered Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 gets 13/17/14 mpg. It's a bit better on the highway since the 6.4-liter V8 has cylinder deactivation, but the EPA says the Rubicon 392 will cost around $5,600 to fill up per year ($1,100 more than the Bronco Raptor).

The Land Rover Defender V8 is the other comparable option, rated at 14/19/16 mpg in four-door 110 guise. Again, even though the Land Rover is better on the highway, the EPA says it will cost more ($4,900) to fill up in a year. It's worth noting the Rubicon 392 and Defender V8 offer more power than the Raptor (470 hp and 518 hp, respectively), but they both have higher sticker prices.