In your mind, Bronco compares to what?

[AKBronc49]

I've owned 30+ 91-01 Explorers, all but one 4 door. My first vehicle was a 3"lifted on 31's 96 4 Dr Explorer, I did some crazy stuff with it. It used to 3-wheel around Roundabouts! Never once felt unstable in any of them including running at 125mph. I still have the '97 I took my drivers test in and will keep it forever.

That's part of my love for the new Bronco, it reminds me of the very truck like Explorers I grew up with.

I need space, so a two door never came on my radar. Just doesn't work for me, more power to the people it does work for though.

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[Brichan]

When I look at the 4-door I see a "regular" SUV

With a regular 4 door SUV you can’t remove the top and doors. I don’t consider Wrangler 4 door a regular SUV either. To me it has the practicality and the coolness combined.

 

[BD1]

I see a cross between the OG Bronco and the Defender 90. I am a 2dr guy as my kids are getting older and we already have the family car situated (Volvo XC90).

I agree.

 

[mdepll]

I agree.

A rugged looking small SUV. Full stop.

 

[Packman]

4-Door, I’m in love with you. You make ”fun” more fun because family and friends can join me in my off-road adventures. We can even carry stuff with us behind the seats for even more more fun. Like food. Especially food. And perhaps other stuff too. Like drinks. Anyhoo... your 4-Doors look gorgeous to me. Pay no attention to the scorn of the small-crawlers.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

When I look at the two door I see its very limited amount of use. Yes its cool, and I will get one but as a toy not an actual people or goods mover. If your single, don't have kids, or retired the possibilities are greater for the two door option. Regular life needs something more practical to cover more bases. Most folks don't have the luxury money it takes to own the two door. The 4 door will do everything the two door can and way more. There are some negligible areas that the two door will excel at, but be honest, how many will utilize it? Two door definitely has the cool factor by an edge but only a small percentage buy it just for that reason. My 4 door will be what my kids grow up driving and what we take hunting, fishing, and overlanding. When I can afford another two door it will be just for fun.

YES, ...COST!!!
Vehicles cost so much any more, they have to do everything well because few can afford multiple specialized vehicles.
Hence the uproar over the low tow rating....now the buyer needs a tow vehicle also for just about anything you typically tow, like a Bass Boat or ski boat, all but the smallest campers....etc etc.

 

[MillerBuilt]

I compare 21 Bronco to Top Gun 2.
1. It’s been rumored forever.
2. They keep saying it’s coming out.
3. It reminds me of my youth.
4. The original was epic!
5. It keeps getting delayed.
6. The trailers/previews are great.....but I get the feeling I might die of old age before it really happens. (And I’m in my 40’s).
7. The music better live up to the LUX package hype!

 

[mattrb87]

I prefer the 4door because of the increased practicality and space, more can be done with it. Just my opinion, but I think you are getting more for your money. Yes it’s probably more of a “family” vehicle than the 2door, but it’s one of the better looking cool family ish SUVs.

I see the 2door as the fun, easy to move spare vehicle that you could tow behind an RV on a road trip and still have a vehicle, not something mammoth, to take somewhere, like the 2door wrangler. A vehicle that could be a hand me down to the kids.

They both have their place and both look great. If I had the money, I would get both. But for now, I’ll just have to settle for the 4door

 

[RBF 1401]

I see a Bronco... End of story...

But I guess if you never owned a Bronco, well you wouldn't know. Will it live up to the name? That remains to be seen.

Those of us that have an EB to look at every day can see exactly what Ford was doing. The ridges at either side of the hood, the Base/Black Diamond grill and lights, the proportions of the 2-door...

There is no way I see anything else besides an updated EB.

 

[MillerBuilt]

I prefer the 4door because of the increased practicality and space, more can be done with it. Just my opinion, but I think you are getting more for your money. Yes it’s probably more of a “family” vehicle than the 2door, but it’s one of the better looking cool family ish SUVs.

I see the 2door as the fun, easy to move spare vehicle that you could tow behind an RV on a road trip and still have a vehicle, not something mammoth, to take somewhere, like the 2door wrangler. A vehicle that could be a hand me down to the kids.

They both have their place and both look great. If I had the money, I would get both. I’ll just have to settle for the 4door right now

Agreed. I’m an over-packer! If it don’t fit in the back.....it goes in the 4 doors.....and the kids can hold it. Or, the buddies! I got BIG friends.....they ain’t jumping in a 2 door back seat!

 

[mattrb87]

Agreed. I’m an over-packer! If it don’t fit in the back.....it goes in the 4 doors.....and the kids can hold it. Or, the buddies! I got BIG friends.....they ain’t jumping in a 2 door back seat!

That’s what I don’t like about 2door vehicles, is having to constantly move the seats for people to get in and out

 

[SnowBronco]

 

[Erock]

2 door

4door

Thought it was a thread for “what do you see”... not another argument about what is the best. These are what I see... fun as hell either way

 

[PSUTE]

The Ford Bronco II had more than five times more rollover fatalities in 1987 than the Suzuki Samurai. "There were 43 Bronco II rollover fatalities in 1987, compared with eight for the Samurai..."

Any Idea of the sales figures for these vehicles? I'd look it up, but not my post... Critical thinking is your friend up in here....

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

This probably isn't true, and it started with the Bronco II.

You're right, Ford did recommend a lower tire pressure for the Explorer, contrary to Firestone's recommended pressure. Ford recommended lowering pressure to increase ride comfort, and to reduce rollover risk. -https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-aug-24-mn-9479-story.html Ford recommended a tire pressure almost 15% lower than the tire manufacturer recommended.

The Ford Bronco II had more than five times more rollover fatalities in 1987 than the Suzuki Samurai. "There were 43 Bronco II rollover fatalities in 1987, compared with eight for the Samurai..."

"...one in 500 Bronco II's ever produced was involved in a fatal rollover."

"Stability problems with Bronco II were noted during the design phase, as well as in the verification tests by 1981." and "For example, the J-turn test was canceled during the testing procedures by Ford officials "out of fear of killing or injuring one of its own drivers." -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Bronco_II

During Explorer stability testing, which Ford included a Bronco II and Chevy S10 as competing products, the Bronco II and Chevy S10 both passed the stability tests each run, whereas the Explorer demonstrated a rollover response in five out of twelve runs. Ford engineers had concerns about rollover stability and proposed four modifications to the vehicle prior to it coming out; however, the most impactful change(s) (widening the track) would have delayed production and were rejected. In addition, one of the constraints, one of the issues relative to stability, was the I-Beam suspension, which changed the center of gravity and track width as the suspension cycled. In subsequent years, Ford lengthened the vehicle and increased the track width and changed the suspension from I-Beam to SLA. Part of the issue appears to have been taking an SUV body and placing it on a truck chassis. Ford took an SUV body and placed it on a Ranger chassis and running gear.

"After the Explorer rolled over in company tests prior to production Ford decided to lower the suspension and remove air from the tires to 26 psi compared to 35 psi for the same tires on the Ranger." and "The Explorer was redesigned for the 2002 model year. The tire pressure was raised to 30 psi, it was widened by 2.5 inches, the suspension was lowered, and independent rear suspension and electronic stability control were added." -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firestone_and_Ford_tire_controversy

Ford produced a vehicle that didn't do well in stability/rollover testing when compared to similar vehicles (competitors vehicles), but had a production schedule that wouldn't allow for significant changes once those issues were realized. They brought that vehicle to market and have since paid hundreds of millions to settle claims that substantiate their own test results. After millions of dollars in claims, and tens/hundreds of deaths, they made the changes their own engineers suggested from the beginning, namely track width. Stability testing did not involve any tire separation, and was based on the vehicle, not the tires.

At least that's my educated opinion.

I don't know where you got your education from but I hope it was cheap.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the rear-drive Bronco II's rollover-related death rate between 1986 and 1990 was 3.78 fatalities per 10,000 vehicles, compared to 1.74 for the four-wheel-drive Bronco II, and 1.11 for the Suzuki Samurai.

Which is weird because the front suspension has the exact same geometry between 4wd and 2wd. Unlike the Ranger it is a bolt in conversion to go from one to the other. They even have a gutted t-case on the back of the trans for most of the production run. (why they went thru the effort of designing such a stupid thing I will never know...)

2wd Bronco II's did have the highly coveted in Ranger based vehicle circles 1" rear sway bar. They fit any Ranger 83-11 but are very rare since the 2wd version was never popular to start with.

Now for the Explorer. It is much longer than a Bronco II, even the 2dr version. Lower slung too. Frame aft of the transmission crossmember flares out several inches wider. Spring to spring width for the rear suspension is the same between an Explorer and a Ranger. The frame is above the rear springs in an Explorer and inside the springs in a Ranger, that is the difference in width. Also the axle sits above the springs in an Explorer and below in a Ranger, 4wd Rangers have a 1.5" lift block making the axle that much farther below the spring. Frame being the same is 110% bogus. Frame is different, springs are different, sway bars are different, rear axle is wider... everything is different. Ranger had a narrower front axle until 1993 until it matched the Explorer (which came out for 1991) and the rear never did match the Explorer (they always had slightly narrower rear axles than fronts)

I don't know how they would have lowered the suspension. The front suspension is basically the same as a Ranger, they got saggy in the rear with age like the rest of us but they started out with a rake. Going SOA like a Ranger to SUA like the production Explorer would have been something like a 5" drop which is massive. IMO that is totally bogus as well.

Explorer was redesigned in 1995 with a SLA front suspension basically identical to what the Ranger would get in 1998 and would ride off into the sunset with in 2011. The rear suspension was pretty much the same as 91-94. Engine bay, interior and basic shell was a new truck otherwise. They were heavy hitters in the recall too.

Explorer was redesigned into an IRS turd in '02 (parent's had an '02, there was always something stupid going wrong with the rear end) while the Sport Trac and Sport lived on until around 04/05. Stability control was optional on the later ones at least at first (Advancetrac?), my parent's '02 did not have it. For the problems that car had I doubt it would have worked if it did...

A decal raising the suggested tire pressure was involved in one of the recall notices for my parent's '94 Explorer. With 160hp and 3.27 gears it was gutless but NEVER had a stability issue in the 15 years they had it.

The Twin I Beam that came out in the 1960's still lives on in brand new 2wd F-250/350 trucks...

I have pillaged many an Bronco II/Explorer in the last 20+ years for my Ranger build...

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