What Percentage of Owners Off-Road?!

[TherinWhitten]

I would rather use an overbuilt vehicle that won't break on the times I need it, than to use a vehicle not designed for the work all the time and risk it.

2 FT of snow, random jaunts down less explored areas, ect.
Do I slap on a bunch of outdoor stuff and go camping in my yard? No lmao. I take it out, I just don't try to break it.

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[HalfmuleFarmer]

I paid less for my Badlands than the MSRP for a Polaris Pro-R. The Badlands happens to be a a competent daily driver that I also take into the rocks.

I'm mindful when I take it into the rocks that if I break it, I'll have to drive something else to work Monday...

But saying folks should buy a Polaris to beat up instead of their vehicle specifically designed for off-roading is no more or less valid than using their Bronco while having a backup daily driver (Or being prepared to ride the bus!).

Lots of ways to skin this cat, everyone has to look at their individual situation and decide what works best for them.

Concur. I own one vehicle, my Bronco. I don’t go out trying to break it, and I’m often out alone (with a Garmin inReach). I’ve found, in Utah, even ‘moderate’ trails can get real, fast, as conditions can change from the last trail report (we’ve had monsoon thunderstorms for the last week or so). So I don’t set out to wheel hard just for the sake of it, but often I’m trying to get to a remote camp location and the wheeling gets hard. But the Bronco is ready. Extremely capable vehicle. Am I stressing it? Maybe. But it’s a tough little beast.

SXS is another thing entirely. Too much of a dirt bath for me.

 

[mdainsd]

I off road mine quite a lot here in the desert Southwest. I also have a gen 1 Raptor that is a real blast to drive offroad. A much more visceral experience, less tech, more fun. But... the Bronco is so much fun on the tighter stuff climbing to ghost towns and tight trails. There is room for both in my stable.

 

[Emilian]

One of the things that entertains and frustrates me is how a lot of forum members seem to not appreciate how different the demographic is here, on this forum, versus the average mainstream Bronco owner. (So folks here are always, amusingly, asking for Ford to do things that most mainstream buyers would *never* want, that are strictly enthusiast options — but in their defense, it’s amazing that Ford actually made a Bronco with a snorkel and still makes a 2DR. We’re lucky.) People who take their Jeep or Bronco off-road are actually a very small percentage of buyers, perhaps as low as 10% (according to Google searched stats). I’m wondering how that compares to the

Someone I know broke an axel

One of the things that entertains and frustrates me is how a lot of forum members seem to not appreciate how different the demographic is here, on this forum, versus the average mainstream Bronco owner. (So folks here are always, amusingly, asking for Ford to do things that most mainstream buyers would *never* want, that are strictly enthusiast options — but in their defense, it’s amazing that Ford actually made a Bronco with a snorkel and still makes a 2DR. We’re lucky.) People who take their Jeep or Bronco off-road are actually a very small percentage of buyers, perhaps as low as 10% (according to Google searched stats). I’m wondering how that compares to the population here. Vote!

Someone I know broke an axle on BMW driving on Park Avenue in NYC. Ford engineers did amazing job balancing all things they had to take into account designing Bronco.

 

[NORCALGXP]

 

[Climber]

I paid less for my Badlands than the MSRP for a Polaris Pro-R. The Badlands happens to be a a competent daily driver that I also take into the rocks.

I'm mindful when I take it into the rocks that if I break it, I'll have to drive something else to work Monday...

But saying folks should buy a Polaris to beat up instead of their vehicle specifically designed for off-roading is no more or less valid than using their Bronco while having a backup daily driver (Or being prepared to ride the bus!).

Lots of ways to skin this cat, everyone has to look at their individual situation and decide what works best for them.

Now that’s banging it!

 

[dougcjohn]

Off-Road has many variations... this poll for off-road also indicated Rocks. I don't do rock climbing, and even if lived in area with rock challenges, I wouldn't take a relatively new rig on an extreme challenge. I'd do the less challenging rock trails, but not the damaging avoiding challenges.

I live in Midwest, and take it off road in Ag environments. Crossing fields, cattle pastures, water ways, and such, grass, mud, gravel. That can be done with a Super Duty truck, but I can transverse the ground 3-4x faster in a BRaptor than a Super Duty with a $10K Carli suspension system. That said, 85% of the BRaptor's use is hard surface roads... enjoy the smooth over suspension ride.

I do look forward to vacation, back to Moab. Haven't been there since Jeep days... Never in a Bronco. I see YouTubes of people playing in sand dunes... I would love to experience this, looks like a blast.

 

[HalfmuleFarmer]

I love this pic and have it saved!

 

[T800]

That's why you get a dirt bike or a Polaris. I can't even imagine destroying a new vehicle!

I have a friend that bought a Bronco OBX a few months ago. He organized a wheeling trip that was scheduled for 2 days after I got mine. She shares your opinion lol.

When I mentioned going with them, she pretty much chewed me out about 'breaking it' during the first week of ownership. It was a super easy run, but I passed just to keep her happy.

That's the extent of plans I have for the Bronco, at least for the first few years. It will go offroad, but not hard black diamond trails.

 

[Big Boss]

I avoid rocks but voted get it dirty. Wasn't paying attention to that part just saw get it dirty haha.

I don't get it off road as much as I would like to, two kids in youth sports pretty much takes up most of my free time especially when the nearest place for me to get it dirty legally is about a 3 hour ride one way

 

[Gage]

We've been on the Sonoran Desert a couple of years ago and probably will go again. What we need a Bronco for is our half mile crushed rock driveway through some deep woods. In the Winter the snow gets pretty deep and until I get it plowed we need four wheel drive and high clearance to get in and out in an emergency.

Just unpaved road for me. And the beaches.

 

[MNBigfoot]

Looks like only 7% stick to the pavement. Perhaps that is overinflated do to a poorly worded poll.

 

[HalfmuleFarmer]

Looks like only 7% stick to the pavement. Perhaps that is overinflated do to a poorly worded poll.

Maybe. What’s interesting to me (and the point of making this thread) is to demonstrate how different the B6G community likely is from the broader Bronco buying population. Pretty much the inverse with 85-90% here taking it off the road in one form or another.

 

[vrtical]

…On our wheeling trips I try to wash ours after each day of wheeling.

Just find a creek bed to drive in except if you have portals.

 

[ThunderFlash]

I suspect SXS, either rentals or friends toys, have exposed a lot of people to off road activities. I see a lot of those things out on trails. One time off roading my Bronco a guy in a SXS passing the opposite direction on the trail stopped and said, "That's a pretty nice vehicle to have out here." Which I think was his subtle way of saying, "YOU are an idiot."

Well for many, off roading a Bronco can make a lot more sense and be more practical than a SXS. These SXS easily exceed $20K MSRP, and high end SXS are $50K or more....not to mention aftermarket add-on stuff....as Bronco owners are well aware! Then you need a trailer...and a place to keep the SXS and the trailer. Many home owner associations are NOT going to dig on your prized SXS sitting outside...and it may not fit in the garage sitting on the trailer. The SXS are surprisingly substantial machines and you can't pull it with a Prius commuter, so you will probably add some form of tow vehicle if you ain't got one. Or you could put one of those massive carry racks on your full sized pickup truck making it useless for any other practical purpose. And in most urban or suburban places (not all), you aren't driving the SXS down to the store to grab milk. Around here, federal and state forest service roads that link up a lot of the trails require licensed, street legal vehicles on designated roads....even though many SXS users push those limits.

Watching Matt's Off-Road Recovery, it seems A LOT of people fold up their SXS in some way. Turns out they are NOT indistructable. I suspect the cost of fixing a folded up front suspension on a SXS is NOT super cheap...like 1/10th the cost of a equivalent repair on a Bronco (body and paint damage aside). I also would not be surprised (I don't KNOW this) if service and parts are more readily available for a Bronco, both new new and used.

Is a stock Bronco as capable as a totally built top end SXS, no. But the people that truly utilize a Bronco to it's full potential are a much, much, much smaller percentage than even those those that take them off pavement. I suspect many of those SXS have never exercised the top AND bottom 25% of their suspension travel, either. And IMHO a Bronco is far more fun and classy than a SXS.

I bought my '22 HOSS 2.0 WT used w/12K miles for $46K in July of '24 and I drive it for everything and every where and at every opportunity I can. The moral of this rambling is go purchase a Bronco, get out there in them public lands you pay for, and wheel the snot out of that thing....responsibly of course and if you're so inclined. You'll be glad you did! If you don't, oh well....at least you could if you change your mind as you commute or run to the store.

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