Thoughts about my Bronco from a Jeep guy!

[swooshdave]

I'm certainly not that tall but no way would I put up with the ergonomics (if you could call it that) of the Jeep or even the Toyota.

Sponsored

 

[Imaginary Friend]

The above pictured "jeep." which was the Ford prototype was not the "original" jeep. The original Government contract calling for a, "Truck, 1/4-Ton, Light Reconnaissance," was issued in June of 1940. The contract had a strict 49 day prototype deadline. The only company to respond to the call for this prototype was American Bantam Company out of Butler, PA. American Bantam succeded in producing the first prototype and delivered it to Camp Holabird, MD as required on September 23, 1940.

The Government liked this prototype but realized that American Bantam was not a large enough company to deliver this vehicle in any amouth near what would be needed. Because of this inability, the Government claimed legal ownership of the prototype, specs, and blueprints and supplied them to both Willys and Ford. They both then submitted their own prototypes for evalutation.

In July of 1941, the Government awarded Willys the primary contract to produce the Willys MB. However, when it became clear how large the total production would become, Ford was awarded a contract in January 1942 to build exact, interchangeable copies of the Willys design. The Ford version was called the GPW.

Total production of standardized jeeps during WWII was 359,459 units for Willys as the MB and 277,896 for the Ford GPW. American Bantam was given a contract to build the Bantam T3 1/4 Ton Cargo trailer and failed financially in the post war years.

Interestingly, Willys applied to trademark the name, "JEEP" on Feb 13, 1943. American Bantam contested the trademark and in 1948, the FTC ruled the Willys could not claim to be the "sole creator" of the Jeep. In June of 1950, Willys secured the official trademark registration for the name "JEEP."

In the Jeep world today, WWII era jeep vehicles are generally refered to as "jeeps" with an un capitalized j. Civilian Jeeps produced following the war are generally refered to as Jeeps with a capital J.

Probably more than you wanted to know.....

Correct! Many think the military Jeep was a Ford creation, when that's not the case.

On topic, for my intended uses, the Bronco is the better pick. I like the way they are on the road, much less of an event to drive. But I personally prefer the smaller size of the 2-door Jeep over the Bronco. I'm 6'-1" and built like a linebacker, but I don't really find my JL cramped in any way. With the back seat out (as it's been since Day 1), it'll haul everything I need for a week up north fishing. And once I get there I can park it in a tight spot.

Assuming Ford doesn't botch everything and drop the 2-door by 2028 (my Jeep's out of warranty then) or price it any more ridiculously, I'm sure I'll end up with one. I've really enjoyed all my Jeeps though.

 

[timhood]

Overall Size: The wheelbase is I think 4" longer than a 2 dr Jeep so that might be an issue for some but for me at this point in my life, it gives me more interior room and a better driving experience, so it's a win. However, every true Jeep owner "knows" that Broncos are wider than Jeeps and will have trouble in the woods or rocks when traversing tight trails. As a Jeep owner I knew that. However as a Bronco owner I did some research and found some interesting information. A base Bronco is about 1.5" wider than a base JL. These numbers are from my memory no they may be off a little..... But it gets really interesting when you compre like to like models such and a Rubicon to a Badlands. Overall width of the JL Rubion vs a Badlands Bronco is very close. The Bronco is .5" wider than the Rubicon. Also, when comparing the Sasquatch to the 35" tire package on the JL, the difference is about .5". So in reality, overall width is very nearyl the same. I think the Jeep looks more narrow because the of the way the body narrows over the front wheels and it has the large plastic fender extensions.

This is where Jeep people get messed up. The Bronco isn't substantially wider overall. Extremely rare is the occasion where you are going to take a Jeep with only two inches of room between your vehicle and whatever it might brush up against that matters (like a rock wall). And if brush is that close, it's doubtful a Jeep driver is going to drive so slow as to avoid hitting it. And of course, this doesn't even count that trails are never traversed in exactly the same path by every vehicle, nor that wider vehicles than Broncos may take those trails. In real life, I've never encountered a scenario where the Bronco's width mattered compared to a Jeep--on the trail.

But the interior? Much bigger difference. The Jeep has those wide fender flares, so the interior width is substantially less wide. The Bronco wins with much more usable interior width without being that much wider on the outside.

That said, a lot of your points are well made. I think from what other Jeep owners have said, interior road noise is about the same between the two. I will say that I don't have any of the issues with the 10-speed that you are having, but I have the V6. It may be worth forcing the transmission to re-learn your driving style to see if that helps.

 

[UncleBrad]

A bit about me.....I wanted a Jeep from the time I was in high school and fianlly bought my first in my early 30s. Since then I've owned 18 more from CJs, YJs, TJs, JKs, and 2 JLs. I really love driving them, I believe they are one of the most significant historic vehicles from the 20th century and in short I am and was a fan. When the Bronco was first announced and then appeared on the ground I was not impressed. It was too large and it had (gasp!) IFS. And as all good Jeep fans know IFS just isn't strong enough/doesn't articulate enough to be any good on a real 4wd vehicle. I did not even give one a second thought.....

However, after some of the initial hysteria wore off and the dealership pricing came back down to normal markup levels, one of my Jeep buddies and myself went to the local Ford dealership, in my Jeep, and test drove a 2 dr, Sasquatch, auto, with a 2.3. I will say that we were surprised at the comfort and performance, on road, of the Bronco. However, it did have the IFS issue and it just didn't fit what we thought a tough 4wd truck should be. But the seed was sown for me.

I am 6' 8" tall so Jeeps have always been a bit iffy for my to fit into comfortablly. Time has not be good to my body and today I suffer from back, neck, and knee issues to the point about the only thing that I am comfortable in is a full sized pickup. I just can't function in any Jeep like I used to...and I have tried. Kevin, my Jeep buddy, and I were having lunch on day and he stated that at this point in my life, I should put comfort ahead ahead of anything else when selecting a vehicle. The issue was that I was looking for something to use to spend time in the mountains and get out and enjoy the outdoors....no longer looking to bounce off of rocks and trees. Of all people, he said if a Bronco might work I should consider one or buy and older full size pickup. Some good advice and I took it....I bought a 2018 Ram 1500 and I hated it after I bought it.

Long winded story but that's what led to Monday morning 3 weeks ago when I discovered Ford was offering 0% financing on 2026 Broncos. My wife and I jumped into the Ram pickup and drove to Pasco WA and a few hours later returned home in our new 2026, 2 dr, base, Sasquatch, auto, 2.3l Bronco. So what changed and made me decide on a Broco? Comfort was the driving force that pushed me here. The Bronco is for me very comfortable for a Jeep sized vehicle. But it has been an interesting mental journey for me as every time I drive it, I mentally compare it to a Jeep.

So what does this Jeep guy think about a Bronco after 3 weeks of ownership? I believe it was the best choice I could have made at this point in my life. I have spent time on FS roads in the mountain, on trails twice so far, on gravel county roads, and on the highway. And it has performed as good or better than I could have imagined.

Highway driving: The Bronco is clearly superior to the Jeep on the highway. It is smooth, it holds the road with the 35 inch tires as good as most anything I have driven in the last few years. It has none of the dead feeling in the center of steering wheel travel that the new Jeeps have. You do not have to constatly make small corrections to keep it straight as a JL requires. It is better.

Interior comfort: In the JL, I am tall enough the my head becomes roll over protection for the roll bar. That is not good. The only JL that I could drive were soft top ones. I like soft tops, so that was not an issue but being taller than the roll over protection was. Seating position and room are in two different leagues. The JL just is too small for me and couses me pain. Jeep never had a dead pedal, and the one in the Bronco contributes to a much more comfortable driving experience. I can drive this for a couple of hours and be pain free.

Interior fit and finish: I still like the interiors in the Jeeps. I think the interior design looks better and the materials used seem to appeal to me more. But that is personal opinion and is up to each person's own taste.

Sound system: No comparison, the Bronco wins hands down. i have the base system in mine and it is better than any of the more premium factory systems I have had in my Jeeps.

Interior noise: This one is a toss up. This Bronco is noisy and it seems to be as noisy and my JL soft tops were. Jeep did a good job on the JL with the soft tops in the noise department, but the were still noisy. This Bronco seems to be as noisy as they were but that again is my impression.

Drive train: This is where I think the Bronco struggles a bit. When we first came home with the new Bronco, I described the engine and transmission to my Jeep buddy as "remarkably unrefined." My comparisons being the 3.6l and 2.0l in the Jeep with both a manual and an auto. The 3.6l in the Jeep has a long history and is at this point a very refined package with the manual or the 8 speed. The 2.0l turbo has a much shorter history but seems to work well with the 8 speed. I think one of the good decisions Jeep made was to buy the 8 speed from ZF rather than trying to develope one themselves. That 8 speed us used in millions of vehicles arouind the world and is very well sorted. The 2.3l/10 speed in the Bronco is not smooth in 1st and 2nd gear. It has a bit of a rough shift and also hesitates when lightly accellerating in the 2 lower gears. It does not exhibit this when on the throttle hard, nor does it do this in the higher gears..just 1st and 2nd. When in eco mode it does not do this however and that makes me wonder if it might be throttle mapping and the way i am accellerating rather than the truck itself. The other thing I have noticed is that the engine and transmission seem to be learning as we put miles of and this issue is much reduced over brand new now. So we'll see. It's not enought of an issue to even bring up to the dealer so my hope is it corrects itself.

Overall Size: The wheelbase is I think 4" longer than a 2 dr Jeep so that might be an issue for some but for me at this point in my life, it gives me more interior room and a better driving experience, so it's a win. However, every true Jeep owner "knows" that Broncos are wider than Jeeps and will have trouble in the woods or rocks when traversing tight trails. As a Jeep owner I knew that. However as a Bronco owner I did some research and found some interesting information. A base Bronco is about 1.5" wider than a base JL. These numbers are from my memory no they may be off a little..... But it gets really interesting when you compre like to like models such and a Rubicon to a Badlands. Overall width of the JL Rubion vs a Badlands Bronco is very close. The Bronco is .5" wider than the Rubicon. Also, when comparing the Sasquatch to the 35" tire package on the JL, the difference is about .5". So in reality, overall width is very nearyl the same. I think the Jeep looks more narrow because the of the way the body narrows over the front wheels and it has the large plastic fender extensions.

Crap that's a buch of words.... In closing, I think the Bronco might be the perfect vehicle for my wants and needs at this piont in my life. I still believe the IFS is not as robust as a straight axle for hardcore off road stuff, but for 99% of us it works really well. It is clearly superior for highway driving. This Bronco should last me until the inevitable end of my "offroading" adventures and will take me anywhere I care to go.

I apologize in advance for any spelling issues....I'm not going to proofread this!!

As an older tall guy, I agree with your qualified assessment!

 

[GoHawks63]

I always use premium fuel regardless. Lucky enough to have 93 here in NJ too. Maybe I'm just sensitive to the way my vehicles perform, but I have run about 5 tanks of regular through my Bronco. 2 intentionally, 1 that my wife filled up when she borrowed the Bronco one day and 2 that the idiot gas attendant put in the truck even though I asked for premium. Every single time the driveability difference was noticeable to me and my Bronco felt sluggish and very underwhelming.

Agreed, although I really don't have much of a choice with the CTS-V and Roush Mustang, both are supercharged and tuned to run on 93 ONLY.

With the Bronco, I paid for 330hp and I prefer that those horses are there at the ready when I want them.

 

[not on the rug]

Agreed, although I really don't have much of a choice with the CTS-V and Roush Mustang, both are supercharged and tuned to run on 93 ONLY.

With the Bronco, I paid for 330hp and I prefer that those horses are there at the ready when I want them.

Understandable. Most of the vehicles I've ever owned were built/tuned/and forced induction one way or another.

I definitely don't understand the guys who run regular or drive their Broncos in eco-mode. Even normal mode feels muted and the throttle response is so poor it almost feels dangerous how hard I have to smash the pedal just to pull out into traffic.

 

[dpAtlanta]

I definitely don't understand the guys who run regular or drive their Broncos in eco-mode. Even normal mode feels muted and the throttle response is so poor it almost feels dangerous how hard I have to smash the pedal just to pull out into traffic.

This guy gets it....!!!!!!!!!

 

[timhood]

Understandable. Most of the vehicles I've ever owned were built/tuned/and forced induction one way or another.

I definitely don't understand the guys who run regular or drive their Broncos in eco-mode. Even normal mode feels muted and the throttle response is so poor it almost feels dangerous how hard I have to smash the pedal just to pull out into traffic.

Is yours the 4-cylinder? I can tell you that a 2-door V6 does not feel that way. If I mash the accelerator, the tires will squeal.

That said, most people who have been raised on electronic throttles have a very skewed expectation of throttle response. Manufacturers have continually tuned throttle response to be more aggressive in response to drivers complaining. But the reality is that pressing 10% on the accelerator should deliver 10% of power, 50% power for 50% accelerator, etc. Reality is that 5% accelerator is about 40% power. People seem to only want to use 25% of the accelerator pedal's range to go from 0-100%.

 

[not on the rug]

Is yours the 4-cylinder? I can tell you that a 2-door V6 does not feel that way. If I mash the accelerator, the tires will squeal.

That said, most people who have been raised on electronic throttles have a very skewed expectation of throttle response. Manufacturers have continually tuned throttle response to be more aggressive in response to drivers complaining. But the reality is that pressing 10% on the accelerator should deliver 10% of power, 50% power for 50% accelerator, etc. Reality is that 5% accelerator is about 40% power. People seem to only want to use 25% of the accelerator pedal's range to go from 0-100%.

4 door Wildtrak, so the 2.7. I've driven a lot of cars and trucks, new and old. Normal mode feels utterly dead.

Why is it a skewed expectation for the throttle to feel alive? It's 2026. If I want an old truck feel I'd drive an old truck. It's a 70k vehicle with a fair amount of hp and tq for what it is. Why would anyone want it to feel sluggish and unresponsive?

 

[GoHawks63]

I have to admit that before today, in 19 months (13K miles) I have owned my ‘24 WildTrak 4 door, I have only used Sport mode at most maybe two or three times, and even then, just for short oranges.

So after the last few posts, I engaged Sport mode on my way home tonight for my 14 mile drive. I have to admit, night and day difference.

I don’t know why I hadn’t tried it more before. Maybe because I wasn’t really expecting much. I sidnt buy it with the expectation of speed or acceleration.

To be honest, it’s nothing like my other two cars, but Sport mode definitely wakes it up, and as was mentioned by someone else, it seems like it uses less boost.

 

[not on the rug]

I have to admit that before today, in 19 months (13K miles) I have owned my ‘24 WildTrak 4 door, I have only used Sport mode at most maybe two or three times, and even then, just for short oranges.

So after the last few posts, I engaged Sport mode on my way home tonight for my 14 mile drive. I have to admit, night and day difference.

I don’t know why I hadn’t tried it more before. Maybe because I wasn’t really expecting much. I sidnt buy it with the expectation of speed or acceleration.

To be honest, it’s nothing like my other two cars, but Sport mode definitely wakes it up, and as was mentioned by someone else, it seems like it uses less boost.

Nice. I always drive in sport mode, then tap it back into 2wd.

 

[RR25HB]

I have to admit that before today, in 19 months (13K miles) I have owned my ‘24 WildTrak 4 door, I have only used Sport mode at most maybe two or three times, and even then, just for short oranges.

So after the last few posts, I engaged Sport mode on my way home tonight for my 14 mile drive. I have to admit, night and day difference.

I don’t know why I hadn’t tried it more before. Maybe because I wasn’t really expecting much. I sidnt buy it with the expectation of speed or acceleration.

To be honest, it’s nothing like my other two cars, but Sport mode definitely wakes it up, and as was mentioned by someone else, it seems like it uses less boost.

The 2.7L is a nice engine, for a truck, but ... yeah ... even with twin gerbils, it's no match in thrill or performance for the naturally aspirated 5.5L Benz. Each has their purpose.

 

[timhood]

4 door Wildtrak, so the 2.7. I've driven a lot of cars and trucks, new and old. Normal mode feels utterly dead.

Why is it a skewed expectation for the throttle to feel alive? It's 2026. If I want an old truck feel I'd drive an old truck. It's a 70k vehicle with a fair amount of hp and tq for what it is. Why would anyone want it to feel sluggish and unresponsive?

A proper accelerator should deliver exactly the amount of power you request. 10% press = 10% power. 62% press = 62% power. That’s how you properly modulate driving. Otherwise, you have to have each vehicle train you on how it works, and you have to relearn each vehicle you are driving. It also means sometimes having difficulty with smooth starts when you barely touch the accelerator and it launches like frightened cheetah. Experienced drivers who have driver’s cars expect the accelerator to respond predictably, and predictably doesn’t mean learning its quirks.

 

[not on the rug]

What quirks? You guys are wildly overthinking this. The only cas I've ever driven with quirky gas pedal feel are old shit boxes.

And yes...you are supposed to learn how to drive each car...that's the beauty of it all. Otherwise every car would drive exactly the same. What would be the fun in that? My Bronco feels entirely different than my X5M, and every other car, truck and SUV I've ever driven or owned. That's the beauty of it. I don't want an escalade, a porshe 911 or a lifted truck on 37s to feel alike in any way shape or form. Why would you?

 

[AlienHunter]

A bit about me.....I wanted a Jeep from the time I was in high school and fianlly bought my first in my early 30s. Since then I've owned 18 more from CJs, YJs, TJs, JKs, and 2 JLs. I really love driving them, I believe they are one of the most significant historic vehicles from the 20th century and in short I am and was a fan. When the Bronco was first announced and then appeared on the ground I was not impressed. It was too large and it had (gasp!) IFS. And as all good Jeep fans know IFS just isn't strong enough/doesn't articulate enough to be any good on a real 4wd vehicle. I did not even give one a second thought.....

However, after some of the initial hysteria wore off and the dealership pricing came back down to normal markup levels, one of my Jeep buddies and myself went to the local Ford dealership, in my Jeep, and test drove a 2 dr, Sasquatch, auto, with a 2.3. I will say that we were surprised at the comfort and performance, on road, of the Bronco. However, it did have the IFS issue and it just didn't fit what we thought a tough 4wd truck should be. But the seed was sown for me.

I am 6' 8" tall so Jeeps have always been a bit iffy for my to fit into comfortablly. Time has not be good to my body and today I suffer from back, neck, and knee issues to the point about the only thing that I am comfortable in is a full sized pickup. I just can't function in any Jeep like I used to...and I have tried. Kevin, my Jeep buddy, and I were having lunch on day and he stated that at this point in my life, I should put comfort ahead ahead of anything else when selecting a vehicle. The issue was that I was looking for something to use to spend time in the mountains and get out and enjoy the outdoors....no longer looking to bounce off of rocks and trees. Of all people, he said if a Bronco might work I should consider one or buy and older full size pickup. Some good advice and I took it....I bought a 2018 Ram 1500 and I hated it after I bought it.

Long winded story but that's what led to Monday morning 3 weeks ago when I discovered Ford was offering 0% financing on 2026 Broncos. My wife and I jumped into the Ram pickup and drove to Pasco WA and a few hours later returned home in our new 2026, 2 dr, base, Sasquatch, auto, 2.3l Bronco. So what changed and made me decide on a Broco? Comfort was the driving force that pushed me here. The Bronco is for me very comfortable for a Jeep sized vehicle. But it has been an interesting mental journey for me as every time I drive it, I mentally compare it to a Jeep.

So what does this Jeep guy think about a Bronco after 3 weeks of ownership? I believe it was the best choice I could have made at this point in my life. I have spent time on FS roads in the mountain, on trails twice so far, on gravel county roads, and on the highway. And it has performed as good or better than I could have imagined.

Highway driving: The Bronco is clearly superior to the Jeep on the highway. It is smooth, it holds the road with the 35 inch tires as good as most anything I have driven in the last few years. It has none of the dead feeling in the center of steering wheel travel that the new Jeeps have. You do not have to constatly make small corrections to keep it straight as a JL requires. It is better.

Interior comfort: In the JL, I am tall enough the my head becomes roll over protection for the roll bar. That is not good. The only JL that I could drive were soft top ones. I like soft tops, so that was not an issue but being taller than the roll over protection was. Seating position and room are in two different leagues. The JL just is too small for me and couses me pain. Jeep never had a dead pedal, and the one in the Bronco contributes to a much more comfortable driving experience. I can drive this for a couple of hours and be pain free.

Interior fit and finish: I still like the interiors in the Jeeps. I think the interior design looks better and the materials used seem to appeal to me more. But that is personal opinion and is up to each person's own taste.

Sound system: No comparison, the Bronco wins hands down. i have the base system in mine and it is better than any of the more premium factory systems I have had in my Jeeps.

Interior noise: This one is a toss up. This Bronco is noisy and it seems to be as noisy and my JL soft tops were. Jeep did a good job on the JL with the soft tops in the noise department, but the were still noisy. This Bronco seems to be as noisy as they were but that again is my impression.

Drive train: This is where I think the Bronco struggles a bit. When we first came home with the new Bronco, I described the engine and transmission to my Jeep buddy as "remarkably unrefined." My comparisons being the 3.6l and 2.0l in the Jeep with both a manual and an auto. The 3.6l in the Jeep has a long history and is at this point a very refined package with the manual or the 8 speed. The 2.0l turbo has a much shorter history but seems to work well with the 8 speed. I think one of the good decisions Jeep made was to buy the 8 speed from ZF rather than trying to develope one themselves. That 8 speed us used in millions of vehicles arouind the world and is very well sorted. The 2.3l/10 speed in the Bronco is not smooth in 1st and 2nd gear. It has a bit of a rough shift and also hesitates when lightly accellerating in the 2 lower gears. It does not exhibit this when on the throttle hard, nor does it do this in the higher gears..just 1st and 2nd. When in eco mode it does not do this however and that makes me wonder if it might be throttle mapping and the way i am accellerating rather than the truck itself. The other thing I have noticed is that the engine and transmission seem to be learning as we put miles of and this issue is much reduced over brand new now. So we'll see. It's not enought of an issue to even bring up to the dealer so my hope is it corrects itself.

Overall Size: The wheelbase is I think 4" longer than a 2 dr Jeep so that might be an issue for some but for me at this point in my life, it gives me more interior room and a better driving experience, so it's a win. However, every true Jeep owner "knows" that Broncos are wider than Jeeps and will have trouble in the woods or rocks when traversing tight trails. As a Jeep owner I knew that. However as a Bronco owner I did some research and found some interesting information. A base Bronco is about 1.5" wider than a base JL. These numbers are from my memory no they may be off a little..... But it gets really interesting when you compre like to like models such and a Rubicon to a Badlands. Overall width of the JL Rubion vs a Badlands Bronco is very close. The Bronco is .5" wider than the Rubicon. Also, when comparing the Sasquatch to the 35" tire package on the JL, the difference is about .5". So in reality, overall width is very nearyl the same. I think the Jeep looks more narrow because the of the way the body narrows over the front wheels and it has the large plastic fender extensions.

Crap that's a buch of words.... In closing, I think the Bronco might be the perfect vehicle for my wants and needs at this piont in my life. I still believe the IFS is not as robust as a straight axle for hardcore off road stuff, but for 99% of us it works really well. It is clearly superior for highway driving. This Bronco should last me until the inevitable end of my "offroading" adventures and will take me anywhere I care to go.

I apologize in advance for any spelling issues....I'm not going to proofread this!!

This journey of yours was an interesting before bed read. I’ve been a die hard Ford fan all my life. My father traded his 1948 Ford sedan in for a 1955 Chevrolet. By 1958 he went back to Fords and they have graced our driveways ever since. When I was a young man l wanted a Bronco, but couldn’t afford one. Fast forward I now have a 2025 OBX Sasquatch “hanger queen” in my garage. It doesn’t get driven much, but when I do take it out for a spin I enjoy every minute behind the wheel. I didn’t buy it to rock climb or mud bog. I’ve never owned a Jeep and cannot give my opinion on one, except where I live in suburban Maryland, I see a whole lot of people driving Jeeps. I’ve probably seen every make, model, and color. They are very popular in my area with the exception of of the “Tesla” owners.
That being said, the noise doesn’t bother me because my hearing is shot from spending 26 years in the military.
Good luck on your new purchase!

Sponsored