2025 Broncos... 2-door going extinct?

[Lowcountry Bronco]

Growing up in the '70s and '80s, all my folks had were 2-door vehicles. We survived just fine. Pretty sure Dad just couldn't be seen in anything but a 2-door.

Thus, it was almost hilarious around 2000 when they bought a Ford Windstar minivan because it was almost more useful and utilitarian than the F150 they had at the time.

Exactly! I posted awhile back this same sentiment. In the 80's, if you had a 4 door in HS you got made fun of that it was your mom's car. I know it's not PC to tag gender rolls but back then the moms had the 4 door wagons and then minivans (when they came out) and the dads and kids drove whatever 2 door floated their boat.

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[JBlanco]

The same could be said about the MT vs AT take rate.

4D and AT is going to dominate because that what the kids are comfortable driving. It's an Automotive Safe Space in 3 or 4 Shades of Gray

Same thing with the dang Ranger.

Crew Cab Only

No Standard Cab or Supercrew for North America in the near future

This is what you get when you raise your kids on low expectations, emotion feels, participation trophies and allowing their imaginations to be fed too much VR and not enough real life adventures because we were too occupied with work.

We, the Boomers and Gen-X, screwed up the Millennials and this is the Hell that we earned for ourselves.

I don't know about that, at one point I had three vehicles, all 2 door, all with manual transmissions and two of them convertibles.
I never purchased a vehicle with a manual transmission because of how it made me feel (I've never understood the "better connection" or "more control" statements that manufacturers try to make us believe are real when pushing the manual over the other choices), I always had manuals (even paid extra for my GTO as the T56 was $700 more than the 4 speed auto, as an option to have it as a manual) because they were faster or more efficient but nowadays, manuals are simply neither, they are old, obsolete technology similar to incandescent lights, AM radios or CD players. The 6 speed manual on the Wrangler I replaced with the Bronco was too sloppy and never in the right gear.
Maybe the manufacturers are the ones to blame instead of the millennials we were supposed to teach how to drive, as they put out shitty manual transmissions that are sloppy and grind constantly to appease the few that still like to brag about being able to move a sifter around because it makes them feel special over the ones that don't' care for it, instead of benchmarking something like the Mazda Miata manual in the way it operates.

I've also learned to enjoy the auto only features like remote start which I use on an almost daily basis.

 

[userdude]

Exactly! I posted awhile back this same sentiment. In the 80's, if you had a 4 door in HS you got made fun of that it was your mom's car. I know it's not PC to tag gender rolls but back then the moms had the 4 door wagons and then minivans (when they came out) and the dads and kids drove whatever 2 door floated their boat.

Remember that commercial that was in a gym, all these guys working out, and someone comes over the intercom to say a minivan left their lights on or something? And everybody's like . I think there was definitely a sentiment that it wasn't cool to have too many doors (three was fine...).

The reason this has changed, AFAICT, is that car companies make more money on more doors, and buyers are willing to pay, whereas back then, I think people were a lot more cost conscious in general. Now the value add is required so the car companies want to lock in that premium by eliminating the cheaper models with fewer options so you don't have a choice (which are admittedly selling fewer as well).

 

[DaveInSA]

As passionate as everyone in this forum is about the 2-door, it is not what most people want. Look at the dealer lots. If you want a 2-door, there are hundreds to choose from. If they have 4-doors on the lot, they are usually soft tops or a Raptor. I love the 2-door look, but I’m driving a 4-dr Heritage. If demand keeps dropping, don’t be surprised that the 2-door is discontinued in the future.

I absolutely loved my 2 door. But.. Despite what people will scream on here, it didn't have enough space to be an only vehicle. (Well, my other vehicle is a 2 door/2 seater convertible, so..)
The 4 door is definitely more usable.. But I still miss the 2 door manual Except when in stop and go traffic. Then I'm grateful for auto, and wish I had adaptive cruise

 

[DaveInSA]

I don't know about that, at one point I had three vehicles, all 2 door, all with manual transmissions and two of them convertibles.
I never purchased a vehicle with a manual transmission because of how it made me feel (I've never understood the "better connection" or "more control" statements that manufacturers try to make us believe are real when pushing the manual over the other choices), I always had manuals (even paid extra for my GTO as the T56 was $700 more than the 4 speed auto, as an option to have it as a manual) because they were faster or more efficient but nowadays, manuals are simply neither, they are old, obsolete technology similar to incandescent lights, AM radios or CD players. The 6 speed manual on the Wrangler I replaced with the Bronco was too sloppy and never in the right gear.
Maybe the manufacturers are the ones to blame instead of the millennials we were supposed to teach how to drive, as they put out shitty manual transmissions that are sloppy and grind constantly to appease the few that still like to brag about being able to move a sifter around because it makes them feel special over the ones that don't' care for it, instead of benchmarking something like the Mazda Miata manual in the way it operates.

I've also learned to enjoy the auto only features like remote start which I use on an almost daily basis.

I was actually able to get better gas mileage with the manual, because it was possible to keep it from engaging the turbo and sucking up the gas. With the auto I don't have that control.
But, there's too many advantages to the auto for me now.

 

[DaveInSA]

Remember that commercial that was in a gym, all these guys working out, and someone comes over the intercom to say a minivan left their lights on or something? And everybody's like . I think there was definitely a sentiment that it wasn't cool to have too many doors (three was fine...).

The reason this has changed, AFAICT, is that car companies make more money on more doors, and buyers are willing to pay, whereas back then, I think people were a lot more cost conscious in general. Now the value add is required so the car companies want to lock in that premium by eliminating the cheaper models with fewer options so you don't have a choice (which are admittedly selling fewer as well).

I don't think it was the number of doors that was making the minivan "uncool"

 

[adam1991]

Everyone, including Ford, knew they wouldn't sell like the 4-doors, but if we only drove what sold best, we'd all be in Corollas and Accords.

no. We'd all be driving momvan-SUVs.

Oh, wait--that's why it's so difficult to get a car nowadays. The automakers 20 years ago switched to building what sells best, and that's the momvan-SUVS and CUVs.

And in a world where leasing rules, people choose whatever's on the lot and move on. The dealers buy what sells, and don't care why itsells. So, we have devolved into car lots full of white/black/gray momvan-SUV/CUV thingies, all in somewhat base trims.

Even my GTI, in 2016 they stopped building 2 door models for the US market--it's 4 door only. And what I want is a 2 door. Not gonna happen. And let's not even start on pickup trucks.

Dude, I've been railing about this concept for years. Oh, look, the rest of the world decided to do something stupid and now that limits my buying choices! Join the fscking club. I'll buy you your first drink.

And look to my GTI example for what to expect from Ford on the Bronco. Have another drink.

 

[adam1991]

I was actually able to get better gas mileage with the manual, because it was possible to keep it from engaging the turbo and sucking up the gas. With the auto I don't have that control.

Sure you do. Put it into manual mode and shift it yourself.

 

[adam1991]

I don't think it was the number of doors that was making the minivan "uncool"

We live in a clown world where 30-something women will stand there next to their "SUV" and declare that "I'll never have a minivan, they just scream 'MOM'!" while kids pour out of that SUV like a clown car at the elementary school, next to all the other white "SUVs" in the lot...

(Source: a TV news bit here locally many years ago. The insanity of it just burned into my brain.)

 

[Seatmandan]

wrongfully assumed, you mean.

ASS-U-ME what you like--there's much more involved in the process from start to finish. It may very well be that in the end, it's cheaper to build the 4 doors. That wouldn't surprise me in the least if someone in the know told me that.

it is 100% definitely less expensive to produce the 2-door. The vehicle has less parts, brackets, fasteners, takes less paint to cover it, as well as less material. Business 101 in automotive engineering.

The question comes down to "less/more profitable". sales volumes drive this equation, since the unique tooling for the various, un-common parts with the 4-door need to be paid for with volume.

But..... the actual "cost to produce", I would say the 2-door is less costly.

 

[Imaginary Friend]

I don't know about that, at one point I had three vehicles, all 2 door, all with manual transmissions and two of them convertibles.
I never purchased a vehicle with a manual transmission because of how it made me feel (I've never understood the "better connection" or "more control" statements that manufacturers try to make us believe are real when pushing the manual over the other choices), I always had manuals (even paid extra for my GTO as the T56 was $700 more than the 4 speed auto, as an option to have it as a manual) because they were faster or more efficient but nowadays, manuals are simply neither, they are old, obsolete technology similar to incandescent lights, AM radios or CD players. The 6 speed manual on the Wrangler I replaced with the Bronco was too sloppy and never in the right gear.
Maybe the manufacturers are the ones to blame instead of the millennials we were supposed to teach how to drive, as they put out shitty manual transmissions that are sloppy and grind constantly to appease the few that still like to brag about being able to move a sifter around because it makes them feel special over the ones that don't' care for it, instead of benchmarking something like the Mazda Miata manual in the way it operates.

I've also learned to enjoy the auto only features like remote start which I use on an almost daily basis.

My first JK had a manual and it was the primary reason I got rid of the vehicle, even though I loved it otherwise. What a POS of a manual transmission. My second JK had the auto.

We live in a clown world where 30-something women will stand there next to their "SUV" and declare that "I'll never have a minivan, they just scream 'MOM'!" while kids pour out of that SUV like a clown car at the elementary school, next to all the other white "SUVs" in the lot...

(Source: a TV news bit here locally many years ago. The insanity of it just burned into my brain.)

I remember being at a gathering at a friend's a while back, where a young mom was bragging about her then-new 4th-gen Nissan Pathfinder, "I'm ready to go off-roading now!" I just chuckled to myself about her enjoying her new minivan.

 

[Lowcountry Bronco]

I don't think it was the number of doors that was making the minivan "uncool"

There were a few cool minivans ...

 

[mpeugeot]

By the logic some have been using, if you want a BaseSquatch and it's not the top seller, all that missing electro junk is gonna cost you. Just sayin'.

You mean things like tinted windows, full under body bash plates, rock rails, metal bumpers, weather resistant seats, and washout floors.

That completely ignores the little comfort items like a heated steering wheel, heated seats, and dual zone AC.

I understand the Bronco purist who wants the least electronics possible, but things like the GOAT modes are built into all the Broncos. You actually can't get away from the electronics that are potentially going to stop the fun. All of the other stuff in the mid and lux packages are unlikely to take out the Bronco on the trail.

Of course, you don't have to worry about the sway bar disconnect failing in a Base Sasquatch, but that's perhaps the only significant difference. You get an awful lot for what essentially is less than $100 difference between monthly payments on the two vehicles.

 

[TheShark]

I absolutely loved my 2 door. But.. Despite what people will scream on here, it didn't have enough space to be an only vehicle. (Well, my other vehicle is a 2 door/2 seater convertible, so..)
The 4 door is definitely more usable..

Totally with you on this, my '21 BL was a 2dr, loved it and it just looks better, more of a classic Bronco but ended up with a 4dr on the '23 WT because it's just more usable plus it's nice to have a power seat again.

 

[DarthLincoln]

There were a few cool minivans ...

IMHO Here’s the first and last cool minivan

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