Power actuated door handles....

[MDPensfan]

I just test drove a Gladiator Rubicon while the Bronco was fresh in my mind.


Jeep is so f*cked. It’s not even a competition. The Jeep cost more than my Bronco on order and rode worse in every way.

For those people driving down the road caressing their dash, the Jeep was a little more solid feeling.

Funny you say that. I’m one of the few that was cross shopping this with a Gladiator instead of a Wrangler. I test drove a Badlands with the High package and found the interior and ride to be pretty good.

I wanted to test drive the Gladiator today while the Bronco drive was still fresh in my mind, paying specific attention to interior fit and finish and performance, but the weather was too crappy and I was too lazy. How would you compare the Gladiator to the Bronco, especially the 3.6 vs 2.7 if you tested one of those?

Sponsored

 

[Tricky Dick]

I'd not buy a car where there's anything I don't like (which is why I don't own a Wrangler) just to go and spend more money on fixing those issues.

Until the Bronco came along there was nothing out there for me that fit this description, so I had no choice but to get the closest match and switch out things I didn't like. I fully get why people are doing it.

 

[rugbysecondrow]

I assume, but don't 100% know, that many of these decisions (window, Interior decisions etc) relate to the removable doors, greater access to weather and elements, durability etc.

I like the Bronco, and the model I chose, so that's all I care about. I hope other people are happy with their purchase, but more from a "retained value" perspective rather than altruism.

I am glad people are reporting and talking to Ford about these quirks so fixes can be developed.

 

[GiveItaTri]

Months ago I started hearing the concerns about the plastic dashboard. That made me look more closely at my 2005 F150. All plastic and it hasn’t bothered me enough to even notice it. I’ll be just fine with my 2022 plastic dashboard Bronco.

 

[Theherofails]

Funny you say that. I’m one of the few that was cross shopping this with a Gladiator instead of a Wrangler. I test drove a Badlands with the High package and found the interior and ride to be pretty good.

I wanted to test drive the Gladiator today while the Bronco drive was still fresh in my mind, paying specific attention to interior fit and finish and performance, but the weather was too crappy and I was too lazy. How would you compare the Gladiator to the Bronco, especially the 3.6 vs 2.7 if you tested one of those?

Quick recap:
Engine: 2.7 was QUICK. Very impressive. Much faster than my Ranger with the 2.3L. The Gladiator was the V6 Pentastar (?) and drove like it had a boat anchor dragging. Not sure why.. On paper, its not a bad engine. Both were auto and I really enjoy the Ford 10 speed, and it shifted flawlessly for the time I had it.

Interior: Jeep felt a little more solid, but not in any meaningful fashion. The Bronco made zero noise from the plastics and they felt great with the casual touch. Identical to the interior of my Ranger. Jeep is SO flashy with the red dash. Not a fan. The Jeep feels like you're about the eat the steering wheel for lunch. Its SO close to your upper torso. Hero switches are in a way better spot compared to Jeep. My wife found the Jeep controls confusing.

Exterior: The Wildtrak was STUNNING in person. Very large. The Jeep Gladiator really need 35s but you already know that.

Drive quality: The Bronco drives better than my Ranger Lariat Tremor on road, which really shocked me. I was expecting a slightly worse drive quality but no - its much better. The Tremor has a 2.0 Fox setup, so its no slouch. The turning radius felt WAY tighter on the Bronco. It feels like a go-kart or a big Razr. Nimble. The Jeep rides like a Jeep. Not terrible by any means but you feel every bump in the road through the steering wheel and it drifts a bit at speed. Smooth ride, but not on the same level as the Bronco.

Road Noise: Bronco was plenty quiet with the soft top but I did hear a bit of wind. No whistles. We hit about 90MPH at max speed and it was far quieter than the soft top that came with my 2004 Wrangler Rubicon. Jeeps hard top game is on point though. It was flawless and well designed. Ford has a ways to go here.

My 4 door Badlands build is $59K, and this Gladiator had an MSRP of $59K before a $5K admin markup. I guess the markup on the 4xe is even higher so kiss that tax credit goodbye. I would buy the Bronco 10 out of 10 times after having just driven both.

I took my wife because I am biased. Huge Bronco fan, so take all this with a grain of salt. With that said, she was VERY impressed and decided to off-road The Bronco in the Land Rover parking lot next door to the Ford dealership. I wonder what they thought when a Bronco flew by at 60mph, hitting every speedbump and rounded curb on the way.


TL;DR - The Bronco gets better the faster you drive it. Complete opposite in the Jeep.


Sorry OP for hijacking your thread!

One warning - The fold down tail gate tray that is sold as an option is NOISY. I would not go that route. Far too noisy for a daily driver. The rattle was something fierce. The rest of the vehicle was whisper quiet.

 

[rdass623]

Quick recap:
Engine: 2.7 was QUICK. Very impressive. Much faster than my Ranger with the 2.3L. The Gladiator was the V6 Pentastar (?) and drove like it had a boat anchor dragging. Not sure why.. On paper, its not a bad engine. Both were auto and I really enjoy the Ford 10 speed, and it shifted flawlessly for the time I had it.

Interior: Jeep felt a little more solid, but not in any meaningful fashion. The Bronco made zero noise from the plastics and they felt great with the casual touch. Identical to the interior of my Ranger. Jeep is SO flashy with the red dash. Not a fan. The Jeep feels like you're about the eat the steering wheel for lunch. Its SO close to your upper torso. Hero switches are in a way better spot compared to Jeep. My wife found the Jeep controls confusing.

Exterior: The Wildtrak was STUNNING in person. Very large. The Jeep Gladiator really need 35s but you already know that.

Drive quality: The Bronco drives better than my Ranger Lariat Tremor on road, which really shocked me. I was expecting a slightly worse drive quality but no - its much better. The Tremor has a 2.0 Fox setup, so its no slouch. The turning radius felt WAY tighter on the Bronco. It feels like a go-kart or a big Razr. Nimble. The Jeep rides like a Jeep. Not terrible by any means but you feel every bump in the road through the steering wheel and it drifts a bit at speed. Smooth ride, but not on the same level as the Bronco.

Road Noise: Bronco was plenty quiet with the soft top but I did hear a bit of wind. No whistles. We hit about 90MPH at max speed and it was far quieter than the soft top that came with my 2004 Wrangler Rubicon. Jeeps hard top game is on point though. It was flawless and well designed. Ford has a ways to go here.

My 4 door Badlands build is $59K, and this Gladiator had an MSRP of $59K before a $5K admin markup. I guess the markup on the 4xe is even higher so kiss that tax credit goodbye. I would buy the Bronco 10 out of 10 times after having just driven both.

I took my wife because I am biased. Huge Bronco fan, so take all this with a grain of salt. With that said, she was VERY impressed and decided to off-road The Bronco in the Land Rover parking lot next door to the Ford dealership. I wonder what they thought when a Bronco flew by at 60mph, hitting every speedbump and rounded curb on the way.


TL;DR - The Bronco gets better the faster you drive it. Complete opposite in the Jeep.


Sorry OP for hijacking your thread!

One warning - The fold down tail gate tray that is sold as an option is NOISY. I would not go that route. Far too noisy for a daily driver. The rattle was something fierce. The rest of the vehicle was whisper quiet.

bet you pissed off a few with your review... which dashboard felt better at 90 mph? really at 90 mph any dashboard feels great unless your face is hitting it... isn't that why they are plastic now rather than steel?

 

[Bronkers]

I’m not sure what people are expecting as far as the interior quality. I JUST test drove a Wildtrak and have been in an outer banks and black diamond.. the interior looks very nice and feels quality to me. It fits the vehicle. Is it plastic? Yes. Do some people just drive down the road rubbing their dash or something?

I drove to the dealership in my brand new, extremely fully loaded Audi Q7 Prestige and was plenty happy with the quality in the Bronco. I mention the car to show that I’m used to luxury and the Bronco did not offend in any fashion.

Yes. The ad naseum disdain for the feel of the dash and general 'lots of plastic' comments seem so terribly uninformed, to me. Even for a WT or FE; it's a BRONCO

Surrounding cockpit in 99% of cars today you might get some paper thin real aluminum accents, or a swatch or two of leather in a few places, but by and large that 'carbon fiber/burlwood/zebrano/whatever-sounded-exotic-to-you' that you read about in the sales brochure of your, say 2005 or newer ride, is PLASTIC.

Sorry.

We could stuff the dash tho and make the 5,000lb truck even heavier for you, because weight = quality, right?

 

[BroncoJay]

I test drove a 4 door WT and felt the interior was great. I’m coming from a Tacoma where the Toyota doesn’t upgrade shit in their interiors for years at a time, but what do I know I drive with one hand out the window and the other on the steering wheel. I guess I need a 3rd hand to touch and feel the plastic dash....

Sponsored