Test Drive Causing Me to Re-evaluate

[Mattwings]

Out of curiosity, how many of the off-roadeo Bronco’s were stock Black Diamond trim level or below, with no Sasquatch?

Only a couple of Badlands are non SQ. It’s interesting, most of the attendees are interested in Badlands after driving a bit of everything here, due to the ride quality and overall improvement in off road performance with the stay bar disconnect. The trails are probably doable in a stock BD, but the underbelly would suffer a bit on the rocks. I would also imagine they want the bigger axles for durability spend 99% of their lives in low range with inexperienced drivers.

Sponsored

 

[Heelabaloo]

Ok, I respect opinions, but frankly, you didn’t test drive the Bronco in anything near it’s off road ability. Go to Off Roadeo. Use the tech, use the capability. It’s every bit as good as a daily driver as the 4 Runner and kicks the sh*t out of the TRD Pro off road, hands down. Only the newest Jeeps (not sure on availability)with 35s can equal the Bronco off road and they still can’t compete with daily livability. Maybe the dash is softer in the Jeep or Toyota, you will need it in the Jeep when it pegs your head to the dash from the ride or the 4 Runner when you can’t run the trail without $15k in aftermarket parts and add ons. When you mentioned soft roading on fire roads, I got your comparison, but head to head, you need to do more testing, off road or on.

It’s understandable that the purists will see this as ultimate off roading machine. Maybe that’s true. But what they’re not taking into account is that 70% or more of purchasers will not be challenging their $50k Broncos at the King of Hammers or ever utilize the full function of the vehicle. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Some people just want a unique truck that that drives better than a Jeep that we can take to the beach, drive around town, or on forest roads, take off the top and doors and enjoy some nice spring, summer, and fall days. I may do an off-rodeo, sounds like fun, but I‘m not Sasquatching and I don’t necessarily need to do that to understand that it’s a very capable off-roader. Just like I don’t need to drive a 700+ hp Cherokee ”Hellcat” on a race track to know that it’ll boogie - nor does anyone ‘need’ that kind of hp to drive somewhere (unless you’re always late b/c you have a wife like mine that doesn’t know that clocks exist ). To each their own.

The value of this discussion has been the honest takes on some of the less than impressive aspects of the Bronco. This thing ain’t cheap and the more we know about the quirks, the better off we are. Will it bother me if the window goes ‘boingy-boing’ every time I open the door? Is there enough power with a 4 cyl? Is the soft top as bad as it looks? Ford has made some odd decisions that limit the customers options too. Jeep at least let’s customers a-la carte leather seats, adaptive cruise, and other options on many models. Ford makes you pay through the nose to get them. Lots to consider when spending this kind of money and has less to do with “not getting it” and more to do with getting something you’ll like for the money you lay down regardless of how you intend to use it.

 

[Bulletbill]

Only a couple of Badlands are non SQ. It’s interesting, most of the attendees are interested in Badlands after driving a bit of everything here. The trails are probably doable in a stock BD, but the underbelly would suffer a bit on the rocks. I would also imagine they want the bigger axles for durability spend 99% of their lives in low range with inexperienced drivers.

I plan on going to one of the rodeos at some point, unfortunately they are all a little far off the beaten path. I’d make a family trip out of it, but I was told my youngest can’t go for the ride along, so I’ve been trying to carve out a period of time where it’s just me that goes. Sadly, more difficult than you might imagine.

 

[guest001]

Been away from a computer for a few days. Saw this thread and wanted to contribute my 2c.
I test drove a 4D Badlands on thursday. Some of my impressions:

1. Wasn't impressed by the 2.3L engine and I'm not an aggressive driver.
2. I expected a ride "like a truck" and that's what it felt like to me. It was smooth on the road. Made a couple of u-turns and was surprised at how tight the turning radius was.
3. Didn't notice any window noise or rubbing against the weather stripping. The doors are very light. I guess that is good for removing them, it's just something that was noticeable to me.
4. I thought the B&O sound was pretty good. I played with the controls for a bit.
5. Didn't put the soft top down since it had rained earlier in the day and was still overcast. Also my order is for a 2D so the soft top issues are not a concern for me. My dealer did say that they have noticed the rubbing/scratching of the paint on this model and are talking to Ford about it.
6. The backseat seemed to be a little less roomy than I would have guessed based on the size of the vehicle from the outside.

I was starting to lose my interest but this helped bring it back, at least for now. The test drive did reinforce my choice of 2.7L 2D order. I don't need extra space for gear or other people and I think it will be quick enough for me.

 

[Bituman]

Ok, I respect opinions, but frankly, you didn’t test drive the Bronco in anything near it’s off road ability. Go to Off Roadeo. Use the tech, use the capability. It’s every bit as good as a daily driver as the 4 Runner and kicks the sh*t out of the TRD Pro off road, hands down. Only the newest Jeeps (not sure on availability)with 35s can equal the Bronco off road and they still can’t compete with daily livability. Maybe the dash is softer in the Jeep or Toyota, you will need it in the Jeep when it pegs your head to the dash from the ride or the 4 Runner when you can’t run the trail without $15k in aftermarket parts and add ons. When you mentioned soft roading on fire roads, I got your comparison, but head to head, you need to do more testing, off road or on.

You’re right, I didn’t test the Bronco in terms of its off road capability. I tested it more so in how 95+% of my use will be. So the only thing I’ll disagree with you on is its merit as a daily driver. For that use, it is not as good as my 4Runner Limited, to ME it just isn’t. And perhaps that’s not a fair comparison because what I drove was soft top, cloth seats, low end (but adequate) radio. My 4Runner is optioned out quite a bit higher end. Once I get the WT version I ordered, probably in late 2022 or early 2023, I may change that opinion. Here’s the thing. I built a 74EB that by the time I was done it was a super off road machine, 35” tires, 3.5” SL, 1” BL, Smeding 427 cid windsor 390 hp at the rear wheels, built C4, Detroit locker in the back, and on and on…. Without breathing hard, it would have sailed thru anything that I have seen via the videos of the Texas Off-Roadeo. Thing is, I hardly ever drove it for that or anything else. I discovered all the fun I had was in the building and not in the driving it was set up to do. Test driving that WT reminded me of that same situation, i.e., getting a vehicle that was optimized to do something I likely wouldn’t spend much time doing. You are right, I am going to try again at the Vegas Off-Roadeo because that just gives me more windshield time than I had last weekend. But I think you are getting a little too caught up in Bronco vs Jeep vs 4Runner, etc. in terms of wheeling capabilities. That’s not the point. All of them will handle very well most off road I’ll be doing here in AZ. Problem is, like you, I’m a huge Bronco fan and I’m trying to come to terms with the fact that a 6G Bronco might not be the optimum use case for me. As I mentioned in another post, I’m giving thought to building a 2G Bronco for another fun project and to satisfy my Bronco fandom.

 

[jimmy234]

I think this is an excellent post, OP. Very balanced and reasonable.

The offroad lifestyle segment is booming right now. Seemingly everyone wants a wrangler, bronco, defender, 4runner, hummer (soon), etc. When I drive on the interstates and state highways these days, it's like driving through a candy machine full of jelly-bean-colored wranglers. I don't see that changing anytime soon with the bronco becoming more and more available.

But there are quality-of-life tradeoffs to most of these offroad vehicles (excepting maybe the defender), and unfortunately I think a lot of buyers who didn't necessarily "grow up" with these vehicles and knew them front and back, come to realize after a few months that they made a mistake. Especially people coming from "regular" cars, I think some of the cumulative everyday stuff doesn't come across during a 20-minute test drive.

Road noise, ride quality, fit and finish, reliability (jeep... we'll see how the bronco does in the years ahead)... not as great as people may think, and it may take a few months for those things to become real for some people. Just stay realistic with your needs and likes.

 

[Deputy909]

That’s exactly why I pursued the test drive. I realized that I was going to have to re-order in a couple months for MY22. Like you, I have never purchased a vehicle without at least a test drive and figured I’d need to do that.

Which dealer did you use?

 

[BroncoAZ]

That Lexus GX460 is looking pretty darn good after looking at the specs. V8 and body on frame with enough ass to tow my boat and enough space for a camping trip. The cost with a couple extras is $9K more than my 2 door BL high with manual transmission. I keep on eyeballing the base model Bronco to keep as a beach toy to save some coin over the badlands. My wife has a 2021 Tacoma TRD OR, but that Lexus might make a really nice daily driver for her.

 

[Bituman]

Which dealer did you use?

Camelback Ford

 

[Deputy909]

Camelback Ford

I went out to San Tan. MSRP, but the taxes are about 2% less.

 

[Bituman]

I think this is an excellent post, OP. Very balanced and reasonable.

The offroad lifestyle segment is booming right now. Seemingly everyone wants a wrangler, bronco, defender, 4runner, hummer (soon), etc. When I drive on the interstates and state highways these days, it's like driving through a candy machine full of jelly-bean-colored wranglers. I don't see that changing anytime soon with the bronco becoming more and more available.

You forgot to mention all the overlanding stuff strapped to the top and sides of all those “offroad lifestyle segment” vehicles. I really like that phrase…ha.

 

[Mattwings]

You’re right, I didn’t test the Bronco in terms of its off road capability. I tested it more so in how 95+% of my use will be. So the only thing I’ll disagree with you on is its merit as a daily driver. For that use, it is not as good as my 4Runner Limited, to ME it just isn’t. And perhaps that’s not a fair comparison because what I drove was soft top, cloth seats, low end (but adequate) radio. My 4Runner is optioned out quite a bit higher end. Once I get the WT version I ordered, probably in late 2022 or early 2023, I may change that opinion. Here’s the thing. I built a 74EB that by the time I was done it was a super off road machine, 35” tires, 3.5” SL, 1” BL, Smeding 427 cid windsor 390 hp at the rear wheels, built C4, Detroit locker in the back, and on and on…. Without breathing hard, it would have sailed thru anything that I have seen via the videos of the Texas Off-Roadeo. Thing is, I hardly ever drove it for that or anything else. I discovered all the fun I had was in the building and not in the driving it was set up to do. Test driving that WT reminded me of that same situation, i.e., getting a vehicle that was optimized to do something I likely wouldn’t spend much time doing. You are right, I am going to try again at the Vegas Off-Roadeo because that just gives me more windshield time than I had last weekend. But I think you are getting a little too caught up in Bronco vs Jeep vs 4Runner, etc. in terms of wheeling capabilities. That’s not the point. All of them will handle very well most off road I’ll be doing here in AZ. Problem is, like you, I’m a huge Bronco fan and I’m trying to come to terms with the fact that a 6G Bronco might not be the optimum use case for me. As I mentioned in another post, I’m giving thought to building a 2G Bronco for another fun project and to satisfy my Bronco fandom.

That makes sense to me. It just really helps highlight the engineering and where the $ and value is in the Bronco vs. other choices in the market. It becomes obvious that Ford targeted specific capabilities and features that for some, will be more valuable than other vehicles they are considering. To have a top performing off road vehicle, with a removable top, that also has very good driving dynamics and lots of very innovative tech hits the sweet spot for me. Hard to capture those things in a regular test drive
I had my own set of struggles with the compromise in towing capacity vs a Ranger Tremor that would handle 90% of my off road use and cost &10k less.

 

[dcmdon]

I didn't test drive but sat in a Badlands at a dealership today. Maybe the layout in the Bronco looks cooler than a Wrangler, mostly due to the 12 inch screen, but man the materials felt significantly cheaper than my Jeep Gladiator with leather, I have more soft touch materials around me, leather with contrast stitching on the dash, etc. Bronco uses what felt like very cheap Hollow plastic, that being said, I'll keep my order as I probably won't see one until 2023 so I have plenty of time to evaluate.

I agree. I'm cross shopping the Bronco with the Jeep.

I've driven both. The bronco drives much more like a normal SUV. The ride is excellent.
The noise is similar to a Wrangler or Gladiator fitted with AT tires. (Jeeps with MT tires are louder)

So on road, the Bronco is kind of like a loud F150. Except that as you said the materials are not nearly the quality of the F150 or the Wrangler in its higher trims.

Every vehicle is a compromise. I think the Wrangler and Bronco are a wash as far as off road capabilities. More than most of us will ever need. Except maybe in break over.

Bronco
1) more engine choices compared to Gladiator. Fewer choices compared to Wrangler.
2) Better ride
3)Removable panel for 2nd row passengers
4) larger screen
5) larger interior, especially hip/shoulder room.

Jeep
1) higher quality interior materials when equipped with leather option.
2) better stereo.

I don't consider the goat modes to be a plus or minus.

 

[markregel]

This morning I test drove a WT at the dealer that I have a reservation at. Had an order but 99ed it to get a MY22. After this ~12 mile test drive, mostly freeway and city streets, I’m questioning whether I want to continue with a Bronco purchase. This coming from someone that owned Broncos from 1989 through 2017. There is nothing particularly wrong with the new Bronco. But driving it caused me to understand more clearly that Ford’s target was a better execution of a Jeep Wrangler. With the Bronco, they succeeded brilliantly at that. Maybe I’ll end up with a Bronco in 22 or 23, I’m just not as enthusiastic as I had been. Here are some test drive observations.

One thing I wanted to do was make sure a WT would fit in my garage. I had done all kinds of measurements using data from this site and for sure, the WT fit. That was not a surprise, but great to validate my research. My wife‘s car is missing, but it would easily fit too. No clearance problems either. Easily another 5.5-6 inches of overhead clearance.

When I first sat in the driver’s seat I was amazed at how much looking out the windshield reminded me of an EB. The raised edges of the hood are very reminiscent of an EB. Very thoughtful design feature from Ford.

One bad thing is the window fit. As everyone knows, without a frame the window must come down just a little to open and close the door. So long as you open the door slowly, all is well. But if you open the door quickly, the window hangs up a little on the molding and sort of vibrates back and forth. I seem to recall others here mention that. I’m not sure this hurts anything, it’s just not something I had thought much about.

Of course, this was a soft top. I was surprised at how noisy the Bronco is. I have seen posts claiming that the soft top was fairly quiet. I suppose this is subjective, but I thought the noise was excessive. Maybe the more aggressive tires were at fault. I have had two soft tops (see my avatar for one and an old P911-C4 for another) so I am used to a soft top. I honestly think my 74 EB with a BC Broncos safari top was slightly quieter. I mentioned this to the dealer sales manager and he said he was surprised because his soft top OB was really quiet. He claimed that the OB had sound deadening within the body. I had never heard that. Obviously I think a MIC top, particularly with the headliner, would quiet things down a little. I had planned on a color matching modular top which would also probably be quieter. By the way, the sales manager confirmed to me that the color matching top would be MY23, even though as recently as March it was listed at a MY22 option. Crap…

As has been opined by others on this site, the dash was a somewhat underwhelming. The plastic just seemed cheap. By the way, this was a Mid trim level, yet I don’t think Lux (which is what I ordered) would be any different. My personal car is a 2017 4Runner Limited and my work vehicle that gets most miles is a 2015 Tundra SR5. I would say the Tundra’s interior is pretty pedestrian, but the quality of the plastic and overall quality is noticeably better than the Bronco. The 4Runner interior is way superior. This is when I reminded myself that Ford wasn‘t trying to create something fancy, but just something overall better than a Wrangler. Again, I think they have done that in spades.

The engine was adequate. I have to admit that I drive with a bit of a heavy foot, but the Bronco seemed a bit slow off the line. From about 20 mph up, it performed very good. The transmission was smooth. I couldn’t feel the shifts. I was hoping the engine performance would be noticeably better than the 4Runner. I think it was better, but not by as much as I had hoped. Actually, I have to admit that I forgot to try the sport mode. That may have improved the engine performance a bit and I’m kicking myself for forgetting that.

I really did like the handling of the Bronco. It’s turning radius is superb. The SAS on the WT really smooths out rough pavements. I drove over a pavement that had been trenched and patched for a water line and it was smooth sailing over that bumpy pavement. I think this was the most favorable thing about the Bronco. The brakes were great, although there was an audible squeak at times.

In summary, I think the Bronco is a great execution of an off road vehicle for the masses. For sure it will take a big bite out of Wrangler sales. But for me I would give up a bit of the fancy off road stuff for a quieter, better fit and finish interior vehicle more like the 4Runner or some of the high end trucks on the market. My off roading needs are mostly rough forest service roads and snowy roads in AZ higher elevations. I guess I’m re-evaluating what I really need. This vehicle is my present to myself as I head into retirement. I still may end up with a Bronco. But I’m beginning to think I might need to give a nice F-150 or F-250 a look and build myself another EB to satisfy my almost life long Bronco addiction.

I sat in one at my dealer last week, and found the dash and interior outstanding. What makes it "poor quality", how do you judge that? Just because its not "soft touch" or look like a Toyota? I have two Toyotas and a Mazda and they have nothing on the Bronco when it comes to interior quality. Ever pull a dash in a Toyota, total crap like every other car I never been so mad in my life. I don't expect Bronco to be much different in this regard, but the fit & finish is certainly nice and thank goodness it doesn't have horrible soft touch polystyrene foam crap.

 

[markregel]

This is why there's been so many abandoned orders on dealer lots already, the reality of the Bronco is not always what you wanted or expected it to be.

Please quote and provide a link to the number of abandoned orders vs delivered orders? Anything over 50% delivered orders is actually remarkable.

Sponsored