- Joined
- Jul 18, 2020
- Threads
- 7
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- 625
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- 1,887
- Location
- Huntsville, AL
- Vehicle(s)
- 2022 Bronco
- Your Bronco Model
- Badlands
- Thread starter
- #1
First impressions (in the order I drove them):
First I wanted to drive some Bronco competition:
EcoDiesel JL: This JL was a decked out base model 4 door hard top. It felt pretty small on the inside. I'm pretty short (5'8") and so is my wife (5'5") so it wasn't uncomfortable for us, but for larger people it might be. The EcoDiesel was really nice. Power felt "adequate". (I kind of have a lead foot and like to go fast) Road noise wasn't bad at all with the hard top, which has me excited for a hard top on the Bronco.
V6 Gladiator: This was a decked out Rubi ($62k) hard top. It was also a bit cramped on the inside. Man, the V6 in this vehicle made it feel under powered. I felt like I was driving my wife's minivan. I've never driven a Wrangler or Gladiator before, so this was a completely new experience for me. Both vehicles really want to fight you to stay in your lane. I didn't know what "loose steering" meant before I drove them, but I do now. These would not be fun vehicles to drive at high speeds for long distances. We took the front two panels off the Gladiator hard top and blared the premium Alpine sound system. It was good not great. Premium sound system feels mandatory for vehicles that you will be driving with the top off. Lux package for me now, sigh.
The only reason I drove the F150 and the Ranger was to get a feel for the engines.
2.7 F150 (Velocity Blue!!) Supercab: Wow, super peppy. Gunning it at 50mpH pressed me against the seat. Was easy to drive. Way easier than both the JL and Gladiator. I really liked velocity blue, but by the end of the drive I was tired of it really. A little too much blue for me. Looks better on a Mustang than a large truck, IMO. I think I eliminated it from Bronco contention.
2.3 Ranger: I'd say the engine is adequate, felt similar to the EcoDiesel in the JL, maybe a little less power. Nobody will be disappointed with it, but hands down I'm going with the 2.7. (Again, I have a lead foot so your mileage may vary)
If you are like me and are new to an off-road vehicle, I'd go make the rounds and drive a Wrangler, Gladiator, and then to get a feel for the engines go drive a Ranger and an F150. Sure did clear up a lot of questions I had.
First I wanted to drive some Bronco competition:
EcoDiesel JL: This JL was a decked out base model 4 door hard top. It felt pretty small on the inside. I'm pretty short (5'8") and so is my wife (5'5") so it wasn't uncomfortable for us, but for larger people it might be. The EcoDiesel was really nice. Power felt "adequate". (I kind of have a lead foot and like to go fast) Road noise wasn't bad at all with the hard top, which has me excited for a hard top on the Bronco.
V6 Gladiator: This was a decked out Rubi ($62k) hard top. It was also a bit cramped on the inside. Man, the V6 in this vehicle made it feel under powered. I felt like I was driving my wife's minivan. I've never driven a Wrangler or Gladiator before, so this was a completely new experience for me. Both vehicles really want to fight you to stay in your lane. I didn't know what "loose steering" meant before I drove them, but I do now. These would not be fun vehicles to drive at high speeds for long distances. We took the front two panels off the Gladiator hard top and blared the premium Alpine sound system. It was good not great. Premium sound system feels mandatory for vehicles that you will be driving with the top off. Lux package for me now, sigh.
The only reason I drove the F150 and the Ranger was to get a feel for the engines.
2.7 F150 (Velocity Blue!!) Supercab: Wow, super peppy. Gunning it at 50mpH pressed me against the seat. Was easy to drive. Way easier than both the JL and Gladiator. I really liked velocity blue, but by the end of the drive I was tired of it really. A little too much blue for me. Looks better on a Mustang than a large truck, IMO. I think I eliminated it from Bronco contention.
2.3 Ranger: I'd say the engine is adequate, felt similar to the EcoDiesel in the JL, maybe a little less power. Nobody will be disappointed with it, but hands down I'm going with the 2.7. (Again, I have a lead foot so your mileage may vary)
If you are like me and are new to an off-road vehicle, I'd go make the rounds and drive a Wrangler, Gladiator, and then to get a feel for the engines go drive a Ranger and an F150. Sure did clear up a lot of questions I had.
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