First In-Depth Owner’s Review: 2021 Bronco Badlands 4-Door 2.7L

[Bronc-Itus]

This is really happening! 2 real reviews in one day!

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[MDbeachguy]

This is really happening! 2 real reviews in one day!

2.5 reviews

mine was a test drive

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/my-test-drive-review-of-the-2-door-wildtrak.18358/

 

[BroncoBear]

LOVE this write up, thank you! Glad to hear you are happy and getting that thing out in the dirt! Thank you for the hard top and fender flare comparison, that is very helpful as those of use who wanted a black painted hard top are needing to move to the MIC. Looks good, and the red looks amazing, great choices!

Also, you have the same problem I had with my Wrangler hard top which is chasing those hidden water drips that never go away! Something I found that resolves this is Milwaukee's small air blower. I have It specific for washing cars and its a game changer for drying, give it a try!

Thank you again for the amazing write up, much appreciated! Looking forward to seeing your adventures!

Cheers!

 

[Bronc-Itus]

2.5 reviews

mine was a test drive

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/my-test-drive-review-of-the-2-door-wildtrak.18358/

 

[Erock]

Nice... thanks for the impressions.

 

[airishfan]

DRIVABILITY: Comparing this to my 2016 F150 the Bronco with the sasquatch is pretty dang good! It’s obviously noisier but it's really not that much noisier. I do have the hardtop with the sound deadening. I downloaded a Db app on my phone to measure noise levels and according to my phone the Bronco was only 6 Db louder than my F150 at 50mph. Take that for what it's worth but it's not overly noisy.

This thing is torqy! My wife is used to driving a corolla and it was hard for her to feather the gas when taking off. As a passenger It felt kinda jerky at first. She has since got used to the torq and is fine but there was a small adjustment period for her. I myself enjoy the torque and speed. Makes for a fun ride! It corners and handles nicely. Some body roll but not bad. I haven't experienced any “canoeing” or darting thus far and this thing eats Michigan potholes for breakfast.

The little off road driving I did, I used mud and ruts mode. In this mode I noticed it held the gear for longer and revved up to a higher RPM. I was able to shift with the plus and minus buttons on the automatic shifter in this mode to find different gears. The badlands doesn't have a sport mode and according to a forum member the work around is to put it in Baja mode and then shift into 2H instead of 4H. That did work but it does remove traction control and states its for off road use only. Going down a seasonal logging road at good speed it just eats up the holes, bumps, puddles etc… It's incredibly smooth and controlled. It's pretty amazing really.

One of the issues I had was with the G.O.A.T. mode selector dial. It seemed it was bound up on something like a piece of plastic maybe from the moulding process? I had to turn it pretty hard to get it to free up. It's working normally now, but it took me a minute to figure it out as the dial wasn’t working as it should at first.

I tested out the stay bar disconnect and the trail turn assist on an old logging road. All the features worked great but every once in a while during the trail turn assist I would hear a loud pinging noise. Almost like a spring or something being sprung. It didn't sound normal. I went looking through the manual and apparently it’s considered normal and Ford says it's part of the antilock brakes? I don’t know enough to know what all is going on when that feature is activated but it can be startling if you're not expecting it. It was wet sand where I tested this feature out and it states in the manual it's meant for slick conditions. Maybe that's why I was getting the noise? Maybe it wasn't “slick” enough?

Airflow is good in the back seat. I had this question come up a few times. I have the MIC hardtop with sound deadening but I did feel like the cooling was more than adequate. My wife drove with the salesman in front and myself in the back to fill up with gas. While in the back seat I actually thought the hardtop was letting in a draft so I started feeling around the seams for an air leak. It was actually coming from the front cab vents. The AC was on which was quiet enough I didn't notice it was on. So there is good airflow in the entire cab. Will it keep warm enough in the -20’s we sometimes get in northern Michigan? I’ll let you know!

As far as 0-60 mph, drive mode characteristics, or other drivability questions, I am going to wait until the break in period is over. (1000 miles). I’m almost certain the Bronco is detuned from the factory until the break in period is complete to protect the drivetrain. My mustang was that way and I could feel it once the break in period was complete.


FIT AND FINISH: The overall quality of materials is pretty darn good. The MIC hardtop is easy to take off. The back portion does take 2 people to do but it's actually surprising light. I was able to take off the second row myself but it's not recommended. The top fits together nicely and it's easy to re-install. I had the Bronco out in a steady rain and didn't notice anything that would resemble water leakage. I will say that when washing the Bronco there are a ton of nooks and crannies for water to hide, especially in the MIC top. No leaking but it's a PITA to get the vehicle dry after a wash. Water drips out from the top down the side of the vehicle for a long while. A blower might help but I was trying to use a drying towel and it seemed like a losing battle.

I think the seats are really comfortable and the feel of the MGV seats is nice. I opted for the floor liners and while they are good with good coverage they are more flimsy than say weathertech or husky. I got them for the bronco logos and they snap into place in the front and the rear liner is one piece so that's nice. The rear seats fold down easily. The quality of the hard top case that was supplied is actually really high quality. I dont have the door storage case but I imagine it's the same quality and wouldn’t hesitate to buy them. I do like the looks of the interior and I’m loving the big screen of the high package. It's very responsive compared to my syc3 in my F150. Pretty close to smartphone responsiveness. Audio is ok. A tin can kind of sound but they do offer soundbars as an accessory addon. I do not have the upgraded speakers the lux package has but the sound system is probably the thing I dislike the most but overall it's not a big deal for me.


OVERALL: I really love this thing. It's good looking, it's very capable on road and a beast off road. It catches eyes everywhere! People are talking to you at stop lights, approaching you as you are parking asking to look at it. The jeep guys and gals are pretending they don't care as you pass them, but you can tell they are looking out of the corner of their eye trying to catch a look. I know Ford could have done a better job rolling these out but I suspect that the unforeseen issues threw a wrench in their plans and the only option was to delay and delay and delay. I'm a Ford sympathizer and optimist. No one wanted the scenario that we’re in, especially Ford. For crying out loud their factory flooded. They took over the MIC production. I truly believe they are doing everything they can to fulfill customer orders and the hiccups in the rollout will eventually be forgotten and the Bronco will be a hit for years to come. Those willing to wait will be rewarded with an excellent vehicle and if you can't wait and want to buy a jeep or tacoma instead that's fine too. I'll be happy to pull you out on the trail!

I’ll be posting photos and short videos on instagram.

I will try to answer questions the best I can and will post updates on Bronco 6G as they come, good or bad.

If you see me out and about just wave or say hi! I plan to have this thing out on the trails throughout the state of Michigan this summer. Silver lake sandunes, drummond island, etc… Do Bronco owners have a “Bronco wave”? Maybe just number 1 ?

I dont believe Ford doing everything to fill customers orders anymore ,they doing everything they can to get as money on dealers lots now.

 

[SaudiBronco]

Hardtop comes with sound deadening on Sasquatch?!

 

[Mac n Nevada]

Thanks for the writeup That is my exact build and it is gorgeous! I'll be waiting for mine as I changed my day2 ressie for Granger's October for various reasons, until then I get to live through you guys- it hurts, but awesome at the same time.

Have fun!

 

[NotoriousBDP]

Great photos and review! Much appreciated, as I'd ordered a similar build (and same color). Appreciate the thoughts on the lackluster audio, so I'm glad I ordered mine with the Lux pack (in hopes of better than adequate sound). Look forward to seeing more of your posts and, again, congrats on that beautiful ride! And, until I can do it in person from my own Bronco, here's a virtual !

 

[SnowBronco]

Congrats! Great write up! I'm surprised no one has asked mpg's in either of these threads lol!! Come on guys you're slipping ..

 

[Bronco B]

" ...thus far and this thing eats Michigan potholes for breakfast. "

That's an important feature! I'm in the Grand Rapids area, and know exactly what you mean.

 

[SirBenimen]

Great review! One question: Is it at all possible to display a tachometer on the display? Just curious.

-SG

Great review! One question: Is it at all possible to display a tachometer on the display? Just curious.

-SG

 

[mpeugeot]

Not a big fan of the tach, but, if that's my biggest complaint, I'll live... LOL.

 

[Mattwings]

DRIVABILITY: Comparing this to my 2016 F150 the Bronco with the sasquatch is pretty dang good! It’s obviously noisier but it's really not that much noisier. I do have the hardtop with the sound deadening. I downloaded a Db app on my phone to measure noise levels and according to my phone the Bronco was only 6 Db louder than my F150 at 50mph. Take that for what it's worth but it's not overly noisy.

This thing is torqy! My wife is used to driving a corolla and it was hard for her to feather the gas when taking off. As a passenger It felt kinda jerky at first. She has since got used to the torq and is fine but there was a small adjustment period for her. I myself enjoy the torque and speed. Makes for a fun ride! It corners and handles nicely. Some body roll but not bad. I haven't experienced any “canoeing” or darting thus far and this thing eats Michigan potholes for breakfast.

The little off road driving I did, I used mud and ruts mode. In this mode I noticed it held the gear for longer and revved up to a higher RPM. I was able to shift with the plus and minus buttons on the automatic shifter in this mode to find different gears. The badlands doesn't have a sport mode and according to a forum member the work around is to put it in Baja mode and then shift into 2H instead of 4H. That did work but it does remove traction control and states its for off road use only. Going down a seasonal logging road at good speed it just eats up the holes, bumps, puddles etc… It's incredibly smooth and controlled. It's pretty amazing really.

One of the issues I had was with the G.O.A.T. mode selector dial. It seemed it was bound up on something like a piece of plastic maybe from the moulding process? I had to turn it pretty hard to get it to free up. It's working normally now, but it took me a minute to figure it out as the dial wasn’t working as it should at first.

I tested out the stay bar disconnect and the trail turn assist on an old logging road. All the features worked great but every once in a while during the trail turn assist I would hear a loud pinging noise. Almost like a spring or something being sprung. It didn't sound normal. I went looking through the manual and apparently it’s considered normal and Ford says it's part of the antilock brakes? I don’t know enough to know what all is going on when that feature is activated but it can be startling if you're not expecting it. It was wet sand where I tested this feature out and it states in the manual it's meant for slick conditions. Maybe that's why I was getting the noise? Maybe it wasn't “slick” enough?

Airflow is good in the back seat. I had this question come up a few times. I have the MIC hardtop with sound deadening but I did feel like the cooling was more than adequate. My wife drove with the salesman in front and myself in the back to fill up with gas. While in the back seat I actually thought the hardtop was letting in a draft so I started feeling around the seams for an air leak. It was actually coming from the front cab vents. The AC was on which was quiet enough I didn't notice it was on. So there is good airflow in the entire cab. Will it keep warm enough in the -20’s we sometimes get in northern Michigan? I’ll let you know!

As far as 0-60 mph, drive mode characteristics, or other drivability questions, I am going to wait until the break in period is over. (1000 miles). I’m almost certain the Bronco is detuned from the factory until the break in period is complete to protect the drivetrain. My mustang was that way and I could feel it once the break in period was complete.


FIT AND FINISH: The overall quality of materials is pretty darn good. The MIC hardtop is easy to take off. The back portion does take 2 people to do but it's actually surprising light. I was able to take off the second row myself but it's not recommended. The top fits together nicely and it's easy to re-install. I had the Bronco out in a steady rain and didn't notice anything that would resemble water leakage. I will say that when washing the Bronco there are a ton of nooks and crannies for water to hide, especially in the MIC top. No leaking but it's a PITA to get the vehicle dry after a wash. Water drips out from the top down the side of the vehicle for a long while. A blower might help but I was trying to use a drying towel and it seemed like a losing battle.

I think the seats are really comfortable and the feel of the MGV seats is nice. I opted for the floor liners and while they are good with good coverage they are more flimsy than say weathertech or husky. I got them for the bronco logos and they snap into place in the front and the rear liner is one piece so that's nice. The rear seats fold down easily. The quality of the hard top case that was supplied is actually really high quality. I dont have the door storage case but I imagine it's the same quality and wouldn’t hesitate to buy them. I do like the looks of the interior and I’m loving the big screen of the high package. It's very responsive compared to my syc3 in my F150. Pretty close to smartphone responsiveness. Audio is ok. A tin can kind of sound but they do offer soundbars as an accessory addon. I do not have the upgraded speakers the lux package has but the sound system is probably the thing I dislike the most but overall it's not a big deal for me. The first time I tried closing the hood it was difficult to do. The spring in the latching mechanism wouldn’t allow the hood to fully seat. I ended up dropping the hood from 3 or 4 feet to get it to latch. I couldn’t even push it shut. I thought maybe it was the bumpers and made adjustments to those but that didn’t do it. I ended up opening and closing the hood several times to work the spring a bit and that seemed to work.


OVERALL: I really love this thing. It's good looking, it's very capable on road and a beast off road. It catches eyes everywhere! People are talking to you at stop lights, approaching you as you are parking asking to look at it. The jeep guys and gals are pretending they don't care as you pass them, but you can tell they are looking out of the corner of their eye trying to catch a look. I know Ford could have done a better job rolling these out but I suspect that the unforeseen issues threw a wrench in their plans and the only option was to delay and delay and delay. I'm a Ford sympathizer and optimist. No one wanted the scenario that we’re in, especially Ford. For crying out loud their factory flooded. They took over the MIC production. I truly believe they are doing everything they can to fulfill customer orders and the hiccups in the rollout will eventually be forgotten and the Bronco will be a hit for years to come. Those willing to wait will be rewarded with an excellent vehicle and if you can't wait and want to buy a jeep or tacoma instead that's fine too. I'll be happy to pull you out on the trail!

I’ll be posting photos and short videos on instagram.

I will try to answer questions the best I can and will post updates on Bronco 6G as they come, good or bad.

If you see me out and about just wave or say hi! I plan to have this thing out on the trails throughout the state of Michigan this summer. Silver lake sandunes, drummond island, etc… Do Bronco owners have a “Bronco wave”? Maybe just number 1 ?

Nice write up. I have a BL SQ scheduled for tomorrow. I hope to be comparing notes soon. I love the Red and hope I have some good vibes from my Cactus Gray too. I lived in TC for a couple of years during college and have spent a lot of time in the area. Maybe we can get some time on the local trails soon? (Bronco wave?)

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