TFL: 2021 Bronco vs Wrangler vs Defender - Off-Road Trail Comparison Video

[rkj__]

The recurring theme I've noticed when watching these TFL videos is that each driver has a bias that revolves around which particular vehicle they are personally in on that particular day. It's kinda funny and it makes the videos entertaining but it also makes it hard to take them seriously when they announce their votes at the end.

Generally, when it comes to video reviews, you see enough information to make your own conclusions, and don’t need to put much weight on the final votes of the presenters at the end of the video. IMO

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[North7]

Once the 4runner is updated it will have the almost perfect off road buffet lineup.

Do you know what is being updated for the MY23 4Runner redesign?

 

[Aaonter]

But not that good though.
Think of all the costs.
Depreciation of the Bronco & Defender
Insurance and fuel for the Bronco & Defender. Fuel for the Jeep.
Wages for three presenters.
Wages for editor.
Expenses for office space.
Camera / computer equipment.
The list goes on.
And, most videos won’t get near a million views.

This is the first day the vid is out. Really?

 

[BackcountryBirds]

Great video, best off-road comparison I've seen by far!

Tires make a huge difference off-road (just ask the defender, haha). 35s vs 33s were a noticeable starting advantage for the Bronco. Squatch across the lineup is a huge Bronco advantage.

Wrangler had much better articulation and was noticeably nimbler. 35s on the recon Rubicon is going to be the best stock rock crawler by a decent margin but bronco is no slouch!

If you want the best trail rig get a jeep, want the best all around off-roader get a bronco.

Now I really want a 2 door jeep for the rockiest trails and. 4 door bronco for daily driving and everything else!

 

[Ramble_Offroad]

Ground clearance > articulation..

Super confused on why everyone is so focused on one but not the other.

The Bronco may not have flexed as much (debated) but it maintained its composure and scraped far less.

I’ll take the greater ground clearance and a few less points on the RTI. Extreme Recon will be the real contender.

If you’re running on rocks where the full articulation actually matters, you’re in a custom rock crawler or running after market suspension anyways.

The Bronco did get caught up on the rear shock mount, but that wasn’t the best line to begin with. With that said, that rear shock mount does seem to hang down quite low.

Drag link skid recommended.

 

[Theherofails]

This is what I mean by rear shock mount. Maybe I’m using the wrong term, but I mean where the shock mounts.

You can see the rear shocks are the lowest part of the vehicle and seem to “protect” the control arm mount.

 

[Tricky Dick]

Not a bad watch.

 

[Tricky Dick]

This is what I mean by rear shock mount. Maybe I’m using the wrong term, but I mean where the shock mounts.

You can see the rear shocks are the lowest part of the vehicle and seem to “protect” the control arm mount.

This is the sort of thing Jeepers convert to. My buddy did it on his XJ when he got tired of ripping off shock mounts. It would result in about a 6" lift for the Bronco though.

 

[Theherofails]

This is the sort of thing Jeepers convert to. It would result in about a 6" lift for the Bronco though.

Whew, that’s a lot of lift! 40s here we come.

 

[Natai]

Thanks for posting.

Takeaway: The Bronco on 35" tires made it over the rocks easier than the Jeep or Land Rover.

The Jeep only got 3 miles out of the batteries before they were dead, an 80% loss of the claimed 17 mile range.

Yep.
I'm pleased that we're seeing some electric/hybrid vehicles enter the off-road market, because I think it's necessary for the tech to develop.

But as it stands now, the tech is just not where it needs to be for any kind of all-electric vehicle to be viable for off-roading or overlanding. Range is too low, and on-board solar cannot provide anything close to what's necessary to recharge quickly in the wild.

And look at this Wrangler on the trail. The instant torque of the electric motor is great in lots of situations, but it can easily mean a lack of fine control on rocks. The Bronco calmly and steadily rolls over obstacles, while that 4XE is moving in fits and spurts.

 

[Bronco Pilot]

I watched this TFL video with interest after recently attending the Off-Rodeo. I can tell you that they are having drivers go over harder obstacles in the Off Rodeo than they showed here on this trail. The Bronco went over everything with ease and felt very very nimble to me. I’d also like to point out one thing I did not expect. After learning about the ‘Fun Haver’ course I thought it was just a marketing gimmick. Our pro driver pushed the Bronco harder than I could have possibly imagined. The Bronco’s suspension setup is unreal. You have to experience it first hand at speed to believe it. The Bronco really is the complete package. I think the sales numbers over the next few years will bear this out. I think even the folks at TFL are begrudgingly starting to realize it too. When you stand back and look at the Bronco as a complete package, it is evident that FORD completely crushed the design of this vehicle.

 

[GoldenKnight]

Really curious where you got that 800# figure. An Escape PHEV (one with the bigger battery) come in at 3870#. While a fully loaded gas Escape weighs 3668 for a 200# difference.

I understand the Bronco is a bigger and all that but 800#?

The 4xe battery adds between 700 and 800 pounds to the Wrangler. It actually improves the road manners a bit as it's all low center of gravity so it helps it to feel more planted. I assume that's the comparison being made

 

[Td66]

But not that good though.
Think of all the costs.
Depreciation of the Bronco & Defender
Insurance and fuel for the Bronco & Defender. Fuel for the Jeep.
Wages for three presenters.
Wages for editor.
Expenses for office space.
Camera / computer equipment.
The list goes on.
And, most videos won’t get near a million views.

Really is good when you think of the million viewers and advertisement revenue. Not even close to overhead and expenditures. Not to mention the have many videos with more than a million views. They are sitting at that many in subs alone.

 

[timhood]

I really like the idea of a PHEV. Electric only for most / all in town driving. Gas for when you need range and quick fuel ups on road trips.

However, I am worried it would not be a plesant or inexpensive long term ownership experience. As you said, you litterally have more things that could go wrong.

Yes, this. The battery should be sized so that it is useful for commuting. Maybe 40 miles would cover the vast majority of "normal" daily drivers. Off-road, it's really pointless, unless you consider a trip to the Christmas tree lot off road.

I'm not sure about general reliability across various manufacturers or specifically Ford's hybrid/PHEV, but I'd be very hesitant to put trust in Jeep, as they have a long and consistent track record of very sub-par reliability across multiple areas of the vehicle.

TL;DR: If Ford comes out with a 40-mile battery option, I'd consider it. But then again, how much heavier would this beast be?

 

[WuNgUn]

I can't even imagine the frustration of ruining two 20" tires on the same rock.
Jeezus

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