Can I get owner insight/advice?

[BillyG35]

Safe to say my A/T‘s are on their last legs here and have gotten noisier lol

If the Bronco is quieter than your Colorado, there is something seriously wrong with your Colorado. I have a 2017 2.8L Z71 and a Badlands Bronco and there is no comparison.

For real world use, I think you'll appreciate the Big Bend. Smaller tires should give the 2.3L even more pep, since it has no trouble turning my 35s. My 33s mileage was 21.xx-ish being relatively sedate on the throttle, would expect around that for spirited driving with 32s. ZR2 isn't great for pickup things anyway, so I don't think you'll notice much of a difference losing a bit of bed capability. Add the removable roof panels, and I think you'd add some smiles per gallon vs the Colorado.

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[BillyG35]

My ‘26 Big bend 2.3 is great, especially considering I’m coming from a ‘21 Explorer ST. I’m averaging about 21-22mpg (90% highway), and is pretty quiet. I have the black diamond & black appearance pack, so I’m surprised the Mpg is this decent, and i think the painted top along with “maybe new for 25+” sound deadening have improved from the earlier roof panel versions.

The ‘25 I test drove had the sound deadening roof panel option, made it surprisingly quiet to what I thought it was going to be like.

 

[Bugkillah]

Loved mine so much I bought another. The few times I need a truck bed for hauling stuff, I bought a small trailer. I stand it up on end behind the shed when I’m not using it. I pull a 19’ pontoon, probably right at the towing capacity, but 2.7 twin turbo is a beast.

 

[jehines3]

90% of the wind noise banter is the hard top vs soft top crews. I have a soft top and can say wind noise sucks. His same debate occurs when discussing exhaust mods.

Eventually, I'll be adding a small pick up to the fleet as a daily and then the bronco shall be top and doorless forever more.

Its been a great three years as a daily driver. We never got the concept Mod Top available in the aftermarket the Ford Promised to eventually release. Jeep nailed it with the SkyOne Touch, which is my dream mod for this vehicle.

 

[Plati_G]

My wife has a '24 Outer Banks (Non-SAS) and we love it. Before she lifted it and put on 35in tires the MPGs were around 21-22. After the lift and tires it's down to 18mpg. The wind noise isn't horrible, and you get used to it. We've taken it on 2 6-hr road trips within the last 2 months and have thoroughly enjoyed it. Cargo space can be a bit small at times, and the towing capability is lackluster, but I can live with it since it is nimble in parking lots and such. Honestly, I wish my wife would let me drive it more and every time I do drive her Bronco, it makes me want to trade in my Tremor Super Duty for a Bronco Raptor. The lackluster towing capability and no bed is what keeps me from doing it.

 

[crzyhawk]

I have a 24 Big Bend with the mid package. Base/Big Bend are really all the Bronco most folks need. I know some folks are going to disagree with me here, but, you really don't need lifts and 37s to take the kids to soccer practice or pick up groceries. You certainly don't need swaybar disconnects and lockers for those activities.

I'm coming into the Bronco from a Mustang so my view of practical might be warped. The Bronco's very practical in comparison. It hauls the groceries much better than the Mustang, better in bad weather, gets better gas mileage (in the city; freeway the Mustang destroys the Bronco). Bronco feels safer because I am higher and can see better. My 2 door's short wheel base feels more nimble negotiating a crowded parking lot.

Would a Rav4 suit my lifestyle better? Probably. But I didn't grow up to not enjoy adulthood. I have no need to buy things that 10 year old me would not have thought cool. and 10 year old me never thought anything with rear passenger doors was cool

 

[Snacktime]

Make sure to get the rear locker, as it will have more gearing which helps MPGs as it keeps the motor out of boost.

 

[wjtinfwb]

Hello all,

In a ’19 Colorado ZR2, looking to make the transition to an SUV. Been looking at a 4Runner for a long time but some of the pricing with the package you get doesn’t makes sense fully from financial side. Then I test drove a Big Bend the other day with the 2.3L and was surprised at how much I liked it. Just a basic Big Bend, no upgraded packages. All I read was wind noise this and that, at 70mph on freeway, wasn’t bad and quieter than my ZR2.

The Big Bend could fit my budget a bit more and offer the things that I am looking for which is an SUV size, some small towing capacity, and some fun factor in it. Not really going to be off-roading much at all, but this trim seems like it is best suited for some more practical daily use. Just looking for some owner insight, what did you drive before or also consider? Some other questions I have, recalls, has this been a reliable SUV? MPG in the Big Bend? I know it’s not a hybrid and going to be better than what I have now, but looking for someone to humor me with realistic numbers in this trim. And the overall ownership of having this SUV and maybe coming from a “traditional“ truck or SUV.

Thank you in advance! Take care.

'23 Big Bend 4dr. w/Sasquatch and the V6. I couldn't ask for more. No issues in 39 months and 30k miles. Drives great, strong power and about 19 mpg in mixed driving. Biggest complaint is the sound system is pathetic. Interface is fine, I like the Navigation linked to my mobile but sound quality is like an '71 Maverick's AM radio. Do better Ford! Otherwise, I love my Bronco, only way I'd get rid of it is if I could swing a Bronco Raptor.

 

[MFP2241]

Base with the Sasquatch package is the best bang for your buck.

It mostly breaks down like this...

And, if you're vegan...

 

[Bill K]

I have a 2023 Big Bend 2 door that I custom ordered (the only car I've owned that that happened). 3-1/2 years and about 17K miles in I'm pretty happy. There's a little wind noise at highway speeds, but that's what good stereos are for. On that note the speakers that came with the stock stereo sucked, but with an upgrade to infinities I'm very happy.

As to MPGs, it is a brick going down the highway. As a result more than most vehicles which way the wind blows determines whether I get 19-20 MPG or 21-22 MPG at highway speeds. I run almost exclusively in ECO mode hoping for decent mileage and am normally in the 19-22 MPG range.

I primarily bought it for the flat tow capability behind the RV and on that note it has not disappointed. When not behind my Class C it has been a decent vehicle for road tripping with the back seats folded down to make room for stuff. On the fun front, the few times I've been in 4 wheel drive it's been great. I kind of wish I opted for the rear lockers, but the reduced gear ratio associated with that upgrade would have reduced my mileage slightly - the world of trade-offs we live in.

 

[AZ_Liberty]

Ford is pretty aggressive about recalls, but not a single one has been worth my time to even care about. Yesterday I got an OTA update to the infotainment system that is supposed to fix one of them.

Remember, recalls have ZERO to do with reliability. They are due to "safety" issues that the Federal Government things are issues, like the backup camera staying on for 3 seconds too long when shifting out of Reverse.

The only other vehicle I seriously considered against the Bronco was another Mustang.

I get 24 mpg in town, down to 22.5 on the freeway. This is the only vehicle I have owned in my entire life that gets worse MPG on the highway, but... it's a brick.

 

[AZ_Liberty]

... gets horrible gas mileage.

People say this, but I'm not sure I have ever owned a car that got better gas mileage than the Bronco.

A couple Mustangs were better on the Freeway, but worse in town.

 

[Broncolander]

Badlands with non here. My MPG is surprisingly good minding that I run 37s couple mods and heavy skids. Wind noise is much better than my jeep that had the sky one touch (auto) roof. I got the OEM sound deadening on the roof panels.

Yes, Bronco has its quirks, I also got the B&O package, and although it’s not that bad, it doesn't compare to jeep’s since those guys have a mid roll bar with speakers right on top of your head. It’s better than Subaru’s tho. The subwoofer does vibrate if you blast music, specially if you are one of those mentals that go and EQ your sound system blasting the low end. As an audio engineer, that’s an atrocity. One thing is compensate and EQ for a balanced audio, another is boost the shi outta of it thinking it will make it better. But that's a convo for another forum. Lol
Anyways, yes, bronco has its quirks, I don't like that my windows gets caught on the rubber roof trim every time I open them, to the point I have to unlock via keys so they budge or open the door in a way that gives the window time to budge before opening. Giving people a ride stresses me out. My back windows flap because people suck.

All in all, ford has been great fixing things and giving us support. That's much appreciated. Coming from the jeep world I can’t stress enough how fresh air this feels. Jeep likes to sweep things under the rug and pretend they don't exist.

I took a chance when I got my bronco, and haven't had issues. Haven't suffered from any of the recalls, I did it as precaution and because I had to. Will it outlast me? Who knows, hopefully… because I wanted to keep it long term. But if I wanted certainty on reliability i’d have gone with a 4runner. I’d likely waste less money on repairs down the road and that truck would run forever if well maintained.

It’s what people say: you can get rough country products… lets say a winch….and hope it will last 5 years. Or you can get warn and have the bad luck of only lasting 5 years.

I love my Bronco, I made it look like it's vintage. So vintage with all the modern commodities inside. It’s a beauty. No regrets here.

 

[GoHawks63]

The ‘25 I test drove had the sound deadening roof panel option, made it surprisingly quiet to what I thought it was going to be like.

My comments are mostly about the Bronco in general. I don't have a Big Bend, so I can't speak to that trim level specifically.

I have owned several off-road capable vehicles in the past, a couple of Pathfinders and a couple Land Cruisers. My son too owned a 2019 Colorado ZR2. I liked that rig. My Bronco replaced an aging, but still solid and relatively trouble-free BMW X5 with 112K miles.

My other two vehicles (CTS-V coupe & Roush Mustang convertible) are not the most practical vehicles, and they don't get driven during the winter months, so I needed something with four doors, more space and a bit more rugged since we head up to Northern Michigan often and camp. Was seriously considering a new 4-Runner, but for the trim level I was interested in, I would've had to get the hybrid which I didn't want as a personal preference, not to mention the added complexity. Yes, Toyotas have a great reputation. I purchased my last Land Cruiser new and drove it for 160K miles, and all it ever required was oil changes, tires and brakes, but even Toyota has had issues of late (see Tundra engine issues). Also, as mentioned by someone else, the Toyota 4-cylinders sound like tractors.

I have the hard top with the sound deadening liner. Yes, it's louder than my BMW, but actually quieter than my Mustang with the top up. The noise is obviously for me above 75mph, but not obnoxiously so. Hands-free phone calls can be a challenge for the other person to hear at those speeds.

I purchased my Bronco new in January 2024, and it now has 12,200 miles. Only two trips to the dealer for oil change and tire rotations. Two recalls so far, one for the rear-view camera which was addressed with an OTA update. The second is for the seat bolts for which I'm holding off on having inspected until the dealers have the parts since I heard they won't release your Bronco if it is found to have the defective bolts. Having said that, I haven't experienced any issues related to the two recalls.

I'm getting around 18mpg, sometimes a bit lower, but I have the 2.7 V6 and 35" tires. You may get better.

In the end though, it is a Ford and I won't get into all the issues we had with an F150 we once owned and as such, I did purchase an extended warranty.

I LOVE my Bronco.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[JediMcMuffin]

Well. I'm five years into a 2021 Badlands. I just bought an F-150 Tremor to replace it. I really only have been getting after it twice a year and every place I go, my buds with Silverados and Tundras have made it through everything the Bronco made it through, sometimes with stacked rocks and a traction board but not much fuss. I am so over the packing tetris. When its just me and one kids its fine, but any more then that and I'm seriously compressed and storage to the point where I've had to switch nearly everything to backpacking class gear.

I will miss the Bronco, lots of memories and fun adventures. I wish I had the room to keep it but I do not. I went camping at the beach last weekend with the pickup and was done packing in like 15 minutes, didn't have to use a spare tire basket and rooftop storage boxes. It was glorious.

Also... the B&O sound system in the F-150 makes the Bronco's system look like a weather radio that's been knocked off a table a half dozen times and is held together with duct tape.

Also also... I have the Coyote 5.0L now, and I 100% understand why so many people here desperately want this engine in the Bronco.

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