IF it has to be IFS..........

[Stampede.Offroad]

Hopefully Ford knows how illogical their passionate potential customers are. Most of the time, passion = "take my money"

I think the more logical Bronco is going to be the baby/Maverick/Scout. It's the one that will fulfill the vast majority of most customers actual needs, and then some. But for some crazy reason, no one seems terribly excited about that one ...

Sponsored

 

[Stampede.Offroad]

Really? It sells more units than anything Jeep makes. Around 300k units for the last 5 years, which is more than double what the Edge sells, and more than Explorer has sold for the last decade.

The small/compact crossover segment is very hot, replacing sedans and the like, and beyond the first year or two once pent up demand has been siphoned off, I would expect the baby to sell more units than the Bronco. If styling and marketing is right, it might sell more out of the gate.

 

[OX1]

Woman has one for 3 reasons. Wants to sit up higher, in 2014 especially, it was the only one that was faster than her base 2.5, 09 impreza (which was 176 HP in a very light package, 0-60 in the low to mid 7's, which is imporant to her for merging on highways), and the SE was avail with the 2.0 as the only option (last year for that was 17, so we replaced the 14 with a 17).

I wouldn't drive one everyday either, but they are pretty quick (0-60 in high 6's), ride down the highway at up to 80 reasoanbly well , and we got the 17 with 2.0 and cold weather package for well under $30K (like low 27's).............

 

[EvlNvrDys]

Hopefully Ford knows how illogical their passionate potential customers are. Most of the time, passion = "take my money"

I think the more logical Bronco is going to be the baby/Maverick/Scout. It's the one that will fulfill the vast majority of most customers actual needs, and then some. But for some crazy reason, no one seems terribly excited about that one ...

The only problem with "passionate potential customers" is, they are the minority in this mix. Just look at all the Wranglers that have hit the roads in the last 5 years or so, mostly (and by mostly I'd guess 95%) are driven on pavement. Sure many of them have some sort of mod/cosmetic upgrades, but just like my wife's 2017 Wrangler, it'll never see any type of dirt trail.

With that said, I'd consider myself a passionate Bronco customer, have owned an 84, 93 & 94. The 84 I had a lift on. Have always loved Bronco's and will certainly buy one when they finally re-release it. But to be honest, if it has sfa or ifs, I could care less. My concerns fall into 4wd capable in the snow and occasional mud, and more room that a Wrangler 2 door! And I'd be willing to guess that 95% of actual customers wouldn't care either way between sfa and ifs.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Stampede.Offroad]

. I'd be willing to guess that 95% of actual customers wouldn't care either way between sfa and ifs..

Exactly. Most wouldn't care or notice the difference.

Most of the people who would, prefer the less expensive solid option.

Some day maybe Ford will tell us what they think in a non cryptic way.

 

[BroncoMike]

The only problem with "passionate potential customers" is, they are the minority in this mix. Just look at all the Wranglers that have hit the roads in the last 5 years or so, mostly (and by mostly I'd guess 95%) are driven on pavement. Sure many of them have some sort of mod/cosmetic upgrades, but just like my wife's 2017 Wrangler, it'll never see any type of dirt trail.

If you fork out $45k plus aftermarket upgrades, you qualify as "passionate" to the salesman. The manufacturer doesn't care what you're going to use it for - posing at the Jack-in-the-Box or tearing fenders off and crushing rockers at Moab. The bottom line to them is units sold, and that 5% who use their vehicles to their potential drives the image. It is image that sells units.

Bronco will have to capture some sort of success to create that image if it is to compete with Jeep. Stealing the crawling title seems a little out of reach, so they will have to make a niche somewhere.

 

[wjfawb0 [hacked account]]

The ability to easily lift and get big tires on wranglers along with the removable top seem to be the big draw for jeeps. Very few wrangler owners I know want to risk damaging their $40k daily driver. I bought a low option 2 door wrangler with the rubicon package just for offroading. I'm the exception, and I don't like the removable top. I figure ford will go IFS. I see aftermarket accessories as a big draw, but I think ford would rather have people pay a higher MSRP so they can get customers' money up front. I'm in the wait and see camp. The solid front axle on my wrangler has never had death wobble issues over 74,000 miles, a lift, etc. but it is tiring driving down the highway and on backroads with constantly changing camber. I think I'll retire it to a weekend rig soon.

 

[OX1]

The ability to easily lift and get big tires on wranglers along with the removable top seem to be the big draw for jeeps. Very few wrangler owners I know want to risk damaging their $40k daily driver. I bought a low option 2 door wrangler with the rubicon package just for offroading. I'm the exception, and I don't like the removable top. I figure ford will go IFS. I see aftermarket accessories as a big draw, but I think ford would rather have people pay a higher MSRP so they can get customers' money up front. I'm in the wait and see camp. The solid front axle on my wrangler has never had death wobble issues over 74,000 miles, a lift, etc. but it is tiring driving down the highway and on backroads with constantly changing camber. I think I'll retire it to a weekend rig soon.

Trying to see how you get any kind of camber changes with SFA on highway
(unless you have some really crappy highways down there)

 

[BroncoMike]

it is tiring driving down the highway and on backroads

Was it always like this, or did it get that way incrementally, as in OEM parts wear/tolerance stacking or the introduction of aftermarket parts upgrades/additions? So many people report their Jeeps handle just fine on-road, I'm wondering if a good examination wouldn't find worn ball joints, tie rod ends, track bar issues, or out-of-spec alignment. Something as simple as unevenly worn tires can make things unpleasant.

I guess it also depends on what you're comparing it to... I had a '95 Bronco and thought it was super nice on the highway, then my wife (now ex) got a new car. Man that Bronco handled like CRAP after she bought the Lexus! One day it was fine, just one night sleeping next to the new car and it all went to the dogs.

 

[wjfawb0 [hacked account]]

Trying to see how you get any kind of camber changes with SFA on highway
(unless you have some really crappy highways down there)

I mean that the camber of the road changes constantly. Most of the roads where I live have several feet deep ditches along the side of them with no shoulder. It's very hilly and most roads follow streams. The crown of the road and thus camber of the surface changes quite often. The SFA roll steer during these transitions makes it necessary to steer to keep the jeep in the lane.

Was it always like this, or did it get that way incrementally, as in OEM parts wear/tolerance stacking or the introduction of aftermarket parts upgrades/additions? So many people report their Jeeps handle just fine on-road, I'm wondering if a good examination wouldn't find worn ball joints, tie rod ends, track bar issues, or out-of-spec alignment. Something as simple as unevenly worn tires can make things unpleasant.

I guess it also depends on what you're comparing it to... I had a '95 Bronco and thought it was super nice on the highway, then my wife (now ex) got a new car. Man that Bronco handled like CRAP after she bought the Lexus! One day it was fine, just one night sleeping next to the new car and it all went to the dogs.

I replaced all the bearings, front steering links, and ball joints when the front and rear axle seals started leaking around 50,000 to 60,000 miles. I will say that the softer multirate rock krawler springs allow more bouncing than the stock linear springs, and that lets the axle steering do its thing more often. I have adjustable rancho shocks that I set to firm on the road and soften up offroad along with letting the tire pressure down to 18-20 psi. I drive a 2010 F150 on the weekends for hauling, a 2015 mustang GT, and then daily the wrangler. The jeep wears me out compared to the F150. The mustang is a dream to take down the highway compared to the wrangler.

Of course, right now my mustang is in my garage waiting on a new intake. The IMRC (butterly) valves on the driver's side haven't been working for a while due to a broken shaft (not that uncommon), so I've been getting misfire codes and poor fuel economy for the last year. SYNC keeps blocking my phone as a media player. The backup camera is dying just like the one on my wife's 2013 explorer did. Ford is on a downhill slide.

 

[BroncoMike]

Track bar bushings. Again, was it troublesome when it was new(er)?

The modified suspension Jeep might be more effort to drive on the road, but I bet it does that better than the Mustang does at rockcrawling.

Everything is a compromise.

 

[Bronco II]

Exactly. Most wouldn't care or notice the difference.

Most of the people who would, prefer the less expensive solid option.

Some day maybe Ford will tell us what they think in a non cryptic way.

It's my bet that if IFS gets under Bronco Ford will charge more for it. It's my bet that Bronco will come out with IFS and if there is a SFS that it will be for a special off road package there for IFS will cost us more.

 

[3crows]

If I only take my new vehicle, be it a Bronco or a Wrangler, off-road 5% of the time, that 5% of the time it will need a SFA and I will want a SFA 100% of the time regardless.

Sponsored