2021 Bronco Crash Test Results - 5/6 Rating by IIHS. Top Jeep Wrangler

[JonChicago]

Some background on IIHS and the headlight thing.

IIHS has been instrumental in getting safety improvements from manufacturers and government regulations. The offset test (where only about 25% of the bumper makes contact) was something almost no car could pass 20 years ago but almost all do now. At that time the federal test was into a flat wall and most cars passed it. However, most accidents are more like the offset test and cars then failed to protect passengers in such accidents. Their motivation is to save insurance companies money through safer cars. In most serious accidents the claim related to the car is trivial to what the payout is for the medical expenses for the occupants.

The headlight thing has been a new focus for them for about 10 years. It is really about getting regulators to allow new technology that improves visibility for the driver while not blinding oncoming traffic. We all know what it is like to encounter a car with aftermarket LEDs or high beams on. I'm sure they can see great but you are left blinded. The current headlight standards are very old and basic and the IIHS wants them updated to the 21st century so they have a purposely high standard to drive improvements.

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[Techun]

I don't pay attention to crash and safety ratings. I drive a 1965 VW Beetle. It's 6v so I'm lucky if I can see 5 feet in front at night, and that's with the high beams on. The gas tank is in the front and my chest is six inches from a hard plastic steering wheel. I only have lap belts to keep me from going through the windshield that is about 12 inches from my face. And to top it off, drum brakes on all four wheels. But, you can't get the smile off my face when I'm driving it.

Well yeah you're safe, you're only going 30mph!

 

[omega145]

How does the wrangler have a top pick without side airbags?

They do have side airbags, from the Jeep website:
A high-strength steel frame creates a rigid chassis and solid foundation to help maximize crash protection, while an advanced airbag system( Disclosure6), including side airbags, is ready to be deployed when needed.

 

[cowinsawdents]

Considering the score got dinged on the headlights, maybe one of the vendor sponsors will spin up an extended black friday sale on the BD SAE fog light kit.

 

[JT58Bronc]

How does all this affect insurance rates? Is the Bronco super high to insure? Now that I have a VIN I guess I can find out. I hope I can afford it on fixed retirement income.......

 

[Jmaher]

Are you going bigger than 33.5"x11.5" with a 17x9 with a +30 offset? It's an inch less ground clearance than the Sasquatch package, but I didn't have to pull the crash bars.

You can monkey with things to a point, but eventually, the crash bars will get in the way... At that point, your 40" airbags (tires) will probably absorb most of the energy that would have been taken by a set of crash bars.

Yah I did go with the Sasquatch wheels and tires. I’m just going to put a small lift in there and leave the crash bars in. I’d hate to have an accident and then have the insurance decline a claim because the bars weren’t there.

 

[CGBBAlexandria]

Totally get it on the poor lighting esp. when on turns. Made a hard turn (to turn around) on a dead-end the other night and couldn't see where I was going. Driving lights didn't help. Came from a VW (not a luxury car) that had adaptive lighting and miss it. Guess a more technical lighting system might hinder modularity (i.e. headlight upgrade), so I guess that's the trade-off. Instead, I'm going to install the Rigid 4" A-pillar lights.

 

[Brewdaddy]

That's good. I do think some cars are way too bright. They're pretty much blinding while passing.

I think I read somewhere about adaptive lights being able to cut down on that. And now with the latest laws, manufacturers can start using them. So hopefully that'll make passing oncoming traffic better soon!

While waiting for my Bronco I purchased an Outback Wilderness (that my wife has now decided she wants when the Bronco arrives so selling her old car). Its unbelievable how many people in oncoming traffic flash their lights at me when my low beams are on (this is even in city traffic). Its beyond annoying, not sure I could keep the vehicle due to the sheer volume of morons flashing their lights at me.

 

[NotApplicable]

Good enough ratings for me. This, along with the significant weight advantage the Bronco has vs most other cars on the road should be pretty good.

I wonder if the leather seating with adjustable headrests fares any differently than the rest of the interiors with their stationary headrests.

As for the headlights, hopefully any changes Ford makes in response to these ratings are backwards compatible!

 

[mpeugeot]

How does all this affect insurance rates? Is the Bronco super high to insure? Now that I have a VIN I guess I can find out. I hope I can afford it on fixed retirement income.......

It's affordable.

 

[mpeugeot]

I have an OBX lux package with fog lights, the fog lights provide great visibility for turns and the auto high beams work well. I can see plenty far with the low beam headlights and often can spot the deer waiting to assault vehicles from the side of the road. I can only imagine how much better it would have to be to get a decent rating, as the Bronco lights are far, far, far superior to the lights on my 2011 F-150 with or without the fog lights turned on (which is pretty old technology by modern standards). They would likely say that the F-150 lights were inoperable... LOL.

 

[lakesinai]

why would they smash up an antimatter blue, when it's not even available as a 2022. Thats super rare!

Why not smash grey or black, etc..

Those are also steelies, as well? They crashed a Base model?

 

[lakesinai]

It's affordable.

Yes, the Bronco was less expensive to insure by 10-15% than my 2016 crew cab F150. Even though it was a new car and worth $23,000 more. My Allstate agent said its because of all the safety Equipment and accident/collision prevention features.

 

[MysteryCamper]

Yup, never adding a handle strap to that roll bar

In the video the side airbags deploy downward, out of the bottom of the roll bar. The type of handle straps that attach to the bolts on the roll bar sit above the airbag opening and wouldn't interfere with that at all. Definitely wouldn't attach the straps that go around the bar though.

 

[jrdnprss]

not bad. would love to see the other crashes.

the headlight rating is hugely weighted. if you don't have the turning style headlights, you'll fail that test.

Not quite accurate. My Kia Stinger GT2 with turning headlights is rated as acceptable while the fixed lights on the lower (but not base) trims are rated as good.

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