Between my wife and I, we have had Wranglers pretty much non stop since 1997. I'm a big fan. I've never owned a Ford but always loved the look of the vintage Broncos so after the new Bronco came out I ordered one mostly because they look awesome. Much better looking than the Wrangler in my opinion. My wife just got a new Wrangler too but as a Jeep fan, consider me impressed with the Bronco. Here's my decidedly non-technical impression of the comparison of the two.
Specs:
'22 Bronco 2dr Manual Sasquatch Badlands Lux in Area 51 (2.3L)
'22 Wrangler 4 door Automatic Sahara in Gobi (2.0L 4 cyl turbo)
Basically the same price.
Much has been written about the improvement in steering over the Wrangler's solid front axle but it's like night and day. The Bronco's steering just feels more carlike but with a little more feedback and resistance. Also, you're not constantly correcting to keep on center like you do on the Wrangler. I'll likely do some light off roading but the rock crawling nuances between the two are a non factor for me.
The Bronco is just... bigger. Part of this is no doubt because of the Sasquatch package but it also seems wider and feels roomier in the front seats. I rented a Rubicon once and the ride was way too stiff and handling was just brutal. Not so with the Sasquatch.
The max spec infotainment screens are much bigger on the Bronco which makes the interior look and feel nicer. I like the rest of the interior of the Bronco better than the Wrangler with the exception of the Atari-esque speedo/tach on the Bronco.
The seats are more comfortable than the Wrangler and the vinyl wetsuit-like material is really cool. (I prefer leather but I've had varying luck with leather getting the crow's feet effect after a few years so that's initially why I picked vinyl.)
The clutch and shifting in the manual are like butter. Just perfect. I'm THAT guy - the guy that wouldn't consider buying a Jeep or Bronco for myself with an automatic, but I get that most people prefer automatics and that's okay!
The suspension and ride are firmer in the Bronco but that's not a fair comparison because our Wrangler isn't a Rubicon and the 2dr has a shorter wheelbase than the Wrangler, but by no means is there a big difference between the two.
I was afraid the Sasquatch might look a little monster-trucky but the 2 door looks perfectly proportioned, chunky but awesome. Not throwing shade if your personal preference is a 4 door, I get it, the 2 door is not so practical but if you loved the vintage Broncos you'll love the way the 2dr looks more in person than in pictures.
Another pleasant surprise believe it or not was the engine sound. With the manual my only choice was the 4 cyl. Two recent vehicles of mine were an SRT8 and a Hellcat so I was absolutely dreading the sound of the 4 cyl, especially since the Wrangler 2.0L turbo sounds like a whistling electric knife. The Bronco somehow sounds ok, with a tiny hint of throatiness. I wouldn't say it sounds great but it sounds better than any 4cyl I've ever heard.
I can't compare power because I'm going to be nice to the engine for the first 500 miles but the Bronco feels a little porky for the 4cyl powerplant. I'm adding the Ford Performance Calibration so I expect that will make performance on par with the Jeep and the 2.7L. I didn't buy a race car. Recommendation: save some dough and get the 4 cyl with the tune instead of the 6.
Last but not least, obviously, dealing with Ford has been a nightmare which is not the case with Jeep. My Bronco took 14 months to get. They're on day 5 of trying to pull off the tune (accidentally ordered the 2.7, reordered the 2.3, couldn't unlock it, website currently down, no ETA, blah blah blah.) They also delivered it with a dent so they had to do bodywork and repaint a door. I had it for a day and it's been back at the dealer for a week+. Not a good first impression with quality and service.
And of course my wife is a dedicated Jeep fan so she never tires of telling me what Ford stands for (Found On the Road Dead, F**cker Only Runs Downhill, etc.) But I can deal with that, knowing I have the superior ride!
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