A Wrangler Owner/Enthusiast/Builder honest review of the 2021 Bronco -- long...

[Dads_bronze_bronco]

I think they are a lot closer rock crawling stock to stock. Ford did 1000% target the Wrangler so you HAVE to compare them, and a Badland Sasquatch vs a Rubicon is the comparison (top stock vs top stock).

So if you go Badlands Sasquatch ($2500 option after 10AT and 2.7 if you add it), the Rubi should have the Mopar 2-1/2” lift and 315s. Or hey, if we’re talking “top” do we add 3.0d or Heim?

Compare stock to stock.

Even then, go back and watch the articulation segment in the TFL video. Also note a lot of the Bronco’s articulation comes from a rear solid axle with no swaybar.

I don’t agree with Tommy about the width of the Jeep being narrower, as most wheel and tire upgrades make the Jeep as wide as the Bronco, but there is something to be said for the body and especially the hood area being narrower and thus more protected.

And we haven’t even gotten into electronics and turbos and trail reliability/ repairability.

But - we are debating around a very narrow use case where the Rubicon has the advantage. And even then if a Badlands can make it through anything a stock Rubi can, the rest of the time a Bronco will have advantages.

As for the interior:
- worried about the black MGV being sweaty -my white boat MGV is not a problem
- like the carpet covering the painted tub in the back of my JK way more than the flimsy plastic in the Bronco, and noticed scratches (easily scratched) center console plastic on the dealer Mannequin
- agree the hero switches are better placed and having a separate front and rear locker switch is helpful

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[Jdyount]

So if you go Badlands Sasquatch ($2500 option after 10AT and 2.7 if you add it), the Rubi should have the Mopar 2-1/2” lift and 315s. Or hey, if we’re talking “top” do we add 3.0d or Heim?

Compare stock to stock.

Even then, go back and watch the articulation segment in the TFL video. Also note a lot of the Bronco’s articulation comes from a rear solid axle with no swaybar.

I don’t agree with Tommy about the width of the Jeep being narrower, as most wheel and tire upgrades make the Jeep as wide as the Bronco, but there is something to be said for the body and especially the hood area being narrower and thus more protected.

And we haven’t even gotten into electronics and turbos and trail reliability/ repairability.

But - we are debating around a very narrow use case where the Rubicon has the advantage. And even then if a Badlands can make it through anything a stock Rubi can, the rest of the time a Bronco will have advantages.

As for the interior:
- worried about the black MGV being sweaty -my white boat MGV is not a problem
- like the carpet covering the painted tub in the back of my JK way more than the flimsy plastic in the Bronco, and noticed scratches (easily scratched) center console plastic on the dealer Mannequin
- agree the hero switches are better placed and having a separate front and rear locker switch is helpful

Ok, add the Hemi, a bunch of un-needed weight that screws up your center of gravity... The Hemi in a stock Rubi is a joke, just pandering to the masses who THINK they need a v8 but really just have small penises (I love v8 power but with the turbos on modern v6 engines you get as much power with less weight). You don't need it rock crawling with a stock-ish vehicle. It's not a rock bouncer...

I did say that Jeep started offering the lift and 35s (315s) but that JUST started happening so 99.999% of stock Rubis don't have that.

So the real question is what exactly are we comparing? Stock to stock (even with the 35s on the Rubi vs Sasquatch) I don't think there is a terribly large difference rock crawling. Yes the Jeep has a higher ceiling aftermarket, but the Bronco should catch up over time. I do not think that they are different segments or that IFS can't compete with a solid axle rock crawling (look at KOH).

 

[NCOBX]

(I love v8 power but with the turbos on modern v6 engines you get as much power with less weight).

Except, at least in Fords case, the 5.0L weighs less than the 2.7L.

There’s a lot of V6 cope on these forums for what is really a less than stellar engine, and I have quite a lot of seat time behind it.

 

[Jdyount]

Except, at least in Fords case, the 5.0L weighs less than the 2.7L.

There’s a lot of V6 cope on these forums for what is really a less than stellar engine, and I have quite a lot of seat time behind it.

I guess in the case of 2.7 vs 5.0 Coyote the dry weight is comparable. Still, you don't really gain much with the 5.0, a little horsepower and sound. There is a reason (could be cost or that it didn't fit) that Ford didn't put the 5.0 in the Bronco.

As to the power in off-road situations, I can assure you that the 2.7 is more than sufficient in the Bronco (which is not the same size as an F150). At the Off-Roadeo in the Fun-Haver course, the instructors we flat on it and the 2.7 was more than scary fast.

 

[WadeWolf76]

Seeing a lot of reviews on the 4 door base sound system being horrible. I wonder if its any better in the 2 door due to distance from the back speakers?

I have a hard time justifying the price of the B&O system the way its packaged, but I can't stand crappy audio.

 

[MacMarauder]

Great post, I'm a little concerned about the MGV getting hot but the sun doesn't shine at Arizona levels where I live so hopefully it will be ok. I'm set on Black Diamond so I don't have much choice in the matter anyways! There are always seat covers if it's really needed.

 

[BroncoKong Jr.]

Would you consider replacing it with the Bestop twill if one were available? (Can not find it listed on the Bestop website.)

Bestop's Bronco tops, at least the ones available so far, will not be sold through anyone other than Ford.

 

[Bronco4lyfe85]

The Hemi in a stock Rubi is a joke, just pandering to the masses who THINK they need a v8 but really just have small penises (I love v8 power but with the turbos on modern v6 engines you get as much power with less weight)

WHAT!?!

GTFO with this nonsense. I own a 6.4L Challenger, that engine would smoke the absolute fuck out of the 2.7L in the Bronco, this is complete and utter nonsense. I do agree that the 392 isn’t absolutely necessary in a Jeep though.

 

[Bronco4lyfe85]

You can really tell the fanboys from the logical thinkers in this thread. Never seen so many grown adults offended by the truth.

 

[Laminar]

Except, at least in Fords case, the 5.0L weighs less than the 2.7L.

2.7 trucks are ~100lbs. less than Coyote trucks. Coyote trucks are ~50lbs. less than the 3.5.

All of this information is out there, widely published. I don't know why people like you keep spreading false information.

https://media.ford.com/content/dam/fordmedia/North America/US/product/2021/f150/pdfs/2021-F-150-Technical-Specs.pdf

There’s a lot of V6 cope on these forums for what is really a less than stellar engine, and I have quite a lot of seat time behind it.

But apparently no time behind a Coyote, at least not enough to know anything about how it drives. I own both. The Coyote is an absolute blast screaming down the road at 6000rpm. The 2.7 has miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiles more off-idle and low-end torque, and is a monster off the line. The Coyote is a slug until it comes up on the cams, when there's a sudden, extremely non-linear, surge of power.

Over and over and over again I say that a Coyote Bronco would be slower, less responsive on the low end, and get worse mpg, but your "V8 cope" won't let you participate in reality.

 

[Lcubed]

has katskinz released details on the available seat cover options yet? or was it privy just to the builders?

got to plan for my MOD top build which has been delayed to MY23

 

[NCOBX]

You can really tell the fanboys from the logical thinkers in this thread. Never seen so many grown adults offended by the truth.

It’s not really just this thread, it’s really any enthusiast forum. People get blindsided by a product that they really love and cannot look at it objectively. I get it, the options on the market for real SUVs is extremely limited, you have the Bronco, Wrangler, 4Runner and GX, and when the choices are that few it’s much easier to pick one and hold it up as the best.

Same reason people are willing to put down $50k for a 4 cylinder Honda Civic.

 

[Laminar]

WHAT!?!

GTFO with this nonsense. I own a 6.4L Challenger, that engine would smoke the absolute fuck out of the 2.7L in the Bronco, this is complete and utter nonsense.

The 6.4 actually has enough displacement to make the kind of low end torque that the V8 mavens here salivate over.

That being said, the Hemis are HEAVY and a Raptor 3.5 making similar power/torque to the 6.4 probably weighs 100lbs less.

 

[SVTLightning]

It’s not really just this thread, it’s really any enthusiast forum. People get blindsided by a product that they really love and cannot look at it objectively. I get it, the options on the market for real SUVs is extremely limited, you have the Bronco, Wrangler, 4Runner and GX, and when the choices are that few it’s much easier to pick one and hold it up as the best.

Same reason people are willing to put down $50k for a 4 cylinder Honda Civic.

A lot of it is that it’s just people’s opinions, and when their opinion aligns with yours it’s the truth, but when it doesn’t, it’s wrong.
My comment is more directed to the seats. I was hoping for solid axles up front for increased articulation.

 

[NCOBX]

2.7 trucks are ~100lbs. less than Coyote trucks. Coyote trucks are ~50lbs. less than the 3.5.

All of this information is out there, widely published. I don't know why people like you keep spreading false information.

https://media.ford.com/content/dam/fordmedia/North America/US/product/2021/f150/pdfs/2021-F-150-Technical-Specs.pdf



But apparently no time behind a Coyote, at least not enough to know anything about how it drives. I own both. The Coyote is an absolute blast screaming down the road at 6000rpm. The 2.7 has miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiles more off-idle and low-end torque, and is a monster off the line. The Coyote is a slug until it comes up on the cams, when there's a sudden, extremely non-linear, surge of power.

Over and over and over again I say that a Coyote Bronco would be slower, less responsive on the low end, and get worse mpg, but your "V8 cope" won't let you participate in reality.

Except you are incorrect, the 5.0 weighs 430lbs with accessories while the 2.7 weighs 440lbs. This is easily verifiable if you took a couple minutes to look it up.

https://www.autoweek.com/news/a1907731/ford-27-liter-ecoboost-v6-deep-dive/

https://www.lsxmag.com/features/ls3-vs-coyote-budget-shootout-coyote-dyno-results/

Come to the future, being stuck in the 80s in the heyday of turbos has left you out of touch.

Truck weights are different because the frame thickness on the weaker 2.7T trucks in thinner than that of the 3.5 and 5.0

https://www.f150forum.com/f118/frames-f150-418438/

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