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

[Altitude]

I enjoyed following your WK2 build on Jeepgarage and will be looking forward to see what comes of your Bronco. I'm guessing that RCV will be more apt to build axles for the Bronco than they were for the WK2!

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[Bronco4lyfe85]

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.

Correct and the Coyote will soar past 7K RPM so it has good top end while a turbo engine will usually fall on its face. The 2021 raptors are actually right on par (ahead on torque) of the 6.4L now. But the 3.5L isn’t really an option on the Bronco (as of now) so the 2.7L is the only comparison. So it’s nonsense to compare any engines on the Bronco to the 392 in the Jeep. They just don’t compare and you can tell who hasn’t driven that engine with their comments, It’s an absolute beast. I’d take a 392 Jeep if it wasn’t 80K dollars.

 

[ugafan706]

People i have the 'base' radio. Also have the base radio in my 2019 Rubicon and i upgraded the speakers in it to the mopar kicker ones. The Bronco base radio is a lot better than the Rubicon radio. Is not world class, but its not by no means the worst.

 

[Laminar]

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.

There are no numbers on the internet that are less useful than dry engine weights.

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

Says the guy that didn't realize how non-linear the Coyote's powerband is. The irony of thinking '80s turbos have any relevance to today's turbo engines and chastising someone for being "out of touch" is so thick it's palpable.

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/

I'm very familiar with that thread, but apparently you didn't even read it before linking it. Frame isn't based on engine, but packages. You can get a 5.0 with the light duty frame and 8.8 axle, just like you can a 2.7. They're listing base weights there before any options.

People get blindsided by a product that they really love and cannot look at it objectively.

I don't think I've ever seen someone whoosh themselves so hard.

 

[Laminar]

So it’s nonsense to compare any engines on the Bronco to the 392 in the Jeep.

Totally - the Bronco has no answer for the 392, especially with how Ford seems to have neutered the launch for whatever reason. Even when they bring out the 3.0, I seriously doubt it'll touch the 392. Now if they steal the 3.0 hybrid from the Lincoln Aviator (494hp/630tq) we might finally have a fun race to watch.

 

[NCOBX]

There are no numbers on the internet that are less useful than dry engine weights.



Says the guy that didn't realize how non-linear the Coyote's powerband is. The irony of thinking '80s turbos have any relevance to today's turbo engines and chastising someone for being "out of touch" is so thick it's palpable.



I'm very familiar with that thread, but apparently you didn't even read it before linking it. Frame isn't based on engine, but packages. You can get a 5.0 with the light duty frame and 8.8 axle, just like you can a 2.7. They're listing base weights there before any options.



I don't think I've ever seen someone whoosh themselves so hard.

A lot of cope here for someone that was wrong in so many ways. You might want to re-read the document you linked to earlier. You’re judging engine weight by entire vehicle weight when you can full well see the larger engine options use beefier components which account for that added weight.

 

[Jdyount]

My fault, I started the engine argument, sorry to de-rail your thread OP....

 

[Dads_bronze_bronco]

Ive been privy to some pretty cool things coming for the Bronco from some of the major players. There is ALOT to look forward to, and its all coming pretty soon. Its not rushed either, most of what I am excited for has been in development for quite some time before us mere mortals got our hands on these things.

Looking forward to this. I have figuring on adding an amp, upgraded speakers and a sub. Looking at the Pickens Party of 5 thread and video, sounds like better speakers will go a long way.

 

[Pressurized]

I live quite close to Doetsch Offroad and know a few of the guys over there... I do not know who wrote this review, (looking closer I see it is Todd) but am quite aware of the shops overall experience level in offroad. 99.5% of these Bronco's will not be doing hardcore offroad (specifically rock crawling). And when you back down from that level, most decent offroad vehicles can go the same places. For instance, the last run we made, with 15 of us, only 1 heavily built Jeep on D60's and 39" tires was able to make the most difficult obstacle. I came closest, but just kept sliding back down the ledge with my LJ-R on 35's. But everyone with at least a rear locker did all of the other obstacles and we only winched a Gladiator once and it was because of his wheelbase.

Stock for stock, I bet they are quite comparable on a decent trail, like Hell's Revenge in Moab for example. And it's hard to imagine that the stock vs stock comparison wasn't all Ford was after.

I got my first close up look at the Bronco yesterday. Dealer had 3... One was a special dealer demo build and was not or would never be sold, another was a new Badlands waiting for customer delivery and the last was an Outer Banks that was customer owned but on display. It already had aftermarket wheels and 37's on it. They noted that it rubbed pretty hard when flexed out and were waiting for more lift and bump stops to set it up properly.

My initial impressions... Looks cool. I like the retro trends that kicked in a few years back and this is no exception. I got to see the 33's and 35's side by side and both looked good. Fit and finish was a little less than stellar. Both soft tops were wavy, didn't line up to the body well and just looked less than premium. Inside was not bad, but materials used were also not very premium, at least for a $55k vehicle. Seats were comfy, but the Badlands MGV was hot as F*ck here in AZ and it was only 101° outside. The leather was better, but it has me thinking Outer Banks so I can get cloth.

Drive was limited to around the dealer mall... Not very helpful, but about as expected. Better than a JK at that speed and comparable to a JL in my opinion. Manual disconnects will be out soon enough, so the Badlands doesn't have to be the go-to for offroad builds. We are a many Jeep family, so a Bronco would replace my wife's JKU overland'ish build on 35's. Basically a Squatch build from the factory gets the vast majority of what she has that took me a few years to get right. That doesn't sound too bad. She's a body color top kind of girl so the hardtop seems the way to go and sounds like body color might be coming. It does seem like future interior upgrades will be likely and maybe that closes the gap to the expectations of a $55k vehicle.

I might just have to put a reservation in...

 

[dave91gt]

I personally appreciate your review. We have a 2018 JLU Sahara but with cloth, base stereo, etc. It has a Mopar lift with 315's and is my wife's daily driver. The one bronco we drove was an OBX with a soft top and cloth seats.
We align with a large majority of Wrangler owners that wanted it for daily driving and top off fun.

 

[395N]

Good post OP. I appreciate the honest feedback from someone who has some true off road cred comparing the Jeep and the Bronco. Stock to stock doesn't interest me for off road use. I always modify my rigs and the end potential is what is important to me, not how they roll off the showroom floor.
I've already posted in other threads about my aversion to the Bronco (based on first hand feedback from Bronco driver/racers) for real off road use on 37's so I won't go into it here again.

 

[az_dirt]

Absolutely agree with this, I thought it would be similar to my 4Runner SofTex seats, it’s not even close. I ordered MGV, at this point I regret it. Further, nothing worse to me than seeing worn seats in cars with less than 30k miles. I don’t think any bronco seat configuration is going to hold up for a decent amount of time.

I have about 1,100 miles on my BL SAS with MGV and wife and I like the MGV. We have the Lux and the sound system is disappointing. Love the Antimatter Blue.

@DoetschOff-Road Great write up I want to compare it to my off-roading friends Jeeps and to slow side by sides and that does not make sense either ... Thanks for the review. Pic in N AZ bringing it home to Phoenix over the weekend. Nice to see another BL AMB in the area. I am in Ahwatukee.

 

[Elonmsk]

I have about 1,100 miles on my BL SAS with MGV and wife and I like the MGV. We have the Lux and the sound system is disappointing. Love the Antimatter Blue.

@DoetschOff-Road Great write up I want to compare it to my off-roading friends Jeeps and to slow side by sides and that does not make sense either ... Thanks for the review. Pic in N AZ bringing it home to Phoenix over the weekend. Nice to see another BL AMB in the area. I am in Ahwatukee.

How's the MGV holding up?

 

[xmod]

To the OP - I'm in Mesa, and have not off-roaded in AZ for about 10 years. Are there any good clubs to join for off-roading and if they are mainly Jeep centric will they be friendly to Broncos? The club I was in years ago was for Land Rovers (only). And, will your shop be supporting Broncos mods in the future?

 

[az_dirt]

How's the MGV holding up?

It seems okay for now, will need time to tell. They do get hot when top is open. Steering wheel gets hot too. I am in Phoenix so maybe not a good spot to test. Would have preferred seat cooling than heating. About 5 minutes before getting into I use the app to turn on and let the AC run.

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