Article: Ford predicts new Bronco will eat Jeep's lunch, lure customers from FCA

[RockEye]

I live on a sandbar. No rocks to crawl over here but the Bronco will see beach duty. I don’t care about SFA but I do care about power and on road demeanor. The 2.7 EB motor in the Bronco will walk all over Wrangler in every way. Power is not even comparable. If you tune it, the gap will be even wider.

I did the drive from Miami to Key West recently in a JL and the only thing I liked was the top and ease of taking it on and off. Otherwise it was slow and not very comfortable. If Ford improves on that, they have a winner in my mind.

I couldn't agree more. You can't take advantage of the SFA in most of the country. I did just fine in my IFS FJ Cruiser in Moab. The 2.7 EB is enough for me to choose it over the Jeep.

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[Rogues Gambit]

“Equally at home on the interstate”

No doubt that the Bronco will destroy the Wrangler there.

IFS has its advantages afterall

Sure, won't rock crawl like a Jeep, but whose doing that daily?

 

[Rogues Gambit]

I live on a sandbar. No rocks to crawl over here but the Bronco will see beach duty. I don’t care about SFA but I do care about power and on road demeanor. The 2.7 EB motor in the Bronco will walk all over Wrangler in every way. Power is not even comparable. If you tune it, the gap will be even wider.

I did the drive from Miami to Key West recently in a JL and the only thing I liked was the top and ease of taking it on and off. Otherwise it was slow and not very comfortable. If Ford improves on that, they have a winner in my mind.

(Minus FL)

 

[MaverickMan]

IFS has its advantages afterall

Sure, won't rock crawl like a Jeep, but whose doing that daily?

It is funny how much of the offroading world caters solely to rock crawling. Its almost a bias. I have rock crawled a time or 2 but did not find it to be more challenging or any more fun than other wheeling. Its definitely fun, but to say its more fun than playing in a river or sliding down into a muddy ditch and working for a half hour to find a spot where if you spin the tires fast enough in 3rd gear you can get your front tires back up on the bank. I dont know, I also like driving fast enough down rough roads that they cease to be rough. I will say because of the nature of the tippyness and the hard terra(rocks) of rock crawling it is one of the more dangerous types, just below driving on frozen lakes.

I just want my Bronco to do it all. Thats why Im fine with 35s and a winch, an maybe a small lift. I would like to see a experimental suspension like the I beam that bridges the gaps, but as long as it dont break im happy.

 

[indio22]

It is funny how much of the offroading world caters solely to rock crawling. Its almost a bias. I have rock crawled a time or 2 but did not find it to be more challenging or any more fun than other wheeling. Its definitely fun, but to say its more fun than playing in a river or sliding down into a muddy ditch and working for a half hour to find a spot where if you spin the tires fast enough in 3rd gear you can get your front tires back up on the bank. I dont know, I also like driving fast enough down rough roads that they cease to be rough. I will say because of the nature of the tippyness and the hard terra(rocks) of rock crawling it is one of the more dangerous types, just below driving on frozen lakes.

I just want my Bronco to do it all. Thats why Im fine with 35s and a winch, an maybe a small lift. I would like to see a experimental suspension like the I beam that bridges the gaps, but as long as it dont break im happy.

I want a vehicle that has good wheel travel, so the tires maintain contact with the terrain I'm driving, and are not lifting in the air. That is generally considered a good attribute for off-roading. People can call it rock crawling or whatever. Rock, ledge, ditch, uneven trail ... I want the suspension to flex and the tires to maintain reasonable contact with the trail. Am I in the minority on this? Hopefully Ford was able to achieve good quality in this regard with the new Bronco IFS.

 

[Nickp]

I was honestly expecting a Subaru Forester at first, I'm glad to see they are seriously taking the Wrangler head on.

From what I’ve heard Bronco Sport WAS the Bronco at one point. Or at least a concept.

 

[JimmyDean]

I want a vehicle that has good wheel travel, so the tires maintain contact with the terrain I'm driving, and are not lifting in the air. That is generally considered a good attribute for off-roading. People can call it rock crawling or whatever. Rock, ledge, ditch, uneven trail ... I want the suspension to flex and the tires to maintain reasonable contact with the trail. Am I in the minority on this? Hopefully Ford was able to achieve good quality in this regard with the new Bronco IFS.

I have a theory on this, that aligns with something an insider told us when we have what appears to be conflicting information...but if my theory is right, it isn't really conflicting and could confirm something REALLY awesome, and also would make sense of the some of the patents we've seen that made little-no sense to anyone, and for Ford to achieve what they claim they can achieve.

But if my theory holds on what Ford is providing, they may have found out a way to eliminate the main shortfall of IFS over SFA.

 

[Paint]

But if my theory holds on what Ford is providing, they may have found out a way to eliminate the main shortfall of IFS over SFA.

Ford is good and all, but if they can eliminate people fighting about it on the internet, there's no stopping them.

 

[BAUS67]

.................................., I'm glad to see they are seriously taking the Wrangler head o

I want a vehicle that has good wheel travel, so the tires maintain contact with the terrain I'm driving, and are not lifting in the air. That is generally considered a good attribute for off-roading. People can call it rock crawling or whatever. Rock, ledge, ditch, uneven trail ... I want the suspension to flex and the tires to maintain reasonable contact with the trail. Am I in the minority on this? Hopefully Ford was able to achieve good quality in this regard with the new Bronco IFS.

You might be in the minority but I'm with 'ya. I like to think we are the 5%'ers and yes rock crawling is such a general terms used by people you don't get it. Flex is what gets you through stuff not just rocks. If you start to "hang" the tires you will need some throttle to get through but not too much that you end up in a pickle after.

 

[MaverickMan]

I want a vehicle that has good wheel travel, so the tires maintain contact with the terrain I'm driving, and are not lifting in the air. That is generally considered a good attribute for off-roading. People can call it rock crawling or whatever. Rock, ledge, ditch, uneven trail ... I want the suspension to flex and the tires to maintain reasonable contact with the trail. Am I in the minority on this? Hopefully Ford was able to achieve good quality in this regard with the new Bronco IFS.

I have to imagine that stock for stock the ifs will have to have the same travel as a standard jeep with the sway bars. So i feel it will be close. I will say everywhere ive ever wheeled and ive only wheeled leaf sprung sfa and i beams, if i ever could do something i would just tweak my approach and work the throttle. You dont want to make it too easy.
I think ford will do something smart with the bronco. We will see.

 

[BroAD]

I think we’re all speculating too much regarding SFA vs IFS when we haven’t even given Ford a chance to debut their patented “G.O.A.T.” which may be revolutionary in the off road experience. I remember when oil hydraulics/air suspension made the suspension do some crazy tricks...

Can’t wait to see Ford’s interpretation.

 

[Sherminiator]

From what I’ve heard Bronco Sport WAS the Bronco at one point. Or at least a concept.

From what I heard, it was one of the development concepts back in 2017 and was shelved when the Ranger based Bronco was the selected path forward.

Management changed at Ford and they decided to go all in on CUVs and the concept was dusted off and put into motion as the Bronco Sport.

 

[dgorsett]

They can"t use the Grill, as they have already lost that court battle against HUMMER.

Ironic as that grill was actually a Ford invention on the WWII Jeep (Ford GPW), the Willys (MB Jeep) version had a welded flat bar grill. Ford should sue Jeep for it.

 

[MT/SFA]

Ironic as that grill was actually a Ford invention on the WWII Jeep (Ford GPW), the Willys (MB Jeep) version had a welded flat bar grill. Ford should sue Jeep for it.

All the FCA law suits reminds me of when Harley tried to patent the sound of their engine.

 

[dgorsett]

My expectations have grown as time goes on. I remember years ago when they first announced the bronco coming I was thinking "please don't be a crossover". I was honestly expecting something like the new blazer at first, maybe what the sport is turning out to be at most.

The more I learned, the more boxes the bronco seemed to check off my list. Body on frame, check. Big tires, check. Two and four door options, check. Lockers, classic look, all that. They are even offering a manual, something I really really want but thought was a lost cause.

I was honestly expecting a Subaru Forester at first, I'm glad to see they are seriously taking the Wrangler head on.

I was sure it would use Ranger body parts from the doors forward....boy was I wrong...boy am I glad.

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