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Bronco 1st Impressions

Eason

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I was able to see the Bronco in-person for the 1st time yesterday in West Monroe, LA. They had 2 Badlands Models on display. One had MGV and the other had the leather trimmed interior and neither were Sasquatched.

I ordered a Wildtrak in January and currently drive a 2019 F150 King Ranch. I usually lift my trucks a few inches and I had a couple of concerns about the Bronco:
1. Was the Sas package necessary for the height of truck I have become accustomed to?
2. Is the width of the truck on the inside going to feel cramped after driving full sized trucks for years?
3 Will I be disappointed in the 2.7 V6, coming from a 5.0 V8?

My initial 1st impressions:
As others have stated, the Bronco is bigger in person than it seems on screen. My 1st question to the Ford Reps: "Both of these are non-Sasquatched?" And I heard 3 other people ask the same question. I was shocked that neither of them were Sas'd.

I'll say this: from a guy that usually lifts his trucks, the standard Bronco with 33" tires has plenty of size. I prefer lifted trucks and still glad I ordered a Sas, but I would have also been content with a standard Bronco on 33"s. That was the biggest surprise to me.

The inside width of the Bronco was smaller than my King Ranch, but it was in no way uncomfortable. The steering wheel was slightly smaller than my F150 and the console was seriously smaller, like about half the size of my current console or more. There isn't room for 2 elbows on the console.

That being said, I can absolutely deal with it. It's a smaller width vehicle but I wouldn't say it was uncomfortable, which was my main concern.

The 12" touchscreen was huge!! But it does take a little while to load on startup.

They had the MGV and the leather trimmed version on display and both were cool. I would have been happy with either. The MGV is interesting. It's not exactly vinyl or leather but its very comfortable. It was fairly soft.

While I didn't get to drive either of them, everyone I asked said the same thing: there is plenty of torque in the 2.7. I don't think I'm ever going to be looking for power that it doesn't have. I'm rarely pushing my current engine over 3,500 rpms. I'd say 90% of the time I'm under 3,000 rpms. But based on conversations with people who are driving the Broncos around the country, I think it has plenty of get-up and go from 0-60 and plenty of power to pass vehicles on the road. One driver showed me that he had been driving in Eco mode and was getting 22-23 mpg. If I could get 17-18mpg, I be thrilled.

Overall: Ford hit it out of the park without a doubt! There were people of all ages there and everyone loved it. For me personally, there are some minor inconveniences coming from a full size truck, but the positives far outweigh the negatives. I can't wait to drive it!
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Last Ride Bronco

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I used to live in West Monroe, which dealership did you see the Broncos at?
 

abe

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No need to worry about the 2.7. My last F150 (2016) had it and it was quicker off the line and had more pulling power and got better mileage (even towing) than my previous V8 F150s (a 2000 and a 2008).
 
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Eason

Eason

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No need to worry about the 2.7. My last F150 (2016) had it and it was quicker off the line and had more pulling power and got better mileage (even towing) than my previous V8 F150s (a 2000 and a 2008).
That's great to hear, thanks!
 
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rlondeen

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the standard Bronco with 33" tires has plenty of size. I prefer lifted trucks and still glad I ordered a Sas, but I would have also been content with a standard Bronco on 33"s. That was the biggest surprise to me.
I saw a thread with 33s with bead lock wheels. You can't really tell they aren't squatched... After seeing that, I decided I would save a buck and just go OB and put 33s on it after market. Your post is more confirmation of this. I do think the Badlands is slightly lifted though.
 

BroncoBurgerWithCheese

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I got to see two this morning in Huntersville, NC, and came here to post the same thing about the height relative to wheel size. My daily driver is a lifted Ram 1500 on 35s so I was worried the nonsquatched Bronco would be too low to the ground. No way, it was the perfect height. To the point where my 5'3" wife and kids will want me to add a step bar. I need to use the Bronco for work for a few years with primarily highway miles initially, so I had no interest in a sasquatch and the accompanying tire noise until it is fully depreciated, so was worried the Bronco on stock wheels would look top-heavy like an XTerra. I was really surprised at how good the dimensions looked. Other impressions:

Speaking of step bars, I didn't love the OBX step. Too deep like a staircase. I'm glad the BD I ordered didn't come with that, I'll likely go with an aftermarket tube-style.

I loved how there is no crossbar behind the front seats like a Wrangler has. It really makes the top feel more open. That was my favorite feature by far from sitting in it.

I didn't get to see MGV as they had cloth and leather only, but it reaffirmed my MGV decision sight-unseen. The leather was awful, it was like a 1980s pleather couch or airline cabin seat. The vehicle it will be replacing, a Grand Cherokee, and my wife's Lexus both have leather seats, and this leather wasn't comparable in any way. It really sucked and was already looking worn after being demo'd for only a few weeks. There is no way MGV can be any worse, so I'm happy I made that choice and saved some cash.

I didn't initially order them, but I will likely get the door bags. After watching them used to remove the doors in person, I think the doors may get scratched easily without them.

The 8" screen is plenty big. Too much technology in the world anyway, the 12" is really overkill (obligatory that's what she said).
 

flatlander40

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I think you might be pleasantly surprised by the 2.7
 

MN_OuterBanks

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I saw a thread with 33s with bead lock wheels. You can't really tell they aren't squatched... After seeing that, I decided I would save a buck and just go OB and put 33s on it after market. Your post is more confirmation of this. I do think the Badlands is slightly lifted though.
I ordered an OBX but having no luck finding tires to fit OEM wheels. Thoughts.
 

NCOBX

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I would test drive the 2.7L, the general consensus on the forum is that it’s plenty powerful enough but my experience with it in an F150 was disappointing for someone that’s driven V8s my whole life. Now granted the Bronco will probably weigh less so that should help somewhat.
 

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Rick Astley

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Great feedback, thanks! Interesting to read your feedback coming from having such a large vehicle. It seems most (myself included) are coming from smaller vehicles, so your feedback adds another layer to the onion.

For those who actually take their Bronco off road driving, they will find that the track width is already wider than just about every single vehicle that has gone on that trail before, unless they are heavily modifying their rigs or going on "DD" ranked trails. Bronco in stock form is pushing the boundaries for what can be reasonably fit on existing trails. These rigs will be taking a beating here in the PNW as only those off-line will have hit those branches/stumps before.

If shoulder space or not accidentally touching elbows are top concerns for somebody then there's a lot to discover about the design and intent of where these vehicles are built to perform. Besides, if you're driving, you probably won't be resting your arm on the console, and if you're a passenger, you'll be on the handles (which they provided you two very easily accessible handles to use, that was nice of Ford!)
 

5280Bronco

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I would test drive the 2.7L, the general consensus on the forum is that it’s plenty powerful enough but my experience with it in an F150 was disappointing for someone that’s driven V8s my whole life. Now granted the Bronco will probably weigh less so that should help somewhat.
Gearing will also play a part in this. Bronco is going to feel "snappier" in most trims due to the gearing. I agree on the overall power though, there is no way i could get the 2.3 in the Bronco after driving the ranger, but everyone has different expectations for power level.
 

NCOBX

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Gearing will also play a part in this. Bronco is going to feel "snappier" in most trims due to the gearing. I agree on the overall power though, there is no way i could get the 2.3 in the Bronco after driving the ranger, but everyone has different expectations for power level.
This is a very good point.

If you drive an F150 with 3.23 gears on 33s and get into a Bronco with 4.46 gears on 33s it’s going to make a hell of a difference.
 

broadicustomworks

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Well said and true. Nice to see more positivity and realism.
 
 


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