Bronco and Minnesota/Canada Winters question

[Rednek]

-56c this past winter and i was glad for heated seats

Sponsored

 

[JeebusCripes]

It’s such a subjective question. Not having heated seats until the last 10 years I’d never go back. It makes that bone chilling cold first few moments before the heat kick on much more tolerable. Maybe it’s my older age but I truely enjoy it. It’s also nice on nights where you drive somewhere with doors off during the day when the sun is hot. But now you’re coming back home with no doors and the temp has dropped considerably.

However, I survived 30 years of chilling Minnesota winters. Even in my old YJ the heater was enough. Also if you’re prone to swamp assI’d assume you’ll hate the heated seat.

 

[idontknow]

……. It’s also nice on nights where you drive somewhere with doors off during the day when the sun is hot. But now you’re coming back home with no doors and the temp has dropped considerably.

I hadn’t even thought of that. And we know how chilly Minnesota evenings get outside of June (even early June can be chilling) and July. Great call!

 

[Silver-Bolt]

NW Montana and ordered heated seats and wheel. Not a necessity, but they sure make it nice.

 

[JohnnyBronco]

You cannot get any further north than where I am in Pennsylvania without getting your feet wet. Winter is winter here with an average 100 inches of snow. I have 2.7 auto OBX with Lux and only went Lux because of the heated steering wheel. Seats were heated in mid grade. I would not have a vehicle without heated steering wheel or seats. There are dead spots in the steering wheel compared to our X4 which evenly heats the full circumference. But the seats are actually hotter, quicker and we find ourselves turning down to first level pretty quickly.

The heaters and defrosters on these (except for lack of same on soft rear window) are also excellent with few dead spots even in rear seats where there are no HVAC outlets

 

[bozmosis]

Lived in MN my entire life. Never had heated seats or steering wheel. I use to tease my wife who had heated seats in her car. Traded in my F150 for an Expedition last year. Has both heated and air cooled seats along with a heated steering wheel. I for sure will be getting heated seats on my Bronco. Steering wheel is nice, but I don’t think a must have. Only time the heated steering wheel is nice is when I forget my gloves.

 

[KyleQ]

Minnesnowtan here

My wife's Fusion Titanium was our first car with heated seats and steering wheel. After expirencing that I'll never go back on a daily driver. Our 4dr Badlands Lux is fantastic in the winter, I'll hop in at any temp with the heated seats and steering wheel without a coat in shorts and be completely comfortable while doing it.

I ordered a 2dr Badlands Lux mostly for the 4x4 gear, but also for the tech/heated bits.

 

[KyleQ]

Only time the heated steering wheel is nice is when I forget my gloves.

You don't need gloves with a heated wheel!

 

[bozmosis]

You don't need gloves with a heated wheel!

Can’t argue that.

 

[Rick66]

I’m currently debating between a 2dr badlands with Lux package or a 4dr no Lux package. The 2dr Lux puts me at my budget. I had the bronco sport badlands and sold it a couple months ago because I decided I wanted the manual transmission.

Unfortunately the badlands is the only trim I can get heated seats and keep my manual transmission. After having that and heated steering in the sport I really enjoyed it. I certainly have lived without it in my other vehicles however none of those had removable tops.

im curious if anyone who lives in a cold climate (sees temps in the single or negative digits during winter) opted not to get the heated seats and steering and if you are good with that decision or you regret it. Never had a car with a removable top before so I’m unsure how cold it actually gets.

Hello Will

Just wondering if you gave thought to the aftermarket option. Only because you said "budget", which we all have, and yet you are jumping all the way to Badland Lux just to get a set of $500 heated seats to go with your MT? If you want all the other options, great. (I don't know anyone that does aftermarket heated steering wheels, tho.) I will be thrilled to have heated cloth on my BB; last had that in a Passat 15 years ago, and loved it. Minus 25 and leather don't do well together, and actually have experienced older leather seats crack in those temps.

My '71 that I drove in HS back in the 80's had the block heater and parked outside. That old inline 6 cyl couldn't heat up the rusty old girl even after 30 minutes of driveway idling. This new model is going to be HEAVEN in comparison! Can't wait. Should be here in a few weeks.

Good Luck, and enjoy the ride.

 

[idontknow]

Hello Will

Just wondering if you gave thought to the aftermarket option. Only because you said "budget", which we all have, and yet you are jumping all the way to Badland Lux just to get a set of $500 heated seats to go with your MT? If you want all the other options, great. (I don't know anyone that does aftermarket heated steering wheels, tho.) I will be thrilled to have heated cloth on my BB; last had that in a Passat 15 years ago, and loved it. Minus 25 and leather don't do well together, and actually have experienced older leather seats crack in those temps.

My '71 that I drove in HS back in the 80's had the block heater and parked outside. That old inline 6 cyl couldn't heat up the rusty old girl even after 30 minutes of driveway idling. This new model is going to be HEAVEN in comparison! Can't wait. Should be here in a few weeks.

Good Luck, and enjoy the ride.

Hey Rick, yeah budget probably wasn’t the right word. I do like the other features included with the lux but none of them by itself in a vacuum is a deal breaker.

we had our first frost last week actually just a few days after I posted this and as I got into my dodge caravan I IMMEDIATELY wished I had my heated seats and wheel so I think I ended up answering my own question.

I liked the capacity for starve after having had the sport (which was adequate and roomier than the two door). But I won’t be using the back seats almost ever so I can just fold them down. I also have no plans of sleeping inside. I much prefer a hammock to sleep in for camping or a ground tent if there are no trees.

Good luck with your new ride and congrats!

 

[RobL2112]

Buffalo NY area here... lots of snow and lots of cold... I had heated seats in my F-150 and could not live without them for the morning commute after the truck sat in the cold all night! My OBX has the Lux package and am looking forward to the heated steering wheel, I hate driving with gloves on... my wife has a sport and the heated steering wheel is great and the seats heat up nice and quick... I am going to assume that may be a shared part between the sport and the regular Bronco...

 

[MnLakeBum]

I lived decades without heated seats or steering wheels but they are not something I’m willing to go without in MN anymore. In a milder climate it’s not a big deal but with the average winter low temps hovering around 0º F, they are a need. If my snowmobile has heated hand warmers, so should my other vehicles.

 

[idontknow]

I lived decades without heated seats or steering wheels but they are not something I’m willing to go without in MN anymore. In a milder climate it’s not a big deal but with the average winter low temps hovering around 0º F, they are a need. If my snowmobile has heated hand warmers, so should my other vehicles.

Supposed to be colder this year

 

[PrepVet]

I live in north central Wisconsin. My soft top bronco was great last winter. Zero complaints nor worries here.

Sponsored