Bronco IS better than Wrangler. Goodbye Wrangler Rubicon and Hello Bronco Badlands!

[shirokovd]

I know this is Bronco fan forum and most of you would say 'of course it is'. Others would say they don't compare as Bronco is in a class of its own or it is a different vehicle all together. I had experience driving Wrangler Rubicon on and off-road for five years. After ending the 2.5 year wait with the pick up at Granger Ford in Iowa I drove my new Badlands home 750 miles and can do a first impression comparison to my Wrangler. Even after a day of ownership I can say it is better than the Wrangler. The traded-in 2018 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon was loaded with all kind of electronic goodies, leather, off-road, tow, packages, etc. and with a ton of upgrades like Tazer computer, 2.5 inch lift, and 35-inch wheels. My 2023 Bronco Badlands is loaded too with 2.7 litter engine, hardtop, Sasquatch, lux, leather, tow packages. Here is why I already love the Bronco (just initial impressions):

• Ride quality: Jeep's ride was rough. This is known. But five years of having my back bounce off every pothole made Bronco's smooth and comfortable ride truly a joyous experience. It takes those potholes with ease. I feel that I am in any normal SUV or truck and don't have to sacrifice ride quality for cool status of the vehicle. Jeeps are still cool but I don't think I would ever go back to the rough and tumble ride of the Jeep.
• Steering: My Jeep was one of the ones that had a major steering issue (hundreds of pages worth of discussion on Jeep forums) but even after Stelantis finally replaced my steering box I still had to concentrate on having my Wrangler track in the middle of the lane with constant adjustments to the steering wheel. No issues of this kind on my Bronco. In fact, I can often let go of steering wheel and the vehicle tracks solidly in the center of the lane.
• Engine/Power: So, I had the tried and true 3.6L Pentastar V6 on my Jeep but with a manual transmission (perhaps this is not an apple to apples comparison). Going up hills was a constant battle with my having to shift to lower gears. Especially driving anywhere in the West, and using cruise control, trying to keep Jeep at constant speed was a struggle. You go up a good degree hill and would have to shift down as you see your speed drop 10 mph while semi(s) are passing you. And that's not even loaded! If I towed my Taxa trailer forget about 75 mph up a solid hill. I'd be in 3rd gear with gas pedal all the way to the wall. While my Bronco has an automatic transmission (so may not be fair comparison) it has no problem whatsoever keeping speed at constant and flying up those hills. Have not tried to tow but confident it will do well.
• Seats: OMG, Bronco seats are so much more comfortable! We drove 11 hours straight and, have I had been in my Wrangler, I would have had to make so many more stops to stretch out and rest. My wife swears by her seat comfort too. Her seat also has lumbar support and all seat controls are electronic (both driver and passenger) while that was not the case on my Wrangler!
• Controls: Love the ease of shifting between driving modes or using off-road functions. Wrangler has more of a manual approach to getting your vehicle into 4H or 2L and no modes. It is a toss up on controls for sway bar disconnect. Jeep had strange design for a few controls; e.g. volume control locations - on steering wheel was on the right while the knob was just a few inches away on the dash. Bronco has it on the left - that makes sense to me. I never liked the window controls in the front dash of the Wrangler. I like how Ford put Broncos' near the console. How about automatic down and up! for the windows on the Bronco! Wrangler only had it down and then you had to hold to raise them.
• Electronics: How about that 12 inch screen!. I love it. I haven't had the time to go through all the functions/features and options and my Jeep certainly didn't have all of the new capabilities (at the time the adaptive cruise wasn't available). I think Bronco's Lux package offers a few more bells and whistles than Wrangler's Advanced Safety and other packages. I do miss automatic locking when driving off that I had on my Wrangler but maybe I haven't figured out how to turn that feature on in Bronco (if someone knows please comment).
• Other items to call out:
  • Headliner: Why in the world Jeep would make a compressed styrofoam looking headliner and in white! I have no idea. But I'm glad my Bronco's headliner generally matches the dark interior of the car.
  • Mirrors: When I take the doors of my Bronco I will not have to worry about putting temporary mirrors back on the vehicle that never really worked well (the images in the mirrors always shook)
  • Rear gate: I love three stage open option on the Bronco. Jeep just swings out and with heavy tire on it goes fast.
  • Roof modularity: Haven't used it but I like having the ability to take off the front AND middle panels.

I also like the overall design, fit and finish of the Bronco. It feels higher quality. I haven't yet had any issues with hardtop or other items folks called out (cross my fingers). I'm sure there will be more items to call out and the above is my personal opinion and experience. Even though I liked my Jeep I don't miss it and don't think I would be in market to get it again. Stelantis should rethink the platform Wranglers are built on.

Lastly, Granger Ford is an awesome dealership and people. They stuck with their promise on pricing and quality of service. I stuck with them. They accommodated my picking up the vehicle on Saturday and made the process easy and painless. I recommend them. Give Samantha a call if you are still looking from which dealer to buy your Bronco.

Goodbye Wrangler Rubicon and Hello Bronco Badlands!

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[F150rubyred]

Congrats! Looks good; appears to be a happy Granger Ford customer! I am local to them and driver through their lot about every week. They have been getting a lot of Broncos in the last six months.

 

[JerryC]

Better looking for sure !
Maybe I'll be seeing on the roads around G'town.

 

[shirokovd]

Better looking for sure !
Maybe I'll be seeing on the roads around G'town.

Same here Jerry! Hope to run into you... will keep my eye out on your yellow 2dr!

 

[shirokovd]

Congrats!!

I still think Wrangler is a really good vehicle personally. (Although if I bought a Jeep today it would be the Gladiator, not the Wrangler.)

But I also agree with the vast majority of your points. For me it fundamentally comes down to the Bronco being a better “every day” vehicle. As much as I like to pretend that I spend most of my time off-roading, the truth is most of my miles are spent on pavement. And the Bronco is just all-around better on pavement than Wrangler, while still retaining the vast majority of the “offroadability”.

The only major advantage Wrangler has over the Bronco is aftermarket support. But I’m hoping the Bronco has enough momentum that we’ll continue to see the aftermarket release new products that support the Bronco.

Yes I think Wranglers are great and still an iconic American car. I drove my Wrangler 95% on road with occasional trips to the trails and out to Moab and other spots. It does remarkably well offroad. Just prefer the creature comforts of the Bronco now for that 95% of the driving

Will be learning all about that aftermarket support as I start to see what’s out there

thanks so much

 

[Pseudoko]

I like both for different reasons. As we all know both are labeled as an offroad vehicle but are very very different. Tbh I wouldn’t mind having a CJ as a project car in addition to the bronco but I think the wife would be upset haha

 

[rtazz17]

Both are great vehicles. I wasnt sold heavily either way buying my bronco. Pros and cons for both. Bronco has a long way to go to measure up to a jeep. Time will tell… still prefer the look of jeeps over bronco… aftermarket support will never measure up to jeep. It will take decades if it does.

 

[stickshifthappy]

Well................. Duuuuuuuuuu'h.

 

[lemonslush]

i went to checkout a lighting as my pre-order was ready to be requested. At the ford dealer they had one and i want to try it out before dropping 100k on a truck. They had a JL wrangler used parked next to a used bronco big bend. I figured give them a ride. Drove the bronco first and it was fine felt like a normal SUV took out the wrangler and man was it bad in comparison. Fet far less confident and woggly. The interior wasn't bad but not as spacious or nice. Long story short I ended up not ordering the lightning we already have a plaid and our Rivian should be here in few months. But we did put a deposit down on a bronco thats coming in next month. It oddly had pretty much every option I wanted including the 2.7 and a hard top. No squatch but hey it was also not crazy money

 

[OCNORB1974]

Both are great vehicles. I wasnt sold heavily either way buying my bronco. Pros and cons for both. Bronco has a long way to go to measure up to a jeep. Time will tell… still prefer the look of jeeps over bronco… aftermarket support will never measure up to jeep. It will take decades if it does.

So why did you buy one?

 

[2020FordRaptor]

I know this is Bronco fan forum and most of you would say 'of course it is'. Others would say they don't compare as Bronco is in a class of its own or it is a different vehicle all together. I had experience driving Wrangler Rubicon on and off-road for five years. After ending the 2.5 year wait with the pick up at Granger Ford in Iowa I drove my new Badlands home 750 miles and can do a first impression comparison to my Wrangler. Even after a day of ownership I can say it is better than the Wrangler. The traded-in 2018 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon was loaded with all kind of electronic goodies, leather, off-road, tow, packages, etc. and with a ton of upgrades like Tazer computer, 2.5 inch lift, and 35-inch wheels. My 2023 Bronco Badlands is loaded too with 2.7 litter engine, hardtop, Sasquatch, lux, leather, tow packages. Here is why I already love the Bronco (just initial impressions):

• Ride quality: Jeep's ride was rough. This is known. But five years of having my back bounce off every pothole made Bronco's smooth and comfortable ride truly a joyous experience. It takes those potholes with ease. I feel that I am in any normal SUV or truck and don't have to sacrifice ride quality for cool status of the vehicle. Jeeps are still cool but I don't think I would ever go back to the rough and tumble ride of the Jeep.
• Steering: My Jeep was one of the ones that had a major steering issue (hundreds of pages worth of discussion on Jeep forums) but even after Stelantis finally replaced my steering box I still had to concentrate on having my Wrangler track in the middle of the lane with constant adjustments to the steering wheel. No issues of this kind on my Bronco. In fact, I can often let go of steering wheel and the vehicle tracks solidly in the center of the lane.
• Engine/Power: So, I had the tried and true 3.6L Pentastar V6 on my Jeep but with a manual transmission (perhaps this is not an apple to apples comparison). Going up hills was a constant battle with my having to shift to lower gears. Especially driving anywhere in the West, and using cruise control, trying to keep Jeep at constant speed was a struggle. You go up a good degree hill and would have to shift down as you see your speed drop 10 mph while semi(s) are passing you. And that's not even loaded! If I towed my Taxa trailer forget about 75 mph up a solid hill. I'd be in 3rd gear with gas pedal all the way to the wall. While my Bronco has an automatic transmission (so may not be fair comparison) it has no problem whatsoever keeping speed at constant and flying up those hills. Have not tried to tow but confident it will do well.
• Seats: OMG, Bronco seats are so much more comfortable! We drove 11 hours straight and, have I had been in my Wrangler, I would have had to make so many more stops to stretch out and rest. My wife swears by her seat comfort too. Her seat also has lumbar support and all seat controls are electronic (both driver and passenger) while that was not the case on my Wrangler!
• Controls: Love the ease of shifting between driving modes or using off-road functions. Wrangler has more of a manual approach to getting your vehicle into 4H or 2L and no modes. It is a toss up on controls for sway bar disconnect. Jeep had strange design for a few controls; e.g. volume control locations - on steering wheel was on the right while the knob was just a few inches away on the dash. Bronco has it on the left - that makes sense to me. I never liked the window controls in the front dash of the Wrangler. I like how Ford put Broncos' near the console. How about automatic down and up! for the windows on the Bronco! Wrangler only had it down and then you had to hold to raise them.
• Electronics: How about that 12 inch screen!. I love it. I haven't had the time to go through all the functions/features and options and my Jeep certainly didn't have all of the new capabilities (at the time the adaptive cruise wasn't available). I think Bronco's Lux package offers a few more bells and whistles than Wrangler's Advanced Safety and other packages. I do miss automatic locking when driving off that I had on my Wrangler but maybe I haven't figured out how to turn that feature on in Bronco (if someone knows please comment).
• Other items to call out:
  • Headliner: Why in the world Jeep would make a compressed styrofoam looking headliner and in white! I have no idea. But I'm glad my Bronco's headliner generally matches the dark interior of the car.
  • Mirrors: When I take the doors of my Bronco I will not have to worry about putting temporary mirrors back on the vehicle that never really worked well (the images in the mirrors always shook)
  • Rear gate: I love three stage open option on the Bronco. Jeep just swings out and with heavy tire on it goes fast.
  • Roof modularity: Haven't used it but I like having the ability to take off the front AND middle panels.

I also like the overall design, fit and finish of the Bronco. It feels higher quality. I haven't yet had any issues with hardtop or other items folks called out (cross my fingers). I'm sure there will be more items to call out and the above is my personal opinion and experience. Even though I liked my Jeep I don't miss it and don't think I would be in market to get it again. Stelantis should rethink the platform Wranglers are built on.

Lastly, Granger Ford is an awesome dealership and people. They stuck with their promise on pricing and quality of service. I stuck with them. They accommodated my picking up the vehicle on Saturday and made the process easy and painless. I recommend them. Give Samantha a call if you are still looking from which dealer to buy your Bronco.

Goodbye Wrangler Rubicon and Hello Bronco Badlands!

Congrats glad your enjoying it!

 

[NDM_84]

Objectively speaking Bronco is better; however they now need to improve all their numbers to compete with the extreme recon package offered on the Jeep. This includes approach, departure, break over, ground Clearance, flex, etc…. Also, the cabin noise in the Bronco is much worse than the Jeep despite having independent suspension. The cabin noise needs to improve as well as the little squeaky sounds coming from the hard/soft top. Bronco feels less reliable inside especially those flimsy handles. The tie rods are also failing and long term use offroad is not more reliable than the Jeep In my opinion. There are many things Bronco needs to fix but overall I would still pick it over the Jeep.

 

[cyberfalco]

I'm here to rain down on your thread . Comparing a Wrangler and a Bronco is not really a comparison. I own both and they are two completely different vehicles.

I haven't driven my Wrangler daily for many years. Wranglers are definitely not daily drivers. The Bronco is for sure.

I own a manual Bronco. I have to downshift when going up hill on the interstate. The cruise struggles to keep speed especially out west. This is part of owning a manual vehicle.

The Wrangler is still my go to vehicle for more difficult off-roading. Still way more nimble off-road than the Bronco.

I am glad you enjoy your Bronco. I sure do enjoy mine. The Wrangler isn't going anywhere.

 

[BroncocnorB]

My Willys was a bit larger than my Bronco is. But in all seriousness why jeep made hardtop interior white is crazy. I felt like I was inside a refrigerator. Had to to remove it and paint the inside black. And yes, on the top right is a beer holder I stole from old Yankee Stadium

 

[BostonSasquatch]

Nice shot, you with your Bronco and the Rubicon in the background. You should have posted a sign on the Rubicon, "Make Offer."
All those great colors in the Bronco line have spirit.
But only Carbonized Gray has soul!
Welcome to the club.

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