Bronco Owners Going Soft?

[Dads_bronze_bronco]

Don’t say that in the Jeep forums. People were talking about how the Bronco is garbage because you can’t easily fit 37’s or 40’s with a hockey puck lift. When I mentioned that probably 10% of people with a JL have larger than a 35” tire my inbox got exploded lol.

That is funny, and the true believers are pretty delusional and not ready for the competition. Honestly as much money that pours into the builds on Wayalife and other YouTube channels to get to 40's make any argument about SFA versus IFS on 40's pretty much theoretical until we see what aftermarket will do for Broncos.

It will be interesting to see how relative sales balance out over the next several years.

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[Squatch]

No ball sack AC but you got a ma deuce mounted up top. I'd call it a wash.

Appreciate your service time my friend. That's a bad ass ride you had yourself there.

Full disclosure: That's not me nor the one we had, but the same setup JERRV with a 240B because it was the Navy's

 

[Texas Sunshine]

My dad never had a decent vehicle so A/C was not a choice growing up and riding in the back of the truck was an honor. Even when the wooden slats (1960's) in the bed were wearing out. When the time came to get our drivers license, if you couldn't drive a stick, you didn't get your license. Suck it up butter cup. Rant over.

 

[Hkak45]

We need to all remember this is America, Land of the Free and home of the Brave! (Even for those of us that come from Canada and Mexico, we will include you since you like Broncos also?) we can have our trucks how we want it and everything else in life since we were given this amazing life in a free country! As much as I don’t like all the new tech and I will keep it as original as possible, I don’t blame others for wanting comfort features. They can do whatever they want since it is their money and their dreams. We need to realize that complaining about people wanting AC is actually a really nice thing to have to worry about considering others can’t even afford a bicycle to get to work let alone a brand new SUV! Ok rant over?

 

[Gamecock]

No ball sack AC but you got a ma deuce mounted up top. I'd call it a wash.

Appreciate your service time my friend. That's a bad ass ride you had yourself there.

Uh-oh....you can't tell the .50 from a 7.62 MG (That's not an M2)....you may have given yourself away as actually "soft" with that post!

 

[Googz13]

I thought this thread was going to be about roof selection...

 

[indio22]

Careful here DAWG, I got chastised a couple weeks ago in a thread (now deleted comments) where I called out the softness of some of the snowflakes and encouraged them to actually go outside and wheel and go camping. Boy did they get lit up. Was more challenging them to get out of their cushy comfort zones rather than make fun.

Anyway, you're spot on here, but there are a few caveats just to be fair that are worth pointing out. First, granddads F-150 with the vinyl was cheap as hell, so were the cars you've mentioned. Bronco is priced sort of like a luxury car, so expectations do expand once you go upmarket.

I was one of those Land Rover guys you mention (took no offense), as I was cross shopping the new Defender (which is just too much lux and $$), as I wanted to totally pivot from performance cars to off road (own an old 99 Disco for playing in dirt, mud, n such).

Bronco has a trim for everyone and will ride better too. However, off road, there are some serious compromises for wheeling on rocks or on the East half of the country due to the number of trees we deal with in the woods.

Lots of guys from places where wheeling isn't as popular, so they want the rugged looks that can go topless, capability for times like floods, trips to beach, light camping, etc, and that's all just great.

If it encourages more folks to get from under the TV and off these computers, then I'm all for it. Ford needs lots of sales from these folks to fund R&D on Raptors and the like.

People crave adventure. But real adventure requires real risk. And some people are quite risk averse. So the thing they crave, is the thing they fear. How to deal with that dilemma?

Enter Ford. Ford will sell a Bronco all tricked out for off-road adventure regardless of real usage. Because Ford is selling the idea of adventure, in some cases to people incapable of having a real adventure. But at least the owner can feel like he is having an adventure, while driving to the grocery store, lol. It's like play acting for grownups.

Sorry, I am being harsh. But I strongly encourage people to take more risk, have more adventure and cut back on living life through other people via media. Or to put it more bluntly: for the love of god if you buy a Sasquatch, at least put a few small dents in the skid plate or body, doing something exciting and at least a bit risky with it. In real life - use the locking diffs, sway bar disconnect, etc. Don't just play act.

Let me be Gandalf to peoples inner Bilbo Baggins, when he helped kick Bilbo's behind out the door of Bag End. Hey folks - go have a real adventure!

 

[honus01]

I fell into this, the other way around.

The first vehicle I ever bought new was a 2012 Boss 302. Loved that car when I bought it on exhaust note alone. But after using it as a daily, I couldn't answer phone calls, no nav, etc. And there were plenty of other cars on the market at the time that had those features. Did it make the car more charming in retrospect? No, not really. People argued "you don't buy this car for the options" but clearly some people were, since the 2013 models came with bluetooth etc.

It was a great car to drive - the sound was intoxicating - but it was not a live-able ride vs its peers. And I still remember almost 10 years on that the lack of amenities in it was a reason it had to go. Even with "the most (BLANK) capable Ford (blank)," in that case; track capable ford mustang, it still spent much more of its time on the road vs a track. The bronco will be the "most trail capable Ford" but it cannot be an inferior vehicle vs peers in the segment, or even vehicles of the same brand, in on-road characteristics/amenities.

I would argue adding all the "soft" features to the Bronco is the only way to really make it relevant in 2020/2021. You remember the quirks of a vehicle you used to own versus what you have now as charming hallmarks of a bygone era, but in the time you owned it you always measured your vehicle against what's on the market. The absolute BEST a modern vehicle can accomplish is offer the barebones model to satiate those who want to remember what a vehicle without a/c was like. But not offering amenities will immediately relegate a vehicle to the "why would anyone want this" question. Nostalgia doesn't sell that well when you're sweaty and uncomfortable and your back hurts and some jeepbro rolls by in relative comfort.

 

[SkullsWalk]

I spent enough time driving, riding, or hugging the 240B in one of these in full battle rattle in 120+ degree heat. If I don't want to carry an easily stolen doodad to open my garage door or I want cold air blowing on my b---sack without getting pulled over for it, then that's what I wanna pay for.

Yeah even though I miss that sometimes, I don't miss the 120+ heat in full gear doing route clearance either driving 5mph looking for IEDs or dismounted doing the same or clearing little holes in the wall looking for bomb makers and/or materials. I do love my creature comforts these days.

 

[72roadster]

You know what they did to deal with the heat?

They invented air conditioning.

Interesting story, they didn't invent air conditioning because of heat, they invented it because of humidity, for printing. As it turns out cooling was a side effect. And is also how we ended up with summer blockbusters (theaters were some of the first and only places with AC, driving large numbers of people to see movies so they could stay cool in summer)
but your point still stands, i just have always found this story interesting and wanted to share

 

[MCG DAWG]

Uh-oh....you can't tell the .50 from a 7.62 MG (That's not an M2)....you may have given yourself away as actually "soft" with that post!

Was never in the service. So no, I don't know all my automatic weapons and took a guess! I know it's way bigger and much more badass than anything in my safes!

 

[VoltageDrop]

The 6G Bronco has power front disc brakes? Pansy mobile!

Since most people are buying this as their primary vehicle then it certainly makes sense to expect features found on other vehicles in the same price range. I've never had them but I really like the idea of cooled seats in an open air vehicle. I'm considering swapping some into my 69 Bronco crawler once I get it going. Crawling in an Arkansas summer does get the swamp ass going full force.

Now, the thread about the bottle opener did make me laugh a little. For $2 you can put a bottle opener anywhere you want

 

[quattroa4m]

This needs to be moved to the base bronco thread.

Well, only if a "Base Bronco" was actually a "Base" Bronco

The original "Base" Bronco had vinyl seats and a rubber floor mat.

To get that today, you have to move two clicks up to the Black Diamond.

Some Ford Marketing whizkid is laughing him/her self silly that we're willing to pay more for what was a base trim level.

 

[MCG DAWG]

I thought this thread was going to be about roof selection...

Roofs are for wimps. Obviously.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Sounds like you want an early bronco not the 2021.

Well, yeah....
just update the motor to modern standards to it runs smoothly at all climates, temperatures and elevations.
....Maybe shift the body lines just a bit for better mpg's.
...Gosh, if I add AC, I could use it as a daily driver and not need another vehicle at $25k minimum
...oh , modern braking would be nice. Safety and all.
.... not many people working at the ranch anymore, I suppose some carpet would be nice since it is not a bare bones work truck/run-a-bout anymore.
... since I'm daily driving, good headlights would be nice.
.....and airbags so I don't die.

I mean, I totally get what he's saying, but it's a thousand little steps from bare sheet metal, no roof , no doors, Classic Bronco earning it's keep out on the farm to the Wildtrack or FE.
Actually, it's like 60,000 little steps, LOL

Also, the current Bronco is designed for it's actual use, whereas, the EB was designed to basically be a BARE BONES work/utility vehicle, just happens it had serious offroad chops and THAT is where its legendary status came from.

Just as food for thought. Whenever I/we/you say anythiing about a younger generation, ask the question, "Who raised them that way?".
Are YOUR kids as tough as your grandfather? Odds are highly likely "NO" .... who failed then?
.... is there anythnig wrong with being more refined?
....Didn't you look at how the old man did things and thought, "There has to be a better/easier way" and then found that way?

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