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.As I spent some time perusing the site this weekend I was taken aback by some things.
To me (as a 47 year old guy) the Bronco harkens back to the rugged individualists like our fathers and grandfathers. A tough as nails ride that could do things unheard of at the time for a commercially produced vehicle.
But are we too modern? Are we too soft?
I see threads complaining about not being able to get air conditioned seats at a certain trim level. Do you think your grandad was worried about cold air blowing up his rear end while he ran his Bronco down to the lake to go fishing? If cold air up the backside is so important then just maybe a vehicle designed to have the top and doors off may not be right for you.
Lots of complaints about vinyl seats being too hot and sweaty. Basically, see the above comments. Some of y'all never rode around on vinyl bench seats in your grandmas old car without air conditioning back in the day and it shows. I can remember peeling myself off the vinyl/pleather seats in an old VW my aunt drove back then. No permanent harm. You too shall survive.
I saw some nit picking about not having built in garage door openers in the visors at some trim levels. Really? Are we really this needy? Is the indignity of having to carry around a garage door opener just going to be a deal breaker? It's possibly the most capable off road vehicle straight off the showroom floor ever produced. . . but we're going to stress no opener. C'mon man.
Complaints about not being able to get a 12 inch screen at some trims abound as well. You're driving a vehicle, not watching netflix. You don't need a giant flat screen planted in the middle of your dash in order to properly operate your rig. Look out the window. See the world around you. Pay attention to the idiots driving around looking at their screen(s) and take evasive action. Stop staring at the thing parked in your dash. It's overkill.
I think some here may be better serviced by getting something like a Land Rover/Range Rover or other luxury SUV. There you can ride around pampered, cold air blowing up your arse, as you push the button to open the garage to park your ride in so it won't dare get dirty. I've owned those. They are great. But they are a FAR cry from their off road/rugged heritage. If that's what you want or need, go get it.
A Bronco is going to be many different things to many different people but the breed/brand is hard and outdoorsy. It's not refinement and luxury. It's rugged and rough around the edges. It is not skinny jeans sipping a latte on the way to spin class . . . it's wearing carharts with some black coffee on the way to spend time in the outdoors on a mountain bike. So behave accordingly.
Just one grumpy old man opinion. Rant is over. Now, get off my lawn. ;-)
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.
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