Bronco vs 4runner Pro on the Imogene Pass [by TFL] 🐴😬

[revans1009]

I'm an avid follower of this forum because I initially had 1, then 2, bronco reservations but cancelled them both. The first reservation had me completely amped up and I was ready to go.. then came my unfortunate dealer experience with the ordering process, the "maybe sometime in 2022", and, well, you all understand. It left me with a very deep regret but at that point I decided to cancel that initial reservation and get a 2021 4Runner TRD Pro Lunar Rock instead. Do I still want a Bronco? - Hell, yes. It's not because I don't like my 4Runner; in fact I love it. It's because I want to do my own comparisons one day. ONE DAY...

I spent about $6k out of pocket on Icon stage 3 lift, Icon alloys, Toyo 285/70/17 OC MT, C4 Lo Pro w/bull bar/winch/30" LED lightbar, and a host of other small mods that made a great deal of difference. I am waiting to do my off-road training courses (forgot to mention that I am new to this) at AOAA and Rausch Creek over the next 6-8 months.

My point comes back to the reason I cancelled my 2nd reservation just a week ago. I had held this 2nd reservation for a while after the dealer contacted me and I already owned my 4runner. I still want a Bronco. But right now, I am still assessing: a) how much am I really going to use it off road to the extent my 4Runner build won't suffice and b) short and long-term, what am I actually getting? Point a) should resonate with most other than those that simply posture as-if all they have time for is pure fun but point b) gets a bit more speculative. I love my 4Runner because the limited off-roading I've done to this point has been super fun. More importantly, the camping with the family and dogs has been phenomenal. Bear in mind, we still have to take my wife's telluride as well to park outside campsites because of our large family camping in tents and me having a full 4 runner with 2 boxer and kiddos... But it's sheer joy. Kids are fighting to ride in the "truck", full-on open-air experience (I know, roof doesn't come off) but without having to remove anything and having all that air flow is wonderful. My cancellation of the 2nd came with these things in mind as well, my dealer (different than first) actually explaining why they would pause a bit as well (love honesty), and I am/was concerned with reliability and build quality.

I apologize for the ramble but wanted to add a bit of perspective from someone who absolutely loves the capabilities and look of the Bronco. I even have my wife now debating on if she really wants that Jeep she's talking about because I'd prefer she give the Bronco a go. Perhaps I'll be better able to assess after I do my true off-roading courses.

Point being - Imogene Pass seems "easy" to many it appears. Yet for us that don't get off-road much, it certainly looks like a beautiful and reasonable challenge. I work with several hardcore off-road Jeep guys and they NEVER put me or others down for our own outlook on what "off-road" means. One even went to the extent to tell me that my Overlanding bucket list is something he'd never do in a million years because he doesn't want to sleep outdoors or in a tent (which is what we do). I get the vehicle capabilities vary, just wanted to state the point that reading the forum and getting that sense of this-is-better-than-that needs to be kept in perspective and with understanding; to each his own.

One day, I hope to give my own comparison about them both side-by-side. Until then, I plan to stretch my 4runner to the limits and learn... Let the good times roll, for ALL, regardless of where you go and what you drive. - enjoy and be safe

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[SVTLightning]

Why does Tommy always badmouth the Bronco? Ford must have butthurt him some time ago because he always talks about the shortcomings of the Bronco every chance he gets.

He usually talks up the vehicle he is in and talks down the vehicle he’s competing against I find. Even with the Bronco he praises it when driving it.

 

[PDiddy]

I had a 2015 4Runner. Loved it, but it has some off road issues. First, it has bumper covers, front and rear that are formed around the other panels. So after market bumpers are funky, huge, heavy and expensive. There is one or two small front bumper options now. Second, 33s are your limit unless you do some serious cutting, grinding, and suspension upgrades. Which is expensive. Getting the 4Runner ready for serious off roading is seriously expensive. If you do the standard lift and 33s, it isn't bad. But pimping one out for the trails is another story. For a family doing a little off roading, its great. As a platform to build up to do crawling, no thanks. When it comes to difficult trails, I am still a solid axle fan. But I think the Bronco makes the best of the IFS on the rocks.

The plus side of the 4Runner, it is smooth on the trails. The suspension is super soft and plush. I haven't driven a Bronco yet, so I can't compare. Another plus, you can get it with a 3rd row. Not many off road vehicles with a 3rd row out there.

Last thing, The 4Runner is just boring now. They should have came out with a new gen years ago. It needs more power, more gears, and it should sway back towards being more off road than soccer mom wagon. I enjoyed owning mine, then I got a Gladiator, and couldn't imagine going back. It does seem like an old shoe to me. Once people can actually go to a Ford dealership and buy a Bronco, the 4Runner is trouble. I always thought, the Bronco would effect Toyota sales more than Wrangler sales. The Bronco is what the 4Runner should be. Ford beat them to it and look at how popular it is.

 

[Broncofly]

TFL has constantly had this sort of love hate relationship with the Bronco, you could almost say anything Ford. They also push a bit of “unhappiness “ with Subaru and they keep talking about how Subaru doesn’t give them “press” vehicles and it’s not a stretch why. For all the talk of “unbiased, honest reviews”, there is sooooo much opinion and unbalanced, personal and a certain amount of favoritism in a bit of their content.

Much of their Bronco hate is always a mixed bag of pricing, dealer markups and comparing it to what is their personal Jeep and 4Runner love…….and how in a couple years prices will come down and “these things (Bronco’s) will be everywhere”. If you review almost every one of their Bronco videos, they constantly brought up these point to which I wonder if anyone else doesn’t see it? The 4Runner and Jeep weren’t ever in the same class before the Bronco, you’d have to modify the heck out of a 4Runner to bring it into the Jeep world, the doors and roof aren’t even removable and yet they go on and on about the “old shoe” and it’s capabilities. Then there’s price…….to which plenty of 4Runners around me are sold out with dealerships constantly asking $5-$10k over asking. Add to this, before the Bronco, Jeep prices weren’t exactly falling! And finally the big…….constant comment TFL goes on about (“How these Bronco’s will be everywhere”)………you mean like every other 4Runner and Jeep on the road that’s all over the place now!?

Sorry TFL, I wish you dialed back on your personal preference because I loved your content better before. I do like how you do the tow tests and several of your other vehicles topics and comparisons but not injecting over the top favoritism makes for more balanced content.

 

[omega145]

I had a 15' Trail 4Runner that was super reliable and could go 95% of places that the Bronco could go. I don't expect my current Wrangler or potential future Bronco to be as reliable as a Toyota product.
The reasons for my move to a Wrangler and maybe a Bronco in the future is mainly based on the fact that I could have fun with the top/doors off on beautiful days while having a vehicle I could also drive comfortably during the winter. I can only do half of that with the 4Runner.
That can not be understated and is often dismissed way too easily.

 

[King Luis]

Why does Tommy always badmouth the Bronco? Ford must have butthurt him some time ago because he always talks about the shortcomings of the Bronco every chance he gets.

it's because he's a FCA fanboy. i don't follow them because his bias against Ford is so strong. puts me against their channel.

 

[Dads_bronze_bronco]

He usually talks up the vehicle he is in and talks down the vehicle he’s competing against I find. Even with the Bronco he praises it when driving it.

That’s the humorous schtick for TFL.

I just go with it and apply my own experience and gathered knowledge. (For all automotive news sources for that matter).

 

[soonerbronco]

Imogene was a blast. Not too technical but enough to keep you focused. Kids loved it (summer ‘20). Can’t wait to get the Bronco on the trail !

 

[Shinoko]

I don't know the history or backstory of most of these 4x4 YT channels, I ran across TFL looking for reviews on the Bronco and saw their Bronco vs Defender vs Wrangler comparison. Being a mountain biker, I'm used to how the majority of these YT channels are full of and more entertainment than actual content, but I tried to give it a shot anyway.

I thought it was really strange how they were hyping up the Defender right out of the gate, up to the point it got two flats and couldn't make it over a rock feature the other two barely scoffed at. The dude driving the Jeep kept going on about how great it was he could do the whole thing on the battery (why?) and despite not driving the Bronco, concluded the Wrangler was better in every way and seemed to attribute most of the Broncos success to the driver. I'm sure he had some valid points, but was hard to take them seriously when there was so much focus on the electrical part and everyone seemed to conclude that what they drove was best. One preferred the Bronco because it had lumbar support..

So yea, entertainment, but I walked away not feeling like I had learned anything except that Jeep has a hybrid Wrangler, the Defender is a mom car, and Jeep fans will have a hard time getting over the fact something new is here. I think if they had spent more time on discussing areas where the Wrangler was better on the trail or vice versa, it would've been more informative. Instead it was "The Jeep is narrower and more agile, the other dude just knows how to drive the Bronco", more or less.

 

[JPG]

Too much blablablabla... If you want to do a side by side comparison, to be fair, the Bronco should not have been on 35s ... 35s vs 32s is a BIG difference in off road.

 

[JPG]

IThe Bronco is what the 4Runner should be. Ford beat them to it and look at how popular it is.

I would say that " The Bronco is what the FJ should have been"

 

[PDiddy]

I would say that " The Bronco is what the FJ should have been"

That is true too.

Come Toyota, make Toyota great again!

 

[MUDLVR]

Here's my opinion between the 4Runner and Bronco -
I live in Colorado with a 4Runner and a had an FJ for 10 years, and hit all those trails in the San Juan's on a regular basis. Imogene is a fun trail but not technical at all, IMO. They make it look more dramatic then it actually is and I think it's because of their inexperience on trails and not knowing the vehicle they are in very well. A lot of the "obstacles" they encountered could've been easily taken if they were aired down and stepped on the gas a little harder. What they should've tested the vehicles on is Poughkeepsie Gulch.

That being said, the 4R and Bronco are capable of overcoming every obstacle on the trails, but deciding between the two right out the gate depends on how much work you want the vehicle to assist with on the trails as opposed to mashing the skinny pedal just to make it up a rocky, loose incline.

Right out the gate the Bronco has it all. At least the Badlands Sasquatch LUX package that I ordered does. With my 4R I had to re-gear to 4.88s, add a Pedal Commander to add power, add 33" BFG KM3 tires (since I can't fit 35s unless I do a lot of fender mods), install the OME 3" full lift kit, Total Chaos UCAs, install skid plates and rock sliders, buy a tire carrier (since the small spare is all you can fit under the vehicle), replace the 1990s-style stock stereo headunit, and add lightbar switches. So that's easily at least $12k in mods to make it capable of hitting technical trails.

The Bronco comes with all of that plus more! So even though I love Toyota's reliability, they have slacked on the quality and tech of their 4Runner's and Tacoma's off-road prowess, which is why I'll choose the Bronco any day over the 4Runner.

Here's some pics of Imogene and that area from a few weeks ago:

 

[MUDLVR]

I would say that " The Bronco is what the FJ should have been"

I totally agree. I had an FJ for 10 years and the Bronco is like a 4 door FJ with all the off-road capabilities and tech that the FJ should have had.

Here's my old FJ:

 

[Itchysquatch]

Imogene's rating in trail guides is a running joke in a lot of offroad communities. Doing it in a Subaru would require some serious skinny peddle action, and you would bang your tail all over the place, but it could be done.

The main reason for the "difficult" rating is there are some short sections that are off camber shelf roads. That means if your an idiot, don't hug the inside, and have a couple hundred lbs of gear on your roof, there is some danger of rolling off a cliff. It's nothing like Black Bear, but it is a factor. Also, its a skinny road, so there will be times you need to back up to let people pass, which can get hairy.

My preference is to go up from the Telluride side, and descend into Yankee Boy Basin. This makes sure you have right of way on the most butt clenching bits.

If you get a Bronco, this is a must do trail in CO. This and "Corkscrew Gulch" off the million dollar highway are fantastic. Black Bear Pass is cool, but its not for the faint of heart. Imogene is a great way to find out if you like serious offroading. It has a lot of the features of serious trails, but none of them are so bad you are likely to get stuck. I took an Isuszu Rodeo on 31.5" tires up it for reference.

If you need ratings for trails, check out OnX Offroad. It's 30$/year, but gets you detailed maps, and a 1-10 rating system. Imogene is a 6, but they are probably going to change it to a 5.

Well said!
it’s been a few years, but that trail was absolutely fantastic. Also started from the telluride side, and I thought it was technically interesting enough that you weren’t bored, especially with the views. My favorites, just because of the views, interesting points, and places the trails took you out there were:
Engineer
Ophir
And immogene passes. Again, nothing to do with difficulty.
I did all those trails on a 99 4runner on 32’s. Probably could have done it in a stock 4runner pretty easily. I did have the benefit of a front locker.

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