Bronco vs Colorado ZR2

[Mark T]

Have any of you owned a Colorado ZR2? How does it compare to Bronco for daily driving, in town and on freeway? Which is more comfortable on the highway? Which is more fun to drive? (particularly vs 4 door if possible). I ask as the Bronco I ordered has been built, and I am torn between taking delivery of it or waiting for the new ZR2 to become available.

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[MJJ]

I bought my son a new 2020 ZR2. Nice truck and capable.….except The 8spd transmission is terrible. They have supposedly “improved it” for the next gen zr2. Complaints to the NTSB have been made and lawsuits filed.

I would do your research on the next gen transmission. The engineers quoted in a GM authority article where guarded and not confidence inspiring.

 

[Mark T]

You are a good dad, MJJ! Thank you for your input! Good to know.

 

[Rspayde]

I never drove the ZR model but was stuck in a Colorado while my Ranger was repaired from a deer encounter. I absolutely hated the Colorado.

I would do the comp to a ranger tremor and the bronco. I obviously took the Bronco over the Ranger so you know where I sit.

 

[JT58Bronc]

I always liked the look of the ZR2 but the poorer gas mileage when compared to a non ZR2 is quite significant. Also I second watching out for that 8 speed transmission. I had a 2017 Camaro with it and it was in constant repair for "shuddering". It's a well known problem with the 8 speed autos.

 

[ColeTrain84]

i had a 2nd gen Canyon All Terrain. It was a nice pickup. If i sell my Bronco anytime in the near future or its ever wrecked i'll be ordering a new Gen ZR2. I had the 3.6 w/ a 6 speed auto(first 2 years of new gen). i liked mine

 

[emulous74]

I should have my Bronco 2-doors Badlands manual in a couple of weeks and it will be parked in my garage with my ZR2 Extended Cab Diesel Bison. I've driven Broncos at the Off-Roadeo here in Texas, but only off-road. I can say that I'm not selling/trading my Bison as even those both of the vehicles are frame based they are completely different vehicles. The Bronco will become my daily driver, but I have been daily driving my Bison since 1/2019 and the DSSV shocks handle great on road and the ride is better than most mid-sized trucks. I think the decision comes down to a few things:

• For what you do, is a truck or SUV better for your uses?
• If you want to modify your vehicle to your hearts content, the Bronco, even though newer has much more available for you.
• The Community is much larger for the Bronco than the ZR2, in the ZR2 camp I basically know everyone that are on the forums. You will never meet all the Bronco owners as there are much more of them. The smallness has its pluses and minuses, just as the largeness has it's plusses and minuses.
• I used to work for GM, the 23 Colorado/Canyons will have the Google embedded infotainment systems, so if your anti-google and don't have an account/sign-in, there is not much you can do with the infotainment systems. GM did listen to it's customer base and moved the rear shocks inboard, which get's rid of the rear shocks being the lowest point underneath the rig, they also lengthened the wheel base which gives it much better approach angles. If you decide to go the Colorado route, I would seriously consider waiting for the Bison edition, as that would be completely on par with a Sasquatch Bronco.
• Off-road the 4-door Bronco feels much smaller than the ZR2 and has better sight-lines.

I had a gas ZR2 before the diesel and agree that the 8-speed was lacking, hopefully the upgrades to the new version have gotten the programming all worked out.

 

[Spooled]

Bronco compared to the outgoing ZR2 is an easy win for the Bronco IMO. I had a '21 and I liked it at first, but after 21k miles I was glad to get out of it. Seats are just straight up hard and uncomfortable. I thought maybe they would break-in/wear in. After 15k miles I developed several suspension clunks that were straight up embarrassing to have and to explain to any passengers.

As for the new one, no one is going to be able to compare it to the outgoing model or the Bronco so really it's a crapshoot on whether you should wait or not. I have a 2-door OBX that will be going to my gf once my Raptor arrives and the 2-door feels way better put together, is way more fun to drive, and the having current tech is nice. Outgoing ZR2 is lacking in that department. No one knows about the new ZR2 yet, but you have to cut the fenders on the current gen to fit 35's which is ridiculous. Even with 33's mine rubbed badly even with a leveling kit installed.

 

[Chrome_Pony]

The closest comparison of the ZR2 would be a Badlands 4DR.

Selectable lockers, GOAT/DSSV suspension, slightly higher towing capacity on the ZR2, more bed capacity than Bronco cargo space. But it's still an apples to oranges comparison.

If you don't have a truck and could use the bed capacity, maybe the AT4X/ZR2 would be a better choice. Otherwise, the aftermarket is much larger for the Bronco, user community is larger, as @emulous74 mentioned.

If you wanted a diesel, then the older LWN Colorado ZR2s are an option on the used market.

 

[ColeTrain84]

The closest comparison of the ZR2 would be a Badlands 4DR.

Selectable lockers, GOAT/DSSV suspension, slightly higher towing capacity on the ZR2, more bed capacity than Bronco cargo space. But it's still an apples to oranges comparison.

If you don't have a truck and could use the bed capacity, maybe the AT4X/ZR2 would be a better choice. Otherwise, the aftermarket is much larger for the Bronco, user community is larger, as @emulous74 mentioned.

If you wanted a diesel, then the older LWN Colorado ZR2s are an option on the used market.

slightly higher towing? almost double... 3500lbs vs 6000lbs on the '23 Colorado's. The last gen could get as high as 7700lbs. They tow very well. My 2016 Canyon All Terrain towed well.

 

[Vigs98]

I own a 2021 Colorado Zr2 Bison Edition and use it as my primary daily driver. I drove it to the Ford dealer to test drive a Bronco (so i had a immediate back to back experience). I drove a 4 Door SaS Badlands hardtop for about 30 minutes. The Colorado, in my opinion, was a better driving vehicle on the road and around town. Everything on my Colorado is stock. I decided to order a non-sas badlands (still waiting for delivery) because i thought the tire noise would be too much for me on longer trips. That being said, I really don't like driving the Colorado for more than 2 hours on the highway - the tire noise is a lot, the seats are marginal and don't have message function and I definitely get more tired driving the Colorado vs. some of my other vehicles. Maybe that's because I am a little older from when I drove a 1990 Jeep Wrangle from NJ to CA in 4 days and arrived feeling like a million bucks. I have never owned a GM car before and absolutely love the Colorado - so much so that i put a deposit down on a GMC Canyon AT4X FE. I wanted to buy a Gladiator or Tacoma but I did not like the way either drove. I was planning on trading in my Colorado when the Bronco arrives, but my teenage kids won't let me! I have owned a lot of vehicles and the Colorado reliability as been one of the best after 2 years and the build quality for the price point has been more than acceptable. As others have noted, the bronco and ZR2 are different vehicles. Unless you need a truck bed and you only have room for one vehicle, I always choose a car based on the fun factor. I think the ZR2 is more practical in a lot of respects, but just like Jeeps always put a smile on my face when i drove them despite all of their flaws, I am expecting the Bronco to do the same. So if I had to choose one, I would probably pick the Bronco. Plus, if the Bronco resale value in a few years is anything like a Jeep, it will destroy the ZR2.

 

[ohp138]

I have a 2018 ZR2 and a 2022 Ford Bronco OBX. Let me say, I love them both for different reasons.

Ride Quality: great in both vehicles. I tried a Tacoma before I bought the ZR2 and hated it.

Fuel Efficiency: about the same. I get 18MPG on average for both.

Handling: about the same. I think the ZR2 is more stable and seems to sit down well on curves.

Driving: The Bronco is just FUN to drive. The ZR2 isn't "bad" it just isn't as fun.

Steering and Turn Radius: hands down the Bronco wins HUGE here. The ZR2 has a terrible turn radius while the Bronco is simply amazing.

Off Road: Both are great. My ZR2 has front and rear lockers and I've never had a problem with it. The ZR2's underbody is better engineered than the Bronco. I worry much less about getting hung up or damaging something underneath on the ZR2 than the Bronco. The Bronco wins hands down on the ease of engaging the lockers. Engaging the lockers in the ZR2 is like trying to figure out a padlock. The Bronco locker is so simple.

Payload and Space: ZR wins here because well, it's a truck. I can haul dirty, crappy trash in the ZR2 that I would never put in my Bronco.

Aftermarket: The Bronco has exponentially outpaced the ZR2 for aftermarket products. It's not even close.

The 2023 ZR2 looks very impressive and much more refined. I think it comes down to your purpose and what you want. I'm fortunate to have both and each is great in its own way.

 

[J.Spicoli]

the Bronco I ordered has been built, and I am torn between taking delivery of it or waiting for the new ZR2 to become available.

I'm glad I found this thread as I'm in the exact same boat. My Bronco is in production as we speak and after learning about the 2023 Colorado I'm really liking the ZR2.

I've been doing research and as others have said before me the old transmission had it's problems to the point of multiple lawsuits. The "new" tranny is just an updated old model. See this GM Authority article. My understanding is that the majority of the issues with the old was that it was super picky about fluid and once they figured that out it resolved a lot of issues. But I'm no expert and this is base on a few hours armchair quarterbacking.

Also just know the new Colorado only comes in 4dr short box and 1 engine option. On the Chevy side there are 3 different tunes based on which trim and all trims of the GMC Canyon will have the high output tune. Just something else to consider.

I'm also in agreement that the comparison is apples to oranges. On the Bronco side you have a very capable offroad toy with not much other utility unless you file the cool factor into that category. The ZR2 is also cool and slightly less offroadable but offers more utility with the bed.

The interior is of personal choice.

I really want the Bronco and will probably buy it when it comes in as I just can't stand my current vehicle. Then over the next few months check out the Colorado as they make their way onto dealer lots. The ZR2 doesn't start production till April.

 

[Mark T]

I'm glad I found this thread as I'm in the exact same boat. My Bronco is in production as we speak and after learning about the 2023 Colorado I'm really liking the ZR2.

I've been doing research and as others have said before me the old transmission had it's problems to the point of multiple lawsuits. The "new" tranny is just an updated old model. See this GM Authority article. My understanding is that the majority of the issues with the old was that it was super picky about fluid and once they figured that out it resolved a lot of issues. But I'm no expert and this is base on a few hours armchair quarterbacking.

Also just know the new Colorado only comes in 4dr short box and 1 engine option. On the Chevy side there are 3 different tunes based on which trim and all trims of the GMC Canyon will have the high output tune. Just something else to consider.

I'm also in agreement that the comparison is apples to oranges. On the Bronco side you have a very capable offroad toy with not much other utility unless you file the cool factor into that category. The ZR2 is also cool and slightly less offroadable but offers more utility with the bed.

The interior is of personal choice.

I really want the Bronco and will probably buy it when it comes in as I just can't stand my current vehicle. Then over the next few months check out the Colorado as they make their way onto dealer lots. The ZR2 doesn't start production till April.

The Bronco has had its share of issues also, although hopefully most of them are sorted out by now.
I think the ZR2 may be better on the freeway as it wouldn’t have the wind noise Broncos have, and they almost certainly will have power seats (a real plus for those of us with back problems), but the Bronco is probably more fun to drive around town due to the shorter length. The one engine choice for the ZR2 is packed with a lot of HP and torque. Both look great. Both should have very good resale value. Both get shitty mileage.

 

[Mark T]

…I posted my reply to J Spicoli’s (Fast Times reference?) comment before seeing OHP’s, and his comment that the Bronco is more fun to drive, so I’ll scratch “probably” from my comment about the Bronco being fun to drive.

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