- First Name
- John
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2021
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- Location
- Charleston SC
- Vehicle(s)
- 2021 Bronco 4dr OBX MIC 2.7 Rear Locker A51 Roast
- Your Bronco Model
- Outer Banks
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- #1
For those who are Big, Tall, and are downsizing from a larger, roomier vehicle, I thought I'd post my comparison today of my 2016 F150 CrewCab vs the mule at Palmetto Ford, my dealer in Charleston, SC. This was a 4dr SoftTop non-Sas Badlands, with the manual/2.3 4cyl. I'm analyzing driver fit & storage.
1. See that pickup bed in the second photo? I'm going to miss that extra 4' of bed to throw stuff into. But, I now have a rear, covered storage area. Either way, I roll up a tonneau cover or open the gate & window to put in luggage or beach chairs. Clothes and backpacks go on either 2nd row seat, but I lose the voluminous underseat storage on the Bronco, its lost since the Bronco seats fold down to the floor. On the F150, under the upfolding seats, I store a floor jack, 3 jack planks & an air pump under the rear seat. Thats all my ORV beach equipment. On the Bronco, I'll have to install an air pump in the engine bay, the rest in the back. Its a downsizing choice I've made.
2. Headroom, legroom driver room: Ford nailed this interior design, which starts with the upright windshield. Ford made both the Explorer and Escape undrivable for me during model upgrades by lowering the roof and raking back the windshield, they're returned to good design with this Bronco. Compared to a Jeep 4xe 4dr I just tried, I have excellent 6'5" head room in the Bronco, while I hit my head on the Jeep crossbar. Bronco Headroom (Front) is as good as F150, although I haven't tried my OBX MIC top yet because its in purgatory. But the hardtop doesnt reduce head room, the cross bar does. Arm room is fine in the Bronco, although, my left arm is closer to the door compared to F-150, but it feels comfortable and at home, like my 1976 International Scout.
Knee and leg room feel comfortable for my body, and while the cab is snugger than I've been accustomed to in the F150 and my previous Excursion, I feel at home and was comfortable driving the Bronco.
SEAT UPGRADE. I've learned across numerous Fords that to fit comfortably, I need an Electric adjustable seat. Electric seats go down and back more than manual seats, providing needed leg and head room. The Badlands I drove today had leather/vinyl/electric seats, and I loved that upgrade. I spent $1,800 for leather-electric seats in my Purgatory OBX, and Having tried them today, that was money well spent as a tall driver. EG, the Jeep I tried this week has manual seats, and they were minimally adjustable, such that I could never buy a Jeep because I don't fit -my head hits the crossbar. Not that I want a Jeep, it just feels more cramped and if the Bronco didn't exist, I'd keep the F150.
MANUAL TRANS driving. I didnt order a manual, but this mule had one so I thought it would be fun to use a clutch again for the first time since the late 1960's and 1970s. My first vehicles were 3spd manuals, one on the "tree" (57 chevy pickup) and two on the floor (1967 IH Scout & brother's 1973 F350 stake truck used for logging). I found the foot-room too crowded on the manual Bronco, the 3 pedals close together, and especially lack of room above the pedals to move my 13E sized feet. Granted, I'm out of practice, but I'm glad I didn't give into nostalgia and buy a manual. I also found the throw between the 6 gears close, more like a Porsche I once drove than a truck, but I'm sure I'd get the feel in time. Some will love the manual, its not badly designed, its just a bit crowded for me. One thing very wierd is the lack of a tachometer! There's a vertical bar graph that reads in decimals!!! It says 1.5K or 2.5K rpm, not 1500 or 2500! That display has got to go! Replace that MPG Eco gauge with a round tachometer, Ford!
Overall, I'm looking forward to trading my F150 for a 4dr Bronco. It is a downsize, but more fun as well, and much easier to park compared to the truck, since I'm parking in the city more now that I'm retired! I'll have to get used to the shorter wheelbase and no overhang. It took me 6 tries to line up the Bronco to back into the parking space, I kept cutting it too quickly, I'm so used to the overhang and the long wheelbase.
And thanks to Victoria at Palmetto Ford for accompanying me on the ride! She was very adept at running the ship's computer, going back and forth between the various programs. I can tell that computer is going to be quite the learning curve for me.
1. See that pickup bed in the second photo? I'm going to miss that extra 4' of bed to throw stuff into. But, I now have a rear, covered storage area. Either way, I roll up a tonneau cover or open the gate & window to put in luggage or beach chairs. Clothes and backpacks go on either 2nd row seat, but I lose the voluminous underseat storage on the Bronco, its lost since the Bronco seats fold down to the floor. On the F150, under the upfolding seats, I store a floor jack, 3 jack planks & an air pump under the rear seat. Thats all my ORV beach equipment. On the Bronco, I'll have to install an air pump in the engine bay, the rest in the back. Its a downsizing choice I've made.
2. Headroom, legroom driver room: Ford nailed this interior design, which starts with the upright windshield. Ford made both the Explorer and Escape undrivable for me during model upgrades by lowering the roof and raking back the windshield, they're returned to good design with this Bronco. Compared to a Jeep 4xe 4dr I just tried, I have excellent 6'5" head room in the Bronco, while I hit my head on the Jeep crossbar. Bronco Headroom (Front) is as good as F150, although I haven't tried my OBX MIC top yet because its in purgatory. But the hardtop doesnt reduce head room, the cross bar does. Arm room is fine in the Bronco, although, my left arm is closer to the door compared to F-150, but it feels comfortable and at home, like my 1976 International Scout.
Knee and leg room feel comfortable for my body, and while the cab is snugger than I've been accustomed to in the F150 and my previous Excursion, I feel at home and was comfortable driving the Bronco.
SEAT UPGRADE. I've learned across numerous Fords that to fit comfortably, I need an Electric adjustable seat. Electric seats go down and back more than manual seats, providing needed leg and head room. The Badlands I drove today had leather/vinyl/electric seats, and I loved that upgrade. I spent $1,800 for leather-electric seats in my Purgatory OBX, and Having tried them today, that was money well spent as a tall driver. EG, the Jeep I tried this week has manual seats, and they were minimally adjustable, such that I could never buy a Jeep because I don't fit -my head hits the crossbar. Not that I want a Jeep, it just feels more cramped and if the Bronco didn't exist, I'd keep the F150.
MANUAL TRANS driving. I didnt order a manual, but this mule had one so I thought it would be fun to use a clutch again for the first time since the late 1960's and 1970s. My first vehicles were 3spd manuals, one on the "tree" (57 chevy pickup) and two on the floor (1967 IH Scout & brother's 1973 F350 stake truck used for logging). I found the foot-room too crowded on the manual Bronco, the 3 pedals close together, and especially lack of room above the pedals to move my 13E sized feet. Granted, I'm out of practice, but I'm glad I didn't give into nostalgia and buy a manual. I also found the throw between the 6 gears close, more like a Porsche I once drove than a truck, but I'm sure I'd get the feel in time. Some will love the manual, its not badly designed, its just a bit crowded for me. One thing very wierd is the lack of a tachometer! There's a vertical bar graph that reads in decimals!!! It says 1.5K or 2.5K rpm, not 1500 or 2500! That display has got to go! Replace that MPG Eco gauge with a round tachometer, Ford!
Overall, I'm looking forward to trading my F150 for a 4dr Bronco. It is a downsize, but more fun as well, and much easier to park compared to the truck, since I'm parking in the city more now that I'm retired! I'll have to get used to the shorter wheelbase and no overhang. It took me 6 tries to line up the Bronco to back into the parking space, I kept cutting it too quickly, I'm so used to the overhang and the long wheelbase.
And thanks to Victoria at Palmetto Ford for accompanying me on the ride! She was very adept at running the ship's computer, going back and forth between the various programs. I can tell that computer is going to be quite the learning curve for me.
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