Bronco vs. Wrangler Crash Test Video

[JRS993]

Note how the Bronco's front, driver's side wheel rotates at impact but remains in the wheel well. The Wrangler's wheel rotates and goes down under the frame of the truck. This must also contribute to the launching effect leading to the rollover.

Sponsored

 

[Paul Gagnon]

but G-force kills.

Hell yeah they do!

 

[Tor148]

Is that Richard Hammon???

 

[mike8675309]

The IFS of the bronco allows the lower control arm to fail, turning the wheel back while having no impact on the other side of the car. A larger tire like the 33 and 34.5 may not move the same way as you see here, regardless of a bar.
The solid axle of the jeep behaves differently as moving the wheel means the entire axle needs to move yet the force on the wheel is driving it back, causing the axle to be pulled under the vehicle, imparting a force that flipped the vehicle.

The side curtain airbag in the Bronco seemed more effective but the video doesn't show the forces being imparted to understand if that really helped.

 

[Marauder]

All of that info is available on the IIHS website. Just search "2021 Jeep Wrangler" (and choose 4-door) vs "2021 Ford Bronco". You can scroll down to small overlap front and click on "technical measurements for this test". Unfortunately, both tests seem to use different standards, but in any case, the HIC (head injury criterion) is higher for the Wrangler, and all of the other force measurements are available. They also provide details with some photos - the Bronco had a little bit of floor intrusion, for example. They also mention with the Wrangler that "The partial rollover presents an additional injury risk beyond what the standard crash test criteria are intended to measure (second test shown).", so data from the rollover itself really isn't included.

I score this one easily to the Bronco.

Edit to add: If you look at the results for the 2022 Wrangler, it doesn't seem to have rolled, but the results seem somehow MUCH worse. HIC-15 is 297 vs 52 for the Bronco, and the neck measurements are also worse, and chest compression far worse for the Jeep.

Good stuff. Thanks for the perspective!

 

[Marauder]

Is that Richard Hammon???

 

[TheKim]

I F’ing called it…

It was a Gladiator with I think 40" tires, super clean the whole way around. I'm like, yeah, you seem like that kind of person.

 

[Red Mountain Pass]

No angry eyes on Jeep. Test is shit.

 

[Bdisco]

The IFS of the bronco allows the lower control arm to fail, turning the wheel back while having no impact on the other side of the car. A larger tire like the 33 and 34.5 may not move the same way as you see here, regardless of a bar.
The solid axle of the jeep behaves differently as moving the wheel means the entire axle needs to move yet the force on the wheel is driving it back, causing the axle to be pulled under the vehicle, imparting a force that flipped the vehicle.

The side curtain airbag in the Bronco seemed more effective but the video doesn't show the forces being imparted to understand if that really helped.

Maybe the more rubber and volume of air in the larger tire will absorb and deflect some of the impact? Thoughts?

 

[Lainez]

The Wrangler flipping and sliding puts the occupants at risk of secondary collisions. It looks like the Bronco has emergency breaking.

Imagine a small overlap collision when crossing an intersection, flipping, sliding into the intersection, and then getting hit again. While outside the scope of the test, the total effect of the crash could be substantially worse in the Wrangler.

 

[PDiddy]

THIS IS NO JOKE - Jeep bro parked next to my Bronco a couple weeks ago, and I just had to laugh at him.

You have no idea how much safer that Gladiator is with the monster sticker on it.

And for all those mentioning angry eye grills, that wall would have moved out of the Jeep’s way if it had angry eyes staring at it.

Last, not everyone will know this, but the stubby antennas are exact size replicas of the driver’s you know what’s. Knowing that will help in finding sympathy for them.

Before any Jeep owner gets mad at me, I drive a Gladiator and am only kidding around. But my antenna is 3” wide by 8” tall…

 

[Lazarus327]

The issue with the Wrangler is it was off-balance - There weren't enough Monster energy drink stickers on it to keep it from rolling over.

Also, watching a Bronco run into a wall makes me sad inside.

I gotta admit, I too had a visceral reaction to seeing that Bronco abused like that, not so much for the Jeep though...

 

[Aaonter]

Definitely a significant difference. The Bronco dissipates that energy so well compared to the Jeep.

it is simple physics and not absorption. It is the taper to the front and the solid axle. The cabin intrusion was good and that is why it still passed. Off roading it is a benefit to have the taper. In the wrong situations all vehicles will roll.

 

[Asylumchild]

Assuming this Bronco has the crash bars installed(based on rims/model)... what does it look like on all the SAS models without the crash bars. 0.0

 

[gwrjones]

it is simple physics and not absorption. It is the taper to the front and the solid axle. The cabin intrusion was good and that is why it still passed. Off roading it is a benefit to have the taper. In the wrong situations all vehicles will roll.

I wasn't necessarily speaking to the roll over, just the way the Bronco kind of explodes and crumples while the Jeep maintains more of its shape. That energy has to go somewhere and the more the car stays rigid and in tact, the more energy is transferred to the passengers.

Sponsored