Daily drivability of 2 door vs 4 door

[ThisGuy611]

For those who have spent significant time in both variants, how do they stack up? We know the 4 door with a longer wheelbase will be more comfortable over bumps and on the highway, while the 2 door has a significantly tighter turning radius, better visibility, and the B pillar is further behind the driver. In your opinion, how much of a difference do these things make real world?

Let's set aside the obvious answer that 4 doors are better for a family and storage, focus purely on driver and front passenger comfort/daily drivability.


For comparison:
2 door bronco wheelbase comes in at 100.4", 4 door is 116.1"

2 door jeep is 96.8" wheelbase, 4 door is 118.4" (I'm surprised it's such a big difference)

Average midsize sedan is ~110", SUV's range from 115"-120"+, trucks can easily exceed 140".

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[Rick Astley]

Yea, both can be used for daily drivers.

There's no real-world difference driving a different wheelbase when you can easily hop a curb so where is this going?

 

[Beachin 74]

I can't answer on the 4-door but the 2-door rides really well on the highway for a short wheelbase vehicle.
My wife became a parking lot "Pro" overnight with the 2-door and 360 degree camera.

 

[okbob]

More importantly, how often do you need access to the rear seats, who/what is going in the rear seats and can you live with a smaller 2D fuel tank?

4D was never an option for us so none of the comparisons matter lol.

 

[thatspecialbeat]

I have not driven a 4 door but I went with the 2 door specifically for "fun" daily driving and I am not disappointed.

My goal is off-road convertible sports car so 2 door non-sas seemed like the best option. I have the 7MT and keep it in sport mode and driving is a blast.

Unless the "other considerations" are important, do the 2 door.

 

[Tricky Dick]

I daily my 2dr and feel it rides pretty nice for a short wheelbase. It's no 87 Wrangler.

 

[nwGTS]

I have a good perspective living in a large dense urban environment and having driven both. The 4 dr is relatively unlivable in the city if you LIVE in the city. If you commute in, the cons are mitigated. The 4dr will not fit in a standard detached garage in Chicago if you expect to get anything else in that garage and we all know how valuable that storage space is here. The 2dr leaves a little less than 2 feet in front, enough to use that front wall for hanging items and cabinet storage or bikes.

Most street parking spots are big enough for a mid or small SUV (CRV, Rav4). That's the majority of vehicles driven here. The 2DR can manage that all day long. You'll circle the block a few times in a 4 dr. Same as any jeep 4 dr or explorer.

There's a lot of nuance here in garage size and block density of course but generally speaking it would be a nuisance and PITA to live with and daily a 4dr Bronco in the city.

You can relate this to a nearly identical situation with a mid/full size pickup in an urban environment. No one outside of tradespeople living in the city drives one though a cabbed midsized pickup is arguably the most pragmatic vehicle in existence in any other situation.

The other difference not relegated to city living is your own mobility and that of your passengers. Getting in the back seats of a highfloor 2dr is going to be a challenge for those with compromised mobility.

 

[Karl_in_Chicago]

Let's set aside the obvious answer that 4 doors are better for a family and storage, focus purely on driver and front passenger comfort/daily drivability.

If storage/access issues are tossed out then I'm not sure what's left? I mean, sure, wheelbase but that's about it at least from a DD perspective. So I guess it's left for you to balance between whether the ride quality the longer wheelbase the 4dr may impart is better than the easier parking and maneuverability, etc. the smaller 2dr offers (I mean, obviously, the much better looks of the 2dr are just a given) - and we don't really have any insight about where/when/how you drive your DD.

Anybody that I know that buys a larger vehicle always says for the family, storage, hockey, etc. - all about getting more people/stuff into and out of the vehicle as easily as possible (and TOTALLY valid reasons!). If someone doesn't have those needs I don't know what the appeal of the larger model is except for those that just equate bigger=better or are "just in case" kind of people. I've driven a sedan for 40+ years "just in case" - in my current one in almost 20 years I don't believe the times I've driven with back seat passengers makes it into double digits.

One thing not said so far is that there's no Ford soft top for the 2dr. While you can now option the Besttop Trektop I, like a number of others, am not a fan of that design that doesn't fully fold down; both Ford's 4dr and both Wrangler softies fold fully down. So the fully open experience may be more difficult to get to in the 2 vs 4. Just a data point.

 

[ChrisB351]

Tomorrow I will be 3mo Ive had my 2dr. I'll be at 6k miles before the weekend is up. Not 1 single complaint on the ride. So much better than my 2013 JKU was (stock suspension with 33" tires). Everyone that has rode with me was very impressed with it.

 

[ThisGuy611]

If storage/access issues are tossed out then I'm not sure what's left? I mean, sure, wheelbase but that's about it at least from a DD perspective. So I guess it's left for you to balance between whether the ride quality the longer wheelbase the 4dr may impart is better than the easier parking and maneuverability, etc. the smaller 2dr offers (I mean, obviously, the much better looks of the 2dr are just a given) - and we don't really have any insight about where/when/how you drive your DD.

Anybody that I know that buys a larger vehicle always says for the family, storage, hockey, etc. - all about getting more people/stuff into and out of the vehicle as easily as possible (and TOTALLY valid reasons!). If someone doesn't have those needs I don't know what the appeal of the larger model is except for those that just equate bigger=better or are "just in case" kind of people. I've driven a sedan for 40+ years "just in case" - in my current one in almost 20 years I don't believe the times I've driven with back seat passengers makes it into double digits.

One thing not said so far is that there's no Ford soft top for the 2dr. While you can now option the Besttop Trektop I, like a number of others, am not a fan of that design that doesn't fully fold down; both Ford's 4dr and both Wrangler softies fold fully down. So the fully open experience may be more difficult to get to in the 2 vs 4. Just a data point.

I feel like there's plenty left. Highway driving a 2 door wrangler vs 4 door for example is night and day, I'm wondering if that's the case with the bronco as well (seems not).

2 door bronco has substantially longer doors than the 4 door and I've seem multiple comments in other threads on it, but no direct comparison on how impactful that actually is.

Parking around town, does the 4 door feel like a long tank or a nimble ride? One guy here commented about how driving in the city is much more difficult in the 4 door than 2 and I found the comment helpful.

I wasn't asking about how it would impact me specifically, I'm simply looking for general opinions on the two from those who have driven both for more than a quick test drive. Seems like a valid discussion imo.

 

[ThisGuy611]

Tomorrow I will be 3mo Ive had my 2dr. I'll be at 6k miles before the weekend is up. Not 1 single complaint on the ride. So much better than my 2013 JKU was (stock suspension with 33" tires). Everyone that has rode with me was very impressed with it.

That's great to hear. I had a 2 door JK and you could definitely feel the road with that thing. Based on your and multiple other comments it seems the IFS and slightly longer wheelbase on the bronco solved that issue.

 

[MnLakeBum]

I haven’t spent much time in a 2 door but didn’t notice much if any difference in mixed driving. The 2 door is 14.5’ long and the 4 door is 15.8’ - only a 9% difference. I wanted the 4 door as I the 2 door isn’t large enough for my hunting or camping with 2-3 buddies/family members especially with hauling gear and a dog or two.

My Bronco drives and handles much worse on the highway or around town than our Range Rover or my sports sedan but I knew that before I bought it. It’s a big, loud off road vehicle with a high CG and it’s damn fun for its intended use.

 

[0ne]

Yea, both can be used for daily drivers.

There's no real-world difference driving a different wheelbase when you can easily hop a curb so where is this going?

Cutting over roundabouts is fun too, especially while the Subaru behind you watches in shock and awe

 

[nwGTS]

both Ford's 4dr and both Wrangler softies fold fully down. So the fully open experience may be more difficult to get to in the 2 vs 4. Just a data point.

that's a really great point.

 

[nwGTS]

Highway driving a 2 door wrangler vs 4 door for example is night and day, I'm wondering if that's the case with the bronco as well (seems not).

the longer the wheelbase the more stable at higher speeds. So, yes besides ride' comfort' the 4dr will be more stable on the highway.

and yes, longer doors on the 2dr will be more difficult to fully open than shorter doors of the 4dr in a parking lot. however, navigating that parking lot is going to be more difficult in the 4dr.

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