Finally saw and drove one.

[Silver-Bolt]

I drive by a Ford dealer every morning on the way to work. Their lot has been bare for months. Last week I noticed out front of their showroom a bright red 4-door. Saturday my wife and I cruised over to check it out. It was a 4-door Wildtrack, soft top, luxury, and leather. MSRP was $58k+. They really do look bigger than they really are. My wife drives an Audi SQ5. Dimensionally (except for the height) the two vehicles are within a few inches in length and width. Walking up to the Bronco it looked closer to full size than mid size. Once inside it felt much closer in size to the Audi. We did a short drive as they had a scheduled test drive setup. The driving position was very similar to my FJ Cruiser. The seats are very similar to the seats in my Raptor. Very comfortable and easy to find the right position. My wife is 5'2" and not issue getting in or out. She liked the ability to raise the seat and adjust the tilt/telescoping wheel. With the top up and windows closed we did here more tire noise (expected) than my Raptor (BFG's). I suspect part of that was the tires felt very over inflated. Overall the shot drive we each we both came away liking it. We will likely be ordering one for our place in NW Montana.

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[BroncoJay]

Nice write up!
By the way I see you are from Eureka, MT!
Nice, I’ve actually been there...

 

[JAC]

I drive by a Ford dealer every morning on the way to work. Their lot has been bare for months. Last week I noticed out front of their showroom a bright red 4-door. Saturday my wife and I cruised over to check it out. It was a 4-door Wildtrack, soft top, luxury, and leather. MSRP was $58k+. They really do look bigger than they really are. My wife drives an Audi SQ5. Dimensionally (except for the height) the two vehicles are within a few inches in length and width. Walking up to the Bronco it looked closer to full size than mid size. Once inside it felt much closer in size to the Audi. We did a short drive as they had a scheduled test drive setup. The driving position was very similar to my FJ Cruiser. The seats are very similar to the seats in my Raptor. Very comfortable and easy to find the right position. My wife is 5'2" and not issue getting in or out. She liked the ability to raise the seat and adjust the tilt/telescoping wheel. With the top up and windows closed we did here more tire noise (expected) than my Raptor (BFG's). I suspect part of that was the tires felt very over inflated. Overall the shot drive we each we both came away liking it. We will likely be ordering one for our place in NW Montana.

Bill, What dealer is this? In Portland or Eureka?? Thanks for your write up. Cheers.

 

[Silver-Bolt]

Bill, What dealer is this? In Portland or Eureka?? Thanks for your write up. Cheers.

Landmark Ford in Tigard, OR.

 

[Silver-Bolt]

Nice write up!
By the way I see you are from Eureka, MT!
Nice, I’ve actually been there...

Still fulltime in Portland. Getting ready to start construction in Eureka. One visit and we fell in love with the place.

 

[Silver-Bolt]

Something I forgot. The soft top design for accessing the rear is horrible. The tailgate swing was no big deal. A little stiff, but I would rather have that then for it to swing free and hit the stop hard. It's the whole clamshell thing for accessing the cargo area. I realize that the top needs to be able to fold on to itself when down, but it is very awkward with the top up.

 

[FJ 432]

Thanks for the write up. Having owned an FJ Cruiser I would be interested in your take on:
1. Forward visibility versus the FJ
2. Ride vs FJ
3. Power vs FJ

Thanks.

 

[Silver-Bolt]

Thanks for the write up. Having owned an FJ Cruiser I would be interested in your take on:
1. Forward visibility versus the FJ
2. Ride vs FJ
3. Power vs FJ

Thanks.

Compared to the FJ, the visibility is many times better. The monster A-pillar of the FJ was a big blind spot. Not an issue with the Bronco. The B & C-pillars on the FJ were the worst. With the soft top up I did not notice any blind spots with the Bronco.

Ride comparison is a little skewed. My FJ had full Sway-Away suspension. The Bronco was firm but not abusive at all. The test vehicle did feel like the tires were over inflated which is a common issue with new cars. When my Raptor was delivered the tires were set at 50psi. I run then at 35psi. Overall I would rate the Bronco suspension/ride as very good. Miles ahead of Jeep.

Power wise, the 2.7L Bronco leaves the FJ in the dust. The old 4.0L FJ motor is not even in the ballpark. The Bronco and FJ are similar in weight. The FJ has a 5-speed auto, 3.70 gears, and down 60hp. The Bronco flat leaves it in the dust.

 

[Afro]

Something I forgot. The soft top design for accessing the rear is horrible. The tailgate swing was no big deal. A little stiff, but I would rather have that then for it to swing free and hit the stop hard. It's the whole clamshell thing for accessing the cargo area. I realize that the top needs to be able to fold on to itself when down, but it is very awkward with the top up.

have you seen how Jeep does their? I would argue that the Bronco is a little more user friendly in that it allows you to clamshell it up without undoing any of the vinyl windows.

 

[Silver-Bolt]

have you seen how Jeep does their? I would argue that the Bronco is a little more user friendly in that it allows you to clamshell it up without undoing any of the vinyl windows.

I have used the Jeep. They both suck, just in different ways. lol

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