Full-Size or Mid-size for the New Bronco?

[Stampede.Offroad]

Ford Authority is claiming the baby will be called the Bronco Adventurer.

http://fordauthority.com/2019/07/new-baby-ford-bronco-will-called-bronco-adventurer/

Yeah ... they say lots of stuff. Their credibility isn't exactly anything to brag about.

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[Toyhoarder]

Yeah ... they say lots of stuff. Their credibility isn't exactly anything to brag about.

I agree. I hope they’re wrong anyway.

 

[BroncoMike]

It doesn't matter what anyone thinks the Colorado-topped mule is - what matters is what it is. And since nobody here knows that, it is impossible to refute the claim. I agree it is questionable, but that's as far as anyone can go.

You conflated someone being "confused" by an assertion with "doesn't believe that statement". They are not the same thing. Some people are "confused" by quantum physics theories, that doesn't mean they don't trust in the opinions of experts who do understand the underlying science and have seen the experimental data.

Whether the Colorado/Courier assertion is that of an expert remains to be seen... more likely, we may never know.

 

[Nanook]

Let’s get back on topic to the FJ Cruiser/4Runner competitor and the what everyone wants to see - FSB

 

[Stampede.Offroad]

Let’s get back on topic to the FJ Cruiser/4Runner competitor and the what everyone wants to see - FSB

 

[BroncoBuyer]

Let’s get back on topic to the FJ Cruiser/4Runner competitor and the what everyone wants to see - FSB

Yea no more pee pee contest. Holster them sausages fellas, let’s get back to talking Bronco..

 

[teejayhoward]

What I want is a RCSB F-150 with an (optionally) enclosed bed, big engine, manual transmission, and 4WD. Something that I can use as an SUV day-to-day, but convert into a truck whenever I need to use an engine hoist to drop a thousand+ pounds into the "bed" to take to the dump (or home from the store). I want it to fit in a modern garage, so a maximum of 200" in length is acceptable. I would like to play around offroad, so a narrow width is preferred. (Ditto for parking in-town) I want to be able to tow my car home when I blow the engine at the drag strip. I want enough ground clearance, suspension travel, and traction for deep snow in the mountains to not be an issue. I want a short enough wheelbase for a good turning radius while still being long enough for highway comfort.

 

[Nickp]

What I want is a RCSB F-150 with an (optionally) enclosed bed, big engine, manual transmission, and 4WD. Something that I can use as an SUV day-to-day, but convert into a truck whenever I need to use an engine hoist to drop a thousand+ pounds into the "bed" to take to the dump (or home from the store). I want it to fit in a modern garage, so a maximum of 200" in length is acceptable. I would like to play around offroad, so a narrow width is preferred. (Ditto for parking in-town) I want to be able to tow my car home when I blow the engine at the drag strip. I want enough ground clearance, suspension travel, and traction for deep snow in the mountains to not be an issue. I want a short enough wheelbase for a good turning radius while still being long enough for highway comfort.

Sounds like you want something that cannot physically exist.

 

[teejayhoward]

Sounds like you want something that cannot physically exist.

I just described an older F-150 with a camper shell. Basically what a FSB would be.

 

[BroncoMike]

I just described an older F-150 with a camper shell. Basically what a FSB would be.

The issue is always weatherproofing the cab in either mode. Making the "bed" portion cushy enough for the SUV role, yet tough enough for the pickup role is a close second.

I'm sure there are some great ways to manage both issues, but so far the limited attempts at implementation have been bulky at best. Just the basics of removing the top from an FSB was no small chore, let alone the ground handling and storage. And once that seal got old, the top would leak when reinstalled. Not to mention that if (in my case, when) it rained, the carpet in back got soaked and weather would inevitably wind up in the passenger compartment. Absent a quickly deployable top, this will be a negative for most people. There is a variety of soft tops on the market, though many of them require drilling holes in the body, are not truly weatherproof, are not really quick-deploy, and any soft top intrinsically introduces a security concern.

Designing a quick-detach rear seat is a simple matter nowadays, and a removable carpet is simple enough. But the ability to have the rear seat installed while the top is removed will likely require a roll cage, complicating the use of the bed portion for certain cargo and possibly compromising the ability to drop an engine in the back with a hoist. A rear hard wall for the "cab" in pickup mode could be arranged, no doubt with some complications resulting from the overhead crash protection...

When you look at some of the mechanical wizardry behind convertable hardtops, it is difficult to imagine a manufacturer couldn't come up with a solution. Whether it would survive the abuse many people put their trucks through is another matter, but before that, a manufacturer has to see the value in engineering and building it.

 

[Nanook]

Functionality wise yes everyone agrees a regular cab shortbed f150 with a camper shell is close to what the FSB has always been. No argument.
However, It doesn’t have a rear seat, it doesn’t have the retro styling, it’s not a full convertible, doesn’t have a roll cage and you can’t get a regular cab short bed raptor. All with a factory warranty.
If you want a Wrangler sized vehicle, with the off-road ability of a wrangler, buy a wrangler. The ranger bronco will not get a SFA and will only compete with the wrangler stock vs stock. It will beat it in comfort, on road handling and power.
Do you think Ford would create the hype they did if they said “we are targeting the FJ Cruiser and benchmarking the Bronco against it”....no. But Toyota markets the FJ as a direct Wrangler competitor and so will ford. Retro styling off-road capable body on frame.

 

[BroncoMike]

Functionality wise yes everyone agrees a regular cab shortbed f150 with a camper shell is close to what the FSB has always been. No argument.
However, It doesn’t have a rear seat, it doesn’t have the retro styling, it’s not a full convertible, doesn’t have a roll cage and you can’t get a regular cab short bed raptor. All with a factory warranty. If you want a Wrangler sized vehicle, with the off-road ability of a wrangler, buy a wrangler. The ranger bronco will not get a SFA and will only compete with the wrangler stock vs stock. It will beat it in comfort, on road handling and power.
Do you think Ford would create the hype they did if they said “we are targeting the FJ Cruiser and benchmarking the Bronco against it”....no. But Toyota markets the FJ as a direct Wrangler competitor and so will ford. Retro styling off-road capable body on frame.

Clearly, everyone has their individual specific vision of what the next Bronco should be. At this point, I think it's becoming plainly evident that the new machine won't please everyone. But the Ranger will be the same size as it, so that's a clue. Bigger than a Wrangler, smaller than a Raptor.

Me, I don't want a Wrangler-sized vehicle. I'm not even a big guy, and the Wrangler's shoulder-rubbing, elbow smacking interior is claustrophobic to me. As for capability, that remains to be seen...

Ford wouldn't target the FJ for other reasons - primarily because Toyota doesn't sell it in the US anymore. Wrangler is the only other vehicle in the market space, if they're serious about offering competitive capability and want to distinguish themselves from sedan-based SUVs.

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