Has anyone switched from a 4Runner to a Bronco?

[DBC Offroad]

I appreciate all the responses!

One thing I think that is interesting is how many of you went from a 4 door 4Runner to a 2 door Bronco. Why is that?

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[Itsdchz]

As much as I have been a Toyota person
3 - 4Runners
1- Tundra
1- Highlander
And others
Bronco blows all away.

 

[Tex]

I appreciate all the responses!

One thing I think that is interesting is how many of you went from a 4 door 4Runner to a 2 door Bronco. Why is that?

I started off with Wranglers and Willys Jeeps, Blazers, Broncos and Scouts, old D90's and FJ40's, etc. so 2dr is kind of my thing. I mean, let's face it...if you're going to do any serious crawling and don't want to leave any capabilities on the table, a short wheelbase is your first step. Got sick of Jeep never putting a decent engine in their Wranglers and I feel like a 4dr Jeep is completely missing the point. Newer D90's were way above what I wanted to spend, and my other options were old vehicles...even though I still enjoy them, I didn't want one as my daily driver.

When it came time to pick a family vehicle the 4runner was the obvious choice to me as the IFS would afford a better daily driver experience for the wife and kids, and after some upgrades would be able to go anywhere I wanted to take newborns and toddlers. The Bronco came out about the same time as when my kids no longer needed help to get in and buckled, so a 4dr was no longer necessary.

In an alternate universe where the Bronco wasn't reintroduced but a 2dr version of the 4runner was made instead, that's likely what I'd be driving right now, completely oblivious to what could've been. In another alternate universe where the Bronco wasn't made but Jeep offered a V8 option for any trim Wrangler, or even just a dependable engine with good power, I likely would've bought one of those. In this universe, the 2dr Bronco fit every one of my needs almost as if they were targeting me personally. The only thing that might have been more directed at me is if Chevy came out with a successor to the original first gen Blazer, complete with a fully removable hard top all the way to the windshield, and did at least as good of a job with it as Ford did with the Bronco.

The 392 Wrangler seemed like a kneejerk reaction from Jeep, and I wasn't going to buy into the 4dr only option. I warmed up to idea of IFS/rack and pinion from my time with the 4runner and seeing them winning KOH/Ultra4. The Bronco had more available room and creature comforts than a Wrangler and arguably better offroad specific options, with capabilities that were comparable between the two. A V8 option would've been great but I was surprised at how well the 2.7L works for it (it's adequate, but as soon as the warranty runs out....). Plus, they did a great job making it look like what a Bronco should look like, and I didn't want to ruin those looks by adding excessive and unnecessary doors to it. Ever see a first gen Bronco with four doors? It's not a pretty sight, I'll spare you the horror by not posting a pic.

 

[AMTRV]

I appreciate all the responses!

One thing I think that is interesting is how many of you went from a 4 door 4Runner to a 2 door Bronco. Why is that?

I had a 2 door 4Runner and bought a 4 door Bronco.

 

[DBC Offroad]

I started off with Wranglers and Willys Jeeps, Blazers, Broncos and Scouts, old D90's and FJ40's, etc. so 2dr is kind of my thing. I mean, let's face it...if you're going to do any serious crawling and don't want to leave any capabilities on the table, a short wheelbase is your first step. Got sick of Jeep never putting a decent engine in their Wranglers and I feel like a 4dr Jeep is completely missing the point. Newer D90's were way above what I wanted to spend, and my other options were old vehicles...even though I still enjoy them, I didn't want one as my daily driver.

When it came time to pick a family vehicle the 4runner was the obvious choice to me as the IFS would afford a better daily driver experience for the wife and kids, and after some upgrades would be able to go anywhere I wanted to take newborns and toddlers. The Bronco came out about the same time as when my kids no longer needed help to get in and buckled, so a 4dr was no longer necessary.

In an alternate universe where the Bronco wasn't reintroduced but a 2dr version of the 4runner was made instead, that's likely what I'd be driving right now, completely oblivious to what could've been. In another alternate universe where the Bronco wasn't made but Jeep offered a V8 option for any trim Wrangler, or even just a dependable engine with good power, I likely would've bought one of those. In this universe, the 2dr Bronco fit every one of my needs almost as if they were targeting me personally. The only thing that might have been more directed at me is if Chevy came out with a successor to the original first gen Blazer, complete with a fully removable hard top all the way to the windshield, and did at least as good of a job with it as Ford did with the Bronco.

The 392 Wrangler seemed like a kneejerk reaction from Jeep, and I wasn't going to buy into the 4dr only option. I warmed up to idea of IFS/rack and pinion from my time with the 4runner and seeing them winning KOH/Ultra4. The Bronco had more available room and creature comforts than a Wrangler and arguably better offroad specific options, with capabilities that were comparable between the two. A V8 option would've been great but I was surprised at how well the 2.7L works for it (it's adequate, but as soon as the warranty runs out....). Plus, they did a great job making it look like what a Bronco should look like, and I didn't want to ruin those looks by adding excessive and unnecessary doors to it. Ever see a first gen Bronco with four doors? It's not a pretty sight, I'll spare you the horror by not posting a pic.

Interesting. What you've said does make sense though.

Chevy definitely botched the opportunity to revive the Real Blazer.

See I'm 100% sold on the 4dr Bronco. I had a 1992 with the 5.8L. I loved that, but that was full size so the 2 doors didn't bother me. It constantly broke down though, so I opted for my 4Runner. I do like the extra space of the new 4dr Bronco, at the expense of the shorter wheelbase. A lot of people stretch YJs and TJs too. So respect to each and their own variations.

Now are we talking Centurions or the Max Lider Brothers stretched, topless 1966 Bronco? Haha

I appreciate the response.

 

[DBC Offroad]

I had a 2 door 4Runner and bought a 4 door Bronco.

OG! Thats awesome. Why the 4dr Bronco then?

 

[DBC Offroad]

As much as I have been a Toyota person
3 - 4Runners
1- Tundra
1- Highlander
And others
Bronco blows all away.

THIS right here is a Connoisseur of Offroading. Well done sir. Those are awesome rigs.

Now.... having all that experience. Specifically, why does the Bronco blow them away?
If you don't mind sharing.

Thanks!

 

[Itsdchz]

THIS right here is a Connoisseur of Offroading. Well done sir. Those are awesome rigs.

Now.... having all that experience. Specifically, why does the Bronco blow them away?
If you don't mind sharing.

Thanks!

There is much to say about this in many different directions. On a very high-level overview there is so much more that has to do with technology and capability above all.

The way that Ford built the Bronco, is far different than how Toyota has built their lines of vehicles. The consideration of aftermarket and OEM upgrades was taken into consideration from the ground up. This has made it a lot easier to scale the weekend warrior versus the heavy duty off-road enthusiast.

With so much available in a plug and play standard, woth very easy major upgrades, it is built to suit many different genre of capable people.

With the tech available associated with monitoring of systems, upgrade of systems, programming, tuning - this all allows for versatility among the community.

Yes, Toyota definitely has a following and an aftermarket crowd, but Toyota did not engineer their vehicles- up until recently- with the understanding that: it is not an option anymore to service a crowd that wants modifications, it is a necessity.

Out-of-the-box you have many different trims in the line up, that serves a purpose, specific to each of the trim levels.

Not many other manufacturers take who they serve in the consideration as Ford has done with Bronco- they listened, and continues to listen. The other manufacturer’s trim levels are associated with additions and subtractions based upon pricing and a pre-determined thought process on the focus of pricing and not the why people need a certain trim level.

Ford took on the understanding that - Different capabilities in the trim are associated with what people are looking for in their rig. The possible customization- yes, but most important, the functionality out of the box.

The Bronco is one of the few vehicles I have owned, that I was able to easily understand, and choose, the trim that was needed for the most bang for the buck, based on my needs. Not compromising wants and needs. Ford truly understands that we can take it off road, on highway, and anywhere in between with little to no modification.

Then, introduce the Raptor into the mix and it’s a whole new ballgame.

I cannot think of one thing that I miss about the 4runner, that was packed out of the box There is nothing they had I wish I had on the Bronco. Almost every level of achievement in my 4runner, tundra, and FJ necessitated big dollars in order to get it to where I wanted AND needed it. Specifications as simple as clearance and approach angles, for instance.
I could go on and on.
Next, you have the drivability -both on highway and off highway. Honestly, the ease of off road driving both technical and casual, plus higher speed desert driving, puts pretty much everything else out there (comparatively) to shame.
Even when I associate it with Jeep, I cannot justify how anybody who would drive a Bronco could justify going back to an off the lot purchase of anything but a Bronco.

So many refinements within the Bronco- from tuning of suspension, the way it feels, the way it handles, and the understanding that this was truly built with Adventure in mind.

 

[DBC Offroad]

There is much to say about this in many different directions. On a very high-level overview there is so much more that has to do with technology and capability above all.

The way that Ford built the Bronco, is far different than how Toyota has built their lines of vehicles. The consideration of aftermarket and OEM upgrades was taken into consideration from the ground up. This has made it a lot easier to scale the weekend warrior versus the heavy duty off-road enthusiast.

With so much available in a plug and play standard, woth very easy major upgrades, it is built to suit many different genre of capable people.

With the tech available associated with monitoring of systems, upgrade of systems, programming, tuning - this all allows for versatility among the community.

Yes, Toyota definitely has a following and an aftermarket crowd, but Toyota did not engineer their vehicles- up until recently- with the understanding that: it is not an option anymore to service a crowd that wants modifications, it is a necessity.

Out-of-the-box you have many different trims in the line up, that serves a purpose, specific to each of the trim levels.

Not many other manufacturers take who they serve in the consideration as Ford has done with Bronco- they listened, and continues to listen. The other manufacturer’s trim levels are associated with additions and subtractions based upon pricing and a pre-determined thought process on the focus of pricing and not the why people need a certain trim level.

Ford took on the understanding that - Different capabilities in the trim are associated with what people are looking for in their rig. The possible customization- yes, but most important, the functionality out of the box.

The Bronco is one of the few vehicles I have owned, that I was able to easily understand, and choose, the trim that was needed for the most bang for the buck, based on my needs. Not compromising wants and needs. Ford truly understands that we can take it off road, on highway, and anywhere in between with little to no modification.

Then, introduce the Raptor into the mix and it’s a whole new ballgame.

I cannot think of one thing that I miss about the 4runner, that was packed out of the box There is nothing they had I wish I had on the Bronco. Almost every level of achievement in my 4runner, tundra, and FJ necessitated big dollars in order to get it to where I wanted AND needed it. Specifications as simple as clearance and approach angles, for instance.
I could go on and on.
Next, you have the drivability -both on highway and off highway. Honestly, the ease of off road driving both technical and casual, plus higher speed desert driving, puts pretty much everything else out there (comparatively) to shame.
Even when I associate it with Jeep, I cannot justify how anybody who would drive a Bronco could justify going back to an off the lot purchase of anything but a Bronco.

So many refinements within the Bronco- from tuning of suspension, the way it feels, the way it handles, and the understanding that this was truly built with Adventure in mind.

Damn. That's an answer. Thank you very much!

 

[Tex]

Interesting. What you've said does make sense though.

Chevy definitely botched the opportunity to revive the Real Blazer.

See I'm 100% sold on the 4dr Bronco. I had a 1992 with the 5.8L. I loved that, but that was full size so the 2 doors didn't bother me. It constantly broke down though, so I opted for my 4Runner. I do like the extra space of the new 4dr Bronco, at the expense of the shorter wheelbase. A lot of people stretch YJs and TJs too. So respect to each and their own variations.

Now are we talking Centurions or the Max Lider Brothers stretched, topless 1966 Bronco? Haha

I appreciate the response.

They revived the S-10 Blazer, not the real one, that's where their fatal mistake was. Which is fine, I guess, I'll probably just do a restomod on my 71 instead of giving Chevy any of my money.

The primary reason why people stretch their Wranglers is one that I agree with and can get behind. They're using that length to get longer links and clearance for bigger tires, so the additional capability offsets the longer wheelbase. When you compare a stretched YJ/TJ to a 4dr JK, there's not that much difference in length but a massive difference in how they wheel.

My preference is a 2dr, doesn't mean I think it fits everyone's needs and there's been plenty of times that a 4dr would've been handy as hell to have. It suits the way I wheel and what I'm most comfortable with, and in my entirely subjective opinion, I think the 2dr versions of everything look better. Except excursions. You'd think I'd be all for them, but for some reason it just doesn't work. I wouldn't go so far as to put them into the Maxlider abominations category though LOL

I cannot think of one thing that I miss about the 4runner, that was packed out of the box

I dunno, I kind of liked that fold down shelf in the rear, that was pretty handy. The roof rack had t-slots running its length so you could put the crossbars wherever you wanted, which made a drop-in basket insert possible. Maybe 3rd row seating, but that could be a negative depending on how you feel about them. But you're pretty much spot on, because those are the only things I can think of that a stock Toyota had that a Bronco doesn't. I've been sitting here thinking about what I'd like the Bronco to have that the 4runner doesn't, and the only things that come to mind are all aftermarket or sentimental, nothing to do with how it was off the lot. Still love the way they look though.

 

[Itsdchz]

They revived the S-10 Blazer, not the real one, that's where their fatal mistake was. Which is fine, I guess, I'll probably just do a restomod on my 71 instead of giving Chevy any of my money.

The primary reason why people stretch their Wranglers is one that I agree with and can get behind. They're using that length to get longer links and clearance for bigger tires, so the additional capability offsets the longer wheelbase. When you compare a stretched YJ/TJ to a 4dr JK, there's not that much difference in length but a massive difference in how they wheel.

My preference is a 2dr, doesn't mean I think it fits everyone's needs and there's been plenty of times that a 4dr would've been handy as hell to have. It suits the way I wheel and what I'm most comfortable with, and in my entirely subjective opinion, I think the 2dr versions of everything look better. Except excursions. You'd think I'd be all for them, but for some reason it just doesn't work. I wouldn't go so far as to put them into the Maxlider abominations category though LOL



I dunno, I kind of liked that fold down shelf in the rear, that was pretty handy. The roof rack had t-slots running its length so you could put the crossbars wherever you wanted, which made a drop-in basket insert possible. Maybe 3rd row seating, but that could be a negative depending on how you feel about them. But you're pretty much spot on, because those are the only things I can think of that a stock Toyota had that a Bronco doesn't. I've been sitting here thinking about what I'd like the Bronco to have that the 4runner doesn't, and the only things that come to mind are all aftermarket or sentimental, nothing to do with how it was off the lot. Still love the way they look though.

Pretty much concur- however, roof rack concept was only a more recent introduction- and yes, 3rd row suited us well at the compromise of rear cargo capacity.

 

[stampede1]

Have a TRD off road 4runner and a 21 2 door black diamond. They are two completely different machines. Bronco is way more fun to drive since top and doors come off (and manual trans for mine) but the 4runner is more reliable and more usable cargo space which makes it so much better for overlanding or long road trips. If you have a family I vote for the 4runner if you plan on going on trips a lot with it. (or be like me and keep both lol)

has your bronco required repair yet?

 

[Rjacks258]

If we're going that route, shouldn't the Bronco be considered at least a 34 year old vehicle, and quite a bit more if you include its hiatus between 96 and 21? It's not like the 4runner has been the same model and unchanged for 40 years either (closer to 50, actually), though it does kinda feel like it.

Reliability has surprisingly little to do with how long a vehicle has been made. My dad bought a new Chevy truck a few years back and had it in the shop three times due to pushrod failure, eventually getting an entirely new engine, had the transmission replaced after several visits to the shop for repair, and Chevy has been making trucks for how long? He bought a new Corvette about the same time and it spent 8 months out of the first year he owned it in the shop getting things fixed under warranty. He literally bought two brand new vehicles and still had to borrow one of my vehicles to get around town for a while. But you ask just about anyone else with a Chevy and they'll tell you it's been super reliable. All manufacturers go bottom dollar for everything they can, all manufacturers have about the same QC and use more or less the same parts, all manufacturers are going to give you about the same reliability in the end. If you pay attention to the numbers instead of a vocal few, brand means very little today when you factor in your odds of getting a good vehicle or a lemon off the lot. It's like choosing which scratch off ticket to buy based on what your odds of winning the jackpot are, and you factored your odds by talking to the cashier and a few of your friends. If you were to ask me what I thought of Toyota, I'd tell you that my experience with their reliability has been rather poor, but that's not indicative of the average Toyota. If I bought another Toyota my chances of getting a good one are pretty high, if I bought a Chevy my chances would be high, but then again, my chances of buying any vehicle and getting a good one is pretty high. Brand loyalty is dead.

1984 first year 4 runner, no? That’s 39 in my book. Must be using today’s common core math.
That hiatus is a restart, same name different vehicle. That previous Bronco evolved. This one has not yet. And going even further back, the Bronco that went full size in the 70’s was also a restart. Reliability comes from learning what does and doesn’t work.

 

[Rayder]

I had an '10 but didn't come directly to the Bronco, I had 4 other vehicles in between. I looked at them again in '17 but thought it was too outdated way back then. They are basically like buying a new used vehicle. Not that I didn't love it and I still do, but it's more of a nostalgic thing. It's just a cool, old school 90's style body on frame SUV with all the practically and reliability that goes along with that. The problem is it's 2023 and I'm not going to spend $45k on something that feels like it's from the Reagan administration. Other than that the Bronco is just a much more fun and engaging vehicle to own and drive.

 

[Bruzer22]

I had a '19 4Runner SR5P with a Bilstein 6112/5160 2" lift. I also had a '11 GX460.

Comfort/Interior: At 6'4", the Bronco fits me better than the SR5P with the sunroof. My head always brushed the headliner. I find Toyotas (while I've had many) don't quite fit me ergonomically as well as I'd like. The Bronco is louder inside, of course. I think the climate control/heated seats/etc are a little stronger than in the 4Runner. Defrost is a little weaker, and I definitely used the heated windshield wiper setting quite a bit in the 4Runner that aren't available on the Bronco. I like Sync4 better than the older Entune in the '19 4Runner. I have a 2 door, so naturally the back seat and cargo area of the 4Runner are a vast improvement. We regularly have 3 people and hockey gear in the Bronco with no issues, though.

Powertrain: I prefer the powertrain in the Bronco (2.3l 7spd) to the V6/5 speed auto in the 4Runner. That's especially the case loaded up and heading into the mountains of CO. The 4Runner struggled on mountain passes. Not horrible, but that 5 speed was not doing it any favors. I'd rate the 4Runner powertrain below both the GX and the Bronco.

Subjective: I feel it drives and handles a bit better than the 4Runner. My family enjoys it more. On our first road trip, back from Moab. I still had the roof rack on, traveling at about 80mph, and I was worried my family would be complaining about wind noise, etc. My wife looked over, and simply said "I really like this." Overall, we just like the feel of the Bronco over the Toyota/Lexus, even for family hauling purposes.

There are plusses to the 4Runner (space, lower noise, long term reliability) and minuses (not as comfortable for me, ancient powertrain, ancient tech). If I could've changed three things about my specific 4Runner, I would've opted for a non-sunroof, non-third row equipped model....the third isn't available, if it could've been had with a 6 speed manual, I may have never gotten rid of it.

Overall though, no regrets at all. The Bronco has more of my wants than the 5G 4Runner.

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