I got it!

[JeepersCreepers]

Well, here we go, I'm a Bronco owner.

As has been stated previously, it's an almost totally optioned out Badlands with the exception of the front bumper and the soft top.

Bronco Badlands
Carbonized Grey
2.7L eco-boost
Lux package
Soft top
Towing package
Standard bumper

I've driven it twice. It showed up with 8 miles on the odometer, and now it has 30.

Initial reaction for just driving it at 55mph and below on the road: well, hard to say. It's the Bronco, finally here, and that's really quite something after so much hand-wringing and waiting. I'm not sure what I expected, but perhaps after 14 months of breathless expectation, anything would be a bit of a let-down.

2.7L seems fine, not quite the torque or power band I was expecting in 2H, but it seems like it will be fine. Maybe it's the time I've spent around 8-cylinder Wranglers but it seems like the correct, nominal engine for a truck this size, nothing to write home about necessarily, but fine. Of course I say that for on-road performance. I am hoping -- and expecting -- to be impressed by the torque in 4L.

It's a big vehicle with the Squatch. I took a side-by-side (below) of my TJ which has 38" tires and its total height is within an inch or two of the Wrangler. I should have taken a picture of the two 4x4s next to my Tesla Model 3 so you'd get a better idea of how big they both really are. The Bronco on 40s would be quite an imposing sight. 37s seem like the perfect tires, though. I reckon the 4-door was a good choice, given that its size is already quite large so for east coast "thread the needle" stuff you're already at enough of a disadvantage you might as well go all the way up to biggie-sized.

Interior accommodations seem pretty good. You know when you read something and your brain keys in on it, it seems like the reality is a little more than you wanted? Well, a while back I watched a video in which a reviewer commented that the grab handles don't feel super secure -- they wiggle around a little under force. Sure enough, all three of the grab handles exhibit that characteristic. It's a bit of a cheap feeling. The steering wheel, leather wrapped and heated, also feels sort of plasticky. The seats seem pretty good, nothing incredible, but pretty good with regards to the stitching and overall quality.

I know, I know, it's an off-road vehicle, but I paid a fairly handsome surcharge for the Lux package. Maybe Base-squatch is the best way to go for a wheeling and road machine. Maybe it'll grow on me but the interior isn't ultra impressive on the first go, even accounting for the fact it's a Badlands and supposed to be a rugged interior. (I get it --please don't repeat it to me, it's a tired refrain from reviewers.)

Sound system is pretty good. This is the best one they've got available? Hmm. Soft-top won't help the acoustics, true. Neither would the hard top. I spent a few rounds of upgrade money on my Wrangler trying the get high quality sound production and finally gave up. Vehicles like this just aren't given to very good audio.

Now I've gotta let it sit for a few days while I go do a trip for work.

Enjoy the pics! Hope y'all waiting for your rigs get them soon.

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[Sarconus]

congrats, enjoy it.

 

[Rubisquatch]

Congrats. The BL should have orange stitching on seats, yours really looks white/light grey. Unless theres something weird with the coloration. Almost looks like they gave you the black leather seats with white/light grey stitching from an FE.

 

[604Bronco]

Congrats!

I sure hope you require that front license plate in your state. If not, and if the dealership just installed it to put their stupid marketing on it, I'd be choked.

 

[NeoS281]

Well, here we go, I'm a Bronco owner.

As has been stated previously, it's an almost totally optioned out Badlands with the exception of the front bumper and the soft top.

Nice writeup and gorgeous rigs. I'm currently trying to decide if I'm keeping my wrangler alongside my soon-to-be shipped Bronco.

What other front bumper is available on Badlands? Like yours, mine is equipped with the Heavy-Duty modular bumper.

 

[Darrell]

Congratulations, and thanks for the pics, that's one sweet ride.

 

[Mean Red GT]

Congrats. The BL should have orange stitching on seats, yours really looks white/light grey. Unless theres something weird with the coloration. Almost looks like they gave you the black leather seats with white/light grey stitching from an FE.

Yeah pretty sure that is the color for the upgraded leather seats versus the MGV which has the orange stitching. Alos leather adds carpet instead of vinyl washout floors.

 

[JeepersCreepers]

Congrats. The BL should have orange stitching on seats, yours really looks white/light grey. Unless theres something weird with the coloration. Almost looks like they gave you the black leather seats with white/light grey stitching from an FE.

Nope, it’s the orange stitching with black seats. Must be a monitor/photo thing.

 

[JeepersCreepers]

Congrats!

I sure hope you require that front license plate in your state. If not, and if the dealership just installed it to put their stupid marketing on it, I'd be choked.

already fixed it…

 

[Philvis77]

Congrats!

I sure hope you require that front license plate in your state. If not, and if the dealership just installed it to put their stupid marketing on it, I'd be choked.

We have to have them in our state. My Bronco is coming in the next two weeks, so I spoke to my sales guy today and told him not to put on the front bracket. He said they haven't put a single one on because it's in a ridiculous location. I was happy to hear that.

 

[Compta38]

I was really thinking they would fix the grab handle thing by the time production hit.

 

[Exomodo]

I keep reading how these feel big and the ride isn't great. The Outer Banks 2.3 auto I recently drove for 20 minutes accelerated better than either my 2004 F250 4x4 V10 or my 2000 Ranger 4x4 4.0 V6. Granted, the 2.3 has a superior power to weight ratio to either, but it felt much better than the Ranger in handling even with a comparable suspension design. It shames the F250 in ride comfort and handling. I. Guess you really need to divulge what you're used to, since opinions seem to vary greatly.

 

[cigartexan]

Congrats!!!

 

[gentlemanbronco]

I keep reading how these feel big and the ride isn't great. The Outer Banks 2.3 auto I recently drove for 20 minutes accelerated better than either my 2004 F250 4x4 V10 or my 2000 Ranger 4x4 4.0 V6. Granted, the 2.3 has a superior power to weight ratio to either, but it felt much better than the Ranger in handling even with a comparable suspension design. It shames the F250 in ride comfort and handling. I. Guess you really need to divulge what you're used to, since opinions seem to vary greatly.

wow didn't expect the ride quality to be better than an F250. Figured that beefy boy would be a lot smoother.

 

[JeepersCreepers]

I keep reading how these feel big and the ride isn't great. The Outer Banks 2.3 auto I recently drove for 20 minutes accelerated better than either my 2004 F250 4x4 V10 or my 2000 Ranger 4x4 4.0 V6. Granted, the 2.3 has a superior power to weight ratio to either, but it felt much better than the Ranger in handling even with a comparable suspension design. It shames the F250 in ride comfort and handling. I. Guess you really need to divulge what you're used to, since opinions seem to vary greatly.

Well, funny thing is my TJ has the stock inline 6 4.0L. It's a little 185HP engine! It's just about the only thing on the Wrangler which hasn't been upgraded, although I did regear the truck to 4.10s on account of the 38" tires.

But it's a relatively spritely, nimble truck, weirdly enough.

The other thing about the Wrangler I have little choice but to compare the Bronco to is that it has a gold plated suspension and steering setup. Bilsteins all around, the Teraflex Pro LCG long arm kit, PSC hydraulic steering, Yeti components, retrofit axles, all perfectly harmonized by The 4x4 Place. It tracks like it's on rails and on the road, eats speed humps with ease, and my wife and daughter can drive it with two fingers on the steering wheel at highway speeds. Truly a special vehicle at this point.

I got a little crap from some folks here who obviously don't know much about high end 4x4 vehicles when I said it drives like a dream, but it does. In fact, I'll go on a limb and say the ride quality in my Jeep exceeds my (admittedly VERY limited) driving experience with the Bronco so far. How's that possible, on a vehicle with almost 6" of lift and a solid front axle? Well, it's obviously possible, all right. When you build a TJ out to its logical perfect niche in the spectrum of "didn't go far enough" and "went way too far" in terms of the build, it really does sit in a sweet spot.

Now, all of that is not said to impugn the Bronco. In fact I woke up this morning, looked at all the pictures I took and started looking forward to getting home from this work trip so I can play with the Bronco. Could the Bronco be a similarly great starting platform as the Wrangler? Yes. Is the Bronco an entirely different truck, conceived by Ford with a totally different value proposition -- and by me, as a consume, a totally different modification end point with different objectives? Yes. But I started with a $10k Wrangler and spent another $45k to make it great. This Bronco is already a $62,000 vehicle -- where does it end up on that spectrum? Hard to say at this point, as maybe it won't really need too much to be a highly effective weekend overlander.

As of now I can't help but want to baby the hell out of this thing, whereas with my rhino-lined Wrangler I go smashing through and on top of all kinds of things with all kinds of awful thrashing noises that metal against wood and rocks make. Hard to imagine taking this gorgeous "Lux" Bronco and doing the same anytime soon.

Hope this helps in terms of some additional comparative context.

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