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Interior should be expected in off road vehicle

Merc4x4

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I haven't seen the Bronco interior, but from pictures I was disappointed there was no lux/premium option like you find on the F150. In the Badlands, they offer 2 interiors, and they're both all black. 🤷‍♂️
Off-road with a luxury interior is great. It's well worth it when you're spending all day behind the wheel, no matter what terrain you're on.
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BecauseMotor

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Here is what it comes down to for me. My wife and I are South Florida suburbanites. She missed the roadshow. I worry that I'm going to come home with my new Bronco and she's going to say, "Are you kidding? You paid $56k for this?" given what else is out there at this price point. She's in corporate finance. She's very, very good with money and very frugal. It was a lot just to convince her to let me buy a car new.

Look, I'm not going to be rock crawling in this thing or if I do it will be a special trip I do maybe once or twice. I think at this point I like the idea of the Bronco more than I actually like the Bronco. Don't get me wrong, I do like it just not at any cost. At $56k the interiors at the roadshow really have me second guessing myself.

Someone mentioned a Wrangler being the only other vehicle in the class. I'm not cross shopping a Wrangler. I'm cross shopping with e.g., a Mach 1, Mach E, Aviator or Nautilus, Atlas, Accord, K5, Palisade, Mazda6. Why a Bronco? I've always liked the previous ones. I'm mainly a Ford guy. I like the idea of driving around with the top and doors off. I like the exterior look. It might be fun to tool around on a few trails in Florida with a guy I know that has a Wrangler.

And yeah, maybe my second guessing it is partially to do with the not even remotely close to luxurious at all "lux" package. That's definitely not the best name for it.
I 100% am in the same boat. Not cross shopping with a Jeep, 4runner, or a truck. Am looking at Q5s, Atlas, XC60s, and the Mazda 6. Decisions decisions...
 

BenB007

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I’m starting to think Ford is in a BIG hurry to get the 21’s sold (not just ordered) because there is going to be fierce wave of competition coming directly on the Bronco’s heels. And they are working against so many obstacles (mainly supply chain bottlenecks). The good news for them is that they do have a huge backlog of orders. It wouldn’t surprise me if they are indeed cutting corners and keeping it simple just to get the damn things out the door. It’s also not gone unnoticed that there is almost no footage or talk whatsoever coming from anyone that’s driven one of these things anywhere outside of MOAB. Why is that?

With the current political climate, it seems quite possible that Ford could get caught behind the market if the market shifts towards hybrid and ev capable vehicles and that shift could happen fairly quickly. In July of 2020 they were probably competing with Jeep Wrangler. Now, they are competing with Jeep Wrangler 4xe and LR Defender (which already has a mild hybrid). In late 2021, they are going to be completing with a new wave of Jeep EV’s and hybrids, EV Hummers, Defender PHEV, Telsa’s cybertruck and a whole fleet of Toyota refreshes. If the costs of these vehicles get offset by rising gas prices and tax-incentives, the Bronco as it is today could take a dive in sales. So, if Ford can sell them as is, right now, they probably are hot to get it done as quickly and simply as possible. All the talk about cheap=rugged or utilitarian is just BS. Premium materials can be just as rugged and easy to clean if they are designed for that purpose.
 

F OR D

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Bottom line for me is more options. I'm ok with it as it sits but disappointed to get high or lux you have to move to the OBX or BL+. I don't need SAS and not a fan of OBX.

Would have preferred packages be available in all models AND split a little further. Maybe cold weather package, digital package, etc. that help get what customers want/need. I hope they see this and change accordingly long term.
 

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I’m sipping whiskey and smokin’ Cubans in it...

if it holds up for that, then ford did it’s job...
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edgeflyer

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Hmmmm. I hear the OP’s argument and the counter argument for a simple wheeler. @BackcountryBirds — is the issue the cost of this simple vehicle or maybe the value you feel you’re getting? Like. You’d put up with “simple” if it were $35k?
Yeah, but simple the Bronco is not. There's so much off road tech in here its amazing. You cant even buy and retrofit what the Bronco has in some respects. electronic cutting brakes, on demand swaybar disconnect under load. Ford probably should have made a 2wd "Lux" and 4wd off roader. 360 trail cam with rock view. Its amazing and worthy of a 50K tag, it is just the perception of the people who love the look, but don't want to give up the comforts society has told us we have to have. If I was in that category, I'd buy a base and take it to an upholstery shop with the saved funds.
 

_finack

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An off-road vehicle with removable doors and top. How well would a luxury interior hold up if the vehicle is used as intended?
Rolls Royce and Bentley make convertibles. They are not off-road vehicles, but that doesn't mean your comment about the removable top being incompatible with a luxury interior has any merit.

And for the crowd saying, "It's an off-road vehicle!" neither the Bronco nor the Wrangler would exist if it wasn't for buyers buying for the look to act as "mall crawlers", increasing volume and making it a profitable and worthwhile endeavor for the manufacturers.
 
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I keep reading folks say that the interior is "what we should expect in an off road vehicle". My question is what are you comparing that too?

I saw it in person and I am definitely not saying the interior is awful or anything. I describe it as average, adequate, utilitarian. But I do think they pinched a few pennies there to beef up profit margin assuming the roadshow vehicles end up being close to production quality.

My wife is next up for a new car so
I really want her to love the bronco and choose it, so not offering a true high end interior package impedes my ability to pitch it to the wife and by default no future off-road toy for me if I can't convince her!!

My Power Wagon was in the mid $50s and has decked out leather, 12 inch screen premium feeling materials, heated seats/steering wheel, cooled seats, etc. It's like a dang luxury car in there. That's on an HD pickup with all the off-road goodies, winch, sway bar disco, lockers, cameras, etc. It's incredible getting in the truck after a workout, cold morning, hunting trip, etc. Sometimes when I'm camping alone in the backcountry I just sit inside my truck and drink beer (not driving anywhere), relax listening to music or nature, watch the stars, etc because it's like a damn couch as far as comfort. Of course you can do all that in the bronco (especially with the top off!!!) but I just didn't feel the same level of comfort from what I saw.

Raptor and most modern trucks is a similar story these days, so I'm not just pumping up my truck or anything.

Yet a lux badlands is similarly priced, more in some cases yet pretty far behind on the interior from what I saw. This is on a much smaller vehicle, smaller engine, etc. Granted the bronco does have a little more new tech I suppose than the premium off-road trucks, but not by a ton.

I also get the removable top and rain argument, but it's not like it's truly waterproof anyways from what Ford has said. I just wish Ford would offer a premium interior similar to their trucks for those of us willing to pay for it and let me worry about keeping it out of the rain.

Anyone else feel this way? I think it's probably us newer truck owners that have been spoiled by recent upgrades to pickup interiors, but I got some selling ahead of me to convince the wife to buy a vehicle with a lesser interior than my muddy, pin-striped hunting truck.
Bronco is a top down, dusty off-road vehicle and therefore should have a spartan interior. I had 94 & 95 Defender 90s and they were definitely spartan and I loved that. Fast forward and Land Rover launches the Defender as essentially another Lux Range Rover with cushy and comfy interior. I was so excited for the new Defender, but was completely disappointed when it came out. Yuck! The Bronco launch was the opposite for me. Rugged, spartan and intended to go off pavement. This is what the vehicle is built for.

If you want your wife to have a luxurious interior, you should be looking at other vehicles. My Base 2.7L Sasquatch has more comfort & tech than I need; A/C, 8' screen, stereo, cruise control, power outlets, power windows, rear camera and more. I like cloth as it doesn't get too hot or cold. Ford has spent the money on what matters for this vehicle. Robust power and drive train components, suspension, wheels and tires, off-road modes, Adv 4x4, trail turn, etc. Perfect!
 

_finack

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Bronco is a top down, dusty off-road vehicle and therefore should have a spartan interior. I had 94 & 95 Defender 90s and they were definitely spartan and I loved that. Fast forward and Land Rover launches the Defender as essentially another Lux Range Rover with cushy and comfy interior. I was so excited for the new Defender, but was completely disappointed when it came out. Yuck! The Bronco launch was the opposite for me. Rugged, spartan and intended to go off pavement. This is what the vehicle is built for.

If you want your wife to have a luxurious interior, you should be looking at other vehicles. My Base 2.7L Sasquatch has more comfort & tech than I need; A/C, 8' screen, stereo, cruise control, power outlets, power windows, rear camera and more. I like cloth as it doesn't get too hot or cold. Ford has spent the money on what matters for this vehicle. Robust power and drive train components, suspension, wheels and tires, off-road modes, Adv 4x4, trail turn, etc. Perfect!
I think there is room for both a spartan Bronco and one more upscale. I mean look at F-150 work truck vs King Ranch.
 

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I think there is room for both a spartan Bronco and one more upscale. I mean look at F-150 work truck vs King Ranch.
They already have 7 different trim levels...and Ford has plenty of different models if you want "upscale". That said, Jeep has shown the key to tapping this super profitable and popular market...and it isn't by being "upscale".
 

BecauseMotor

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An off-road vehicle with removable doors and top. How well would a luxury interior hold up if the vehicle is used as intended?
For the 1% that will use their vehicle like actually designed, they'll select the non-lux interiors.
 

Anthraces

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I would love to see a king ranch version....ummm similar to the original 2 door they teased us with on release day. I disagree with some of you all’s argument that you can’t have both. You can, your just going to pay another 5k more.

I don’t really have an opinion yet since I haven’t seen one in person to judge, but it looks nice enough in the pics. I am planning on looking out my expansive openness as I am driving though and not at the grain/texture on my dash. I will say the seats had better be comfortable, and every review I have heard so far is positive in that regard.
 

kje22kje

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Jeeps, pretty simple materials. My 4Runner, pretty simple interior. The $ is the off road tech. Comparing this to non adjacent vehicle options really doesn't make sense. If you want a Mazda, this ain't it folks. It's not meant to be. You either appreciate that or you should check out Kia's/Hyundai for some combination of off road options added to some lux/tech at a value price.
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