Left the Jeep Wrangler for Ford Bronco, my first impressions after crossing 1K miles

[Aviboy97]

22mpg out of the 2.7L?? Damn.

I’m taking my 2.7L Outer Banks to the Outer Banks next month (520 miles) and will be driving in eco mode with the cruise on. I’m hoping to get over 20mpg.

I also have the 4.27 gears and added 33’s that are quite heavy compared to the stock 32’s.

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[CeeCeeBronco]

Had a friend with a sedan from Ford complain about not liking the Adaptive Cruise control because they feared it always got too close, so I made a very distinct effort to test it out. The ACC is surprisingly accurate based on the distance of car space you select for it. You can alternate between 1 to 4 car lengths of space and the distance before the ACC kicks in feels very comfortable. Additionally, it reacts pretty promptly to cars cutting you off of intersecting your designated distance and slows down very accordingly as well. accelerating back up is a little slow though.
B&O sound system is pretty great, especially after tweaking with the tone settings to match the music i put on in the Bronco, the headliners work nice to keep acoustics in the car, so with the speakers up you hear 0 wind. Sounds like your driving in any other sedan.

It's not car lengths. You think Ford would, at the max, have 4 car lengths at 70 mph? That's less than 1/2 second of distance.

We gotta be better than this.

 

[Brockdog12]

That’s incredible but probably not a good measuring point for someone looking to purchase a Bronco.

3,500 miles on my OBX and I’m at 19.7mpg lifetime. Pure highway trips on cruise with the wind at your back maybe 24. But anywhere with traffic lights will net you 17. My highway mileage noticeably tanks over 70mph.

My in town mileage averages over 21

That’s incredible but probably not a good measuring point for someone looking to purchase a Bronco.

3,500 miles on my OBX and I’m at 19.7mpg lifetime. Pure highway trips on cruise with the wind at your back maybe 24. But anywhere with traffic lights will net you 17. My highway mileage noticeably tanks over 70mph.

Mine OBX is a 2.3. That will make a difference. I don’t use my cruise control. My mileage has gone up the more I drove it, which surprised me.

That’s incredible but probably not a good measuring point for someone looking to purchase a Bronco.

3,500 miles on my OBX and I’m at 19.7mpg lifetime. Pure highway trips on cruise with the wind at your back maybe 24. But anywhere with traffic lights will net you 17. My highway mileage noticeably tanks over 70mph.

These mpg’s are with my driving habits. I don’t ever use cruise control myself. My in town mileage average is over 20. All are far better than anything I ever got in my ‘89.

 

[Swagger]

CONGRATULATIONS on your ride!
This is a good cautionary tale. I received mine pretty much exactly how I designed and wanted it. I'm happy and I feel very lucky for that. Let me give some advice: If you're still in the process of ordering you need to cultivate relationships with the folks at your dealership. There are so many trims and options and different pricing (depending on who/where you order from) and accessories and aftermarket vendors and FoMoCo staff and dealership staff and service providers -that it's fair to assume things will go wrong if you don't stay on top of things. How could they not? I was in the process for 14 months and I saw all those moving parts and people involved in the ordering process and I just knew I had to stay on top of this or shit would go sideways. Luckily the people at my dealership are awesome. I knew I was hounding them, but they never made me feel like an annoyance. Not everyone will be that lucky. There was a sales manager who was kind of my concierge, answering all my questions, etc. And then she hooked me up with the Parts & Accessories department. I met with 2 parts guys 3 or 4 times over those 14 months and that was key to getting exactly what I ordered.

The parts guys were simply more knowledgeable about most of this stuff than I was. They listened to what I wanted; and in turn I listened to them about timelines and pricing and the best way to get my Bronco designed right. Guess what: They ended up giving me discounted 'employee' pricing on most of the accessories -even some of the ones that were options on the Bronco 'Build & Price' webpage! They told me that I since I was the first person to go through this process I was helping them learn about this new Ford product, and since I was helping them do their job they were passing along discounts to me.
BOTTOM LINE: You need to be on top of this process and stay in control. Yes, some people will get frustrated with you because they're busy like the rest of us. But you're about to drop $60k (Oh yes you are after taxes, options, & service plans!) so they need to be tolerant and responsive to you as the customer.

 

[Denis]

I'm by no means a seasoned off-roader, but i'm also no stranger to being able to enjoy a car that's more than capable when it comes to getting off the pavement. For years, I have owned a 2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara, by no means a revolutionary car today, but for the time I had it while living in Texas I could think of no better sidekick when it came to rock climbing and general off-roading. Most of my time owning the Wrangler i was active duty in the Army, and the big green wrangler felt like owning a humvee that could also be a daily commuter. Eventually I finished my contract and moved to Michigan for school and work, and the Wrangler came with me. I ended up getting 2 dogs who lived being outdoors with me, and if it wasn't for the gas mileage that old Wrangler was getting, i don't think I ever would have even considered leaving Jeep. And then in June of 2020 the trailers for the Bronco were released and everything changed in my mind.

Now that we got the backstory out of the way, getting the Bronco was no easy task, initially I reserved a Big Bend with the mid-package back in October of 2020, and I was eagerly awaiting the summer arrival of the Bronco in 2021, that is until i realized that was not happening. Timelines kept getting pushed back and eventually I had to reorder for 2022, and at that time, I saved up a lot more for the down payment, and decided when i reordered I was gonna make some pretty major upgrades. So, I ordered a 4 door Outerbanks, eruption green, lux package, leather seats, 2.7L, winch, aux switches, MIC hardtop and tow package. At this point I was used to waiting, so I figured if it was gonna be another year before I got it, I may as well get it exactly how I wanted it.

May 26th 2022 I got a text from my rep saying hey we finally got a VIN, and a build date during the last week of July. Cool, it finally felt real for once. June 9th I get an email from Ford saying my production week is now June 13! I cross reference with my dealer, he was surprised as well, but confirmed that is what he then saw on his end too. Estimated delivery comes out to July 11th, and then like magic, it got delivered June 21st.

So what actually happened at the dealer? I was missing a few things that were important to me, the tow package, the roof rack, and most importantly my AUX switches. This was crushing because as of right now, there is no real substitute for that AUX panel, and that really blew. We talked and found out during transferring the 2021 order to 2022, he missed a few things, and after almost 2 years of waiting there was no real turning around. What was offered was a couple of free accessories, some gifts from Ford, a rebate of $250 and a 5 year wheel warranty included in my offer leaving the lot. The AUX panel was important to me, but i happily took the other deal. My dealership has been very transparent and amazing to work with, they didn't sneak in any fees and made sure my initial MSRP had still been locked in, they genuinely were working in my best interest, and the loss of some selections sucked but was an honest mistake.

So, i finally crossed 1,000 miles this week. Very short amount of time but man did we do some serious road trips, I drove all the way to Munising MI, to go see pictured rocks for the 4th. Here are some of my takeaways-

Gas mileage was SIGNIFICANTLY better than estimated, during my drive I averaged 22.8mpg while staying in ECO mode and using cruise control. My current average right now is 20.6mpg. After filling my tank before leaving Munising the car read 445 miles till E.

The MIC hardtop with the deadliner was very tolerable, of course you hear wind in a vehicle shaped like Chinese takeout box, but it was much more quiet than i expected, I could talk to passengers without shouting, and the top made the acoustics for the audio much better.

The wireless charging tub is cool, and having ApplePlay was game changing for a drive that long, BUT be wary, the longer you keep electronics in the tub the warmer they get, and they warmer they get you will notice your Bluetooth performance getting worse, make sure to take it out after about an hour or so to cool down for a few minutes to keep everything running smooth.

Switching GOAT modes on the fly was a lot of fun, and the 4x4 modes feel incredibly reliable on dirt roads. I could comfortably drive 45mph on a dirt road and not feel any give with my traction, and these are dirt roads, not gravel.

The electronics definitely took some getting used to after leaving the 2007 wrangler, but the interface of the screen made everything incredibly straight forward and I quickly got the hang of all the features after a few drives!

After prolonged use of AC, leaving your vehicle you may hear what sounds like sizzling, fear not, its just the water dripping down onto a very warm plate underneath the driver side, I saw another forum about it and even confirmed the concern myself, no need for concern.

Anyways, this has turned into quite a novel, but i'm willing to answer anything you guys have questions for on the thread, until then ill just do the reveal of the car

Here is a photo of my old Wrangler for reference!

Interesting combination OBX and winch, curious to hear some more on that, if you don't mind.
I have an OBX on order and "tough guys" here usually consider it a mall crawler, I couldn't care less

 

[Fade2Black]

I kept both.

 

[JB 208]

I'm by no means a seasoned off-roader, but i'm also no stranger to being able to enjoy a car that's more than capable when it comes to getting off the pavement. For years, I have owned a 2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara, by no means a revolutionary car today, but for the time I had it while living in Texas I could think of no better sidekick when it came to rock climbing and general off-roading. Most of my time owning the Wrangler i was active duty in the Army, and the big green wrangler felt like owning a humvee that could also be a daily commuter. Eventually I finished my contract and moved to Michigan for school and work, and the Wrangler came with me. I ended up getting 2 dogs who lived being outdoors with me, and if it wasn't for the gas mileage that old Wrangler was getting, i don't think I ever would have even considered leaving Jeep. And then in June of 2020 the trailers for the Bronco were released and everything changed in my mind.

Now that we got the backstory out of the way, getting the Bronco was no easy task, initially I reserved a Big Bend with the mid-package back in October of 2020, and I was eagerly awaiting the summer arrival of the Bronco in 2021, that is until i realized that was not happening. Timelines kept getting pushed back and eventually I had to reorder for 2022, and at that time, I saved up a lot more for the down payment, and decided when i reordered I was gonna make some pretty major upgrades. So, I ordered a 4 door Outerbanks, eruption green, lux package, leather seats, 2.7L, winch, aux switches, MIC hardtop and tow package. At this point I was used to waiting, so I figured if it was gonna be another year before I got it, I may as well get it exactly how I wanted it.

May 26th 2022 I got a text from my rep saying hey we finally got a VIN, and a build date during the last week of July. Cool, it finally felt real for once. June 9th I get an email from Ford saying my production week is now June 13! I cross reference with my dealer, he was surprised as well, but confirmed that is what he then saw on his end too. Estimated delivery comes out to July 11th, and then like magic, it got delivered June 21st.

So what actually happened at the dealer? I was missing a few things that were important to me, the tow package, the roof rack, and most importantly my AUX switches. This was crushing because as of right now, there is no real substitute for that AUX panel, and that really blew. We talked and found out during transferring the 2021 order to 2022, he missed a few things, and after almost 2 years of waiting there was no real turning around. What was offered was a couple of free accessories, some gifts from Ford, a rebate of $250 and a 5 year wheel warranty included in my offer leaving the lot. The AUX panel was important to me, but i happily took the other deal. My dealership has been very transparent and amazing to work with, they didn't sneak in any fees and made sure my initial MSRP had still been locked in, they genuinely were working in my best interest, and the loss of some selections sucked but was an honest mistake.

So, i finally crossed 1,000 miles this week. Very short amount of time but man did we do some serious road trips, I drove all the way to Munising MI, to go see pictured rocks for the 4th. Here are some of my takeaways-

Gas mileage was SIGNIFICANTLY better than estimated, during my drive I averaged 22.8mpg while staying in ECO mode and using cruise control. My current average right now is 20.6mpg. After filling my tank before leaving Munising the car read 445 miles till E.

The MIC hardtop with the deadliner was very tolerable, of course you hear wind in a vehicle shaped like Chinese takeout box, but it was much more quiet than i expected, I could talk to passengers without shouting, and the top made the acoustics for the audio much better.

The wireless charging tub is cool, and having ApplePlay was game changing for a drive that long, BUT be wary, the longer you keep electronics in the tub the warmer they get, and they warmer they get you will notice your Bluetooth performance getting worse, make sure to take it out after about an hour or so to cool down for a few minutes to keep everything running smooth.

Switching GOAT modes on the fly was a lot of fun, and the 4x4 modes feel incredibly reliable on dirt roads. I could comfortably drive 45mph on a dirt road and not feel any give with my traction, and these are dirt roads, not gravel.

The electronics definitely took some getting used to after leaving the 2007 wrangler, but the interface of the screen made everything incredibly straight forward and I quickly got the hang of all the features after a few drives!

After prolonged use of AC, leaving your vehicle you may hear what sounds like sizzling, fear not, its just the water dripping down onto a very warm plate underneath the driver side, I saw another forum about it and even confirmed the concern myself, no need for concern.

Anyways, this has turned into quite a novel, but i'm willing to answer anything you guys have questions for on the thread, until then ill just do the reveal of the car

Here is a photo of my old Wrangler for reference!

Thanks for the review. I’m also a long time Jeep owner. I’ve had three wranglers - each of which have spent time off road. However, a Bronco was my first car so it was easy for me to switch back

I agree with others - how are you getting that mileage?! I average 15-16 mostly in eco mode. My doors have been off for the last two months, which I suspect accounts for at least an MPG or two.
I love this truck. My only real complaints are with the electronics with the doors off. It routinely flashes system errors (hill start assist, blind spot monitoring, etc.) that apparently aren’t working. The systems still work. But the electronics are confused. I just don’t think it likes having the doors off. Back up sensors too. I usually have a bike rack and have to turn off back up sensors every time I drive it. If it is smart enough to text me when it’s low on gas, it should be able to figure that sensor stuff out. But rides so much smoother and handles significantly better than the wranglers did.
It would also be nice if it was rated to tow more. The boat is 4,000 lbs. I haven’t tried towing it with the Bronco yet. The older I get, the more I pay attention to engineering limits.

 

[Bronco 3992]

I'm by no means a seasoned off-roader, but i'm also no stranger to being able to enjoy a car that's more than capable when it comes to getting off the pavement. For years, I have owned a 2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara, by no means a revolutionary car today, but for the time I had it while living in Texas I could think of no better sidekick when it came to rock climbing and general off-roading. Most of my time owning the Wrangler i was active duty in the Army, and the big green wrangler felt like owning a humvee that could also be a daily commuter. Eventually I finished my contract and moved to Michigan for school and work, and the Wrangler came with me. I ended up getting 2 dogs who lived being outdoors with me, and if it wasn't for the gas mileage that old Wrangler was getting, i don't think I ever would have even considered leaving Jeep. And then in June of 2020 the trailers for the Bronco were released and everything changed in my mind.

Now that we got the backstory out of the way, getting the Bronco was no easy task, initially I reserved a Big Bend with the mid-package back in October of 2020, and I was eagerly awaiting the summer arrival of the Bronco in 2021, that is until i realized that was not happening. Timelines kept getting pushed back and eventually I had to reorder for 2022, and at that time, I saved up a lot more for the down payment, and decided when i reordered I was gonna make some pretty major upgrades. So, I ordered a 4 door Outerbanks, eruption green, lux package, leather seats, 2.7L, winch, aux switches, MIC hardtop and tow package. At this point I was used to waiting, so I figured if it was gonna be another year before I got it, I may as well get it exactly how I wanted it.

May 26th 2022 I got a text from my rep saying hey we finally got a VIN, and a build date during the last week of July. Cool, it finally felt real for once. June 9th I get an email from Ford saying my production week is now June 13! I cross reference with my dealer, he was surprised as well, but confirmed that is what he then saw on his end too. Estimated delivery comes out to July 11th, and then like magic, it got delivered June 21st.

So what actually happened at the dealer? I was missing a few things that were important to me, the tow package, the roof rack, and most importantly my AUX switches. This was crushing because as of right now, there is no real substitute for that AUX panel, and that really blew. We talked and found out during transferring the 2021 order to 2022, he missed a few things, and after almost 2 years of waiting there was no real turning around. What was offered was a couple of free accessories, some gifts from Ford, a rebate of $250 and a 5 year wheel warranty included in my offer leaving the lot. The AUX panel was important to me, but i happily took the other deal. My dealership has been very transparent and amazing to work with, they didn't sneak in any fees and made sure my initial MSRP had still been locked in, they genuinely were working in my best interest, and the loss of some selections sucked but was an honest mistake.

So, i finally crossed 1,000 miles this week. Very short amount of time but man did we do some serious road trips, I drove all the way to Munising MI, to go see pictured rocks for the 4th. Here are some of my takeaways-

Gas mileage was SIGNIFICANTLY better than estimated, during my drive I averaged 22.8mpg while staying in ECO mode and using cruise control. My current average right now is 20.6mpg. After filling my tank before leaving Munising the car read 445 miles till E.

The MIC hardtop with the deadliner was very tolerable, of course you hear wind in a vehicle shaped like Chinese takeout box, but it was much more quiet than i expected, I could talk to passengers without shouting, and the top made the acoustics for the audio much better.

The wireless charging tub is cool, and having ApplePlay was game changing for a drive that long, BUT be wary, the longer you keep electronics in the tub the warmer they get, and they warmer they get you will notice your Bluetooth performance getting worse, make sure to take it out after about an hour or so to cool down for a few minutes to keep everything running smooth.

Switching GOAT modes on the fly was a lot of fun, and the 4x4 modes feel incredibly reliable on dirt roads. I could comfortably drive 45mph on a dirt road and not feel any give with my traction, and these are dirt roads, not gravel.

The electronics definitely took some getting used to after leaving the 2007 wrangler, but the interface of the screen made everything incredibly straight forward and I quickly got the hang of all the features after a few drives!

After prolonged use of AC, leaving your vehicle you may hear what sounds like sizzling, fear not, its just the water dripping down onto a very warm plate underneath the driver side, I saw another forum about it and even confirmed the concern myself, no need for concern.

Anyways, this has turned into quite a novel, but i'm willing to answer anything you guys have questions for on the thread, until then ill just do the reveal of the car

Here is a photo of my old Wrangler for reference!

What is driving in Eco mode?

 

[DunawY]

I'm by no means a seasoned off-roader, but i'm also no stranger to being able to enjoy a car that's more than capable when it comes to getting off the pavement. For years, I have owned a 2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara, by no means a revolutionary car today, but for the time I had it while living in Texas I could think of no better sidekick when it came to rock climbing and general off-roading. Most of my time owning the Wrangler i was active duty in the Army, and the big green wrangler felt like owning a humvee that could also be a daily commuter. Eventually I finished my contract and moved to Michigan for school and work, and the Wrangler came with me. I ended up getting 2 dogs who lived being outdoors with me, and if it wasn't for the gas mileage that old Wrangler was getting, i don't think I ever would have even considered leaving Jeep. And then in June of 2020 the trailers for the Bronco were released and everything changed in my mind.

Now that we got the backstory out of the way, getting the Bronco was no easy task, initially I reserved a Big Bend with the mid-package back in October of 2020, and I was eagerly awaiting the summer arrival of the Bronco in 2021, that is until i realized that was not happening. Timelines kept getting pushed back and eventually I had to reorder for 2022, and at that time, I saved up a lot more for the down payment, and decided when i reordered I was gonna make some pretty major upgrades. So, I ordered a 4 door Outerbanks, eruption green, lux package, leather seats, 2.7L, winch, aux switches, MIC hardtop and tow package. At this point I was used to waiting, so I figured if it was gonna be another year before I got it, I may as well get it exactly how I wanted it.

May 26th 2022 I got a text from my rep saying hey we finally got a VIN, and a build date during the last week of July. Cool, it finally felt real for once. June 9th I get an email from Ford saying my production week is now June 13! I cross reference with my dealer, he was surprised as well, but confirmed that is what he then saw on his end too. Estimated delivery comes out to July 11th, and then like magic, it got delivered June 21st.

So what actually happened at the dealer? I was missing a few things that were important to me, the tow package, the roof rack, and most importantly my AUX switches. This was crushing because as of right now, there is no real substitute for that AUX panel, and that really blew. We talked and found out during transferring the 2021 order to 2022, he missed a few things, and after almost 2 years of waiting there was no real turning around. What was offered was a couple of free accessories, some gifts from Ford, a rebate of $250 and a 5 year wheel warranty included in my offer leaving the lot. The AUX panel was important to me, but i happily took the other deal. My dealership has been very transparent and amazing to work with, they didn't sneak in any fees and made sure my initial MSRP had still been locked in, they genuinely were working in my best interest, and the loss of some selections sucked but was an honest mistake.

So, i finally crossed 1,000 miles this week. Very short amount of time but man did we do some serious road trips, I drove all the way to Munising MI, to go see pictured rocks for the 4th. Here are some of my takeaways-

Gas mileage was SIGNIFICANTLY better than estimated, during my drive I averaged 22.8mpg while staying in ECO mode and using cruise control. My current average right now is 20.6mpg. After filling my tank before leaving Munising the car read 445 miles till E.

The MIC hardtop with the deadliner was very tolerable, of course you hear wind in a vehicle shaped like Chinese takeout box, but it was much more quiet than i expected, I could talk to passengers without shouting, and the top made the acoustics for the audio much better.

The wireless charging tub is cool, and having ApplePlay was game changing for a drive that long, BUT be wary, the longer you keep electronics in the tub the warmer they get, and they warmer they get you will notice your Bluetooth performance getting worse, make sure to take it out after about an hour or so to cool down for a few minutes to keep everything running smooth.

Switching GOAT modes on the fly was a lot of fun, and the 4x4 modes feel incredibly reliable on dirt roads. I could comfortably drive 45mph on a dirt road and not feel any give with my traction, and these are dirt roads, not gravel.

The electronics definitely took some getting used to after leaving the 2007 wrangler, but the interface of the screen made everything incredibly straight forward and I quickly got the hang of all the features after a few drives!

After prolonged use of AC, leaving your vehicle you may hear what sounds like sizzling, fear not, its just the water dripping down onto a very warm plate underneath the driver side, I saw another forum about it and even confirmed the concern myself, no need for concern.

Anyways, this has turned into quite a novel, but i'm willing to answer anything you guys have questions for on the thread, until then ill just do the reveal of the car

Here is a photo of my old Wrangler for reference!

To be fair I think a better comparrasion would’ve been a much newer Jeep. I’ll be going from a ‘21 Jeep 4xe and before that a ‘16

 

[MeesterHeester]

To be fair I think a better comparrasion would’ve been a much newer Jeep. I’ll be going from a ‘21 Jeep 4xe and before that a ‘16

While I completely understand what you’re saying, my post wasn’t ultimately about comparing the two, rather to highlight my first impressions of upgrading to a much newer vehicle compared to my old one. Leaving behind my first impressions and opinions

 

[hankle]

@MeesterHeester, thanks for your story! Your car looks so damn cool and I'm glad you're happy with it. My only contribution is that, for two months before I got my new Bronco, I was renting a Jeep Wrangler. What I learned making the switch was that the Bronco is a MUCH more comfortable car and much better suited to being a daily-driver for both city driving and off-roading. As a product manager, there are some things I'd tweak about the Bronco (even more with the Wrangler), but overall, I LOVE IT!
-Hank

 

[hankle]

your rig looks so badass i can't get over it

 

[hankle]

My doors have been off for the last two months, which I suspect accounts for at least an MPG or two. I love this truck. My only real complaints are with the electronics with the doors off. It routinely flashes system errors (hill start assist, blind spot monitoring, etc.) that apparently aren’t working. The systems still work. But the electronics are confused. I just don’t think it likes having the doors off. Back up sensors too. I usually have a bike rack and have to turn off back up sensors every time I drive it. If it is smart enough to text me when it’s low on gas, it should be able to figure that sensor stuff out.

@JB 208 Hey, I just wanted to let you know that I've had my doors off for the last week and I haven't experienced any of the complains about the electronics you're describing. I just thought I'd mention it because it's possible that something else is causing your problem and maybe you'd want to have it looked at? I'll keep watch on mine though.

 

[JB 208]

Thanks. I had it to the dealership and they said they couldn’t find anything wrong. They actually said that the doors aren’t meant to be off while on the road. Maybe I’ll put them back on and see if the errors go away…

 

[66GT]

I think you guys should form a support group to keep each other from doing it again.

your rig looks so badass i can't get over it

If this was my rig, I'd be tempted to suck-start a 9 mil. Hard pass.

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