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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!
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!
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