- First Name
- David
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2021
- Threads
- 35
- Messages
- 715
- Reaction score
- 871
- Location
- Portland, OR
- Vehicle(s)
- 2004 BMW e46
- Your Bronco Model
- Badlands
- Thread starter
- #1
Hi all,
This isn't meant to be a flamethrower on the Bronco, or a love-fest either. It is just my feelings on the vehicle after one month of ownership.
I think most of the folks on this forum are Bronco enthusiasts and will love their Bronco like their own child, but I also think there are some people visiting the site to see what the Bronco hubbub is all about and maybe are trying to decide if they want to buy one (ADMs aside).
My intention is to update this thread over time to see how the vehicle continues to meet up with my expectations/likes/dislikes.
Overall:
1. Very pleased with the vehicle in terms of fit/finish and ergonomics (in general, but see more below)
2. Gas mileage for me is right at 17mpg, regardless of city or highway. I have not done 100% in either direction, but have gone 30/70 to 70/30 and my MPG really doesn't change much, fluctuating between 16.8 to 17.1.
3. Still using regular unleaded so I am not seeing sticker shock at the pump because my prior daily driver (BMW 330i) took premium gas so with the larger tank my fill up cost has been pretty much the same ($60-70 per fillup).
Likes:
1. The stick shift and clutch are really, really good (IMHO). You just can't stall this sucker, and the "gates" on the shifter have wonderful feel. And while I don't need "hill start assist" as I have driven a manual my entire life, it does make starting on a hill a no-brainer for literally anyone.
2. I have no idea what the B&O sound system sounds like but I am more than happy with the version that comes with the High package. The sound is clear enough and loud enough that the road/wind noise doesn't bother me.
3. Ford has the right balance between touchscreen and actual knobs/dials. It took a lot of years but the pendulum has swung back the other way and there is now (again IMHO) a good balance between touchscreen controls and physical knob controls. Especially for volume control and HVAC control.
4. Love the swinging tailgate. Didn't think it would make a diff to me, but I really like it. Not sure if it is just the novelty, but I like it.
5. The LED headlights are awesome. I think they only come on the High or higher package, but they sure do light up the road (sorry oncoming drivers)
6. The auto-on high beams is a really nice feature, especially when driving on back country roads at night.
7. The marine grade vinyl seats are AWESOME. Very comfortable and easy to clean. I hope I say the same thing in the summertime when it is 90* outside.
8. Carplay is great. I came from a 2004 with no conveniences. The Ford implementation is very good as an Apple user.
9. Rear seat room is DEFINITELY bigger with the BL/MGV seats. The seats in the OBX take up more space. When I set up the driver position for me, and get into the rear driver seat, I have more room in my BL than in the OBX with leather and power seats.
10. The 2.3L engine has plenty of "get up and go" for me. Haven't loaded it up big time yet, but going up an incline isn't a problem and I don't feel underpowered (yet).
Dislikes (and AGAIN, this doesn't mean I am unhappy with my Bronco, its just a list of things that continue to "bug" me)
1. Road noise - it is higher than I would like but not so bad that I can't have a conversation when driving. I never expected Lexus tomb-like quiet, but it is just louder than I was hoping for. My only test drive early on was the soft top. IMO, the MIC top, even with sound deadening, still has a good amount of road/wind noise
2. The window lift buttons are in an awful place. Even after a month, I can't easily find them, and to reach them even when looking at them is an unnatural position for my wrist.
3. The cup holders are "loose" for anything other than a Big Gulp cup. My bimmer had little "fingers" inside the cupholders that helped minimize the cup moving around. It is what it is.
4. The plastic interior scratches pretty easily and it shows due to the black plastic.
5. The cubbies on the top of the dashboard do not hold anything that will not slide all over the place. I dunno what they were thinking here but I don't know what you can put in the 4 dished out areas on the top of the dash that will not slide out even under a moderate speed turn. I put sticky rubber pads in them and now they are fine for keeping things in place. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08C572S2B/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
6. Very cheesy to not provide USB power on the top of the dash for every model (instead of just with LUX), especially with the 1/4-20 screw there that is made for mounting a GoPro, camera or smartphone. I wasn't gonna go LUX just for a power port.
7. Too much stuff on one steering wheel stalk. I am sure this is a cost-cutting measure, but I miss having 2 steering wheel stalks. The left for turn signals and high beams and the right one for windshield wipers. Cramming all the function onto the left stalk just sucks, especially to get to the rear wiper controls.
8. I am 6'1" and I still want side steps to get into the car. My wife at 5'3" absolutely needs them. Ridiculous that the hoop steps now on the B&P are not available for existing Bronco owners. Trying to figure out what to install (AR, IAG or wait for Ford)
9. The driver dashboard really sucks, especially the tachometer. To me that was designed by someone who has never driven a car, let alone one with a manual transmission. It's a good thing that I will not be drag racing this rig because the tach is useless. I wonder/hope that down the road there will be an update to put a more traditional tach into the dashboard where the other information currently is. Other than for speed readout and fuel, it is pretty useless to me for useful information.
10. The engine sound is anemic. Just doesn't sound appropriate for the vehicle. Someone on this site even said Ford is pumping in engine noise into the cabin through the stereo. If they really are doing that, still a fail.
11. The center console is just a black hole. Really deep. I put in the Mabett holder and really like it. Still don't know what to do with the space under it. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09QM8W8Y7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
12. The driver assistance is really inconsistent. I turned it on and I find that it oscillates between overly aggressive to no warning at all. My guess is it has something to do with how "fresh" the painted lines on the road are, but it just doesn't work very well IMO.
13. I miss a real "hand brake". I still can't get used to the electronic parking brake, probably never will. Too much muscle memory to pull that up as soon as I park. But at least it automatically releases when I put the car into reverse, because I do forget to release it myself.
14. I hope someone designs a cargo hold cover that you can use with the MIC top on. I don't like that everything in the car is visible, even with tint. I guess I am too used to having a trunk where you can stash your backpack etc away from prying eyes.
15. "Sticking" windows when opening doors is gonna be a long term thing I think. There was no problem when I picked up the car, but now the passenger rear window is sticking when opening the door. Gonna have the dealership check it out when I go in for a 1000 mile oil change.
16. The back seats deserved cup holders. Probably gonna buy this: https://www.cjponyparts.com/classic-consoles-bench-seat-console-1965-1968/p/CON10-V/
17. Bummer that "performance" mode is not one of the GOAT modes for the BL. Not gonna mess with Forscan to add it. Normal is fine for my driving style. Would have liked to have the option though.
Well, that is it for now. Don't have any "off road" comments yet. Too busy with work and am going to the Las Vegas Rodeo in early May, Will probably have some more feedback after that.
For existing Bronco owners, there is probably nothing on this list you don't already know, and some of you probably think I am a whiner
Let me be clear, I do love my Bronco a lot. Overall it exceeded my expectations. But there are some things, especially coming from "the ultimate driving machine", that are not easy to get used to.
Hopefully prospective Bronco buyers may find some interesting nuggets in here for when they go in to look for their future Bronco.
This isn't meant to be a flamethrower on the Bronco, or a love-fest either. It is just my feelings on the vehicle after one month of ownership.
I think most of the folks on this forum are Bronco enthusiasts and will love their Bronco like their own child, but I also think there are some people visiting the site to see what the Bronco hubbub is all about and maybe are trying to decide if they want to buy one (ADMs aside).
My intention is to update this thread over time to see how the vehicle continues to meet up with my expectations/likes/dislikes.
Overall:
1. Very pleased with the vehicle in terms of fit/finish and ergonomics (in general, but see more below)
2. Gas mileage for me is right at 17mpg, regardless of city or highway. I have not done 100% in either direction, but have gone 30/70 to 70/30 and my MPG really doesn't change much, fluctuating between 16.8 to 17.1.
3. Still using regular unleaded so I am not seeing sticker shock at the pump because my prior daily driver (BMW 330i) took premium gas so with the larger tank my fill up cost has been pretty much the same ($60-70 per fillup).
Likes:
1. The stick shift and clutch are really, really good (IMHO). You just can't stall this sucker, and the "gates" on the shifter have wonderful feel. And while I don't need "hill start assist" as I have driven a manual my entire life, it does make starting on a hill a no-brainer for literally anyone.
2. I have no idea what the B&O sound system sounds like but I am more than happy with the version that comes with the High package. The sound is clear enough and loud enough that the road/wind noise doesn't bother me.
3. Ford has the right balance between touchscreen and actual knobs/dials. It took a lot of years but the pendulum has swung back the other way and there is now (again IMHO) a good balance between touchscreen controls and physical knob controls. Especially for volume control and HVAC control.
4. Love the swinging tailgate. Didn't think it would make a diff to me, but I really like it. Not sure if it is just the novelty, but I like it.
5. The LED headlights are awesome. I think they only come on the High or higher package, but they sure do light up the road (sorry oncoming drivers)
6. The auto-on high beams is a really nice feature, especially when driving on back country roads at night.
7. The marine grade vinyl seats are AWESOME. Very comfortable and easy to clean. I hope I say the same thing in the summertime when it is 90* outside.
8. Carplay is great. I came from a 2004 with no conveniences. The Ford implementation is very good as an Apple user.
9. Rear seat room is DEFINITELY bigger with the BL/MGV seats. The seats in the OBX take up more space. When I set up the driver position for me, and get into the rear driver seat, I have more room in my BL than in the OBX with leather and power seats.
10. The 2.3L engine has plenty of "get up and go" for me. Haven't loaded it up big time yet, but going up an incline isn't a problem and I don't feel underpowered (yet).
Dislikes (and AGAIN, this doesn't mean I am unhappy with my Bronco, its just a list of things that continue to "bug" me)
1. Road noise - it is higher than I would like but not so bad that I can't have a conversation when driving. I never expected Lexus tomb-like quiet, but it is just louder than I was hoping for. My only test drive early on was the soft top. IMO, the MIC top, even with sound deadening, still has a good amount of road/wind noise
2. The window lift buttons are in an awful place. Even after a month, I can't easily find them, and to reach them even when looking at them is an unnatural position for my wrist.
3. The cup holders are "loose" for anything other than a Big Gulp cup. My bimmer had little "fingers" inside the cupholders that helped minimize the cup moving around. It is what it is.
4. The plastic interior scratches pretty easily and it shows due to the black plastic.
5. The cubbies on the top of the dashboard do not hold anything that will not slide all over the place. I dunno what they were thinking here but I don't know what you can put in the 4 dished out areas on the top of the dash that will not slide out even under a moderate speed turn. I put sticky rubber pads in them and now they are fine for keeping things in place. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08C572S2B/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
6. Very cheesy to not provide USB power on the top of the dash for every model (instead of just with LUX), especially with the 1/4-20 screw there that is made for mounting a GoPro, camera or smartphone. I wasn't gonna go LUX just for a power port.
7. Too much stuff on one steering wheel stalk. I am sure this is a cost-cutting measure, but I miss having 2 steering wheel stalks. The left for turn signals and high beams and the right one for windshield wipers. Cramming all the function onto the left stalk just sucks, especially to get to the rear wiper controls.
8. I am 6'1" and I still want side steps to get into the car. My wife at 5'3" absolutely needs them. Ridiculous that the hoop steps now on the B&P are not available for existing Bronco owners. Trying to figure out what to install (AR, IAG or wait for Ford)
9. The driver dashboard really sucks, especially the tachometer. To me that was designed by someone who has never driven a car, let alone one with a manual transmission. It's a good thing that I will not be drag racing this rig because the tach is useless. I wonder/hope that down the road there will be an update to put a more traditional tach into the dashboard where the other information currently is. Other than for speed readout and fuel, it is pretty useless to me for useful information.
10. The engine sound is anemic. Just doesn't sound appropriate for the vehicle. Someone on this site even said Ford is pumping in engine noise into the cabin through the stereo. If they really are doing that, still a fail.
11. The center console is just a black hole. Really deep. I put in the Mabett holder and really like it. Still don't know what to do with the space under it. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09QM8W8Y7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
12. The driver assistance is really inconsistent. I turned it on and I find that it oscillates between overly aggressive to no warning at all. My guess is it has something to do with how "fresh" the painted lines on the road are, but it just doesn't work very well IMO.
13. I miss a real "hand brake". I still can't get used to the electronic parking brake, probably never will. Too much muscle memory to pull that up as soon as I park. But at least it automatically releases when I put the car into reverse, because I do forget to release it myself.
14. I hope someone designs a cargo hold cover that you can use with the MIC top on. I don't like that everything in the car is visible, even with tint. I guess I am too used to having a trunk where you can stash your backpack etc away from prying eyes.
15. "Sticking" windows when opening doors is gonna be a long term thing I think. There was no problem when I picked up the car, but now the passenger rear window is sticking when opening the door. Gonna have the dealership check it out when I go in for a 1000 mile oil change.
16. The back seats deserved cup holders. Probably gonna buy this: https://www.cjponyparts.com/classic-consoles-bench-seat-console-1965-1968/p/CON10-V/
17. Bummer that "performance" mode is not one of the GOAT modes for the BL. Not gonna mess with Forscan to add it. Normal is fine for my driving style. Would have liked to have the option though.
Well, that is it for now. Don't have any "off road" comments yet. Too busy with work and am going to the Las Vegas Rodeo in early May, Will probably have some more feedback after that.
For existing Bronco owners, there is probably nothing on this list you don't already know, and some of you probably think I am a whiner
Let me be clear, I do love my Bronco a lot. Overall it exceeded my expectations. But there are some things, especially coming from "the ultimate driving machine", that are not easy to get used to.Hopefully prospective Bronco buyers may find some interesting nuggets in here for when they go in to look for their future Bronco.
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