- First Name
- Jonathan
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2022
- Threads
- 1
- Messages
- 6
- Reaction score
- 12
- Location
- Simpsonville, Sc
- Vehicle(s)
- Toyota 4Runner
- Your Bronco Model
- Outer Banks
- Thread starter
- #1
Been hanging around in here for a little while, but hardly ever posted. I have appreciated all the info, stories and community atmosphere (for the most part) that everyone has provided. Helped get me excited (and a little apprehensive) about getting my Bronco.
Little background:
Day 1 reservation holder (7/13/20)
Didn't order until Dec 2021
Scheduled for production April 15
Built May 14
Delivered June 18
4DR / SOFT TOP / A51 OBX NON-SAS ADVANCED AUTO / LUX / LEATHER / MOD BUMPER / AUX SWITCHES / REAR DIFF
Driven mostly Toyotas in my life (almost every one) and currently have a '16 4Runner and a '15 Highlander. The plan originally was to trade in my 4Runner for the Bronco, but now I have decided to hold on to the 4Runner and pass down to my daughter in 2 years (she's 13.5 now). My son (16) also has a '07 4Runner. Will probably trade in the Highlander at some point, but for now the Bronco will be shared b/w me and my wife.
This is the 1st Ford I have ever purchased/owned. I can't say the Ford purchase experience was pleasant at all
, which comes as a surprise to no one in here. My dealer held to our MSRP agreement, so that was good, but otherwise, the communication throughout the process was pretty abysmal. The actual purchase transaction on day of delivery was easy and pleasant, however, and the salesman seemed like a nice, pretty good dude. So all in all, I probably had a better experience than a lot folks in here, but not really looking forward to ever buying a Ford again.
One other add'l thing: I was a golden ticket holder (Raptor), but my dealership wouldn't hold to MSRP. At first they said $20K over MSRP and than came back with final offer of $10K over MSRP. I was a little ticked at them, because our original deal on my OBX was MSRP. At the end of the day, I declined and they were able to offer to another reservation holder. I would probably never use the Raptor for its intended purpose and it would have been a pain to park in my garage (width) and I wasn't in love with the look of it (see: fender flares), so it didn't make sense to spend >$30K more than my original build.
Anyway, my thoughts on the Bronco after 4 weeks and 1,500 miles:
Driven primarily around town (Greenville, SC) and took a 3 hr road trip for a week at Folly Beach (SC coast/Charleston area) and back and then a weekend 3 hr road trip up to Boone, NC area and back. I have put on some good highway miles with the 2 trips.
Engine/Transmission (1st turbo I've ever driven):
- I'm already used to the Auto Stop/Start, so I don't bother turning it off at this point
- It's a little "herky-jerky" from a full stop, but maybe that's still me getting used to it
- It's strength IMO is it's power and smoothness when you need to go from 40 to 60 or 50 to 70 or even more - very responsive, powerful and smooth. No problems whatsoever on the highway
- Overall, I'm very satisfied with the 2.7 and the transmission. I think its a pretty good pairing for a loaded Bronco.
Driving impressions:
- Great on the highway. Very centered vehicle - point and go. Can drive with one finger (though not recommended). Worlds better on the highway than a Jeep Wrangler (I've driven with a few friends) as everyone has already said. I'd say a little better than my 4Runner. Just an easy to drive vehicle the highway and around town.
- Our roads here in SC are pretty crappy around town (lots of broken pavement/pot holes/etc) and you definitely feel it in the Bronco. My 4Runner (4WD Limited) does a better job absorbing those road imperfections. But it is what I expected from the Bronco and is by no means a negative, as I knew I wasn't getting a Lexus (or should I have said Lincoln?).
- I am actually kind of impressed with the turning radius of the Bronco. It's better than my 4Runner. Is a little easier to park and such because of that.
- Noise level is fine. Conversations with 2 kids in the backseat are fine on road trips going 70-80 MPH on the highway - just as good as any other vehicle we've driven. Music can be heard clearly at level 5-6 (out of 30 I assume) and is VERY loud at anything 12 and above (I've gone to 15 so far - with the top down).
- Sightlines out back and such seem pretty good to me.
- Haven't taken it off road yet, so no off-roading reviews here. I rented a WildTrak for a week in Utah and also did Bronco Off-Roadeo in Moab (in a SAS'ed OBX) and absolutely loved it. After driving it in Utah, my biggest regret is not getting the SAS package - it was too late to change my build at that point. I will probably take it off road here and there (after I do a minor lift and get different tires), but am not and will not ever be a serious off-roader pushing my Bronco to its physical limits.
Exterior:
- Love, love the look of it. Obviously.
- Many other people love the look of it too, based on how many people have stopped to talk to me about it and how many I've gotten.
- Love the A51. It is definitely the most popular color at least in my neck of the woods. But I love the color, so went with what I loved, as opposed to buying something just to be different. It's OK to like a color a lot of other people like.
- Not in love with the wheels/tires of the OBX. They are fine for now, but I will most likely get bigger/different tires and black out the wheels (thanks to all the suggestions/pics on this site!!).
Soft Top:
- So I was pretty worried about this after reading the myriad posts on here about how crappy it was.
- After 4 weeks, I am happy to say I don't have any issues with it yet and actually like it so far.
- The cloth seems pretty heavy duty, good quality.
- Mine doesn't seem to have any gaps on the side of it when closed, so seems pretty weather proof. And we've had a few VERY nasty thunderstorms with high winds this summer.
- VERY easy Up/Down into the 1st position - I'm pretty tall (6'3"), so it easy for me to do it/my wife has to stand on the side steps. And it opens up the whole backseat - It's great tooling around town using just that position.
- No issues latching closed - drivers side was a little harder to latch (needed a little more oomph behind it) at first, but has seemed easier the last few times I've done it.
- I honestly thought it would be louder than it is, but I don't think the noise level is bad at all. And again this is with many miles going 70-80 MPH on the highway. Non-factor to me at this point.
- The prop up rear window also actually works fine and is a nice addition for loading/unloading cargo. I have actually had a couple Jeep guys say they wish their Jeeps had that. The only issue I've had is that the last time I propped it up, the passengers side rear window came out of it's front-side slot - had to put back in. So I wonder if that will start happening more.
- I'm already used to the slightly wavy side windows, so not a big deal to me. Is it ideal? No. But its a soft-top Bronco and I am fine with them.
- I have yet to take all the windows out and put the top all the way back.
Interior/Technology:
- The Leather seats are fine. Not that soft, but the leather/vinyl combo seem very sturdy. They are relatively comfortable. Power seats work fine.
- There is a lot of plastic in the interior, but I generally think it looks good. It fits the style of the vehicle. I wish the soft touch arm rest places had more cushion to them, but the places to rest my elbows are in the perfect places for my 6'3" person.
- The rear cupholders (yes, those of much discussion in these forums!) are basically useless for anything more than a kids sippy cup or juice box. Any kind of typical soda can, water bottle or fast food drink cup will just come flying out of the cup holders upon any kind of medium/hard stop. They are way too shallow. It's pretty ridiculous that someone (or many someones) at Ford actually "rubber-stamped" them.
- B&O sound system is good (not great). It's the main reason I got the LUX package. I like listening to music and I like listening to it loud while cruising down the highway. It's gets quite loud, so it's plenty adequate for the uses of a top down vehicle. It's no audiophile system, but for what I use it for (CarPlay Apple Music and SXM satellite music/sports/etc), it's OK. My only gripe is the vibrating subwoofer in the back - so at some point, I'll have to get back on here and search the forums for some of the fixes folks have come up with. But otherwise I won't make any changes to the system.
- The Apple CarPlay (what I use 90% of the time) integration works OK and I love it (never had it before). But I have had 2 occasions so far, where it will start "skipping" - it goes in and out and won't fix itself without restarting the car. I guess I could also try rebooting the stereo as someone else in these forums mentioned. So I am a little worried that bug will pop up more often, which would be extremely annoying.
- The wireless charger is absolutely worthless. Again, I wish Ford wouldn't have even bothered. It's just crap.
- The auto temp control dials look 3rd rate without the digital temperature on them (again, I know that has been hashed out ad nauseam on this site!). I don't like them - they just look cheap. IMO, its the cheapest looking piece of the interior - maybe because it's kind of front and center.
- For someone that hasn't ever had it before, the intelligent cruise control is a Game Changer. I think it works great and actually makes highway driving easier/more pleasant.
- The 360 camera is also fantastic. Makes all kind of driving maneuvers much easier and looks cool.
- I have no use for the lane keeping technology - I think its pretty "dumb" and I have it turned off.
- The drivers gauge cluster? What can I say that hasn't already been said? The analog speedometer is such a waste of space. I literally never look at it, because of its position in the dash. And the tachometer is pretty stupid. Again, I wonder how the Ford folks ever signed off on this gauge cluster. Well, at least the digital part of the gauge cluster is way better than my '16 4Runner's. So there's that.
It is a great driving, comfortable vehicle that looks really cool and I love having a "convertible". And even though it is an OBX (derided by some folks on this site), if I ever want to, it still is more capable off road than most other vehicles. What other vehicle can I get that gives me all of that? Overall, I love it so far.
Aftermarket stuff so far:
1. Some Mabett organizing stuff. All look good and function well.
2. Stubby antenna from Build Right Industries. Looks great and seems high quality.
Future plans:
1. 2" lift. Not sure whether I will just do a lift or complete coilover change. Plenty of info/suggestions on this site. Thanks!
2. Bigger, more aggressive tires (again, plenty of ideas on this site!).
3. Powder coat the OBX wheels black.
4. Maybe some parachord handles fro the front seats above the windows. When I am in the passenger seat, I really want a handle hold right there. I don't like where the Bronco hand holds are.
5. Fog lights in the MOD bumper cut out, which I'll just attach to the Aux switches.
6. It would be great if a 3rd party came up with some add'l interior lighting that could easily be wired to an Aux switch.
Little background:
Day 1 reservation holder (7/13/20)
Didn't order until Dec 2021
Scheduled for production April 15
Built May 14
Delivered June 18
4DR / SOFT TOP / A51 OBX NON-SAS ADVANCED AUTO / LUX / LEATHER / MOD BUMPER / AUX SWITCHES / REAR DIFF
Driven mostly Toyotas in my life (almost every one) and currently have a '16 4Runner and a '15 Highlander. The plan originally was to trade in my 4Runner for the Bronco, but now I have decided to hold on to the 4Runner and pass down to my daughter in 2 years (she's 13.5 now). My son (16) also has a '07 4Runner. Will probably trade in the Highlander at some point, but for now the Bronco will be shared b/w me and my wife.
This is the 1st Ford I have ever purchased/owned. I can't say the Ford purchase experience was pleasant at all
, which comes as a surprise to no one in here. My dealer held to our MSRP agreement, so that was good, but otherwise, the communication throughout the process was pretty abysmal. The actual purchase transaction on day of delivery was easy and pleasant, however, and the salesman seemed like a nice, pretty good dude. So all in all, I probably had a better experience than a lot folks in here, but not really looking forward to ever buying a Ford again.One other add'l thing: I was a golden ticket holder (Raptor), but my dealership wouldn't hold to MSRP. At first they said $20K over MSRP and than came back with final offer of $10K over MSRP. I was a little ticked at them, because our original deal on my OBX was MSRP. At the end of the day, I declined and they were able to offer to another reservation holder. I would probably never use the Raptor for its intended purpose and it would have been a pain to park in my garage (width) and I wasn't in love with the look of it (see: fender flares), so it didn't make sense to spend >$30K more than my original build.
Anyway, my thoughts on the Bronco after 4 weeks and 1,500 miles:
Driven primarily around town (Greenville, SC) and took a 3 hr road trip for a week at Folly Beach (SC coast/Charleston area) and back and then a weekend 3 hr road trip up to Boone, NC area and back. I have put on some good highway miles with the 2 trips.
Engine/Transmission (1st turbo I've ever driven):
- I'm already used to the Auto Stop/Start, so I don't bother turning it off at this point
- It's a little "herky-jerky" from a full stop, but maybe that's still me getting used to it
- It's strength IMO is it's power and smoothness when you need to go from 40 to 60 or 50 to 70 or even more - very responsive, powerful and smooth. No problems whatsoever on the highway
- Overall, I'm very satisfied with the 2.7 and the transmission. I think its a pretty good pairing for a loaded Bronco.
Driving impressions:
- Great on the highway. Very centered vehicle - point and go. Can drive with one finger (though not recommended
). Worlds better on the highway than a Jeep Wrangler (I've driven with a few friends) as everyone has already said. I'd say a little better than my 4Runner. Just an easy to drive vehicle the highway and around town.- Our roads here in SC are pretty crappy around town (lots of broken pavement/pot holes/etc) and you definitely feel it in the Bronco. My 4Runner (4WD Limited) does a better job absorbing those road imperfections. But it is what I expected from the Bronco and is by no means a negative, as I knew I wasn't getting a Lexus (or should I have said Lincoln?).
- I am actually kind of impressed with the turning radius of the Bronco. It's better than my 4Runner. Is a little easier to park and such because of that.
- Noise level is fine. Conversations with 2 kids in the backseat are fine on road trips going 70-80 MPH on the highway - just as good as any other vehicle we've driven. Music can be heard clearly at level 5-6 (out of 30 I assume) and is VERY loud at anything 12 and above (I've gone to 15 so far - with the top down).
- Sightlines out back and such seem pretty good to me.
- Haven't taken it off road yet, so no off-roading reviews here. I rented a WildTrak for a week in Utah and also did Bronco Off-Roadeo in Moab (in a SAS'ed OBX) and absolutely loved it. After driving it in Utah, my biggest regret is not getting the SAS package - it was too late to change my build at that point. I will probably take it off road here and there (after I do a minor lift and get different tires), but am not and will not ever be a serious off-roader pushing my Bronco to its physical limits.
Exterior:
- Love, love the look of it. Obviously.
- Many other people love the look of it too, based on how many people have stopped to talk to me about it and how many
I've gotten.- Love the A51. It is definitely the most popular color at least in my neck of the woods. But I love the color, so went with what I loved, as opposed to buying something just to be different. It's OK to like a color a lot of other people like.
- Not in love with the wheels/tires of the OBX. They are fine for now, but I will most likely get bigger/different tires and black out the wheels (thanks to all the suggestions/pics on this site!!).
Soft Top:
- So I was pretty worried about this after reading the myriad posts on here about how crappy it was.
- After 4 weeks, I am happy to say I don't have any issues with it yet and actually like it so far.
- The cloth seems pretty heavy duty, good quality.
- Mine doesn't seem to have any gaps on the side of it when closed, so seems pretty weather proof. And we've had a few VERY nasty thunderstorms with high winds this summer.
- VERY easy Up/Down into the 1st position - I'm pretty tall (6'3"), so it easy for me to do it/my wife has to stand on the side steps. And it opens up the whole backseat - It's great tooling around town using just that position.
- No issues latching closed - drivers side was a little harder to latch (needed a little more oomph behind it) at first, but has seemed easier the last few times I've done it.
- I honestly thought it would be louder than it is, but I don't think the noise level is bad at all. And again this is with many miles going 70-80 MPH on the highway. Non-factor to me at this point.
- The prop up rear window also actually works fine and is a nice addition for loading/unloading cargo. I have actually had a couple Jeep guys say they wish their Jeeps had that. The only issue I've had is that the last time I propped it up, the passengers side rear window came out of it's front-side slot - had to put back in. So I wonder if that will start happening more.
- I'm already used to the slightly wavy side windows, so not a big deal to me. Is it ideal? No. But its a soft-top Bronco and I am fine with them.
- I have yet to take all the windows out and put the top all the way back.
Interior/Technology:
- The Leather seats are fine. Not that soft, but the leather/vinyl combo seem very sturdy. They are relatively comfortable. Power seats work fine.
- There is a lot of plastic in the interior, but I generally think it looks good. It fits the style of the vehicle. I wish the soft touch arm rest places had more cushion to them, but the places to rest my elbows are in the perfect places for my 6'3" person.
- The rear cupholders (yes, those of much discussion in these forums!) are basically useless for anything more than a kids sippy cup or juice box. Any kind of typical soda can, water bottle or fast food drink cup will just come flying out of the cup holders upon any kind of medium/hard stop. They are way too shallow. It's pretty ridiculous that someone (or many someones) at Ford actually "rubber-stamped" them.
- B&O sound system is good (not great). It's the main reason I got the LUX package. I like listening to music and I like listening to it loud while cruising down the highway. It's gets quite loud, so it's plenty adequate for the uses of a top down vehicle. It's no audiophile system, but for what I use it for (CarPlay Apple Music and SXM satellite music/sports/etc), it's OK. My only gripe is the vibrating subwoofer in the back - so at some point, I'll have to get back on here and search the forums for some of the fixes folks have come up with. But otherwise I won't make any changes to the system.
- The Apple CarPlay (what I use 90% of the time) integration works OK and I love it (never had it before). But I have had 2 occasions so far, where it will start "skipping" - it goes in and out and won't fix itself without restarting the car. I guess I could also try rebooting the stereo as someone else in these forums mentioned. So I am a little worried that bug will pop up more often, which would be extremely annoying.
- The wireless charger is absolutely worthless. Again, I wish Ford wouldn't have even bothered. It's just crap.
- The auto temp control dials look 3rd rate without the digital temperature on them (again, I know that has been hashed out ad nauseam on this site!). I don't like them - they just look cheap. IMO, its the cheapest looking piece of the interior - maybe because it's kind of front and center.
- For someone that hasn't ever had it before, the intelligent cruise control is a Game Changer. I think it works great and actually makes highway driving easier/more pleasant.
- The 360 camera is also fantastic. Makes all kind of driving maneuvers much easier and looks cool.
- I have no use for the lane keeping technology - I think its pretty "dumb" and I have it turned off.
- The drivers gauge cluster? What can I say that hasn't already been said? The analog speedometer is such a waste of space. I literally never look at it, because of its position in the dash. And the tachometer is pretty stupid. Again, I wonder how the Ford folks ever signed off on this gauge cluster. Well, at least the digital part of the gauge cluster is way better than my '16 4Runner's. So there's that.
It is a great driving, comfortable vehicle that looks really cool and I love having a "convertible". And even though it is an OBX (derided by some folks on this site), if I ever want to, it still is more capable off road than most other vehicles. What other vehicle can I get that gives me all of that? Overall, I love it so far.
Aftermarket stuff so far:
1. Some Mabett organizing stuff. All look good and function well.
2. Stubby antenna from Build Right Industries. Looks great and seems high quality.
Future plans:
1. 2" lift. Not sure whether I will just do a lift or complete coilover change. Plenty of info/suggestions on this site. Thanks!
2. Bigger, more aggressive tires (again, plenty of ideas on this site!).
3. Powder coat the OBX wheels black.
4. Maybe some parachord handles fro the front seats above the windows. When I am in the passenger seat, I really want a handle hold right there. I don't like where the Bronco hand holds are.
5. Fog lights in the MOD bumper cut out, which I'll just attach to the Aux switches.
6. It would be great if a 3rd party came up with some add'l interior lighting that could easily be wired to an Aux switch.
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