Practicality of a Bronco

[LABlueBronco]

I'm 6'3", 220#. I sat in the back of a 4dr Bronco on a test drive and was comfortable. Now, I'm not sure how I would do for hours on end, but I thought the Badlands I was riding in was nice in the back seat.

Mitchell, is that you?????

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[Markpf189]

I love my bronco but it’s not practical in any sense of the word. The cabin is noisy, not super spacious, at least compared to your F150, gets awful gas mileage, and there’s some concerning reliability issues that you probably won’t have in your F150.

With that said it’s still my favorite vehicle I’ve ever owned!

 

[dingle87]

Mitchell, is that you?????

I'm not sure how to respond? LOL. I may be missing a joke here or a serious question.

so.... I am not Mitchell. But then agian... maybe I am.

 

[Trigger]

Get the Bronco and find an old pickup. I am keeping my 2004 Silverado (I couldn't be without a truck). I know lots of debate about new Rangers and Raptors and Tremors. But truck beds are also found on old pickups. Many photos on this forum with driveways brimming with new Broncos, new trucks and new sports cars. Nothing wrong with an old truck to go along with your Bronco. My two cents.

 

[ezapar]

Get a trailer for when you need to carry a load.

 

[ChetC]

I love my bronco but it’s not practical in any sense of the word. The cabin is noisy, not super spacious, at least compared to your F150, gets awful gas mileage, and there’s some concerning reliability issues that you probably won’t have in your F150.

With that said it’s still my favorite vehicle I’ve ever owned!

I'd add, my new hard top Bronco with headliner and carpeted floors is easily as quiet in the cabin as my 2014 Ram 1500 and so far gets about 3 mpg better than my Ram, which is 2wd, around town. While the cabin of my 2-door does feel smaller than my Ram, everything I was carrying with me easily fit in the Bronco. I was surprised at the amount of storage under the rear floor.

As far as reliability issues; it can seem that way reading some of the posts on here but at the end of the day there have been more than 30,000 Broncos produced which means at this point 1,500 catastrophic reliability issues could be had and 95% of the Broncos would still be fine. The 40 2.7 engine failures posted on here are, in fact, less than 1% of all Broncos produced.

I bought my Bronco as my daily driver and have 0 regrets thus far.

 

[broadicustomworks]

Agree 100%. That‘s precisely why I’m keeping my 22 year old F150. It may look a little long in the tooth but it runs great and it’s always there when I need it.

Sometimes stuff just hits you like a train.
When I read your comment, I was like "Man, definitely keep the old Ford truck."
Picturing a 78-79 Two tone rootbeer brown and tan with the 300 straight 6 (outstanding engine by the way).
Then it hit me like a brick. 22 years old is literally a '99 or 00 model now.

 

[labattbluebronco]

I have gone back and forth on this topic since the announcement of the G6 Bronco. In my 36 years of having a driver's license, I've only been without a pickup for 6 years total; 5 of those years were when I was in school and 1 year when I thought a bronco (1994) would fit the bill.

I ride dirt bikes at least 2 days/week and use the bed for hauling it 95% of the time. I have both a bike hauler (fits in the receiver to load the bike behind the tailgate) and a 3 rail trailer to use. I just can't decide if having to use the trailer or bike hauler 100% of the time is worth trading the truck for the new Bronco. Additionally, the fuel range of the 2-door bronco is pathetic (4 door Bronco is not an option I'd choose) I drive an average of 200 miles round trip when I go riding and that gets pretty near the range of the 2 door when pulling a trailer at 75 mph assuming I will get 15 mpg. Longer trips will require planning strategic fuel stops (which can be inconvenient in the remote areas that I ride).

The part that makes this more difficult is that I also have a 1994 Bronco and a 2001 Jeep Wrangler. I'm not convinced the new Bronco can replace those two vehicles so I can keep the pickup. My 1994 Bronco has been with me 2004-2009 then repurchased the same one in 2011. It is 9/10 condition, 160k miles, and I did all mods to it myself (lift, gears, interior). It has been my "fun" vehicle and the only one I've had for more than 3 years....ever. I added the Jeep a year ago. I know the G6 Bronco is a capable wheeler, but it is 9" wider than my TJ. That would make the majority of the trails I run impassable without body damage, therefore, I would need to pick a different type of wheeling or keep the Jeep.

These are all first world problems for sure, but they keep me up at night as I wait for a build date. Still not sure what I'm going to do but will have some kind of Bronco in the fleet regardless of which path I take.

 

[Jae]

I sold a 2019 Raptor before I bought my Bronco last week. I went back and forth about it before moving forward. The Raptor was the road trip vehicle in addition to much of my off road stuff. It also pulled my boat, hauled trash and firewood, etc.

I'm installing a hitch on the back of the Bronco which, with a small landscape trailer, or hitch carrier will take care of most of what I need. The only thing that leaves me dealing with is the boat a couple times a year when we pull it out of the water for maintenance. All in all, the Bronco will do about 95% of what I need, and the rest wasn't a deal killer.

On top of that, it's a damn good vehicle and a hell of a lot of fun! No regrets!

Which flares are those, they look great

 

[PLindsey725]

Practical is boring!

Although I have been keeping an eye out for a good deal on a Focus Electric, of course now is the WORST time to look for one.

 

[Glue Guy]

I will be trading in my 2020 4 door F150 for a 4 door Bronco when it arrives. Since I really cant road test and drive one I'm not sure it will fit the bill. F150 is big enough for me, plenty of room , and nice to have a truck bed when needed for grabbing sod, mulch, whatever. I really don't "need" a truck and "want" a Bronco but don't want to be dissatisfied with my decision. Can any of you relate to a similar trade and mind sharing your thought on this ? Thank you !

I traded in a ‘17 f150 2wd w 3.5 eco boost for a Badlands 2.3 soft top MT. There are pros and cons to the Bronco. It is a lot more nimble and shorter, so easier to park and maneuver. Smaller on the inside by a good amount. Also, Bronco doesn’t offer as much protection for your stuff inside when parked. I added a cargo box, and keep a bike rack on the back. Getting stuff in and out of the box is a hassle, but sometimes it is necessary.

also, no bed for hauling, but yes the Bronco is more fun and does have the “trunk area.”

 

[Paul Gagnon]

Practical is subjective. My F-350 crew cab can carry as much in the back seat as my 2dr Bronco can with the back seat folded down. Plus I have the bed to put things in as well. A Bronco will never be as practical for hauling things as a pickup but it is much more practical for driving around town and parking. Which do you do more of? Can you afford to keep your truck and get a Bronco? How often do you actually haul stuff in the bed of your truck?

 

[BlueGhost]

I had a 96 Bronco for about 15 years, before I sold it after buying my Raptor. So I've gone from Bronco to F150.

I have an utility trailer I used with the Bronco to haul motorcycles and any time I would have needed a truck bed. I still use the trailer with the truck for things like picking up lumber. It's lower and the tail gate folds down into a ramp, so its easier to load/unload than the truck bed. I use the trailer to haul my dirt bike too. I would have to leave the tail gate down to fit it in truck bed.

I have a roll-n-lock bed cover, but rain still gets in by the tail gate. So a Bronco would be better for transporting luggage. I have a super cab, if you have a super crew seating will have more room than in a new Bronco.

All that said, if/when I get a new Bronco, it will be in addition to the Raptor and not to replace it.

 

[skhubbard93]

You can rent a pickup truck if you need a bed to haul something.
You can also rent certain vehicles if you occasionally need to tow something.

You do not need to lock up $20-40k in an asset that you use occasionally, needs maintenance, needs insurance, depreciates, and takes up space.

For my part, I traded in a horrendous people mover when I bought my Bronco. It wasn't the same as a pickup... but keep in mind that it could swallow a few 4'x8's whole and still close the tailgate. So I gave up both that internal transport capability and the ability to carry 8 people. I can use a trailer or rent a pickup to move cargo, and I can rent a big SUV or something on the rare occasion that I need to move a lot of people. But neither of those other vehicles will put smiles on my sons' faces like taking the top off and going for a drive. And for my most common uses - getting to the ski lodge, the beach, the hiking trail or the lake, or even just getting groceries, the Bronco does just fine and in some ways better than those other vehicles ever could.

 

[Bruzer22]

I will be trading in my 2020 4 door F150 for a 4 door Bronco when it arrives. Since I really cant road test and drive one I'm not sure it will fit the bill. F150 is big enough for me, plenty of room , and nice to have a truck bed when needed for grabbing sod, mulch, whatever. I really don't "need" a truck and "want" a Bronco but don't want to be dissatisfied with my decision. Can any of you relate to a similar trade and mind sharing your thought on this ? Thank you !

While not pickup to Bronco. I've gone through this more than a few times. For where I'm at in life now, I don't have a recurring need for a pickup. I finally had the realization I didn't need the bed when all I ever threw in the back was hockey gear. I swapped out my Tacoma for a 4Runner, and was very happy I did. I could still haul anything I needed to (including lumber for small home projects), and 100% did not miss the bed at all. Everyone's situation is different, though, so you do you. But for me, pickup to SUV, I never regretted it one bit.

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