Prediction: Ford US Bronco Sales Will Flatline in 2023

[markpilip]

Ford will favor Bronco production over Ranger Production because its a more profitable vehicle then the Ranger....with everything else being equal.

Good point above. They're going to try to maximize profitability while still at least having enough Rangers around to fulfill some of the demand. I don't envy their planning folks.

Although I wonder if Rangers really are less profitable, particularly if they come out of the gate producing mostly the fully-loaded units carrying close to (?) the margin of the Bronco, Braptor aside?

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[swooshdave]

Can I see your model?

Can you fix yours?

 

[markpilip]

Thank 9% interest rates, a change you can belive in!

PenFed offering new car 36 - 72 mo loans at 5.19 - 5.34% currently.

While that's a lot higher than we've dealt with the last 10-ish years or more, it's not 9%.

But that assumes the credit score of a responsible adult. 9% must be for those in the cellar-ish 600's.

 

[markpilip]

Can you fix yours?

I can update it at any time.

 

[markpilip]

And if they release a mid cycle refresh with competitive (to Jeep and Toyota) max towing capacity and rear seat A/C vents? Not to mention finally selling the Mod Top? There are a lot of 2021 four door soft top daily family drivers out there who would likely consider trade ins, especially the leases.

Yep, I think all those will have to help jump sales. I think particularly more and better hard tops. I almost didn't buy due to having to get a soft top, although I'm super happy with it.

Would mid-cycle refresh be in the 2025 model year? I don't think there's anything significant in the cards for 2024.

 

[wigglysqiggly]

i was on a wait list for my Bronco for a 7 speed but got an notice that Ford isnt making them anymore. Totally bummed but went to an auction website Bringatrailer and was able to find a the same model and features. I was able to be the winner of the auction and scored it for 47k with 200 miles on it.

 

[wigglysqiggly]

The build spec was about 54k so i saved on the car and no mark ups like these dealers are doing

 

[Imaginary Friend]

There is a larger market that you are not taking into account that could crossover to the Bronco. The Pickup Market , which I belong. It was my intent to purchase a new Chevy High Country or GMC PU, but instead chose the Bronco. The Jeep fails to offer the same leg and head room that this market is accustomed. Chevrolet does not offer anything that compares. The point being the Bronco market will be an amalgamation of many markets.

True.

I'm sort of on a tangent to that. I was racking up miles too fast on my '19 F150 and didn't want to buy another truck anytime soon, so I needed a daily driver alternative when I wasn't needing to haul anything. I missed my Jeep JKs, but really wanted a Bronco, but inability to order the one I want made me order my JL Rubi instead.

As I said, six weeks from order to delivery, how is it that Jeep isn't having the crazy production constraints Ford is? Jeep isn't entirely immune, however, there were certain trims that weren't available on Wrangler when I was trying to negotiate that minefield, and some of those trims have vanished for '24. Seems lopsided though.

 

[Rusty Sheckelford]

Good point. I've watched some of the TFL Truck videos and they'd been saying for a while that 2023 was going to be the year of the mid-sized truck.

There's a bunch of new products in that segment that really look great. I think you're correct in that some Wrangler/Bronco shoppers might be enticed over to the mid-sized truck segment by the new product and the additional utility in the form of the bed and higher towing capacity.

Shame ford missed the year of the truck by not building a bronco truck or fixing the hideous ranger. At least the maverick is kicking ass.

 

[Dads_bronze_bronco]

Yep, I think all those will have to help jump sales. I think particularly more and better hard tops. I almost didn't buy due to having to get a soft top, although I'm super happy with it.

Would mid-cycle refresh be in the 2025 model year? I don't think there's anything significant in the cards for 2024.

I thought Ford had said 2024-1/2, but not sure.

 

[jbacon47]

Markups, low production, quality reputation, and supply chain issues are the biggest reasons Bronco didn’t catch Wrangler. All problems that Ford should/could fix.

Demand is there. So many people tell me they want a Bronco.. but they don’t trust Ford quality especially a first model. Not to mention dealing with shady Ford dealers.

 

[markpilip]

Markups, low production, quality reputation, and supply chain issues are the biggest reasons Bronco didn’t catch Wrangler. All problems that Ford should/could fix.

Demand is there. So many people tell me they want a Bronco.. but they don’t trust Ford quality especially a first model. Not to mention dealing with shady Ford dealers.

I agree that the Ford dealer experience doesn't help, but are there any brands that have a good sales experience inside a dealership? I've only bought new at Ford, Audi, VW, Honda, and Toyota and all the experiences with the sales folks have been less than professional.

As far as demand, based on what I can see recently, I don't think it's really there as much as the enthusiasts here would assume.

 

[GroovyGeek]

But I don't think they'll be able to consistently pull it off. At some point Toyota is going to finally do something with the 4Runner, and that huge market of people who want an off-roader that rides like a family vehicle will start looking at the new 4Runner instead of the Bronco.

It is difficult to argue that the 4Runner "drives like a family vehcile". Perhaps "drives like a shitty family vehcile" is an apt analogy.

I only own a Bronco because Toyota dropped the ball with the 4Runner. Plan in 2020 was to replace the Wrangler with the 3rd MY of the redesigned 4Runner... which put me into a vehicle buy in 2024-2025. Then the 4Runner update kept getting pushed out a year then two then three... and now we are looking at MY25. As a long term vehicle owner I will not buy anything earlier than MY3 after a redesign which meant 2028+. Hence I am now a grudging owner of a Bronco, with all the problems that "Made in America" implies when it comes to automobiles.

I have never owned a new vehicle for less than 10 years, so unless the Bronco is a total dog Toyota missed me as a customer big time.

As to brand reputation from ADMs - I think people generally understand that Ford has little control over what dealers are doing. The reputational damage (for me) is to the dealers. In their effort to make a buck now they are sacrificing decades of customer demand. For example, I will never, ever consider buying a vehicle from El Cajon Ford in San DIego. Outrageous starting position on ADMs ($15k) and tons of hassle to get to even $5k. At some point I just said "duck it" and drove 6 hrs to a semi local dealer who was willing to be semi-reasonable. The El Cajon a-holes currently have 13 Broncos in stock and are asking $56k for a bare bones base. They seem to move their inventory at surprising velocity even with the ridiculous prices.

https://www.elcajonford.com/VehicleSearchResults?model=Bronco

 

[Westbayou]

I think the OP is onto something. I ordered my WT Lux and waited around 11-months for it to arrive. Traded in my 2020 Raptor on it. After 7-months and roughly 9K miles in the Bronco I came to the conclusion it just wasn't a practical daily for me due to my work needs. I enjoyed the heck out of it, but it was so loud inside during my frequent highway drives I wasn't able to make phonecalls etc. So I begrudgingly traded it in on a Platinum F150. Fortunately my timing seems to have been really good as I got a premium trade value on my Bronco and slightly below invoice pricing on my F150 + discounted financing. In the end I cost me a couple grand to get into a Platinum F150 and I honestly haven't looked back. The bronco was fun, but I found it it be an extremely expensive vehicle for what you get. If I only had to drive around town it is awesome, but my wife and kids flat refused to do a road trip in it due to the highway driving. I'd imagine there are a lot of Bronco owners/prospective owners finding themselves in the same boat as I was.

So, back on topic, this was a month ago and the Bronco I traded in is collecting dust on the lot along with the 10 other Broncos they had the day I picked up my F150. My Bronco is as nice as you can make it, HOSS 3.0, plus aftermarket wheels, AMP powerboards, and the KC Gravity lights. They have already discounted it to roughly $1500 more than I got in trade and still it sits. The other Broncos don't have an ADM, although some have a bunch of aftermarket stuff added which jacks up the price. This is in Florida, a state I'd consider a hot market for Broncos.

 

[jbacon47]

I agree that the Ford dealer experience doesn't help, but are there any brands that have a good sales experience inside a dealership? I've only bought new at Ford, Audi, VW, Honda, and Toyota and all the experiences with the sales folks have been less than professional.

As far as demand, based on what I can see recently, I don't think it's really there as much as the enthusiasts here would assume.

Maybe, the Bronco isn’t niche though. It is a significant brand. I feel like nearly everyone entertains the idea of buying one at some point (like people do for Jeeps).

Another thing I wish Ford did was differentiate the Bronco a little further from Jeep. They are so similar aside the front axle. For example: stronger roof, better roof racks, more towing, bigger engine, tailgate instead of swing gate, removable seats. If any of that ever happens, I might have to trade-in. Also the Raptor is hideous to me.

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