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Seat Position and Visibility Disappointment

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RhodeIslandRed

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Test drove a Big Bend Sas yesterday at my local dealer. Disappointed for a few reasons.

Some of the stuff has been beat to death, but I'll list anyway, because I noticed.
sound system: sucks
interface on 12" screen: weak (compared to 2021 Sienna)
Driveability: 10/10
Off-road capabilities: N/A

Ground clearance on the sasquatch wasn't enough for me. No tape measure; just looking under the front end. I'll be lifting my non-sas Badlands and 35s on day 1.

The steps were nice. I'll need a slider/step solution.

But here was my big takeaway and I don't know how many people this applies to or that can relate. The driver position and the visibility are kinda gross. It is a lot like a car. It feels a lot more like my mdx than my f250. And maybe that is by design. Maybe that's what the original was like. I don't know/remember.

I know this is a Jeep-killer and maybe this is what it's like in the Jeep. I'm coming from Defenders (not the new monstrosity) and I am used to sitting upright and seeing everything, everywhere. In the bronco, you are somewhat reclined and your legs are out in front of you. Your seated position is low and the windows are short. It doesn't feel like cockpit I'm used to being in when on-trail.

I didn't get to wheel this thing off-raod (obviously), but that might alleviate a lot of concern. It is funny, my wife is more fired up after driving it and I am way less.

Other notes:
This rig was carbonized gray and that color was blah. -sorry, carbonized gray fans.

This was the 2.7 with 10AT. I'm getting a 2.3 with 7MT so I didn't pay too much attention to the power output. But for the people complaining that this is weak, I didn't find that at all. This had tons of pep. Drops down 3 gears in an instant and accelerates a lot faster than expected. Power seems great.

Doors-off, roof-off open air is the best I have ever seen. My wife loved this thing more than anything I can remember in recent history, and she's not a car nut. She's been driving a minivan for 18 years. But come to think of it, when I met her, she had a wrangler with no doors and a bikini top. -I'm a bad husband.

Maybe a 2.5" lift, tires, roof off and on trail and I'll have a better experience. Right now, I know it's great on the road, but I don't care about that.
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NotApplicable

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RhodeIslandRed

RhodeIslandRed

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This is surprising. IMO Sync is generations ahead of Toyota infotainment
Maybe I didn't get enough time with it. Truth is, I only ordered up bigger screen for the 360 camera stuff and I didn't get to play with any of that.
 

KnoxGnater

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Coming from my F150 I didn't think visibility was too much worse, just different. The big flat hood makes it feel wider than my truck, not sure it really is by a significant margin. With doors and top on, there is definitely more "blind" area in the rear peripheral. I'd prefer spotter mirrors over the stupid LED detection system, but I realize I'm one of the few people left who still actually does nothing but drive when I drive. Weird.

Did you adjust the manual crank to raise/lower the seat? Mine was all the way on the floor, a few pumps really helped get me higher. I'm 5'10".
 

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Maybe I didn't get enough time with it. Truth is, I only ordered up bigger screen for the 360 camera stuff and I didn't get to play with any of that.
So barely play with it and write it off as bad…. Okay dude
 

David12691

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I'm 6'1' and drove one for the first time the other night. I actually found it very comfortable and felt like I sat very upright as well as high up. Higher than any jeep I've ever been it, felt more like a big Ford truck, which I guess make sense all things considered.
 
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RhodeIslandRed

RhodeIslandRed

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I have to ask….

Did you raise the seat?
I did not raise the seat. It had a manual bar to move forward/back and I didn't notice or think about raising it. That might have helped.
 

stampede1

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Test drove a Big Bend Sas yesterday at my local dealer. Disappointed for a few reasons.

Some of the stuff has been beat to death, but I'll list anyway, because I noticed.
sound system: sucks
interface on 12" screen: weak (compared to 2021 Sienna)
Driveability: 10/10
Off-road capabilities: N/A

Ground clearance on the sasquatch wasn't enough for me. No tape measure; just looking under the front end. I'll be lifting my non-sas Badlands and 35s on day 1.

The steps were nice. I'll need a slider/step solution.

But here was my big takeaway and I don't know how many people this applies to or that can relate. The driver position and the visibility are kinda gross. It is a lot like a car. It feels a lot more like my mdx than my f250. And maybe that is by design. Maybe that's what the original was like. I don't know/remember.

I know this is a Jeep-killer and maybe this is what it's like in the Jeep. I'm coming from Defenders (not the new monstrosity) and I am used to sitting upright and seeing everything, everywhere. In the bronco, you are somewhat reclined and your legs are out in front of you. Your seated position is low and the windows are short. It doesn't feel like cockpit I'm used to being in when on-trail.

I didn't get to wheel this thing off-raod (obviously), but that might alleviate a lot of concern. It is funny, my wife is more fired up after driving it and I am way less.

Other notes:
This rig was carbonized gray and that color was blah. -sorry, carbonized gray fans.

This was the 2.7 with 10AT. I'm getting a 2.3 with 7MT so I didn't pay too much attention to the power output. But for the people complaining that this is weak, I didn't find that at all. This had tons of pep. Drops down 3 gears in an instant and accelerates a lot faster than expected. Power seems great.

Doors-off, roof-off open air is the best I have ever seen. My wife loved this thing more than anything I can remember in recent history, and she's not a car nut. She's been driving a minivan for 18 years. But come to think of it, when I met her, she had a wrangler with no doors and a bikini top. -I'm a bad husband.

Maybe a 2.5" lift, tires, roof off and on trail and I'll have a better experience. Right now, I know it's great on the road, but I don't care about that.
All too often in life, I have made decisions and arrived at judgements that were premature or ill-informed. I am wiser now-not necessarily wise per se-but wiser. That said I recommend that you keep an open mind and let the driving experience of the bronco sink in-especially after you equip it nicely as you plan to do. Finally sir, if your wife is still with you after all those years, I think we can safely say that you are actually a good husband, not a bad one! Enjoy that bronco and continue to keep your wife happy (although it sounds like she really likes the bronco already).
 

Razorback

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I did not raise the seat. It had a manual bar to move forward/back and I didn't notice or think about raising it. That might have helped.
It's a pump type lever on the side
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