This morning I test drove a WT at the dealer that I have a reservation at. Had an order but 99ed it to get a MY22. After this ~12 mile test drive, mostly freeway and city streets, Iām questioning whether I want to continue with a Bronco purchase. This coming from someone that owned Broncos from 1989 through 2017. There is nothing particularly wrong with the new Bronco. But driving it caused me to understand more clearly that Fordās target was a better execution of a Jeep Wrangler. With the Bronco, they succeeded brilliantly at that. Maybe Iāll end up with a Bronco in 22 or 23, Iām just not as enthusiastic as I had been. Here are some test drive observations.
One thing I wanted to do was make sure a WT would fit in my garage. I had done all kinds of measurements using data from this site and for sure, the WT fit. That was not a surprise, but great to validate my research. My wifeās car is missing, but it would easily fit too. No clearance problems either. Easily another 5.5-6 inches of overhead clearance.
When I first sat in the driverās seat I was amazed at how much looking out the windshield reminded me of an EB. The raised edges of the hood are very reminiscent of an EB. Very thoughtful design feature from Ford.
One bad thing is the window fit. As everyone knows, without a frame the window must come down just a little to open and close the door. So long as you open the door slowly, all is well. But if you open the door quickly, the window hangs up a little on the molding and sort of vibrates back and forth. I seem to recall others here mention that. Iām not sure this hurts anything, itās just not something I had thought much about.
Of course, this was a soft top. I was surprised at how noisy the Bronco is. I have seen posts claiming that the soft top was fairly quiet. I suppose this is subjective, but I thought the noise was excessive. Maybe the more aggressive tires were at fault. I have had two soft tops (see my avatar for one and an old P911-C4 for another) so I am used to a soft top. I honestly think my 74 EB with a BC Broncos safari top was slightly quieter. I mentioned this to the dealer sales manager and he said he was surprised because his soft top OB was really quiet. He claimed that the OB had sound deadening within the body. I had never heard that. Obviously I think a MIC top, particularly with the headliner, would quiet things down a little. I had planned on a color matching modular top which would also probably be quieter. By the way, the sales manager confirmed to me that the color matching top would be MY23, even though as recently as March it was listed at a MY22 option. Crapā¦
As has been opined by others on this site, the dash was a somewhat underwhelming. The plastic just seemed cheap. By the way, this was a Mid trim level, yet I donāt think Lux (which is what I ordered) would be any different. My personal car is a 2017 4Runner Limited and my work vehicle that gets most miles is a 2015 Tundra SR5. I would say the Tundraās interior is pretty pedestrian, but the quality of the plastic and overall quality is noticeably better than the Bronco. The 4Runner interior is way superior. This is when I reminded myself that Ford wasnāt trying to create something fancy, but just something overall better than a Wrangler. Again, I think they have done that in spades.
The engine was adequate. I have to admit that I drive with a bit of a heavy foot, but the Bronco seemed a bit slow off the line. From about 20 mph up, it performed very good. The transmission was smooth. I couldnāt feel the shifts. I was hoping the engine performance would be noticeably better than the 4Runner. I think it was better, but not by as much as I had hoped. Actually, I have to admit that I forgot to try the sport mode. That may have improved the engine performance a bit and Iām kicking myself for forgetting that.
I really did like the handling of the Bronco. Itās turning radius is superb. The SAS on the WT really smooths out rough pavements. I drove over a pavement that had been trenched and patched for a water line and it was smooth sailing over that bumpy pavement. I think this was the most favorable thing about the Bronco. The brakes were great, although there was an audible squeak at times.
In summary, I think the Bronco is a great execution of an off road vehicle for the masses. For sure it will take a big bite out of Wrangler sales. But for me I would give up a bit of the fancy off road stuff for a quieter, better fit and finish interior vehicle more like the 4Runner or some of the high end trucks on the market. My off roading needs are mostly rough forest service roads and snowy roads in AZ higher elevations. I guess Iām re-evaluating what I really need. This vehicle is my present to myself as I head into retirement. I still may end up with a Bronco. But Iām beginning to think I might need to give a nice F-150 or F-250 a look and build myself another EB to satisfy my almost life long Bronco addiction.
Yeah, your post really resonated with me, with the exception that I have no specific clue when my WT will finally show up! I first saw a 6G Bronco at Barrett Jackson in Scottsdale a few months back and I was like āholy cow, that truck rocks!ā But when I finally got to sit in one this morning and drive it, it was more like you say āmehā. Itās like an 8 out of 10 and I was expecting a 12. I bought the 4Runner in 2017 as a temporary vehicle until the Bronco showed up. Sometimes I wonder why Iām selling the 4Runner.
Sorry about that @Yamahamer. WT=Wildtrak one of the seven current Bronco trim levels. OB=Outer Banks, another Bronco trim level. This web site shows the trim levels that are often abbreviated on bronco6G and you can probably figure out the abbreviations for those other trim levels, e.g., BB = Big Bend, BD = Black Diamond, etc.
It includes at least the black hood liner you can see in many pictures.
Totally agree with this. Reviews are totally subjective. Drive one yourself.I test drove a WT at a local dealership had really the complete different impression. I thought the soft top seemed quiet, didnāt notice the road noise like the OP. I have a ā17 Tacoma and can say that the broncoās interior is far superior than that of the Toyota. Toyota is way in need of a refresh- itās boring and lacks quality. I thought the 2.7 had a lot of power and get up and go.
A lot of these drive reviews are so subjective and really should be taken with a grain of salt. Best advice drive one for yourself and gather your own insights...
Yah if you want a 10K markup.
Yeah youāre right, I forgot about the hood liner which the WT I drove probably did not have since it was Mid. I did pop the hood for a look, but didnāt make a point to look for a hood liner. Thanks for pointing that out because that would have mitigated noise to some extent. I really think it was the tires that I was mostly hearing via the soft top. But the sales manager referred to something in the body. Maybe I misunderstood what he was talking about.It includes at least the black hood liner you can see in many pictures.
https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/heres-additional-sound-deadening-material-in-the-engine-bay-of-2021-bronco-high-package-.12518/
Which dealer in AZ had the test drive?This morning I test drove a WT at the dealer that I have a reservation at. Had an order but 99ed it to get a MY22. After this ~12 mile test drive, mostly freeway and city streets, Iām questioning whether I want to continue with a Bronco purchase. This coming from someone that owned Broncos from 1989 through 2017. There is nothing particularly wrong with the new Bronco. But driving it caused me to understand more clearly that Fordās target was a better execution of a Jeep Wrangler. With the Bronco, they succeeded brilliantly at that. Maybe Iāll end up with a Bronco in 22 or 23, Iām just not as enthusiastic as I had been. Here are some test drive observations.
One thing I wanted to do was make sure a WT would fit in my garage. I had done all kinds of measurements using data from this site and for sure, the WT fit. That was not a surprise, but great to validate my research. My wifeās car is missing, but it would easily fit too. No clearance problems either. Easily another 5.5-6 inches of overhead clearance.
When I first sat in the driverās seat I was amazed at how much looking out the windshield reminded me of an EB. The raised edges of the hood are very reminiscent of an EB. Very thoughtful design feature from Ford.
One bad thing is the window fit. As everyone knows, without a frame the window must come down just a little to open and close the door. So long as you open the door slowly, all is well. But if you open the door quickly, the window hangs up a little on the molding and sort of vibrates back and forth. I seem to recall others here mention that. Iām not sure this hurts anything, itās just not something I had thought much about.
Of course, this was a soft top. I was surprised at how noisy the Bronco is. I have seen posts claiming that the soft top was fairly quiet. I suppose this is subjective, but I thought the noise was excessive. Maybe the more aggressive tires were at fault. I have had two soft tops (see my avatar for one and an old P911-C4 for another) so I am used to a soft top. I honestly think my 74 EB with a BC Broncos safari top was slightly quieter. I mentioned this to the dealer sales manager and he said he was surprised because his soft top OB was really quiet. He claimed that the OB had sound deadening within the body. I had never heard that. Obviously I think a MIC top, particularly with the headliner, would quiet things down a little. I had planned on a color matching modular top which would also probably be quieter. By the way, the sales manager confirmed to me that the color matching top would be MY23, even though as recently as March it was listed at a MY22 option. Crapā¦
As has been opined by others on this site, the dash was a somewhat underwhelming. The plastic just seemed cheap. By the way, this was a Mid trim level, yet I donāt think Lux (which is what I ordered) would be any different. My personal car is a 2017 4Runner Limited and my work vehicle that gets most miles is a 2015 Tundra SR5. I would say the Tundraās interior is pretty pedestrian, but the quality of the plastic and overall quality is noticeably better than the Bronco. The 4Runner interior is way superior. This is when I reminded myself that Ford wasnāt trying to create something fancy, but just something overall better than a Wrangler. Again, I think they have done that in spades.
The engine was adequate. I have to admit that I drive with a bit of a heavy foot, but the Bronco seemed a bit slow off the line. From about 20 mph up, it performed very good. The transmission was smooth. I couldnāt feel the shifts. I was hoping the engine performance would be noticeably better than the 4Runner. I think it was better, but not by as much as I had hoped. Actually, I have to admit that I forgot to try the sport mode. That may have improved the engine performance a bit and Iām kicking myself for forgetting that.
I really did like the handling of the Bronco. Itās turning radius is superb. The SAS on the WT really smooths out rough pavements. I drove over a pavement that had been trenched and patched for a water line and it was smooth sailing over that bumpy pavement. I think this was the most favorable thing about the Bronco. The brakes were great, although there was an audible squeak at times.
In summary, I think the Bronco is a great execution of an off road vehicle for the masses. For sure it will take a big bite out of Wrangler sales. But for me I would give up a bit of the fancy off road stuff for a quieter, better fit and finish interior vehicle more like the 4Runner or some of the high end trucks on the market. My off roading needs are mostly rough forest service roads and snowy roads in AZ higher elevations. I guess Iām re-evaluating what I really need. This vehicle is my present to myself as I head into retirement. I still may end up with a Bronco. But Iām beginning to think I might need to give a nice F-150 or F-250 a look and build myself another EB to satisfy my almost life long Bronco addiction.
