Test Drove a Bronco Badlands & Wrangler 4xe Rubicon

[ccameron511]

This is a comparison between my current Wrangler and my exact Bronco reservation build! With my wait time being pushed from mid 2021 to 2022, I was forced to take the plunge and went with a 4xe Rubicon as I needed a car for the summer months and I couldn't pass up the thought of free city driving (there's free chargers within walking distance) and the tax credit. On top of that I got it under MSRP before the recent $4k price increases; fully loaded Rubi for $47k, what a deal!

While I still have my Bronco Badlands reservation intact just in case, I will likely pass, as there is nothing quite like overlanding/offroading with an electric drivetrain. It's noticeably more nimble on the trail, uphill, over rocks, etc than the gas engine. Plus 30+ blended mpg in a monster truck is amazing, especially with today's gas prices. It's exciting to think about a time when battery technology and charging infrastructure gets more EV's on the road and allows more folks to experience it. So while it'll probably be a few years before I finally get my Bronco I always dreamed of, the 4xe purchase has me looking forward to my future Bronco EV/PHEV!

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[4avor8ntfair]

This is the second time I've been able to test drive a Bronco Badlands. Consequently, I won't go into as much detail here. You can read the first review here.

This past weekend my wife and I drove a Cyber Orange Badlands 2.3L auto with lux package and leather and the upgraded 33" wheels at University Ford in Durham, NC. You do NOT need a reservation to drive this vehicle, but it helps. They don't require that a salesman go with you, so my wife and I took it out alone. However, unlike Crossroads in Apex, which is more loose with how long you can drive, University wants you back in about 15 minutes. I made a reservation to make sure it was there. We checked in with the receptionist inside, they contacted the Bronco test drive coordinator, who then sent a salesman out to help us with the test drive. We only had to wait about 2 minutes total before we were playing with the Bronco. Everyone was helpful and very pleasant to deal with. This one was very similar to the first one except it had the automatic transmission and lux package. My take is that the 2.3L feels a lot stronger with the automatic transmission than it does with the manual. Seems backwards, but that's just how it seemed to me. I have been dead set on the 2.7L, but this drive made me at least pause and consider how wedded I am to that. Also, the stereo with the lux package is light years better than the one in the high package. It's still not great, but it was at least sufficient. After we finished the test drive, the sales manager came out to chat with us. I happen to know the owners at University, so I also chatted with the GM, who is their son. Once the sales manager understood that I have two reservations (one at Stephens in WVA and one at Chapman in PA), he said there was no way he could match the below invoice pricing and encouraged me to keep both of the reservations at the current dealers. I at least appreciated the honesty. He said if we wanted to buy the one we had just test driven, they would sell it on the spot for 10k over MSRP and then hold it on the lot for 6 months. During that 6-month period, they would not let anyone drive it other than the buyer. I declined but figured I'd pass that along in case it strikes someone else here as something they are interested in.

After driving the Bronco, we drove a mile down the street to Sport Durst Jeep. A friendly salesman came out. I told him we had just driven a new Bronco and wanted to compare it with a Wrangler. I told him the model I was most interested in would be a 4xe Rubicon. They had just finished prepping one they had taken off the truck that afternoon, so he got the keys, gassed it up, and let us take it out alone. We had some conversation about comparing the two with him, but he was not at all pushy and agreed they both had plusses and minuses. He did not try to denigrate the Bronco at all. Instead, he focused on what he really liked about the Wrangler. I appreciated his approach. I liked the Wrangler a LOT more than the last time I had driven one. The ride was actually pretty good. The interior is comfortable. The dashboard and controls in some ways seemed nicer than those in the Bronco. However, the rear seat is really tight, and that crossbar could be fatal for anyone over about 5'6" I think.

Some thoughts:

• The Bronco seems to have more room inside. More head room (esp in the back). More trunk space. More hip room. Definitely more room in front of you.
• The windshield and narrow dash in the Jeep made my wife feel a bit claustrophobic. Almost as soon as she got inside, she was done with the test drive. In fact, she refused to drive it herself. Despite that, she says she would not object to me getting one.
• While there may be value off-road for the front of the Jeep seeming more narrow than the Bronco, my wife really preferred the easy sightlines with the hood of the Bronco.
• In part b/c of the bigger hood, the Bronco felt bigger behind the wheel and more truck-like. This was both good and bad. Good in that you had a commanding position and felt like you were in a larger, powerful vehicle. Bad in that it also helped the Jeep feel more nimble. I know they are very close to the same size, so I'm talking about quick perceptions based on visual cues and drive characteristics.
• Both had good power and pickup up to highway speeds. We took both out on higher speed highways and passed other vehicles with ease.
• The transmissions in both seemed smooth and worked well around town and on the highway.
• The ride in both was smooth until you hit a pothole or bump in the road. The Bronco absorbed it effortlessly. The Wrangler was very skittish.
• Seats were comfortable in both, but slight advantage Bronco here (not exactly a direct comparison since these were power leather seats in the Bronco).
• Personally, I like the front of the Wrangler more, but I like the side and rear of the Bronco more.
• The Bronco had a soft top. It was fine but did get a bit noisy over 70mph. We could still have a conversation with both of us in the front seat. Might be harder to talk to anyone in the back (but we didn't stop and swap positions to try that).
• The Wrangler had a hard top. It was significantly more quiet than the Bronco's soft top. I presume the Bronco hard top is about the same in terms of noise. If so, I'll be very content with that.
• The Bronco wins on in-the-cabin tech, but I do like some of the old-school controls in the Wrangler. Of course, despite the tech advantage, the Bronco doesn't yet have a hybrid, either.
• The steering in the Wrangler was mushy and somewhat vague. By that I mean that it sort of wanders no matter what you do, and you constantly have to adjust. It's not actually bad, it's just that it requires consistent attention. By contact, the steering in the Bronco was dialed in and on-point. I felt you had better control with the Bronco and the steering was more responsive. I preferred the steering the Bronco, but the steering in the Wrangler was not as bad as I remembered from prior gens.

The last time I test drove a Wrangler was maybe 6 or so years ago. I was not impressed then and scratched the Wrangler off my list. If I had driven this Jeep 6 years ago, I would have bought it. I enjoyed it and could be very happy with it - especially in a world in which the Bronco did not exist. There is some coolness factor with the hybrid in that I could commute to the office entirely on electric. However, the Bronco is more livable for my purposes. Right now, we have Subarus and like them. But the point in this next vehicle is to up the adventure game. We plan to rent (possibly buy) an RV for month-long trips to national parks and then take the Bronco out for some off-roading adventures with the doors and top off. We'd also just do some road trips to get to some of the more well-known off-road trails. My wife says she is not very interested in rock crawling, so we'll mostly be doing some climbing and sand with the occasional light rock crawling. However, this would also be my daily driver (when I don't ride my motorcycle). I easily prefer the Bronco over the Wrangler, but I like the fact I could have a hybrid Jeep sitting in my garage next week. I'm flirting with the idea of getting the Jeep and then swapping out when Ford drops a hybrid Bronco, but I'll probably just end up waiting on the Bronco and then swapping that when Ford releases a hybrid. I have no interest in an all electric Bronco or Wrangler. You just won't have enough opportunities to charge when you're spending a month off the grid. But I like the hybrid idea a lot for the daily driver side of things and the extra power it brings to the table.

I have no real need to make an immediate purchase, which is part of why I deferred my orders to next year. But a lot to me will depend on timing for my build. We're planning a month-long trip next June as soon as our youngest daughter gets out of school for the Summer. If the Bronco doesn't look like it'll be ready then, I'll probably just buy a Jeep right before the trip and then sell it when we get the Bronco. But I tend to think I'll have the Bronco by April or May. We'll see.

Regardless, both vehicles are impressive.

This seems like the same basic mannequin package that I test drove. I was in a small town and couldn’t really gun it until I got on a gravel road , but i was really impressed with the acceleration and handling/ride once I could. I had previously been unsure about 2.3/2.7 and still wonder if I should get the 2.7 “just cause”. The “consensus” is to get the 2.7 if you’re getting the auto, but I’m mostly (90%) sure I’ll stick with the 2.3 Auto and love it.

 

[WVBaptist]

In regards to the 2.3 Auto. It has plenty of power. I have a 2021 Bronco Big Bend 2.3 Auto that has over 6,100 miles on it now. I live in a hilly / mountainous area and I have no regrets it got has plenty of pep for all situations. It is my DD. I was driving a 2012 Tundra with the 5.7. Gave Tundra to my son and haven't looked back.

Bronco is a blast to drive, especially with top off. I originally had a MIC on order and changed to a soft top and have no regrets there either.

 

[CT203]

my issue with the 4xe is the gas mileage, the diesel will get 30mpg highway, the 4xe will maybe get 20 combined. The 4xe at least qualifies for the full $7500 federal Tax credit and dealers are selling for 6-7% below invoice as well. You can also get one by December.

So that 64k msrp is about 59-60k invoice plus 6% under pus the tax credit makes it 49k

The 4xe is 10k over the V6 version. That $7500 tax credit doesn't seem like as good a deal. Adding in the extremely low range for the electric, and the reduced MPG due to the added weight over the V6 version, I just don't think it's as great a product as I did on first look. It doesn't look like I'll be able to own a Bronco anytime soon which is a bummer. The only real option for me otherwise is a wrangler.

 

[balucipher]

The 4xe is 10k over the V6 version. That $7500 tax credit doesn't seem like as good a deal. Adding in the extremely low range for the electric, and the reduced MPG due to the added weight over the V6 version, I just don't think it's as great a product as I did on first look. It doesn't look like I'll be able to own a Bronco anytime soon which is a bummer. The only real option for me otherwise is a wrangler.

Except you can order a 4xe from someone like @DealerInsider for 6-7% under invoice and have it in a month or so (helps bring the price difference down some), the 4xe makes a shitload more useable power than the weak, peaky and uninspiring 3.6, averages several mpgs more, and qualifies for other perks in many states. The 4xe probably isn't for everyone, but it's a sign that electrification is definitely the future and a lot of fun

 

[SwankyTiger]

The 4xe is 10k over the V6 version. That $7500 tax credit doesn't seem like as good a deal. Adding in the extremely low range for the electric, and the reduced MPG due to the added weight over the V6 version, I just don't think it's as great a product as I did on first look. It doesn't look like I'll be able to own a Bronco anytime soon which is a bummer. The only real option for me otherwise is a wrangler.

the mpg and use case is why i went with a ecodiesel.

 

[CT203]

Except you can order a 4xe from someone like @DealerInsider for 6-7% under invoice and have it in a month or so (helps bring the price difference down some), the 4xe makes a shitload more useable power than the weak, peaky and uninspiring 3.6, averages several mpgs more, and qualifies for other perks in many states. The 4xe probably isn't for everyone, but it's a sign that electrification is definitely the future and a lot of fun

Wouldn’t you also be able to get 6-7% off a non hybrid wrangler as well?
I was on board with getting a 4xe and was talked out of it with the reasoning I posted. I’d love a Bronco, would really love a hybrid Bronco, but maybe the wrangler will tide me over.

 

[Bronco cat]

Those had pressurized fuel tanks so gas didn't go bad over time like normal tanks. It burned off some occasionally just to make sure the engine worked and ran occasionally but it was really minimal. We took it to Vegas and got to use the engine some after that

That’s not an engine in the volt. It’s a generator because it doesn’t provide drive to the wheels. It only charges the battery…

 

[balucipher]

That’s not an engine in the volt. It’s a generator because it doesn’t provide drive to the wheels. It only charges the battery…

True

 

[BroncoBuckaroo]

This is the second time I've been able to test drive a Bronco Badlands. Consequently, I won't go into as much detail here. You can read the first review here.

This past weekend my wife and I drove a Cyber Orange Badlands 2.3L auto with lux package and leather and the upgraded 33" wheels at University Ford in Durham, NC. You do NOT need a reservation to drive this vehicle, but it helps. They don't require that a salesman go with you, so my wife and I took it out alone. However, unlike Crossroads in Apex, which is more loose with how long you can drive, University wants you back in about 15 minutes. I made a reservation to make sure it was there. We checked in with the receptionist inside, they contacted the Bronco test drive coordinator, who then sent a salesman out to help us with the test drive. We only had to wait about 2 minutes total before we were playing with the Bronco. Everyone was helpful and very pleasant to deal with. This one was very similar to the first one except it had the automatic transmission and lux package. My take is that the 2.3L feels a lot stronger with the automatic transmission than it does with the manual. Seems backwards, but that's just how it seemed to me. I have been dead set on the 2.7L, but this drive made me at least pause and consider how wedded I am to that. Also, the stereo with the lux package is light years better than the one in the high package. It's still not great, but it was at least sufficient. After we finished the test drive, the sales manager came out to chat with us. I happen to know the owners at University, so I also chatted with the GM, who is their son. Once the sales manager understood that I have two reservations (one at Stephens in WVA and one at Chapman in PA), he said there was no way he could match the below invoice pricing and encouraged me to keep both of the reservations at the current dealers. I at least appreciated the honesty. He said if we wanted to buy the one we had just test driven, they would sell it on the spot for 10k over MSRP and then hold it on the lot for 6 months. During that 6-month period, they would not let anyone drive it other than the buyer. I declined but figured I'd pass that along in case it strikes someone else here as something they are interested in.

After driving the Bronco, we drove a mile down the street to Sport Durst Jeep. A friendly salesman came out. I told him we had just driven a new Bronco and wanted to compare it with a Wrangler. I told him the model I was most interested in would be a 4xe Rubicon. They had just finished prepping one they had taken off the truck that afternoon, so he got the keys, gassed it up, and let us take it out alone. We had some conversation about comparing the two with him, but he was not at all pushy and agreed they both had plusses and minuses. He did not try to denigrate the Bronco at all. Instead, he focused on what he really liked about the Wrangler. I appreciated his approach. I liked the Wrangler a LOT more than the last time I had driven one. The ride was actually pretty good. The interior is comfortable. The dashboard and controls in some ways seemed nicer than those in the Bronco. However, the rear seat is really tight, and that crossbar could be fatal for anyone over about 5'6" I think.

Some thoughts:

• The Bronco seems to have more room inside. More head room (esp in the back). More trunk space. More hip room. Definitely more room in front of you.
• The windshield and narrow dash in the Jeep made my wife feel a bit claustrophobic. Almost as soon as she got inside, she was done with the test drive. In fact, she refused to drive it herself. Despite that, she says she would not object to me getting one.
• While there may be value off-road for the front of the Jeep seeming more narrow than the Bronco, my wife really preferred the easy sightlines with the hood of the Bronco.
• In part b/c of the bigger hood, the Bronco felt bigger behind the wheel and more truck-like. This was both good and bad. Good in that you had a commanding position and felt like you were in a larger, powerful vehicle. Bad in that it also helped the Jeep feel more nimble. I know they are very close to the same size, so I'm talking about quick perceptions based on visual cues and drive characteristics.
• Both had good power and pickup up to highway speeds. We took both out on higher speed highways and passed other vehicles with ease.
• The transmissions in both seemed smooth and worked well around town and on the highway.
• The ride in both was smooth until you hit a pothole or bump in the road. The Bronco absorbed it effortlessly. The Wrangler was very skittish.
• Seats were comfortable in both, but slight advantage Bronco here (not exactly a direct comparison since these were power leather seats in the Bronco).
• Personally, I like the front of the Wrangler more, but I like the side and rear of the Bronco more.
• The Bronco had a soft top. It was fine but did get a bit noisy over 70mph. We could still have a conversation with both of us in the front seat. Might be harder to talk to anyone in the back (but we didn't stop and swap positions to try that).
• The Wrangler had a hard top. It was significantly more quiet than the Bronco's soft top. I presume the Bronco hard top is about the same in terms of noise. If so, I'll be very content with that.
• The Bronco wins on in-the-cabin tech, but I do like some of the old-school controls in the Wrangler. Of course, despite the tech advantage, the Bronco doesn't yet have a hybrid, either.
• The steering in the Wrangler was mushy and somewhat vague. By that I mean that it sort of wanders no matter what you do, and you constantly have to adjust. It's not actually bad, it's just that it requires consistent attention. By contact, the steering in the Bronco was dialed in and on-point. I felt you had better control with the Bronco and the steering was more responsive. I preferred the steering the Bronco, but the steering in the Wrangler was not as bad as I remembered from prior gens.

The last time I test drove a Wrangler was maybe 6 or so years ago. I was not impressed then and scratched the Wrangler off my list. If I had driven this Jeep 6 years ago, I would have bought it. I enjoyed it and could be very happy with it - especially in a world in which the Bronco did not exist. There is some coolness factor with the hybrid in that I could commute to the office entirely on electric. However, the Bronco is more livable for my purposes. Right now, we have Subarus and like them. But the point in this next vehicle is to up the adventure game. We plan to rent (possibly buy) an RV for month-long trips to national parks and then take the Bronco out for some off-roading adventures with the doors and top off. We'd also just do some road trips to get to some of the more well-known off-road trails. My wife says she is not very interested in rock crawling, so we'll mostly be doing some climbing and sand with the occasional light rock crawling. However, this would also be my daily driver (when I don't ride my motorcycle). I easily prefer the Bronco over the Wrangler, but I like the fact I could have a hybrid Jeep sitting in my garage next week. I'm flirting with the idea of getting the Jeep and then swapping out when Ford drops a hybrid Bronco, but I'll probably just end up waiting on the Bronco and then swapping that when Ford releases a hybrid. I have no interest in an all electric Bronco or Wrangler. You just won't have enough opportunities to charge when you're spending a month off the grid. But I like the hybrid idea a lot for the daily driver side of things and the extra power it brings to the table.

I have no real need to make an immediate purchase, which is part of why I deferred my orders to next year. But a lot to me will depend on timing for my build. We're planning a month-long trip next June as soon as our youngest daughter gets out of school for the Summer. If the Bronco doesn't look like it'll be ready then, I'll probably just buy a Jeep right before the trip and then sell it when we get the Bronco. But I tend to think I'll have the Bronco by April or May. We'll see.

Regardless, both vehicles are impressive.

either way good for you, just thought you might like to watch the TFL test of that...the electric portion last a whole 3 miles when they took it off road. Im not seeing the value in the electric For off road at all.



Even on the highway it maxes at 27 miles under perfect conditions.

 

[mikeheel]

Yeah, I've seen that and agree the 4xe hybrid setup is not really useful for off-road. It's the power and convenience for local daily driving that I like about the 4xe. I'm really curious to see what hybrid options the Bronco eventually has.

 

[BroncoBuckaroo]

Yeah, I've seen that and agree the 4xe hybrid setup is not really useful for off-road. It's the power and convenience for local daily driving that I like about the 4xe. I'm really curious to see what hybrid options the Bronco eventually has.

gotcha, hopefully bronco has better range...It takes me an hour and 10 min to get to work at about 70 mph. Just doesn’t work for me, but for now I just want a Bronco period ...lol

i think you might get lucky next year and get your bronco right when you need

 

[lakesinai]

I have a Rubicon 4xe and currently no Bronco on order because I bought this instead. I have sat in Bronco's, but have not driven. I have no doubt the Bronco would drive better on the street with the IFS.

Having said that, the Sky One Touch Top on the Jeep and the electric drivetrain is just perfect for my use case. I live in a small town on the coast which sees frequent summer rain showers. I can press one button and open the top, then if a rain shower pops up or I get too hot (while driving up to 40mph) I can press it again and instantly close the top. The convenience of that is just out of this world. I need the Bronco to get something like this before I get one...

For the drivetrain, most of the time I never use the gas engine. I installed a Level 2 charger in my garage and can fully charge the battery in a little over two hours. So, I could drive around 20 miles in the morning, come back and plug it in, then drive another 20-25 in the afternoon and never use the gas engine. The instant electric torque is just amazing.

It's not the perfect vehicle for everyone. If you do lots of road trips, I would not get a 4xe. Once the battery is drained (25 miles) it operates in hybrid mode and doesn't get great mileage.

The 4xe really shines if you can keep it under 25 miles a day or your destination has free chargers.

It really has converted me, if Ford doesn't release an all-electric Bronco in the next 3 or 4 years so will be going to a Rivian next.

I agree that the electric vehicle possibility has really become a wild card in future vehicle purchases, we're reaching a tipping point or inflection point on electric or hybrid vehicles over the next 5 years that is really confusing my purchase decision. I'm going with my gas Bronco which should be released from Purgatory soon, but I'm thinking this will be my last fully gasoline vehicle.

 

[SwankyTiger]

Wouldn’t you also be able to get 6-7% off a non hybrid wrangler as well?
I was on board with getting a 4xe and was talked out of it with the reasoning I posted. I’d love a Bronco, would really love a hybrid Bronco, but maybe the wrangler will tide me over.

yes those dealers are doing 6-7% on any Wrangler or Gladiator, except maybe the 392.

 

[balucipher]

Wouldn’t you also be able to get 6-7% off a non hybrid wrangler as well?
I was on board with getting a 4xe and was talked out of it with the reasoning I posted. I’d love a Bronco, would really love a hybrid Bronco, but maybe the wrangler will tide me over.

I think the difference between invoice and MSRP is higher on the 4xes

They also lease way better than a comparable gas truck. Good option if you can't take the full $7500 rebate on this year's taxes

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