TFL: 2021 Bronco vs Wrangler vs Defender - Off-Road Trail Comparison Video

[RedHotFuzz]

I'd sacrifice some articulation for the on road manners of IFS, every day.

Correct.

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[Paul Gagnon]

It's too bad the components of the "off-road" package on the Defender were chosen by the marketing department. With proper tires and wheels it would have done much better, even without a locker.

I am a little surprised to see how much the sidewalls flex on the Goodyears at 25lbs. I like to run at between 6 and 12 lbs depending on the trail so this is a concern since I don't want to run out and buy tires right away. Granted, Goodyears have never been known for tough sidewalls so it's not a huge revelation.

That said, if you aren't prepared to change a tire on the trail, you aren't prepared to be on the trail.

 

[indio22]

Looks like Wrangler FTW for axle articulation. Wrangler tires appear more in contact with the ground in the crossed up axle portion of the trail (see video clip segment). Not unexpected given the IFS vs live axle front.

 

[H0pelessOpus]

I was dead set on Badlands non squatch 33" tires only. Seeing how the 35" tires climbed over things easier, it has me second guessing my decision.

What swayed you to go the opposite direction?

Cost of ownership for me, 35s aren't cheap to replace. I think 33s are the sweet spot for capability, on-road manners, and price.

 

[vrewald14]

Some people really keyed in on something very important here. Many people cannot technically distinguish between the specific meaning of words used (i.e., wheel travel vs. articulation).

It is VERY important for people to educate themselves on the nuances or they will find themselves confused, frustrated, and telling people untruths.

Wheel travel is a measure which is largely independent of the total vehicle system. How much does the wheel go up and down when you apply a force to it? In this measure, I can believe that Bronco is truly better (so what Ford has stated can be in fact true).

Articulation is a measure which is VERY DEPENDENT on the total vehicle system. How much does a front wheel raise related to lowering of a back corner wheel is a vastly more complicated equation. In this measure, it has been indicated that the Wrangler is better according to Ford's specs and 3rd party evaluation. Therefore what Ford has stated is also true.

End of the day - I firmly believe you cannot go wrong with either vehicle selection, but for me the average of my daily uses and perceived benefits of the Bronco are a clear win! Miniscule articulation Wrangler advantage be damned!

Let's make it very clear - the 17% was more wheel travel for B.I.C. (1). Wheel travel doesn't equal articulation.

A better measure of articulation is RTI. Ford rates the 2dr/4dr at 700/620 with the Badlands. Jeep doesn't release their RTI but another site tested a 4dr JL Rubi at 693 - so yes as expected 4dr to 4dr the Jeep has better articulation (2).

(1) https://jalopnik.com/2021-ford-bronco-the-long-awaited-official-info-dump-1844370158
(2) https://jalopnik.com/an-extremely-detailed-look-into-the-ford-broncos-engine-1844389830

They claimed the wheel travel of the Bronco (Badlands) is 17% greater than the Wrangler. This is true, and is very beneficial offroad especially at high speed. Nobody cares though because 17% more wheel travel on IFS does not equal 17% more RTI score (how the the claim has been interpreted and spread). Regardless, the two door Badlands non-squatch RTI is about deadnuts even with the 2 door Wrangler, and the 4 Door is just shy, in Squatch form its a little less yet.

THANK YOU for stating this well.

1 - why would you think a non Sas BL, which reportedly has less travel and 33“ be a better option than the FE they were driving?

2 - i get the 2 door has a shorter wheelbase so that seems to have clearance advantage but it isn’t any narrower and that was another apparent Jeep advantage, right?

1 - Non-SAS BL has MORE travel and BETTER articulation than the reviewed Sasquatch version. Honestly a Non-SAS BL would have been the best apples-to-apples comparision.

2 - There are obvious advantages, but also not so obvious disadvantages to being narrow. Fit through tighter spaces? Yep basically. But also there is less stability in off-camber and cornering situations. FWIW, a capable off-road driver is not intimidated by vehicle width - up to a point. I wheel a full size '79 Bronco that is SIGNIFICANTLY wider than all my Wrangler buddies and I go through the exact same places, up to the point of only the most hardcore with imminent body damage. But that's not my game anyway so doesn't matter to me.

To be fair- Ford says max articulation is with the Badlands- non-squatch. On all Squatch trims they limit travel because of the 35s. Jeep may still win the comparison with a Badlands, but we have never seen a head to head.

 

[BroncoBoy22]

Thanks for posting.

Takeaway: The Bronco on 35" tires made it over the rocks easier than the Jeep or Land Rover.

The Jeep only got 3 miles out of the batteries before they were dead, an 80% loss of the claimed 17 mile range.

So which vehicle was left for dead overnight?

Spoiler

Land Rover Defender

Thank you SO MUCH!! I don’t want to support TFL but was naturally curious. Reading this summary works!

 

[WuNgUn]

This is what I have assumed. The small amount of extra lift and limiting travel makes me think a 35” tire on a BL will need some modifications.

Maybe just a tiny bit more offset ...and that'll look better too

 

[WuNgUn]

Ford has to have 25mm dynamic clearance, meaning that they take a CAD model of the tire in every possible position and then inflate it by 25mm and make sure that not a single thing touches that package clearance. I will gladly take sub 25mm clearance if it means 5-10mm more wheel travel. But to each his own. It will not be hard to get 35's on a Badlands with no rub, even if you have to slightly tweak the offset.

Not sure if you're well versed in the metric system (Canadian here), but 1 cm isn't going to make or break a tough obstacle

 

[Headsong]

TFL has posted their comparison video showing what I think is the first real world comparison of the Bronco, Wrangler, and Defender on a challenging trail.

I don't care what others think: These are my favorite reviewers. Love these guys.

 

[rkj__]

Thank you SO MUCH!! I don’t want to support TFL but was naturally curious. Reading this summary works!

Really drawing a hard line, to keep TFL from earning ~$0.18 (actually, more like $0.002) from you viewing the video. OK.

 

[Sergeant Gearhead]

Another great video by TFL. I always enjoy watching their videos. It is interesting to see how all three vehicles handled the course, though I didn't expect the Defender to lose two tires to the same rock. Don't rock-crawl with a combination of big wheels and small tires, folks.

 

[BroncoKong Jr.]

That was a great video

 

[TeocaliMG]

Not sure if you're well versed in the metric system (Canadian here), but 1 cm isn't going to make or break a tough obstacle

Neither will it in your OEM 25mm tire clearance right?

 

[Headsong]

Another great video by TFL. I always enjoy watching their videos. It is interesting to see how all three vehicles handled the course, though I didn't expect the Defender to lose two tires to the same rock. Don't rock-crawl with a combination of big wheels and small tires, folks.

Reminds me of the day out in WY prairie dogging with my partner in his Dodge Dakota, and going thru a 'gate', punctured a tire on a stone. Changed it out, went shooting, coming back thru the same gate, punctured another tire on a stone. SADDDD faces...Memorial Day weekend, 30 miles from anywhere....managed to use a pump he kept in his atv just to get enough air in to get to a ranch....

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