Those that owned a JLU Rubicon and made the switch...

[aknavy]

What made you switch, would you do it again, and what should I know before doing it myself?

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[white pony]

I own a 2007 jkur bought it new. Wheeled it around Socal deserts and traveled across country. It is good at both. I have 263500 miles on it and have few complaints. I bought a 2022 gladiator and sold it after six months. The main complaint is that both are sluggish, it was not as accessible as the wrangler and the seats in both
uncomfortable. The bronco that I bought is a black diamond . It has better seats, steering, horse power and torque, along with wash out floors. and lux package. Don't take this as a complaint about jeeps. I have had a few as well as a 1968 bronco. I have found this new bronco meets my needs currently. Will this last only time will tell. So far I am happy.

 

[da_jokker]

It boils down to what you use your vehicle for. Broncos are more comfortable and drive great on the road. But jeeps are better off road when it comes to more challenging trails. Also, parts or cheaper for Jeeps... everything about a Bronco is extra $

If your plan is to put bigger tires and decent lifts, AND actually off road, Jeep is the better choice. Bronco's don't like to be lifted higher than Sasquatch without having to beef up a lot of the front end.. CV axles and Steering components are the Broco curse when you start going larger and heavier tires and lifts.

 

[CM22]

For me it was the drive. My wife hated to drive the Jeep on the highway. I got use to it so, I didn't care to much. Once I test drove the Bronco it was over. Much better feel at highway speeds. I would say there is also more room in the back of the Bronco as well. Yes I would trade the Jeep for the Bronco all over again. Don't get me wrong I loved the Jeep but they need to tighten up the steering for me to jump back in, and if I did I would have a Bronco as well, both fun vehicles.

This was my Jeep. 2018 JLUR

 

[aknavy]

For me it was the drive. My wife hated to drive the Jeep on the highway. I got use to it so, I didn't care to much. Once I test drove the Bronco it was over. Much better feel at highway speeds. I would say there is also more room in the back of the Bronco as well. Yes I would trade the Jeep for the Bronco all over again. Don't get me wrong I loved the Jeep but they need to tighten up the steering for me to jump back in, and if I did I would have a Bronco as well, both fun vehicles.

This was my Jeep. 2018 JLUR

Nice Rubicon! We get out a few times a year on trails that have the harder options on them, and I like being able to do them...but at the same time, I'm not throwing caution to the wind, as I don't want to damage the Jeeps body. Thanks for the feedback - I agree the Broncos drive much better on road for sure!

 

[da_jokker]

For me it was the drive. My wife hated to drive the Jeep on the highway. I got use to it so, I didn't care to much. Once I test drove the Bronco it was over. Much better feel at highway speeds. I would say there is also more room in the back of the Bronco as well. Yes I would trade the Jeep for the Bronco all over again. Don't get me wrong I loved the Jeep but they need to tighten up the steering for me to jump back in, and if I did I would have a Bronco as well, both fun vehicles.

This was my Jeep. 2018 JLUR

And all fairness, people buy jeeps, throw larger (heavier and stiffer) tires on them and a lift kit, and then complain how poorly they drive.

I have a stock JKUR and it drives almost as good as the bronco.

But that is an advantage for the Bronco. You can lift the Bronco, spend all the money to beef up the steering and drive axles, diff drips, and it still should drive nice.

 

[aknavy]

It boils down to what you use your vehicle for. Broncos are more comfortable and drive great on the road. But jeeps are better off road when it comes to more challenging trails. Also, parts or cheaper for Jeeps... everything about a Bronco is extra $

If your plan is to put bigger tires and decent lifts, AND actually off road, Jeep is the better choice. Bronco's don't like to be lifted higher than Sasquatch without having to beef up a lot of the front end.. CV axles and Steering components are the Broco curse when you start going larger and heavier tires and lifts.

Thanks. I'm on decent road or towing it behind and RV at least 90 percent of the time. A couple rock trips a year. Not really planning on modifying it - I bought the XR package on the Jeep to get that extra 2 inches and not have to do it aftermarket. That's about the extent of off road capability I need right now. More than that, and I'd probably have a purpose built Jeep that I wouldn't be upset about breaking.

This is our only vehicle, as we're full time RVer's, so beating on it or making it impractical for daily use is out.

 

[aknavy]

And all fairness, people buy jeeps, throw larger (heavier and stiffer) tires on them and a lift kit, and then complain how poorly they drive.

I have a stock JKUR and it drives almost as good as the bronco.

But that is an advantage for the Bronco. You can lift the Bronco, spend all the money to beef up the steering and drive axles, diff drips, and it still should drive nice.

Yeah, lifting a Jeep correctly so that it still drives well is an expensive endeaver as well. Plenty of cheap options, but you lose driveablity.

 

[CM22]

And all fairness, people buy jeeps, throw larger (heavier and stiffer) tires on them and a lift kit, and then complain how poorly they drive.

I have a stock JKUR and it drives almost as good as the bronco.

But that is an advantage for the Bronco. You can lift the Bronco, spend all the money to beef up the steering and drive axles, diff drips, and it still should drive nice.

For me it drove better after putting 37's on it. I'm comparing stock to stock. For me stock was aZZZ.

 

[CM22]

Yeah, lifting a Jeep correctly so that it still drives well is an expensive endeaver as well. Plenty of cheap options, but you lose driveablity.

This. I went with a good shop and spent the money to keep and gain drivability. Although I lost it on the trade in!!

 

[tapper881]

I had an 2019 JLU Rubicon and loved it - a super fun vehicle! It was my daily driver, and the vehicle that my kids wanted to take on family road trips (not sure why as the wife's SUV is roomier, quieter, and smoother). I loved driving that thing, but after a day driving (chasing it) down the highway, road trips just got exhausting. So with the number of times I go seriously off-roading being in the single digits per year -- making the shift to having a capable off-roader that handles better for daily driving and road trips was a great step in the right direction for me. As with any vehicle like this - it is alway a balancing act, and for me, I wanted off-road capable (and have no intention of taking my daily driver on trails rated 7 and above) - with better than Jeep handling for road trips - and again, for me the Bronco fit that bill, and I'm thrilled with my decision and haven't look back since getting the Bronco.

 

[aknavy]

I had an 2019 JLU Rubicon and loved it - a super fun vehicle! It was my daily driver, and the vehicle that my kids wanted to take on family road trips (not sure why as the wife's SUV is roomier, quieter, and smoother). I loved driving that thing, but after a day driving (chasing it) down the highway, road trips just got exhausting. So with the number of times I go seriously off-roading being in the single digits per year -- making the shift to having a capable off-roader that handles better for daily driving and road trips was a great step in the right direction for me. As with any vehicle like this - it is alway a balancing act, and for me, I wanted off-road capable (and have no intention of taking my daily driver on trails rated 7 and above) - with better than Jeep handling for road trips - and again, for me the Bronco fit that bill, and I'm thrilled with my decision and haven't look back since getting the Bronco.

This is where I'm at. I have no real intention of doing serious off roading in a $60k vehicle that's my only vehicle, and I like comfort the 99 percent of the time that I drive it normally. The Jeep is not great after 3 hours in it.

 

[da_jokker]

Yeah, lifting a Jeep correctly so that it still drives well is an expensive endeaver as well. Plenty of cheap options, but you lose driveablity.

Agreed but different. To raise a jeep correctly, you need the springs, adjustable bars to re-center the axles (if going over 2") and typically a new front drive with a double cardigan. (And in the JKs an exhaust tweak)


For a Bronco, you need struts, control arms, diff drop, possibly very expensive aftermarket CV axles (depending on how high you go), and an expensive steering upgrade (BB or 74Weld)....oh and possibly adjustable bars for the rear axle.

It's been a while since I price things, but I'm pretty sure that lifting a Bronco can easily cost you 2x than a jeep "doing it right" (like 5k vs 10k)

 

[aknavy]

Agreed but different. To raise a jeep correctly, you need the springs, adjustable bars to re-center the axles (if going over 2") and typically a new front drive with a double cardigan. (And in the JKs an exhaust tweak)


For a Bronco, you need struts, control arms, diff drop, possibly very expensive aftermarket CV axles (depending on how high you go), and an expensive steering upgrade (BB or 74Weld)....oh and possibly adjustable bars for the rear axle.

It's been a while since I price things, but I'm pretty sure that lifting a Bronco can easily cost you 2x than a jeep "doing it right" (like 5k vs 10k)

That's a pretty big difference!

 

[Morganstein]

No JL, but had an'08 JKR:

Which I traded for a '16 JKUR

Both were great for what they were. Great off-road, hateful on road.

I made the switch because I don't off-road enough to justify a dedicated trail rig. So whatever I have has to be able to do it all and I felt/still feel that the Bronco does that better. As others have said, is the Jeep better than the Bronco on real difficult/technical trails? Probably. Is the Bronco as good or better on literally everything else? My experience has been yes. And that's just off-road. On road the Bronco is so far ahead you can't even see the Jeep. It rides & drives like a vehicle that's supposed to be driven on public roads. Even with the soft top and 37's, I can have conversations with my kids in the back seat while going 70 down the freeway without having to yell. Don't get me wrong, the Bronco is not a perfect vehicle. Neither is the Wrangler. But for me, for how I use it, the Bronco is a far better truck.

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