Since the spoiler alert is already in the title, I'll add a TL;DR for the uninitiated
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I'm surprised as well, but I think the Land Cruiser's cargo capacity and clearance was a bit of an issue which is surprising to me. Personally I'm still pretty happy with my Bronco, but I think I would like better road/roadtrip manners and a quieter cabin. The swell in pricing from when i bought my 2021 at 56K compared to their Bronco at 69K is ridiculous.Since the spoiler alert is already in the title, I'll add a TL;DR for the uninitiated
I was surprised the Land Cruiser didn't win here. It seems like this was the kind of test where it should have left the Jeep and Bronco showing their shortcomings.
- Get the Jeep if you want to be the most insane off-road (You're a 1%er)
- Get The Toyota if you wanna look the part but not act the part and would prefer to spend your upgrades on Doomsday Prepper gear you'll never use (You're a pavement princess)
- Get the Bronco is you wanna do all manner of off-road things but don't like putting your sheet metal in danger (You're good with the other 99%)
Agreed on all of those points. Some work to quiet the Bronco at freeway speeds and better plastic in the interior would make huge strides. I don't really find fault in the mechanicals in my use case. Despite the big increase in price, the Bronco's as-tested price was significantly less than the Jeep's or Toyota's even though they were similarly equipped. So I would say us early adopters got a good deal.
The factory ground clearance and tires are the weakest of the bunch and that's already buying the First Edition (which they tested) at $78K plus markup. You need to speed another $3-5K on lift kit and new wheels/tires.
I mistakenly thought being it was a 2025, and the first major update in 10+ years, that the LC would target the ultimate overlander and be able to handle rugged, though not crazy, off-roading. Maybe my idea of rugged and the general consumer's idea of rugged are two different things. I may have also based my assumptions on what I understood previous Land Cruisers were capable of. If Ford wants to keep Bronco production running at capacity, they could make a hardtop version in addition to the removable top and gain sales like crazy. That would outdo the Land Cruiser and 4Runner at their own game.
I will say after switching to KO3's I've gone from listening to the radio at 14-16 to 8-10. And I'm in a soft top. The factory goodyears are crazy loud.Agreed on all of those points. Some work to quiet the Bronco at freeway speeds and better plastic in the interior would make huge strides. I don't really find fault in the mechanicals in my use case. Despite the big increase in price, the Bronco's as-tested price was significantly less than the Jeep's or Toyota's despite them being similarly equipped. So I would say us early adopters got a good deal.
