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Update: Sorry it’s taken so much time guys, I have had an absolutely insane week at work and traveling, and just haven’t had time to sit down and write. Here are my written initial first impressions, if y’all want any clarification just let me know!
Intro:
The new Ford Bronco is going to draw more attention than possibly any vehicle in history. I experienced this firsthand when I pulled over off of some dirt road between Austin and Horseshoe Bay to change my GoPro location. As soon as I got out, an entire family came running out of the house I was parked in front of. “Can we take a look at it!” exclaimed the father, who was already halfway inside the driver’s door. This of course sparked a few minute conversation as I showed them around. The absolute perfect combination of retro and modern styling, along with the off-road capability makes the new Bronco a true return to form for this nameplate. It is a ton of fun to see people reacting to it, and it’s going to be awesome to be one of the first on the road with one. Just get ready to be a mini celebrity!
Interior
Overall, I really enjoyed the interior. It is just a bit roomier feeling than the Wrangler, and felt more comfortable overall. The touch points such as the steering wheel, door handles, shift lever, and center console armrest all felt very solid. And one of the biggest highlights? Your left arm rests perfectly on the windowsill, something that one of the reps from 4 Wheel Parts brought up. Esteban Plaza-Jennings, Bronco’s Marketing Manager, said they specifically benchmarked an old land cruiser as having the “perfect” window sill height and replicated it for Bronco. I would call it perfect, so hats off to the design team for that! The actual design of the dashboard is another highlight, it looks great and all the controls are conveniently placed and easy to operate. Where I start to be a little bit less of a fan of the interior is in a few places. First, the dash “lip” over the 12’’ screen covers up the temperature and the clock for me in my regular driving position. My seating position was not all that high, and even at 5’11’’ the top of the screen was cut off for me. Not information I want to have to crane my head to look at! Another downside is the cheaper plastic the dash is made out of. It’s not a huge deal to me, but anyone who is big on interiors will notice the Wrangler plastic just feels a bit more solid. Bronco isn’t bad, it’s just that Jeep really stepped up their game, and Ford is still playing catch up there a little bit. The wireless charger was pretty slow, and also it was fairly hard to even get your phone to accept a charge, you have to place it in exactly the right spot. And lastly, the parking brake below the steering wheel is extremely strange. I am not a huge “manual everything” person but this is definitely a vehicle that deserved a manual parking brake. Other than those few nitpicks, the interior is overall a pretty great place to be!
On Road Driving
A lot about Bronco is relative. When compared to a Land Rover or an Expedition, the on-road drive probably isn’t all that good. But when compared to a Wrangler, Bronco is a ton of fun to drive on the street. Our windy route to the off-roadeo had some decent switchbacks, and Bronco just plowed right through them with ease. Is it the most controlled or sports-car-esque SUV? It isn’t meant to be. But it doesn’t feel unsettled or sketchy when you push it a little bit in some hairpins. It’s fun in a “slow car fast” type of way. The ride is not super soft like a 4Runner, and it has a lot less body roll. It’s definitely meant to be a sportier feeling than the archaic Toyota competition. But it also soaks up the bumps better than the Wrangler, while feeling a lot more stable at speed. And where it’s a huge winner is steering feel. It just points so well, the steering is heavy without being too heavy, and you definitely get some feedback through the wheel. Bronco’s steering was one of the biggest highlights of the vehicle, it just feels great. As far as powertrain, the 2.7 Ecoboost V6/10 Speed combination I drove on the street is fantastic. The lack of Sport Mode in some trims is the biggest downside, speaking with some of the other journalists it really lets you launch it better. But even without sport mode, in everyday driving situations the Bronco feels extremely fast. I guessed around a 6 second 0-60 and I’ve seen other estimates of high 5’s. Either way, this vehicle when equipped with the 2.7 is fast enough for anyone except the biggest speed demons out there. The 2.3 4 cylinder being comparable to either of the base Wrangler engine options will be more than adequate for anybody who isn’t worried about torque and horsepower numbers, it will have plenty of power for getting up onramps and passing on the highway with no issues. And lastly, sound when driving on the road. Bronco is surprisingly quiet on the inside, there is almost no road noise even with the 35’’ sasquatch tires. The two main sources of noise that I heard were from the top of the windshield, there was a bit of wind noise at higher speeds, and there was just a small amount of wind noise coming from the top of the door as well. Not excessive, but you have to keep in mind this is a convertible vehicle. I would say it was just a bit louder than a 4runner on the inside. Overall, my experience with on-road driving in Bronco was extremely positive. People are going to have no issues with this as a daily driver or road trip car, it drives great for what it is!
Off Road Driving
Finally getting to put some dirt miles on a Bronco was amazing. Bronco is the perfect combination of capability, and ease of use. There were quite a few decent climbs at the course, and Bronco just felt extremely controlled and stable through everything. The trails aren’t technical, but they did demonstrate that just about anyone with a few minutes of instruction can hop in a Bronco and do some work off-road. And with how easily it got through the obstacles, it feels ready for some significantly more difficult trails as well. One surprising highlight was one pedal driving, removing the need for left foot braking is a pretty awesome addition to the Bronco’s toolkit, I used it for almost my entire time driving off road. I was less a fan of the trail control feature, it did not feel nearly as controlled when going down a steep hill as one pedal did. Even with these driver aids, driver skill is going to be the most limiting factor for almost everyone in a Bronco This was especially apparent seeing Bronco pushed to the extremes. Our off-road driving time with Loren Healy, Brad Lovell, and Vaughn Gitten Jr, All King of the Hammer champions, demonstrated this perfectly. We were flying at 30+ MPH through some extremely tight turns, over some rough terrain and Bronco just soaked it all up. Vaughn described it to me as “Like a Polaris RZR” and I have to agree, however the suspension is not quite as soft as a RZR. In exchange, the stiffer suspension also felt extremely controlled at those higher speeds off road. Overall, the suspension tuning is fantastic in this vehicle, it is pretty incredible just how good it is in so many different applications. One definite advantage Jeep has over Bronco off-road that I noticed is forward visibility. The Bronco’s hood is huge compared to the Jeep’s, and pretty significantly reduces what you can see directly in front of you off road. There’s a reason Ford included all the camera packages! This is also the case leaning out the window to look at your driver’s side tire, on a jeep you can basically see directly in front of that tire, Bronco when you’re leaning out you cannot see nearly as much. I didn’t get to drive a doorless Bronco, but I assume that would help quite a bit and be the preferred way to go off road.
Overall impressions:
Bronco is great and that’s really all there is to it. It’s got a ton of character, capability, and features that really do set it apart. As most people’s first impressions have been going, it really is a fantastic vehicle. It’s not perfect, no vehicle is, but it is exceptional. And it has enough contrast with wrangler to be a fantastic addition to the marketplace, not just an alternative to Wrangler. You need a Bronco!
********************************************
Hey guys, here is my first drive video! I apologize it’s a little rough around the edges, I’ve never reviewed a car before and this is only the second video I’ve made in the last 7 years or so. (I did a ton of film in high school but haven’t really touched it since.) Hopefully it’s entertaining enough! I’m working on my written review which will be a lot more detailed, I’ll post that in a few hours. Thanks to this community for even giving the the opportunity to go do this, it was a total blast and I can’t wait to see everyone else’s Bronco experiences!!!
Intro:
The new Ford Bronco is going to draw more attention than possibly any vehicle in history. I experienced this firsthand when I pulled over off of some dirt road between Austin and Horseshoe Bay to change my GoPro location. As soon as I got out, an entire family came running out of the house I was parked in front of. “Can we take a look at it!” exclaimed the father, who was already halfway inside the driver’s door. This of course sparked a few minute conversation as I showed them around. The absolute perfect combination of retro and modern styling, along with the off-road capability makes the new Bronco a true return to form for this nameplate. It is a ton of fun to see people reacting to it, and it’s going to be awesome to be one of the first on the road with one. Just get ready to be a mini celebrity!
Interior
Overall, I really enjoyed the interior. It is just a bit roomier feeling than the Wrangler, and felt more comfortable overall. The touch points such as the steering wheel, door handles, shift lever, and center console armrest all felt very solid. And one of the biggest highlights? Your left arm rests perfectly on the windowsill, something that one of the reps from 4 Wheel Parts brought up. Esteban Plaza-Jennings, Bronco’s Marketing Manager, said they specifically benchmarked an old land cruiser as having the “perfect” window sill height and replicated it for Bronco. I would call it perfect, so hats off to the design team for that! The actual design of the dashboard is another highlight, it looks great and all the controls are conveniently placed and easy to operate. Where I start to be a little bit less of a fan of the interior is in a few places. First, the dash “lip” over the 12’’ screen covers up the temperature and the clock for me in my regular driving position. My seating position was not all that high, and even at 5’11’’ the top of the screen was cut off for me. Not information I want to have to crane my head to look at! Another downside is the cheaper plastic the dash is made out of. It’s not a huge deal to me, but anyone who is big on interiors will notice the Wrangler plastic just feels a bit more solid. Bronco isn’t bad, it’s just that Jeep really stepped up their game, and Ford is still playing catch up there a little bit. The wireless charger was pretty slow, and also it was fairly hard to even get your phone to accept a charge, you have to place it in exactly the right spot. And lastly, the parking brake below the steering wheel is extremely strange. I am not a huge “manual everything” person but this is definitely a vehicle that deserved a manual parking brake. Other than those few nitpicks, the interior is overall a pretty great place to be!
On Road Driving
A lot about Bronco is relative. When compared to a Land Rover or an Expedition, the on-road drive probably isn’t all that good. But when compared to a Wrangler, Bronco is a ton of fun to drive on the street. Our windy route to the off-roadeo had some decent switchbacks, and Bronco just plowed right through them with ease. Is it the most controlled or sports-car-esque SUV? It isn’t meant to be. But it doesn’t feel unsettled or sketchy when you push it a little bit in some hairpins. It’s fun in a “slow car fast” type of way. The ride is not super soft like a 4Runner, and it has a lot less body roll. It’s definitely meant to be a sportier feeling than the archaic Toyota competition. But it also soaks up the bumps better than the Wrangler, while feeling a lot more stable at speed. And where it’s a huge winner is steering feel. It just points so well, the steering is heavy without being too heavy, and you definitely get some feedback through the wheel. Bronco’s steering was one of the biggest highlights of the vehicle, it just feels great. As far as powertrain, the 2.7 Ecoboost V6/10 Speed combination I drove on the street is fantastic. The lack of Sport Mode in some trims is the biggest downside, speaking with some of the other journalists it really lets you launch it better. But even without sport mode, in everyday driving situations the Bronco feels extremely fast. I guessed around a 6 second 0-60 and I’ve seen other estimates of high 5’s. Either way, this vehicle when equipped with the 2.7 is fast enough for anyone except the biggest speed demons out there. The 2.3 4 cylinder being comparable to either of the base Wrangler engine options will be more than adequate for anybody who isn’t worried about torque and horsepower numbers, it will have plenty of power for getting up onramps and passing on the highway with no issues. And lastly, sound when driving on the road. Bronco is surprisingly quiet on the inside, there is almost no road noise even with the 35’’ sasquatch tires. The two main sources of noise that I heard were from the top of the windshield, there was a bit of wind noise at higher speeds, and there was just a small amount of wind noise coming from the top of the door as well. Not excessive, but you have to keep in mind this is a convertible vehicle. I would say it was just a bit louder than a 4runner on the inside. Overall, my experience with on-road driving in Bronco was extremely positive. People are going to have no issues with this as a daily driver or road trip car, it drives great for what it is!
Off Road Driving
Finally getting to put some dirt miles on a Bronco was amazing. Bronco is the perfect combination of capability, and ease of use. There were quite a few decent climbs at the course, and Bronco just felt extremely controlled and stable through everything. The trails aren’t technical, but they did demonstrate that just about anyone with a few minutes of instruction can hop in a Bronco and do some work off-road. And with how easily it got through the obstacles, it feels ready for some significantly more difficult trails as well. One surprising highlight was one pedal driving, removing the need for left foot braking is a pretty awesome addition to the Bronco’s toolkit, I used it for almost my entire time driving off road. I was less a fan of the trail control feature, it did not feel nearly as controlled when going down a steep hill as one pedal did. Even with these driver aids, driver skill is going to be the most limiting factor for almost everyone in a Bronco This was especially apparent seeing Bronco pushed to the extremes. Our off-road driving time with Loren Healy, Brad Lovell, and Vaughn Gitten Jr, All King of the Hammer champions, demonstrated this perfectly. We were flying at 30+ MPH through some extremely tight turns, over some rough terrain and Bronco just soaked it all up. Vaughn described it to me as “Like a Polaris RZR” and I have to agree, however the suspension is not quite as soft as a RZR. In exchange, the stiffer suspension also felt extremely controlled at those higher speeds off road. Overall, the suspension tuning is fantastic in this vehicle, it is pretty incredible just how good it is in so many different applications. One definite advantage Jeep has over Bronco off-road that I noticed is forward visibility. The Bronco’s hood is huge compared to the Jeep’s, and pretty significantly reduces what you can see directly in front of you off road. There’s a reason Ford included all the camera packages! This is also the case leaning out the window to look at your driver’s side tire, on a jeep you can basically see directly in front of that tire, Bronco when you’re leaning out you cannot see nearly as much. I didn’t get to drive a doorless Bronco, but I assume that would help quite a bit and be the preferred way to go off road.
Overall impressions:
Bronco is great and that’s really all there is to it. It’s got a ton of character, capability, and features that really do set it apart. As most people’s first impressions have been going, it really is a fantastic vehicle. It’s not perfect, no vehicle is, but it is exceptional. And it has enough contrast with wrangler to be a fantastic addition to the marketplace, not just an alternative to Wrangler. You need a Bronco!
********************************************
Hey guys, here is my first drive video! I apologize it’s a little rough around the edges, I’ve never reviewed a car before and this is only the second video I’ve made in the last 7 years or so. (I did a ton of film in high school but haven’t really touched it since.) Hopefully it’s entertaining enough! I’m working on my written review which will be a lot more detailed, I’ll post that in a few hours. Thanks to this community for even giving the the opportunity to go do this, it was a total blast and I can’t wait to see everyone else’s Bronco experiences!!!
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