So what is "it" about the Bronco (for you)?

I got to drive the wife's today and it's just fun. I'm not sure what it is, but I enjoy driving it. My BMW is way faster, way more comfortable, way fancier and better tech and while I wouldn't permanently trade her, I've already made a deal to drive it the rest of the week so there is something, I just can't put my finger on it.

The bad-
Divey on brakes
Horrendous MPG, I know it's an apples to nipples comparison, but I can go 100mph in the BMW and get 40mpg. I have much more power but the i6 just kills the ecoboost for economy. Granted, my tires are 15" smaller (that's insane to think) and the BMW is probably 1000lb lighter and not a literal brick and while I have AWD, I know the powertrain on the bronco is more parasitic too.
Stereo definitely needs upgrade

The good-
Just makes you smile
Pretty peppy for what it is
Instant boost from the little bitty turbskis
Can see everything in front of you sitting up so high
Great turning radius

I don't generally like "trucks" as they are just too big to me but this little joker is the perfect size, easy to maneuver and yet has the truck presence.

I also like that it just screams for modifications. It makes you want to get in there and tinker with it, that's pretty sweet, though I'm sure my budget won't appreciate it.

We ordered initially because we thought it looked awesome and my wife really liked the offroad portion of the BMW driving school we attended and we live pretty close to some good off-road trails that our previous cars didn't enjoy being taken down. After waiting for a year and a half I was half expecting to be a little indifferent but didn't care if she was happy. She's happy and I am too, it's a pretty sweet ride and totally worth the hype and the wait.

So, after the rambling 1 question and one point:

1) What is "it" for you?

And the point: Keep up the faith, you'll like it, no, probably love it, and if you don't you're in a decent spot for a while to not lose your ass on it if you don't!

PS- Got her muddy today at work, gonna have to wash it before I bring her home.

What "it" is for me is sense of adventure - I like to camp, I like to explore, I now love to do baja style driving- so while this is used as a day to day as well, when I don't have time to get out - it still gives me that sense of adventure when I hop in every day waiting for the next adventure.

I've never had a true off road vehicle so for me it will be something new and different. Might as well start with the best option out there.

You said nipples.

For me: Design, Appearance, Softtop, ......just sooooo much fun. Never had this much fun in a vehicle before.

I really want to take her out in a desert/sandy environment, I think that would be a blast. Problem is my wife is UV allergic and those places are generally UV death. I hope we can still give it a go some time though, The east coast has some cool places to visit, but the expansive open space in the middle of the country just draws me in.

I'm a truck guy, so to me it's an improvement in MPG, it's very comfortable.

I also can't exactly put into words, but almost a year later and 7500 miles I still can't stop smiling when I'm driving my Bronco. This summer with the top off was an absolute BLAST. It's so much fun in the snow too. The lean back when you jump on it and the nose dive on hard braking is fun to me haha

Bronco = Fun!

For me, the "it" was the fact that Ford didn't just phone it in on a retro-inspired vehicle. I'm an old school Early Bronco guy (still have 2 of them) and I was hoping against hope that they wouldn't F it up. So I was extremely pleased when I first saw it, that it paid proper respect to the original, with regards to form factor and styling. But the proof of the pudding was when I finally got mine, which is a 2-door base model with no options, and started putting it through its paces out on the trail where it belongs, and discovered it was a great off-roader that was still worthy of the name Bronco.

I like the little horsey on the screen when you turn it on.

Billnchristy said:

I really want to take her out in a desert/sandy environment, I think that would be a blast. Problem is my wife is UV allergic and those places are generally UV death. I hope we can still give it a go some time though, The east coast has some cool places to visit, but the expansive open space in the middle of the country just draws me in.

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UV allergic and has a vehicle that you can take to roof off of?

Go to off rodeo. Pretty sure it'll surpass the BMW course. The it factor for me is that it is the most capable off road vehicle out of the factory ever. Matters when you live in the mountains in snow country. Also, it's pretty cool being part of a pretty exclusive club...

swooshdave said:

UV allergic and has a vehicle that you can take to roof off of?

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yeah. Doesn’t mean it has to come off and there is still night.

PSUTE said:

Go to off rodeo. Pretty sure it'll surpass the BMW course. The it factor for me is that it is the most capable off road vehicle out of the factory ever. Matters when you live in the mountains in snow country. Also, it's pretty cool being part of a pretty exclusive club...

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It wouldn't take much, but it's far more capable than I am!

It’s not a Jeep

I traded in my 340i (with sport package) for my Bronco. I loved the Bimmer while I had it, but don't miss it. I love riding high, the sense of space, the feeling of being able to handle any obstacle or road condition.
Also happy that I won't have to contort myself completely to get in if I hurt my back (an occasional occurrence).

My wife's 435i is a fun car to drive on the road. Completely useless when the pavement ends though. It's a convertible with the hard top, which is a marvel of engineering to watch it open and close.

Bronco is fun to drive around town, but for me, it's about the memories with the family. My daughter is in 9th grade, so time's a ticking to make those. Living in a state with literally millions of acres of public lands helps too. We can take a run to our favorite hiking spots up past 7 springs in the afternoon and be back on pavement before dark most of the time.

We got out a lot in the SuperDuty I traded in, but there is no comparison in off-road comfort and capability between the 2. Nor is there any comparison in towing, but I don't have that large 5th wheel camper anymore.