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2021 Bronco

NoDoorsNoProblem

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I keep holding out hope for a 4xe 3.6 or a 5.7 gladiator. The pentastar is kind of a dog on these heavy trucks but it's reliable and cheap to fix.

Two different 2.7s exploded...twice on me in less than 3 years before the warranty went on my f150 I don't trust it farther than I can kick it.
But,

- The EcoBust engines have had a HORRIBLE track record for dependability. You can stop in any Ford garage in the country and ask the technicians what they work on daily and they'll all say "EcoBoosts". I know because I've done it.
- Jeeps have had wash-out floors longer than we've been alive, and the seats are "water resistant". Would vinyl be nice? Maybe for some folks, but leather is nicer so Jeep went that way instead.
- Those fenders are easy to steal. Can be robbed in seconds. I don't see it as an advantage.
- Frameless doors are great when new, but as the years go by they always become a PITA. Won't seal properly, motors fail sooner due to how they have to get used EVERY time you open or close the door, door seals get torn, etc.
- I'd rather pay the money for GOOD 35 inch tires than the ultra-flimsy 35s that Ford uses as OE equipment. Did you see how lightweight those Goodyears are? There's a reason for that...

I see the Bronco as a brand new attempt at a Jeep clone, and I see the Jeep as the product of making a convertible 4x4 every single year for many decades and learning what works and what doesn't.
I read the 12-page thread on here "Anyone else really happy with their Pentastar?" which convinced me to go with that in my gladiator. In that thread, there was a long post by a member talking about how there are some problems that have popped up with the engine that are widely known....because the Pentastar is in EVERYTHING FCA makes where they need a V6. Just because of the sheer number of them, there are some widely documented problems. Aren't the Ecoboosts the same way? Especially the 2.7, that engine has become the default engine in the F150 since 2015 and sells more than any other engine in the truck, and the 3.5 is going into its second decade of use. Plus its used in a ton of other applications across the Ford/Lincoln lineup. Definitely not defending the ease of working on them, I've heard they are extremely labor intensive, especially for turbo work, which is why techs hate them. (but also, that's more labor hours and $$ to bank...wouldn't they love that?). But I wouldn't say they are horrible...there are tons of 200k+ 2.7s and 3.5 ecos out there, just check the forums.

And I'm not talking about the little plastic pieces that are easy to steal, there should definitely be a lock or a bolt or something to discourage that. I'm talking about the whole sheet metal quarter panels/fenders around all 4 wheel wells. Those come out in under an hour with a ratchet wrench and sockets, nothing else. Check out the 2 door concept they did for virtual SEMA last fall where they swapped out for high clearance fenders, its pretty rad.

And yeah, they could have done way better with tire selection. The Goodyears are super soft and chunk super easily. They should have gone with BFG KO2s and skipped the "need to have something with an MT label"
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bleda2002

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I read the 12-page thread on here "Anyone else really happy with their Pentastar?" which convinced me to go with that in my gladiator. In that thread, there was a long post by a member talking about how there are some problems that have popped up with the engine that are widely known....because the Pentastar is in EVERYTHING FCA makes where they need a V6. Just because of the sheer number of them, there are some widely documented problems. Aren't the Ecoboosts the same way? Especially the 2.7, that engine has become the default engine in the F150 since 2015 and sells more than any other engine in the truck, and the 3.5 is going into its second decade of use. Plus its used in a ton of other applications across the Ford/Lincoln lineup. Definitely not defending the ease of working on them, I've heard they are extremely labor intensive, especially for turbo work, which is why techs hate them. (but also, that's more labor hours and $$ to bank...wouldn't they love that?). But I wouldn't say they are horrible...there are tons of 200k+ 2.7s and 3.5 ecos out there, just check the forums.

And I'm not talking about the little plastic pieces that are easy to steal, there should definitely be a lock or a bolt or something to discourage that. I'm talking about the whole sheet metal quarter panels/fenders around all 4 wheel wells. Those come out in under an hour with a ratchet wrench and sockets, nothing else. Check out the 2 door concept they did for virtual SEMA last fall where they swapped out for high clearance fenders, its pretty rad.

And yeah, they could have done way better with tire selection. The Goodyears are super soft and chunk super easily. They should have gone with BFG KO2s and skipped the "need to have something with an MT label"

I agree which is why I said i'm sure for every 1 problem there are 1000's just fine. I'm sure its a perfectly fine engine, especially in gen 2 form which came out after all my issues.

Personally I feel like buying another one in my case is just poking the bear because I should know better by now. There are always going to be unlucky folks who just get a lemon or have a bad experience, I usually try not to let them color my opinion too much, but as the rube myself well it is what it is.
 

eaglerugby04

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The bronco has a ton of things better than Wrangler or Gladiator:

-A more powerful engine (that’s not a $4k, problem-ridden diesel or a price-limited, gonzo sized V8).
-Option for washout flooring and seating.
-frameless doors. Some may dislike, but I think it’s fantastic and it makes taking the doors off so much easier, plus the ability to store on board.
-360 degree camera.
-Fenders (not fender FLARES, the little black hoops in the wheel well, the whole entire FENDERS) that easily unbolt from the frame and can be swapped out for high clearance without cutting.
-Sasquatch giving you 35s (ok, 34s really) on ANY TRIM. That’s front and rear lockers and fancy reservoir shocks plus a lift on a $36k (2 door) or $38k (4 door) vehicle. And cheaper when the manual Sasquatch comes out. Jeep can’t touch that and locks it’s best off road features behind the Rubicon and Mojave models.
-no steering issues. Nothing that you will have to hunt down and chase in the suspension to make it ride better.
-despite the hard top problems, the middle panel in the 4 door is stupid simple and it’s crazy Jeep hasn’t added that to the wrangler already. Taking the wrangler top off is way more difficult than it needs to be because of that.

All that said, I cancelled my Bronco yesterday and ordered a Mojave Gladiator. The Bronco doesn’t have a truck bed, and can’t tow truck numbers. In the time that I’ve been waiting for the Bronco, I really reassessed what I want out of my next vehicle, and the Gladiator ticked those boxes. Do I wish I could have the 2.7 ecoboost in a Mojave? You bet your ass I’d pay 5k extra for that. But I can’t, so I went with what is in its own right a great truck and a great platform to turn into the vehicle that works for me.

I have to agree here, bronco really does have some cool features, and honestly if I was looking at a wrangler I think the bronco would have won it for me if the launch wasn't so disasterous.
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