Current opinion of the Bronco?

[gmcul8r]

I have driven 2 of them. A 2 door and a 4 door. They drive great. Better on the street than any Jeep Wrangler or Gladiator.

I wouldn't say any Gladiator. The 4 door Badlands, non-sas I had did NOT drive better than my stock Mojave on 35's. My Mojave soaked up the bumps better, felt more planted and had far less body roll. To be fair, I didn't play with the different driving modes.

I had 2 day 1, first minute orders and I cancelled them both after the countless delays and sacrifices from my original order. I will give it another chance in a couple of years. However, I am happy that the Bronco exists, it will only make our Jeeps better.

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[AlxCZ]

The real question is [why?] I don't think rating a Bronco on a Jeep forum makes any sense.
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The real question is [why?] I don't think rating a Bronco on a Jeep forum makes any sense.

I look at the Bronco and it looks like a jeep

 

[ARKGladiator]

Rode in a full size Bronco Badlands w/ SASQ package last Friday. The cameras are cool, the ability to lock a rear wheel and pivot is cool but as far as ride the gladiator beats it in my opinion.

 

[NightFog]

They're fugly

 

[BAT]

I look at the Bronco and it looks like a jeep

Ah yes that is exactly what I was thinking when I saw the Bronco Sport. It looks very much like a flex or like the Jeepster Renegade I think is the model

 

[dcmdon]

I wouldn't say any Gladiator. The 4 door Badlands, non-sas I had did NOT drive better than my stock Mojave on 35's. My Mojave soaked up the bumps better, felt more planted and had far less body roll. To be fair, I didn't play with the different driving modes.

I had 2 day 1, first minute orders and I cancelled them both after the countless delays and sacrifices from my original order. I will give it another chance in a couple of years. However, I am happy that the Bronco exists, it will only make our Jeeps better.

You just made my day. I'm in the process of ordering a Mojave. But haven't been able to drive one much. I got about 30 minutes in one and it drove much much better than the Willys I also drove. My memory of the Mojave wasn't fresh when I drove the 4dr bronco. So if its better than the 4dr bronco I'll be thrilled. I got much more time one of the Broncos. Probably because I was in NH rather than metro Boston and the sales guy basically gave me the keys and asked me to have it back in 90 minutes or less.

I do remember the Mojave felt very well sorted. Almost like a European touring car. No joke. At least compared to the Willys. I also remember the Bronco feeling comfy, but floaty and isolated. Like most buyers will want.

Remember that members of enthusiast websites aren't even close to the typical buyer of vehicles like this.

 

[Boogerman]

Way too large for lots of trails. unless you don’t care about pinstripes. Much wider than JT JL.

 

[dcmdon]

Ok. I understand people but things because of their wants or needs. But how does comparing an SUV to a truck jeep you decide?

It's either you want a truck or an SUV. Once you make that decision, then you can decide the manufacturer. But comparing the Bronco to the gladiator is apples to oranges. It would make more sense to compare it to the Wrangler over in the JL forum. Which I'm sure is being done as well.

But again, comparing these two with everything different? Makes no sense.

And a canyon or a ranger is a more rational choice over what? The gladiator?

you are being way way too rational. That's not how people make decisions. You can say all you want. But I sold cars for 3 years. I lost deals on Saab Convertibles to stuff as wide ranging as a Suburban, and a V8 Lexus sedan. Unless people are buying a kid hauler, they dont' think the way you are saying.

Yes, a Canyon or a Ranger is a more rational choice than a Gladiator. They fulfill every NEED. a person could have better and for less money. However, they don't fulfill a whole crap ton of wants . (better off road performance, doors off, top down, etc.)

Don't delude yourself. The Gladiator is all about Wants.

 

[Aonarch]

You are spot on.

quality issues will be resolved.

Cheap feeling interior won't.

You can do rack and pinion with solid axles. That would help steering. But in all honesty, I think IFS was a smart choice. It will meet the needs of 95% of buyers who leave their trucks stock and never do anything that requires more articulation. And its actually better for people who play in the sand or on fire roads.

I'm going gladiator and canceling my Bronco reservation for several reasons.

1) I'm realizing that the bed is more important. I can't put my dog kennel in a bronco or wrangler. The cargo area is too small. I hunt and hike with him and is often filth, wet, and covered in ticks when we are done. He rides in back. Period. I like a clean interior.

Ironically it fits in my wife's Volvo XC70 wagon. ha. So much for utility. (The Volvo also tows more)

2) I don't want to wait until June at the earliest

3) Ultra solid resale value of Gladiator means that if I want to try a bronco in 3 or 4 years I won't get killed. I normally keep my car for 8-10 years.

4) I'm realizing that build quality issues are worse than standard 1st year issues. This was a clean sheet design on a new platform, next gen Ranger, and Ford is clearly still figuring a lot of stuff out. Including how to actually build it.

5) I'm used to European cars and Fiat parts sourcing means that the interior switches and bits feel much better than Ford stuff.

6) Nicer interior. The materials feel better. Rear air vents, nicer center rear arm rest. My kids are early teenagers and still think their parents are awesome. We are strict but spend the time to do great, fun stuff with them. This will be a family fun vehicle. I actually want them to be able to enjoy themselves back there.

Working against the Gladiator were the following
1) no engine choices - A $4000 diesel with less power and higher upkeep costs that pretty much negate the fuel savings isn't a real choice for me.

2) FIAT - Fix it again Tony - Though I worry about the same thing with a Ford. (found on road dead)

1) Absolutely. At times I wish that I just went with a two door, but then I'd be back to square one, missing a truck bed and its additional room. So at the end of the day, I'm super happy with the Gladiators form factor.

Now let's see what the next gen Ranger looks like, plus the rumored Ranger Raptor for the US.

2) Yeah good luck. I've heard some horror stories with wait times. Not to mention Ford placing stop sells and having to shut down production.

3) For the Wrangler absolutely. It looks like this applies to the Gladiator too, so yay!

4) Yup, with any manufacturer, it is always wise to avoid the first MY.

5) I also am a European car guy, and I find the Jeep's interior to be really high-quality for an off-road focused, take a hose to it, truck.

6) Yup way nicer vs the Bronco. You totally reminded me of another huge red flag on the Bronco. No rear air vents. WTF Ford. IIRC they have floor mounted vents, but those aren't going to cut it in the heat. My dogs have a backseat hammock, which blocks any floor vent. Plus I normal have gear stowed at the foot of the rear seats, which also block the floor vents.

For your complaints.

1) Yup. However the 3.6 Gen II Pentastar is a great engine, lightweight, reliable, competitive power, and not bad on gas. Combined with the 8 speed and optional 4.10 gears, it is a great combo. I do recommend going with the Livernois tune, to really take advantage of the high compression ratio.

2) FIAT only applies to the diesel engine. The JL/JT are not FIAT influenced. I know that we have a lot of happy diesel owners here, but I am still upset that FCA went with the VM Italian sourced diesel vs the Cummins 2.7 (?) engine, that Cummins developed and was positioning to be used in mid to full-sized trucks.

 

[maligator]

For those of you wondering, I ordered mine last winter and just got an email saying I would soon be able to re-order my 22 a few days ago if you want to gauge where things are at. I like the Bronco a lot but the gladiator offers a lot (towing and a bed) with off-road ability that is really
enough for me. The biggest thing the bronco offers is a locker at any trim level that you can add.

I do love the look though.

I am re-ordering with a 2 door and a manual trans now that I can get sasquatch with manual. Still not sure what I am going to do long-term.

 

[dcmdon]

1) Absolutely. At times I wish that I just went with a two door, but then I'd be back to square one, missing a truck bed and its additional room. So at the end of the day, I'm super happy with the Gladiators form factor.

Now let's see what the next gen Ranger looks like, plus the rumored Ranger Raptor for the US.

2) Yeah good luck. I've heard some horror stories with wait times. Not to mention Ford placing stop sells and having to shut down production.

3) For the Wrangler absolutely. It looks like this applies to the Gladiator too, so yay!

4) Yup, with any manufacturer, it is always wise to avoid the first MY.

5) I also am a European car guy, and I find the Jeep's interior to be really high-quality for an off-road focused, take a hose to it, truck.

6) Yup way nicer vs the Bronco. You totally reminded me of another huge red flag on the Bronco. No rear air vents. WTF Ford. IIRC they have floor mounted vents, but those aren't going to cut it in the heat. My dogs have a backseat hammock, which blocks any floor vent. Plus I normal have gear stowed at the foot of the rear seats, which also block the floor vents.

For your complaints.

1) Yup. However the 3.6 Gen II Pentastar is a great engine, lightweight, reliable, competitive power, and not bad on gas. Combined with the 8 speed and optional 4.10 gears, it is a great combo. I do recommend going with the Livernois tune, to really take advantage of the high compression ratio.

2) FIAT only applies to the diesel engine. The JL/JT are not FIAT influenced. I know that we have a lot of happy diesel owners here, but I am still upset that FCA went with the VM Italian sourced diesel vs the Cummins 2.7 (?) engine, that Cummins developed and was positioning to be used in mid to full-sized trucks.

Thanks again for your thoughts.

I don't have anything against the 3.6. I also am fine with revving the crap out of it. Its built to do that. I dont' expect it to torque its way out of situations.

I am also in the habit of sticking my car in manual mode in top gear on the highway so it doesn't hunt and downshift at the first hint of a hill. So it will be fine.

And anyway, one of the reasons I'm getting this kind of vehicle is that I drive too fast and need to slow down.

I know nothing about the Livernois tune. Though I played with tuning on several turbo cars that I've owned. (VW, Audi, Subaru STi) . But generally tunes for normally aspirated engines dont' get you much. Since all they can play with is A:F ratio and ignition timing. But thank you. I'l look into it.

 

[DesertGladiator]

I have one on order, went to an offroad Bronco drive event a few weeks back in AZ and I was impressed.

 

[jcarbs]

Sorry, I get a kick out of people comparing the Bronco to a Gladiator. It's not a pick-up! Ford canceled that choice months ago. Until Ford gets all the issues taken care of, to me it's still a Jeep wanna be. Yeah the press has gone gaga over it, big deal! If you want one then buy it, you don't have to justify to anyone in this group why you want to spend your money. Sorry rant over.

 

[tysongladiator]

you are being way way too rational. That's not how people make decisions. You can say all you want. But I sold cars for 3 years. I lost deals on Saab Convertibles to stuff as wide ranging as a Suburban, and a V8 Lexus sedan. Unless people are buying a kid hauler, they dont' think the way you are saying.

Yes, a Canyon or a Ranger is a more rational choice than a Gladiator. They fulfill every NEED. a person could have better and for less money. However, they don't fulfill a whole crap ton of wants . (better off road performance, doors off, top down, etc.)

Don't delude yourself. The Gladiator is all about Wants.

So, people don't think the way I am saying? So when someone is deciding between an SUV and a truck, they don't have to decide which one they need more? You either need an SUV or a truck. When you bring cars into the conversation, now you are talking about something else. The topic was comparing a Bronco to a Gladiator. Not comparing a Bronco to a gladiator, to a full size SUV, to a sedan, to a hybrid, to a sedan, to a full size truck. That's a completely different conversation.

And a Canyon or a Ranger being a more rational choice is your opinion. The Gladiator has fulfilled every need. I tow a 22' (4000lb+) camper, ATV trailer, trailer with tractor loaded on it, and a boat. I haul with it. I've taken it offroad. A lot. All over the Southeast from Texas to Florida to Tennessee. Go off in the woods and camp wtih it. And I haul the family with it. And I have been doing it in my Gladiator for over 102,000 miles now. What else does it need to do?

 

[Wheelin98TJ]

So, people don't think the way I am saying? So when someone is deciding between an SUV and a truck, they don't have to decide which one they need more? You either need an SUV or a truck. When you bring cars into the conversation, now you are talking about something else. The topic was comparing a Bronco to a Gladiator. Not comparing a Bronco to a gladiator, to a full size SUV, to a sedan, to a hybrid, to a sedan, to a full size truck. That's a completely different conversation.

And a Canyon or a Ranger being a more rational choice is your opinion. The Gladiator has fulfilled every need. I tow a 22' (4000lb+) camper, ATV trailer, trailer with tractor, and a boat. And I have taken it offroad. A lot. Been doing it in my Gladiator for over 102,000 miles now. I've offroaded all over the southeast. What else does it need to do?

It all depends on their use.

Remember, a lot of people who buy trucks do not need trucks.

My situation is a good example of this. I bought my Gladiator and my girlfriend drives it the most. She doesn't need a truck at all. I have an F150. She wanted a Gladiator because she likes how they look. We also considered a Grand Cherokee, a Wrangler, and just about anything else that cost around $50k. We looked at a few Rams when we bought the Gladiator.

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