Current opinion of the Bronco?

[Gvsukids]

Very prevalent in Tacomaworld threads.

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[dcmdon]

A big old fat baby

Hah!!

 

[BAT]

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.

It was for me. I had a really nice full size but it was not what I wanted. I was done with the kid haulers, etc. Everyone has there own car and I always wanted a jeep but needed some truck aspect. I wanted a truck I could take the top off and the doors off if I wanted to. I could have kept my Ram or gone to a Taco or other but I wanted the Gladiator.

 

[Casique]

Not a TRUCK, who cares!

 

[dcmdon]

It was for me. I had a really nice full size but it was not what I wanted. I was done with the kid haulers, etc. Everyone has there own car and I always wanted a jeep but needed some truck aspect. I wanted a truck I could take the top off and the doors off if I wanted to. I could have kept my Ram or gone to a Taco or other but I wanted the Gladiator.

This is EXACTLY the situation with me.

I NEED vehicle that goes well through the snow and can carry 4 people and a dog in a crate in back.

I WANT all the stuff you mentioned. If I got a bronco I'd need to use my trailer more. As it is I'm still going to need to use my utility trailer if I need to haul a motorcycle or a load of gravel. becaue I'm putting a topper on my Gladiator.

 

[49Gramps]

Drove a badlands 2 door manual trans yesterday. It's pretty, step in's higher than I'm used to, but it seemed to be very sluggish. Overall, I was totally unimpressed with it.

 

[dstephns]

We picked up our 4 door badlands with the Sasquatch package on Monday. I’ve been jumping between it and the gladiator all week. It’s been a rough week.

Here’s the skinny on it.

The bronco v6 is amazing. Way more fun to drive than the pentastar.

It does feel big. Much bigger than the gladiator. Seats are really comfortable and it feels a little roomier inside. But not much.

The lockers and sway bar disconnects are easier operate, plus you can lock the front and rear separately.

Interior plastic seems a smidge cheaper than the gladiator, but all the control knobs seem really nice. The user interface is a lot like the gladiators. They both work great. There is a little less lag in the gladiator’s system. The badlands comes with rubberized flooring. I love it and I think I’ll adding it to my gladiator.

For rock crawling, it’s jeep by a long shot. I take for granted how the Jeep is designed for visibility. It’s so much easier to place wheels and feel where the truck is at. The bronco feels more like your in a full sized truck.

For cruising down trails or high speed off road, the bronco all day long. It floats and it’s fast. Reminds me of a baby raptor. Great daily driver too. We decided, long road trips will be in the bronco.

I think they both look awesome. But looks are in the eyes of the beholder. Plenty of people on the bronco form hate the looks of the gladiator.

Go far it is getting less MPG than my gladiator with 35s and 4:88s. It does do better on the freeway though. Just not in our stop and go traffic.

Last thing I’ll say, it’s really a 4runner killer to me. Competes more with it than a wrangler. Most people either buy jeep or buy something else. The Toyota’s were usually the something else. But I had a 4Runner. The bronco is so much better. I think it will be the something else for a lot of people.

Great write-up with real-world experience with both vehicles. Have fun with both
Dave

 

[XJADDICTION]

I got to check one out the other day at the dealership while picking a second key for my Mustang. It was on 35’s with dealer installed additions as they only got one big bronco. All the others that come in are sold and go out the door to prepaid owners. This one has the soft toas they admitted Ford is still trying to figure out how to keep it together at interstate speeds.

this one has the smaller motor and it is impressive in a way but still not as good as my 3.6.

fit and finish is ok, but my JT is better. Bronco is very chintzy and feels cheap to me.

funny thing is they can not sell this dealer demo until it reaches 16,000 miles.

I’ll stick with my JT

 

[Wheelin98TJ]

Looks good to me

 

[DesertGladiator]

I have one on order, it'll be a game time decision if we go through with it (for the wife). Went to a Bronco drive event here in AZ a few weeks ago and had a blast, really beat the crap out of that thing in the desert and it didn't stutter once.

I will see the Jeep interior is way better. The one I drove had a front camera and on the big dash screen, I was pretty impressed going up and over steep hills.

 

[Rahkmalla]

Depends how much money you're willing to spend. I have a 2dr base manual sasquatch on order, and at that price point (38k) jeep just doesn't have anything comparable at all.

If you're comparing Badlands and Rubicon then there are points for each side to be made. But Jeep is missing the value offroad segment that a base sasquatch fills.

 

[badger719]

Not super impressed with it. The supply situation means you won't be able to get one for a sane price for literal years. Add in the fact that I'd rather have a pickup bed and it was already off my radar to begin with.

I looked at a few up close with the soft tops, YIKES They were already sagging badly and the windows looked borderline unuseable with the thick film stuck on them already. I think manufacturing removable top SUVs is harder to get into than Ford realized and they're paying the price for it.

The Sasquatch package is a huge temptation but it was too good to be true, it is now a $7K upgrade instead of $5k. Basesquatch is a much better value than the equivalent JL Wrangler BUT only assuming you can get less than MSRP on the Bronco which aint happening in today's market.
I am seeing lots of reports of catastrophic 2.7 failures, usually in the top end. I know Ford is notorious for having many gremlins in the first few model years but that's disturbing.

 

[tysongladiator]

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.

I see your point and understand that. But, you're still comparing vehicles in two different classes. Apples to oranges. The Bronco doesn't have a bed so you can't haul like you would the Gladiator. But, the Bronco has a shorter wheelbase like the Wrangler which has it's advantages. Two different classes. I had a Ram 1500 before my Gladiator. When I got my Gladiator, I had to decide between a full size or a mid size. Once I made that choice, then I could make my decision on which brand. And I decided Jeep. Full size, mid size. Two different classes, capabilities are different. Wrangler/Bronco, Gladiator. Two different classes, different capabilities.

But, I do see your point though. At the end of the day, I'd buy an older full size Bronco with a 351C anyway. I had 3 Broncos and loved them all. I had a Bronco II that I had a 302 in it. Awesome ride. I have nothing against a Bronco.

 

[tysongladiator]

Some people make rational choices. But most buyers aren't directly basing their choice on functional requirements. I heard it constantly when I sold cars.

Re your description of how great the Gladiator meets your needs. The Ranger or Canyon are more rational because they will do everything you mentioned for $15k less than a Gladiator. You don't ned to justify your purchase. I'm about to buy one too.

You're making the assumption that you know how much everyone paid for their gladiator. Why? Because you used to sell cars and you keep up with the market? Because you've personally talked to everyone that has a Gladiator and you know? Don't assume! And just so you know, we had a Canyon. We sold it! It's someone else's problem now.

And ummm.... I'm not justifying my purchase to anyone. I could honestly care less. I got my Gladiator in June 2019. I had it when everyone hated it. Every vehicle driver on the road, cars, SUVs, other trucks, even Wrangler drivers hated the Gladiator. Yet, I kept it and drove on. The only person that liked it was my wife who drives a JKU. so, I could care less who thinks what about my purchase. I only made the comment that the Bronco and Gladiator are in two different classes. Which they are. Bronco is in a class with the Wrangler. Ranger, Gladiator. Both trucks. You don't have to be a car expert to see they're different.

I have no hate for what someone else drives. It really isn't that serious. I've had a vehicle from about 6 different manufactuers. And as far as trucks, a Toyota, Ford, and Dodge. NO hate for no one that drives any of them. Like what you drive, drive what you like. Smile and be happy!

 

[TrainMan]

I still have not seen one yet. I've only seen the Sport model once or twice.

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