Sponsored

Gladiator vs Bronco.

cuellar13

Well-Known Member
First Name
Marty
Joined
Mar 25, 2021
Threads
16
Messages
489
Reaction score
791
Location
Tampa Bay, Florida
Vehicle(s)
2022 RAM, 2021 Bronco Big Bend, 1966 GMC Stepside
Occupation
Director of Recruitment for Pharma/Biotech/Device Consulting Firm
Ya, that's the thing, it's not using the F150 10-speed (10R80) as far as I can tell, it's using the Explorer's (10R60). People are mad saying that it should have a more robust tranny for an offroader.

https://www.thedrive.com/news/40654...rs-10-speed-transmission-and-fans-arent-happy

I thought I saw somewhere that Ford confirmed this but can't find a source for that ATM. just something to think about I guess?

Your infotainment situation sucks. I had something similar in my Cadenza where the screen would do really fun (not) things. Eventually had it happen and drove about an hour up to them while I was out so they could see it. They tried to replace several things in it because the 1 piece that they thought was bad was like a $4k or $6k piece in the unit and Kia made them do testing of other pieces first. Got it all done under warranty though, free for me plus free rental while they had it for a few days :)
Whoa, KIA ain't coming off the pocketbook too easy!

I'm definitely going to explore the tranny situation before my wife's bronco arrives, since you brought it to my attention. Maybe I was naive in assuming the 10 speed in the bronco would be the same as the F150's, but you know how manufacturers and engineers are....(no offense to any engineers in here)

And yeah, the Infotainment is an annoying PITA- told my wife what was going on, and it wouldn't do it when she would take the Rubi out, or was on a short ride with me, so I know that it will work perfectly for the dealer. I went there for maintenance last week, in hopes that it would do it on the way in....nope. The other factor is that about 75% of the time, it will reset after 5-10 minutes. It would be my luck that I get it to lock up, then restart while I'm waiting for a service writer to come out to the vehicle, lol. Gonna have to bite the bullet and take it in and ask for a loaner. Having formerly worked for corporate GM, I know the song and dance that many dealers play, I guess I'm just trying to put off the inevitable...
Sponsored

 

OldButStillJeeping

Well-Known Member
First Name
Eric
Joined
Apr 20, 2021
Threads
10
Messages
180
Reaction score
268
Location
So Cal
Vehicle(s)
2021 JT Mojave, '92 Jeep YJ, 2017 F250 4WD
One reminder for those having problems UConnect, or Ford's Sync, etc, etc.
This may or may not be your issue; But remember, these newer vehicles are computers. You wouldn't turn on your phone or home computer for a minute and then shut it off.
I had a minor issue with my Dodge Challenger which cropped up when I moved it out of the driveway. Took about 30 seconds to move it, and I quickly shut it off... then all hell broke loose... It went into reboot, radio wouldn't shut off, gauges stayed lit up.
It fixed itself, but I learned my lesson.

My 2 cents, for what it's worth.
 
OP
OP
dcmdon

dcmdon

Well-Known Member
First Name
Don
Joined
Mar 31, 2021
Threads
60
Messages
3,654
Reaction score
4,385
Location
Boston Metro-West, Northern NH
Vehicle(s)
.
Thanks all for your responses. I just read 6 pages worth.

I think I need to go for another ride in a Mojave with AT tires. That was my favorite of all the Gladiators that zi drove. It don't know if the spring rates are softer than the Overland or Rubicon, but it seemed to ride best.

Some other thoughts.

The transmission code confusion is just internet subterfuge. Transmissions are sized based on the torque the motor makes and how hard it will be worked. (How much torque the motor will make for how long and how fast, there are both mechanical loads and thermal loads to consider)

An F150s tranny has to be sized to survive towing 10,000ish pounds. A bronco has a 3500 lb tow rating. So it doesn't need to be sized for that stress, even if its hooked up to the same engine.

Remember that off-roading, especially rock crawling is easy on the engine and transmission. Neither are managing much torque, power or heat.

Re the Ford vs Jeep AT. The ZF 8 speed in the Jeep is the best auto trans made today. Its bulletproof. The ford is fine. But the ZF is the standard by which others are judged.

Chrysler is making the ZF under license in the US for use in Jeeps. I can't comment on the quality of the Chrysler made units. That's the unknown. Is the metallurgy as good? Are tolerances held to what they need to be held to? I have no idea.
 

DocMike

Well-Known Member
First Name
Mike
Joined
May 28, 2020
Threads
57
Messages
2,555
Reaction score
4,747
Location
Colorado Springs
Vehicle(s)
2020 Gladiator Sport S, 2001 Audi TT Roadster, 1930 Model A Hot Rod, 1973 VW Square Back
Occupation
Education
Yup. The one dinky Rover was just a rebadged Ford Escape. We put one on the lift and pointed out all the Ford stamped stuff. They did the same with Jag. Remember when a Jag looked like a Taurus? Especially the interior?

I digress. I am not here to shit on Ford. They have made plenty of bad ass stuff. The new Coyote engine is dope. I have a flathead going in the model A hot rod. Innovative for the time. All the majors lose their way at some point and produce a dud.

Problem is that our society loves mediocrity. The real connoisseurs don't buy in mass...EVER.
Chevy SS? Holden sourced v8 rwd and a manual. It's the holy trinity. No one bought them. I woulda given my left nut for one, but sadly my nuts are not that valuable. If I had the money, yes.

You see it in cars, music, guitars, guns, you name it. The good stuff never sells out. The rubbish sells.

My biggest issue with the Big Bro Bronco, is the amount of nanny state that it brings to off roading.
I am enjoying learning another craft. "off-roading." And it is an art. My Jeep is good, but I get to use it and learn. I enjoy following experienced drivers and learning to pick good lines. I can't wait to learn the physics behind a winch and all the things that go into the craft. I ask questions, I listen, I read. I go out and try stuff. Gradually increasing my skill and adding to my rig. I always wheel just under what I know my rig can handle. With the new Bronco I see many weekend warriors. Going out and hoping for a Deus ex Machina. Y'all know you can't push a button and be Johnny or Suzie off road. But the Ford seems to sell that. PUSH THIS BUTTON and you are Baja 1000 ready. PUSH THIS BUTTON and you can do the Rubicon. All these gadgets are gonna make you awesome. People will get stuck. People will get hurt. People will die. Seen this shit too many times where some company tries to give the inside track on a fringe lifestyle.

Will there always be stupid people? Yes. I saw a sign at the gas station reminding people not to drink gasoline. I have seen too many videos of rolled Jeeps. Jeeps that were built, probably bought.

So here is my prediction: There will be lots of people in new Broncos getting rescued. Just like lots of Jeeps and Tacos and and and..... The tech will add to the hobby in a negative way. Sure we will have competent drivers. But just like every other off road vehicle, we will see people getting over their heads.

Best we can do is be chill, take time, educate. And not lose our shit on the trail. We can document it later.



OK, tinfoil hat. You all recall Ford owned Range Rover from 2000 to 2008? When did they first tease the return of the Bronco; 2004 ish. Look at the Range Rovers of that era. Look at the new Bronco's and the new Range Rovers. They all have the same heritage. There are articles that speak directly to early Bronco engineers leveraging their European development.

In 2008, Ford and Range Rover split ways, divided up the kids and both kept rolling with the development of their similar platforms. They have diverged necessarily, but they have the same genesis.

Oh, and by the way... I think the Bronco looks like a Ford Flex, which is from that era, with a lift and big tires! The Bronco Sport is a straight up modern Ford LR4.

Just saying... And just so you all know, I don't think it's a bad thing. All of it eventually leads to us all having more options and better stuff.

Flex.jpg


Untitled.jpg
 

BAT

Well-Known Member
First Name
Blaine
Joined
Nov 11, 2019
Threads
106
Messages
2,295
Reaction score
2,025
Location
Katy, TX
Vehicle(s)
Jeep Gladiator Sport S Max Tow Sting Grey
I'm becoming a doors off fan. I hated it at first. No place for my left arm to rest...

Now, I dig it.
If it would stop raining every danged day and maybe give me a week or so with no rain so I could take them off for a few days
 

Sponsored

redrider

Well-Known Member
First Name
Joe
Joined
Apr 29, 2019
Threads
5
Messages
596
Reaction score
881
Location
Columbia
Vehicle(s)
1 truck 5 motorcycles
What?!!! Water falling from the sky, you say? Not here. Watering tomatoes and hot peppers twice daily.
 

REDBEAST

Well-Known Member
First Name
Jim
Joined
Nov 26, 2019
Threads
4
Messages
141
Reaction score
101
Location
Dallas, TX
Vehicle(s)
2020 Gladiator Rubicon LE, 2017 Jaguar F-Type SVR
Occupation
Retired
I know its not apples to apples. But the pickup truck aspect of a Gladiator is a want not a need.

So for me its between the Gladiator and the Bronco.

The following is a short write up I did for a Bronco group of what I saw yesterday during a static viewing of the Bronco.


I got a chance to sit in and measure a Bronco in person yesterday at Stoneham Ford in MA. Here are some thoughts and observations.

They had 2 - 4 doors. One was a Badlands on 32s, the other was a Black Diamond Sasquatch on 35s.

1) the 12" display is big. and responsive.
2) the interior is relatively narrow compared to the cars we own now. Not bad. But you can definitely feel that its built off a compact/midsized truck and not a full sized truck.

3) the Badlands on 33s looked very nice. It's proportions are very good.
4) I want to know how much the wheel/tire on a Sas weighs? It would not want to change a flat. Though with those tires, id imagine your chances eof getting a flat is pretty slim.

5) My concern with the Bronco was fitting my dog's crate in the back, lengthwise. The cargo area measures ~32" from a closed rear door to the hump at the front of the cargo area. MY dog crate will fit.
6) The MGV was not as nice as I was expecting. It has a brushed almost metallic look to it. I thought it was going to have more of a leather type texture to it. Not a big deal. I'll probably replace with Katzkins saddle leather interior shortly after I buy it.

7) the plastic floor is very nice and is going to be super practical. We have Weather Tech matts in all our current vehicles, so we effectively have a plastic floor now.
8) the Lux sound system sounded "good enough".

9) We will probably use ours with the top up and the doors and side windows off in the summer. (safari mode, the jeep guys call it). The side windows and rear window of the soft top come off very easily.
10) The anti-matter blue was GORGEOUS.

I'm looking forward to driving it within the month. I'm expecting it to drive better than a Jeep on the road. I drove a couple of jeeps recently and have decided that I may not want to live with the poor on-road manners of the jeep as an everyday driver.
A little off the subject but Stoneham used to be one of my stomping grounds when I was a kid back in the late 50's. I lived in Woburn at the time and used to walk all the way up Montvale Ave to get a sub sandwich on the corner of Main.
 

PyrPatriot

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2019
Threads
193
Messages
2,669
Reaction score
1,859
Location
Kentucky, USA
Vehicle(s)
JT Sport S Max Tow; Honda Element
I'm definitely going to explore the tranny situation before my wife's bronco arrives, since you brought it to my attention. Maybe I was naive in assuming the 10 speed in the bronco would be the same as the F150's, but you know how manufacturers and engineers are....(no offense to any engineers in here)
2021 Ford Bronco Confirmed With 10R60 Transmission


https://www.autoevolution.com/news/2021-ford-bronco-confirmed-with-10r60-transmission-some-customers-arent-happy-161431.html#:~:text=2021 Ford Bronco Confirmed With 10R60 Transmission, Some,2017 model year is available in many flavors.

But, according to the article the info is based on someone posting in a forum the part number from their Bronco

Tech specs for the Bronco, maybe it can be confirmed by matching up the gearing?
https://media.ford.com/content/dam/...pdf/2021-Bronco-2dr-4dr-Prelim-Tech-Specs.pdf
 

cuellar13

Well-Known Member
First Name
Marty
Joined
Mar 25, 2021
Threads
16
Messages
489
Reaction score
791
Location
Tampa Bay, Florida
Vehicle(s)
2022 RAM, 2021 Bronco Big Bend, 1966 GMC Stepside
Occupation
Director of Recruitment for Pharma/Biotech/Device Consulting Firm
Thanks, for the info. I'll confirm once ours arrives (whenever that is, lol). We did get a vin about a month ago, so.....
 

Orange01z28

Well-Known Member
First Name
Andrew
Joined
Aug 19, 2020
Threads
63
Messages
1,350
Reaction score
1,693
Location
Queen Creek Arizona
Vehicle(s)
2020 JT Sport S
That 2.3L is in my wife's Exploder. We had a warranty replacement at 12k-ish miles and it recently had a vacuum line fall off the intake manifold that required an intake manifold replacement. The vehicle has 44k miles on it (32k miles on the new engine). Let's just say I don't trust it long term and we're probably going to trade it in for a Grand Cherokee at some point

That being said, for being such a tiny engine it has great power and runs really well. The 2.3L in the Explorer's in-town mileage is as bad as my Gladiator, but on the freeway it is incredible. We averaged just under 30mpg when we drove it to Yellowstone last September. That includes speeds of over 90mpg on cruise control up the 15

I love the idea of the Bronco and I like Fords overall. I think the JL/JT is better executed from a KISS standpoint right now, but at the end of the day having a direct competitor will only benefit all of us as the consumer
 

Sponsored

OldButStillJeeping

Well-Known Member
First Name
Eric
Joined
Apr 20, 2021
Threads
10
Messages
180
Reaction score
268
Location
So Cal
Vehicle(s)
2021 JT Mojave, '92 Jeep YJ, 2017 F250 4WD
Food for thought...

Can you imagine the ramifications on the Jeep brand, if Ford's Bronco brand went with a solid front axle?
Or, if Toyota put solid front axles on the FJ Cruiser? Or imported to the states - the small solid axle'd Land Cruiser?
Jeep would be in trouble.

I'll bet these 4x4 aftermarket companies are currently working on a solid axle conversion for the bigger Bronco.

Just sayin'.
 

JTsGarage

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2021
Threads
0
Messages
55
Reaction score
117
Location
Raleigh, North Carolina
Vehicle(s)
Gladiator Overland
It's interesting to me in checking out the Bronco forums that a lot of the people most interested in the Bronco seem to be coming from an F-150 or similar-sized vehicle. I see a lot of comments about limited elbow room, backseat legroom, cargo capacity, etc. - all non-issues to me because I drove a JK Wrangler for years. Climb in a Jeep and you're constantly reminded that you're not in a typical SUV or truck - and that's part of its charm. If you really need the room of a full-size truck, they're truly hard to beat. A Jeep or Bronco just aren't built to meet those needs, so you have to weigh what's most important to you. That's what I love about the JT - iconic Jeep looks and design with a little more truck utility if you're willing to give up a degree of off-road capability. That's a fair tradeoff in my opinion.

On Jeep vs. Bronco, as others have stated I think the competition is great. Given the crazy growth of Wrangler since the Unlimited models came out, there's certainly room for another entry in the 4x4 market. Jeep has nothing to be ashamed of or to fear in my opinion. The JL and JT are both absolutely fantastic. The Bronco is the new kid on the block and folks want something different. That's fine. To me, Jeep will always be THE icon and the standard. Just like many automakers will make flagship sports cars to compete with the Porsche 911, the 911 is THE icon and will always be the standard.
 

LostWoods

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 13, 2020
Threads
15
Messages
1,921
Reaction score
2,171
Location
Gilbert, AZ
Vehicle(s)
2024 4Runner / 1995 YJ
I love to read all these comments about Ford's dependability like we don't all drive Jeeps. I don't care about your anecdotes because I have my own with a collective million+ worry free miles among my family's Fords - both are consistently below industry average and the Bronco will likely be no better or worse than the JL in that department.
 

centra28

Well-Known Member
First Name
Dale
Joined
Jan 8, 2021
Threads
0
Messages
72
Reaction score
117
Location
Lee's Summit, MO
Vehicle(s)
2021 Jeep Gladiator Mojave Hydro Blue Pearl Coat
One other thought regarding engines.

The base engine on a Bronco is a 2.3L turbo with 300 hp and 325 lb ft of torque.

$1800 gets you a 2.7L V6 turbo with 330 hp and 415 ft-lbs of torque.

$500 gets you a tune for either that bumps HP and torque by roughly 80 hp and 80 ftlbs.

There is nothing like this available on the Jeep.
FYI it's $3500 upgrade to the V6 because it's only paired with the 10 spd auto trans. so:

$1900 to move up to the 2.7L V6
$1600 for the 10 spd auto
 

red/green hawk

Well-Known Member
First Name
Ryan
Joined
Apr 4, 2020
Threads
32
Messages
548
Reaction score
1,014
Location
Albuquerque, NM
Vehicle(s)
2020 JT Sport S with max tow package, 2008 Suburban LTZ
Occupation
ICU Nurse
Even the baddest Bronco won't be more "off-road capable" than the baddest JT. But can a Bronco do this?...
20210525_174407.jpg


That turned into this for my baby girl's b-day.
20210525_175551.jpg
Sponsored

 
 



Top