Hello everyone, Thomas here. Some of you may have noticed our Jeep has sold, and in its place, a new 2021 Ford Bronco sits. I haven't gotten it out on the trail enough to give a proper review, but I want to take some time today to go over my initial impressions, specifically from someone leaving a Jeep for the Bronco. Before I begin, though, let's talk specifically about how our Bronco is optioned from Ford and give everyone the answer they came to hear off the bat before the breakdowns. Our Bronco is a Wildtrak model sporting the Sasquatch package (35s, lockers, and 4.7 gears) that I am relatively confident all Wildtraks have (more on that confusion later). We have the upgraded 2.7 engine, luxury package, trailer tow, hardtop package with headliner, stone leather interior, and the beadlock ready wheels. Ford puts the MSRP at just under $60,000 with all of this. We paid more than MSRP as this was from a lot and not ordered, but some more on that later. Overall, if you want to know if a former Jeep owner thinks the Bronco beat out the Jeep speaking only on first impressions, then yes, at least right now, it seems Ford did it.

Some Upfront Concerns

Build Process

I do have a few.. opinions.. on the whole process of buying a Bronco. First off, I have had to explain to multiple friends/would-be customers that the tiny mom car they saw with BRONCO on the front was not a real Bronco and is different from the "actual" one. I am talking about the Bronco Sport. With all the hype and with it coming first, Ford would have been much wiser to label it something different. What they did is like Land Rover hyping up the new Defender and then dropping a discovery near the same time but calling it a Defender Sport. In my opinion, it just adds to the already confusing lineup. Why are there so many.. "isms" to building a bronco. Why do some trims have more options than others? If I get a sasquatch package, I can't have a roof rack; if I want a winch, I have to figure out what option is messing that up, etc..

I have always hated that about the Jeeps as well. You can't get a sport and pay for the specific options you want; no, they have been locked behind another model's paywall with a slew of features you don't want. It's frustrating when there are 3 Paywalls, let alone with the Broncos like 7? I went Wildtrak thinking it was the best one; it's anyone's opinion what one is the best as they all have some features the others don't. (WHY both badlands and Wildtrak can't have the swaybar disconnect on the dash infuriates me.) Make TWO distinct models. The Bronco and the Bronco sport if you have to, everything from there is additional packages and selections. It would be so much simpler this way.

The Ford Brand

First, no one will question that a Toyota will hold its value and run for seemingly ever, and people looking at a Bronco will just as quickly look at a 4runner. I, for one, am not and have never really been much of a Ford person. It is a personal bias from my experience, but it's shared by more than a handful. They just are not known for reliability or excellent customer service. Couple that reputation with the fact that you are going in on a first-year production model, and it is usually enough to give folks cold feet or a reason to be wary. Sure, all of this could be the ramblings of a tin foil hat-wearing Ford hater. Unfortunately, with the photos of soft tops letting blizzards in, forums keeping a running tab of over 30+ failed engines for the 2.7 option, the hardtop recall/re-design, and even some A/C issues noted, it seems more likely that those concerned folks are not so crazy. I have yet to have any problems with anything on my Bronco, and I do hope I continue to have none, but I am still under 5,000 miles, and I did shell out for all the possible warranty extensions, insurances etc. Anticipating the worst and hoping for the best seems the best way forward.

The Market

While the Bronco has impressed me more than I could have ever expected, it is not without some blunders. In my opinion, Ford's biggest one has been out of their hands for the most part. It is not uncommon to find broncos going for $15-$20k above MSRP (we paid 15 over), and I have seen first editions running north of $110K. Even worse, due to the market flux, folks who had ordered and waited for ages to get them are now finding them outside their price range unless they were smart enough to get signed agreements on price before any of this became an issue. These pains are exaggerated even more so when someone has adjusted their dream build to exclude items holding up builds for months or indefinitely due to material shortages plaguing the world. I don't knock Ford too much for this point as all the competition has similar issues, but it is still a significant issue for a prospective buyer. Where I can start to critique Ford is with the aftermarket issues. Even if you manage to get a Bronco right now, the aftermarket's bleak when compared to a Toyota or Jeep. That is pretty standard for a new release; however, it seems that ford has signed deals or been very selective with who got to look and work with pre-production models. I think this is a shot in the foot for them. One of the main driving factors to other vehicles, especially the Jeep, is the massive equipment and accessories market; knowingly limiting it when shops are already struggling with material and demand issues seems rather stupid.

Actual Confusion

What Winch?

There has to be a story here where the designers and engineers finally could not team up as they did on the rest of the vehicle (minus one other point we will talk about). This entire vehicle is a love child to the offroader. They thought of so much and then.. the winch is an INSANE $3500 option; You can't even buy the winch mount without getting it packaged with a winch! It doesn't work with the adaptive cruise control sensors and blocks the front camera. And that's with the "MODULAR" bumper—what a flop. There is no space for bumper lights unless they are pods, no fogs, and no spot for a winch.. what exactly is modular? How do you copy and improve on nearly everything the Jeep does and blunder being able to run a winch reasonably? We have lockers front and rear and 35s and excellent gearing.. and no way to run a winch without buying a new bumper when you marketed a modular one from the factory, and it looks clean is the worst part, I want to run it! On top of this, the 2.7 seems to have issues with most of the aftermarket options that have managed to make it to market due to the cooler interfering, so it's just become the problem you can't even really throw money at to solve for owners.

Other Negative Notes

The interior has a few weird things that you might overlook at first because it's such a massive improvement over the Jeep or even Toyotas. The handles are down on the dash, and I don't hate it, but I think keeping them up on the "A-Pillar" would have been wiser, especially with my shorter wife and our sasquatch package. Additionally, the rear cargo area is mostly flat up until some ledge toward the back of the rear seats. It's just enough to keep my ARB fridge from fitting nicely and flush It makes the aftermarket for drawers, etc., that much more of a pain for seemingly no reason; design team feel free to explain. I also noticed a distinct lack of cupholders on the Bronco, very picky, but two extra behind the center console would be rock solid, or even on the door panels down low. I also think the rustproofing job on the undercarriage is garbage. I have rust already, and it has the protection stuff, etc. It is a minor complaint as it's a commonplace, but it really would be great to see some thick paint on the critical parts from the factory. Finally, as I am sure most who follow the Bronco have heard, they, like the winch, messed up the rock rails. Factory ones bolt to the seam, and the frame has no pre-made holes for mounting "real ones." It's just shocking to see when everything else was thought of so well.

That is all I can think of that they got wrong so far. It's primarily nitpicking stuff or things that could easily be adjusted down the timeline; overall, the Bronco is incredibly impressive and a huge home run for ford.

Why you would buy one anyway

Fix all the Jeep problems

Ok, so they didn’t fix absolutely everything and a big bunch of fudds are not happy about the IFS but all that aside? If ever a vehicle was a love letter to Jeep owners and offroaders, it is the Bronco. Are you upset that your doors don't fit in your Jeep when you take them off? Bronco solved that with the frameless design. That's right; your doors can be stored in the car in case it decides to rain when you are out enjoying the buggy life.

Ford kept the mirrors on the truck regardless of whether the door is on or off. It's such a no-brainer that you wonder how Jeep has gotten away with not solving this issue way sooner. The hardtop is now a four-piece system instead of three (the rear passenger area now has its own panel), making for much easier removal of the last larger cargo bit.

The tailgate and tire carrier is much more supported and handles a 35" tire like it's not even on the gate. After many times struggling with heavy tailgates on all manor of Jeeps, this was so nice. Along those same lines, the improvement to the doors being able to stay open on their own is very welcomed and appreciated!

Overall the Bronco just really feels like a refined Jeep. It makes the Jeep feel like a tractor and not a particularly nice one. The seats are incredibly comfortable; the ride doesn't drift and fight you on long hauls. The fenders and crash bars can be easily removed if you're going to bigger tires, and the Sasquatch package can be purchased at any trim level, meaning you always have the "rubicon capability." One of the things everyone has to agree with is that the Bronco looks good right from the factory. If you buy a Jeep (especially a Gladiator), that thing is downright fugly until you put a lift, new bumper, wheels, tires, etc. Bronco has a distinct look, and I won't say it's for everyone, but if you were indifferent, I still think you would point to a stock Bronco over a stock Jeep.

The Interior

If the Bronco did not shine on the trail it certainly does on the inside. Luxury options on this truck actually feel luxurious as compared to Jeep's new offerings that feel like Hasbro designed them for children (that border around the center display cracks me up every time.) The space for the driver is much roomier. The massive array of information on the 12" center screen and the configurable digital dash is incredible. The hardtop is black on the inside and, when optioned with a headliner, is not just a few blocks of material attached with 3M but a full carpet lining. Wireless charging and Carplay are great to have onboard. I love that they placed powerpoints up on the dash for Inreach/phones, etc. The rail-ready accessory point was another excellent display of forward-thinking for overland types. The leather seats in two-tone look stunning and are incredibly comfortable (the heated option is warm in what seems like seconds, and I usually am not a fan of leather!) I could go on and on about all the options built into the displays, like zone lighting and the goat modes, and the 360 fantastic camera feature (especially with how configurable it can be for various situations). Overall, I am just pleased with the interior of the Bronco. I am happy that a shift stick remained instead of the lever on the steering column as well, and additionally welcome the electric push-button 4H/4L method over the stick. Anyone who has driven a Jeep in 4L knows sometimes it feels like you're going to yank that selector through the center console to get it into 4wd, so it's nice to push a button or swap into a mode and be done. So far, I have not had any issues with the shifting in and out of 4L/4H/2H, etc.

Switch Option

Ford rocked me with this option. I thought it was just a set of switches for convenience, installed cleanly in an OEM fashion for a few hundred bucks. It seemed pretty fair to me, and I was happy to have them instead of a switchpro/SPoD system. When you select this option, you get the switches, a distribution block under the hood, and, most importantly, factory auxiliary wiring pre-run to the most common places! Wiring up a lightbar? The wiring is already in place; simply connect it to the bar and then to the desired switch on the distribution panel. That is some awesome forward-thinking and not just for Ford, but the aftermarket and the customer. Amazing to see them go so above and beyond the expectation.

Final Thoughts

The Ford Bronco set out to bring the heat onto Jeep and offer some proper competition to that scene of drivers, and I have to say even with all I have noticed, I do not miss my Jeep at all. On top of that, I would honestly say stock from the factory and for most people use the Bronco is one of the best vehicles for hitting the back-country. Contrary to prevalent hate from that Jeep community, IFS will make it better for 90% of offroad vehicle buyers (Let's not forget, probably half of all Rubicon owners are soccer moms worried about a yearly flurry of snow.) I won't crown it king just yet as I have yet to bury this one in a bog, sleep in it for a month, or climb a few mountains, but overall, it has left a near-perfect first impression on this former Jeep owner. Even if you disagree with me, I don't think anyone can argue that it hasn't at least put the Jeep finally in competition for that "space," and that is something we can all love.

I look forward to keeping you all updated with any surprises I find in the next year and reporting back when I have tested its limits a bit more!