Bronco?

[NCTrees]

Anyone have one of the new ones? How’s the ride quality, off-road ability and reliability so far? Enough interior room to load up dogs and gear for a couple weeks chasing birds? Any significant gripes? All feedback is appreciated.

 

[Roguemountainhunter]

Following

I don't own one. But, I have a buddy that does. He loves that thing. Me personally, they are to small for my needs. I did see a bunch of them running the FS roads all season last year.

Hope you find what you are looking for.

 

[fishdart]

My brother has a 4-door with soft top. In my limited experience going camping in it, I very much dislike the rear cargo area access. Tailgate hinges open, then you unlatch the top, lift and swing down a kickstand rod (like for a car hood) to keep it open and it doesn't open very high at that.

Rear seats do not fold flat.

I am wholly jaded though, I admit, with the dance-hall-sized and easy to access cargo space of my LR3 and Disco2 before that.

I've only had the pleasure of it in a very mild off road setting so I can't comment on any of that. It has lockers, which is always nice. It also has the "GOAT" system of selectable traction control profiles for different terrain, much like my LR3 which can be quite useful.


I would imagine the hard top would solve my cargo space access gripe plus the added ability to take a roof rack would be a huge bonus to gear hauling space.

 

[Sapcut]

My brother has a 4-door with soft top. In my limited experience going camping in it, I very much dislike the rear cargo area access. Tailgate hinges open, then you unlatch the top, lift and swing down a kickstand rod (like for a car hood) to keep it open and it doesn't open very high at that.

Rear seats do not fold flat.

I am wholly jaded though, I admit, with the dance-hall-sized and easy to access cargo space of my LR3 and Disco2 before that.

I've only had the pleasure of it in a very mild off road setting so I can't comment on any of that. It has lockers, which is always nice. It also has the "GOAT" system of selectable traction control profiles for different terrain, much like my LR3 which can be quite useful.


I would imagine the hard top would solve my cargo space access gripe plus the added ability to take a roof rack would be a huge bonus to gear hauling space.

I have to ask…. Have you experienced the horrid unreliability with your LRs that so many others have?

 

[DuckDogDr]

I have to ask…. Have you experienced the horrid unreliability with your LRs that so many others have?

Sapcut. I have never owned one, however spent 2 weeks in one as a free upgrade to my rental. Mine was an absolute turd.
Only had 50k miles and the sunroof was already leaking. The ceiling was falling in on the passenger side.
Vehicle had weird quirks about it. Couldn’t open the back tailgate if it was running (even if in park)

 

[wyosteve]

Funny this popped up. I was at the Dodge dealership on Tuesday picking up my new truck and we noticed one of the little Broncos on the lot. I know the sales manager well so picked his brain. It was a customer of his that always had driven Jeeps, but decided to buy the Bronco. He bought it June 13. Mind you, I was there on July 18 and it was on the Dodge lot. Manager says the guy hated it. No room compared to his Jeep. The 10 speed transmission was awful. Manager drove it as well and it kept hunting for the right gear. Going up a slight hill it was upshifting and downshifting 3 times. Seemed it couldn't decide what gear to use. So, the buyer was back in a Jeep and I'm sure he took a beating by trading the Bronco a month after he got it. I've looked at them out of curiosity and they seem like a SUV that many manufacturers offer. Nothing special IMO.

 

[fishdart]

I have to ask…. Have you experienced the horrid unreliability with your LRs that so many others have?

Compared to the 3 Fords (2 Rangers and an Exploder) I owned before these two, I'd take the LRs any day of the week. Granted they were older vehicles than the LRs but they had their fair share of issues.

Both LRs were bought used so can't speak for what all was done before my ownership, but I ran my D2 for a decade without much drama at all. Sure I had parts break, but that happens with any brand. Biggest thing I had to keep up on was the cooling system as it was very complex and they love to use plastic parts which end up brittle and the 4.6L was known to be prone to head gasket issues. Preventative maintenance kept me from experiencing that myself though.

The LR3 is a much more complex vehicle than the D2, so there are more sensors that can give the computer something to get upset about whether there is a real issue or not. That said, since I ripped out the air-bag suspension (had one corner bag that needed to be replaced, so I hedged my bet and did the full swap) and went to coil-overs with the computer reflash from Atlantic British, it's been trundling right along. Biggest $$ item was that suspension job, second was a rear diff replacement (pinion bearing ate itself), third was a module under the center console that wasn't happy I left the sunroof wide open when we got 2" of rain overnight.

Everything else I have to replace I would consider to be normal wear and tear on a now 17 year old vehicle that is driven everyday, used to haul hunting/camping gear often, and to tow boats and trailers.

 

[Sapcut]

Compared to the 3 Fords (2 Rangers and an Exploder) I owned before these two, I'd take the LRs any day of the week. Granted they were older vehicles than the LRs but they had their fair share of issues.

Both LRs were bought used so can't speak for what all was done before my ownership, but I ran my D2 for a decade without much drama at all. Sure I had parts break, but that happens with any brand. Biggest thing I had to keep up on was the cooling system as it was very complex and they love to use plastic parts which end up brittle and the 4.6L was known to be prone to head gasket issues. Preventative maintenance kept me from experiencing that myself though.

The LR3 is a much more complex vehicle than the D2, so there are more sensors that can give the computer something to get upset about whether there is a real issue or not. That said, since I ripped out the air-bag suspension (had one corner bag that needed to be replaced, so I hedged my bet and did the full swap) and went to coil-overs with the computer reflash from Atlantic British, it's been trundling right along. Biggest $$ item was that suspension job, second was a rear diff replacement (pinion bearing ate itself), third was a module under the center console that wasn't happy I left the sunroof wide open when we got 2" of rain overnight.

Everything else I have to replace I would consider to be normal wear and tear on a now 17 year old vehicle that is driven everyday, used to haul hunting/camping gear often, and to tow boats and trailers.

Well that isn’t quite as bad as I’ve heard so many times before.

Although I did have a 1971 Bronco that was cool, I’m a long time Land Cruiser owner myself.

 

[5MilesBack]

Well that isn’t quite as bad as I’ve heard so many times before.

And I was reading that thinking that I wouldn't touch one if they gave it to me. Quirks and problems.....no thanks.

 

[fishdart]

And I was reading that thinking that I wouldn't touch one if they gave it to me. Quirks and problems.....no thanks.

If vehicles didn't have problems there wouldn't be an auto parts store behind every rick, cot, and tree. Our Subaru Forrester had myriad issues, my wife's Jetta had a ton of issues, her 2015 Yukon is a ticking time bomb for either collapsed lifters and/or a blown transmission by all internet accounts. The rear lift gate has a mind of its own as to whether it wants to open or not. Brake pads/calipers constantly sticking and wearing out poorly, wheel plating is flaking off, body rust starting, transmission cooler lines leaking at the fittings, etc.

Some people are better off leasing, i guess.


EDIT: sorry to derail this thread....back to the Bronco talk, folks.

 

[displacedtexan]

A buddy of mine is on his second new Bronco.

He loves them.

 

[Sapcut]

If vehicles didn't have problems there wouldn't be an auto parts store behind every rick, cot, and tree. Our Subaru Forrester had myriad issues, my wife's Jetta had a ton of issues, her 2015 Yukon is a ticking time bomb for either collapsed lifters and/or a blown transmission by all internet accounts. The rear lift gate has a mind of its own as to whether it wants to open or not. Brake pads/calipers constantly sticking and wearing out poorly, wheel plating is flaking off, body rust starting, transmission cooler lines leaking at the fittings, etc.

Some people are better off leasing, i guess.


EDIT: sorry to derail this thread....back to the Bronco talk, folks.

That’s because the large majority of auto makers, ESPECIALLY, American companies intentionally make disposable vehicles. From many years and hundreds of thousands of miles of experience with Japanese made land cruisers, that is not the case at all. Totally different planet in vehicles build and quality.

Like I remember hearing about the Broncos in the early 80s…. The 70s era Broncos seemed to be outstanding vehicles. They would traverse the woods and commonly pull out other stuck vehicles. Then I heard the theory about Ford stopped making them so dependable so they would sell more.

 

[swavescatter]

Funny this popped up. I was at the Dodge dealership on Tuesday picking up my new truck and we noticed one of the little Broncos on the lot. I know the sales manager well so picked his brain. It was a customer of his that always had driven Jeeps, but decided to buy the Bronco. He bought it June 13. Mind you, I was there on July 18 and it was on the Dodge lot. Manager says the guy hated it. No room compared to his Jeep. The 10 speed transmission was awful. Manager drove it as well and it kept hunting for the right gear. Going up a slight hill it was upshifting and downshifting 3 times. Seemed it couldn't decide what gear to use. So, the buyer was back in a Jeep and I'm sure he took a beating by trading the Bronco a month after he got it. I've looked at them out of curiosity and they seem like a SUV that many manufacturers offer. Nothing special IMO.

Lost all credibility by saying the bronco has less interior space than a wrangler, unless he was comparing to grand Cherokees or wagoneer.

Jeeps are narrower and smaller inside. Just facts. I’m a big ford guy and wrestled with the decision to go Bronco or Jeep.

My Buddy has a 2 Dr Bronco and loves it, but his fuel pump mysteriously gave out. Other than that, the 10 speeds are pretty well received on the newer trucks.

The 8 speed auto on my Jeep is ok, but paired with the anemic 3.6L it hunts. Not a problem with the Broncos.

In the end I picked the Jeep due to dealer gouging on Broncos and solid axle over IFS for off-road driving. Seats, interior, commuting all go to the Bronco. Jeeps have their own known issues that WILL happen and Jeep will not address (lockers, batteries, etc.) I’m on my 3rd Rubicon.

In this market I’d order a custom build bronco through a dealer willing to sell under invoice and just wait the 6 months for it to arrive. If you need one today you can save about $20k over a comparable Bronco by buying a Jeep as they are stacked high and deep on lots.

 

[johnsd16]

We got a stripped down model that may have been a 2wd as a rental in MN last winter. It was a total pile. It only had 6k miles or so and everything was loose, rattling, coming apart, it was gutless, and so cramped/tiny it was like a toy. If you gave me one I'd give it back.

 

[swavescatter]

You are confusing it with the Bronco Sport I think, which is a butch-ified escape really. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Bronco rental unless you booked Turo or something specifically ($$$)…

 

[DenimChicken]

I think it’s worth pointing out that there is the “full size” Bronco and the smaller Bronco Sport which are two different vehicles. I haven’t driven either, but people with refer to them both simple as “Bronco” which can cause some confusion. Just want to some sure it’s all apples to apples.

 

[Chad717]

My wife hasone, it is the Sasquatch that has the 35 inch tires and lockers and they are a very impressive rig I will have to say, I hope maybe in two or three years I can transition it into my hunting vehicle. The fuel mileage isn’t the greatest but they have way more power than I thought they would, are very comfortable and have a lot of room. My hunting vehicle now is a 2015 Tacoma with a 4 L V6 and that bronco would run circles around this Tacoma and gets better fuel mileage.

 

[cuerro viejo]

Funny this popped up. I was at the Dodge dealership on Tuesday picking up my new truck and we noticed one of the little Broncos on the lot. I know the sales manager well so picked his brain. It was a customer of his that always had driven Jeeps, but decided to buy the Bronco. He bought it June 13. Mind you, I was there on July 18 and it was on the Dodge lot. Manager says the guy hated it. No room compared to his Jeep. The 10 speed transmission was awful. Manager drove it as well and it kept hunting for the right gear. Going up a slight hill it was upshifting and downshifting 3 times. Seemed it couldn't decide what gear to use. So, the buyer was back in a Jeep and I'm sure he took a beating by trading the Bronco a month after he got it. I've looked at them out of curiosity and they seem like a SUV that many manufacturers offer. Nothing special IMO.

2 door or 4 door?

the 4d bronco is a bigger interior then 4d jeep. Number are the numbers.

I know bronco is wider in the two door then the jeep but not Im sure on back. I havent been in 2 door or looked at 2 door specs.

I use to own a jeep. three friends with bronco(2 wildtreks and one raptor). Bronco’s do have more interior room. I do wish bronco was a ft longer though. So i could sleep in the back

Hard tops both jeep and broncos are still to loud IMO. the after market bronco one piece tops are quieter then factory modular.

As far as off road its impressive but its wide.

 

[Beendare]

I have 2 friends that always get the latest and greatest...they wanted this new Bronco bad from the time a couple years ago when it was announced.

They both checked them out...and both passed. They said the interior was tiny. The one guy didn't even drive it.

 

[toddh]

Love mine. It's not a daily driver though. Large backseat and a comfortable ride.