A regular adventurer’s opinions on Ford’s resurrected adventure-mobile.

80 years after Bantam, Willys, and Ford created the body-style of a small military scout car, the word Jeep has become less of a brand and more of a descriptor of anything vaguely off-road capable. Jeep dominates the off-pavement segment, both on the showroom and in the aftermarket. The brand proudly waves the Wrangler’s slogan, “Often imitated, never duplicated.” For years this had rang true. International’s Scout, Suzuki’s Samurai, Daihatsu’s Rocky, Isuzu’s Vehicross, Land Rover’s Defender, and Toyota’s FJ-40 have all tried to grab a piece of the sales pie. None have succeeded to dethrone, and as its eightieth anniversary rolls around Jeep remains the only one of its competitors to have stayed in the race when the others threw in the proverbial towel.

Then, everything changed when the Broncos attacked.

The gut reaction when I saw the new Bronco was, “FJ Cruiser and Wrangler had a baby.” But the more I look at it, the more I appreciate the cute styling. Odd, but cute.

The first question to ask is, “Will it be any good?” Many have risen as competitors in the dedicated off-roader segment, and few have stayed with the program. Ford knows what they’re doing, though. The greatest evidence is the Ford Raptor, a single trim level which turns the F-150 into a juggernaut of desert racing power and performance. The new Bronco is based on the new-for-U.S. Ranger midsize truck, but this isn’t a Ranger with the bed lopped off. The 2021 Bronco is a completely new beast, and the claimed stats and features suggest this is a worthy competitor. So let’s do some good old fashioned bench racing and dissect if this newcomer is a mall crawler or a trail rig.

A strong, independent suspension who needs no solid axle.

It’s no secret now that the 2021 Ford Bronco has an independent front suspension. For those unaware, this is considered a massive drawback in the off road community, as illustrated below.

The inherent disadvantage of independent suspension in an adventure vehicle is the length of the lever arm. Because the control arm is the pivot point, its short length limits the uptravel and downtravel. Contrast to a solid axle suspension, where the pivot point is literally the other end of the vehicle. The entire length of the axle is the lever arm, and you can flex to whatever length your shocks, brake lines, and limiting cables will allow. In the early 1980s Ford designed the “twin traction beam” or “twin I-beam” suspension. This was an independent front suspension with massive travel, thanks to the suspension geometry made possible by a pivot point on the opposite side of the vehicle. However, this is almost exclusively a 2WD design, and it would be difficult for the factory to engineer reliability into such an extreme design. I drove a 2WD 1993 Ford Ranger with twin I-beam suspension in high school, and it was soft and smooth at high speed. There’s a reason trophy trucks use this same suspension design, but for a 4x4 it’s rather impractical.

The most recent iteration of the Jeep Wrangler, the JL bodystyle, continues the 80-year tradition of solid axles front and rear, and there’s a good reason why virtually all trail rigs you’ll see sport the antiquated technology; it just works. The long steel axle tube and differential carrier gives inherent strength just by the geometry of it alone, and aftermarket support for tough hardware is far better than a Rzeppa or tripod tulip CV axle. Most vehicles you see on the trail are Jeeps and older trucks with solid axles.

However, you also see quite a few late-model 4Runners as well. The latest generation of Toyota’s perfect blend of toughness and classiness sports an independent front suspension. Even the TRD Pro model doesn’t ditch the IFS in favor of a solid axle, and yet it’s regarded as one of the best 4x4 platforms in the world. The flex capabilities aren’t stellar, and you’re not going to be tackling a “gatekeeper” trail bone stock, but I’d argue that you wouldn’t tackle that trail in a stock Wrangler, either. Toyota has made a flawed off road solution work, and with Ford claiming massive suspension travel numbers that best even the JL Wrangler, perhaps Ford has, too. As long as Ford can ensure that the CVs can stand up to the abuse like Toyota’s, expect to see Broncos crawling up your favorite obstacle alongside the rest of them.

The Heart of the Bronco

If you’ve been around gearheads for any space of time you’ve heard EcoTrash, EcoSlow, and EcoBreak. Ford’s newest line of small-displacement turbocharged engines, the EcoBoost, has received praise and criticism in equal measures of intensity. Let’s get the Bronco’s figures out of the way. The base model 2.3L makes 270 hp and 310 ft. lbs. of torque, equaling the Wrangler’s base 2.0L and besting it in torque. But nobody buys these with the base engine, and the hot 2.7L EcoBoost V6 makes 310 hp and a whopping 400 ft. lbs. of torque. Jeep’s 3.0L EcoDiesel makes 42 more ft. lbs. thanks to burly diesel grunt, but those engines have been plagued with emissions problems in their Dodge counterparts.

I’ve driven an S550 Mustang with the same 2.3L turbo-four that will be the standard Bronco engine. While the Mustang obviously weighs boulders less than the Bronc’, I was unexpectedly impressed with its powerband. Once it got into the boost and rpm it scooted and revved smoothly. The turbo-lag wasn’t super noticeable and it didn’t sound like a vacuum cleaner or rice grinder. It’s not the same shaky and grindy four-bangers of yesteryears and with a manual transmission behind it, it was a fun little car. The question is if that liveliness in a muscle car can be translated into grunt in an SUV.

The Bronco doesn’t need to rpm to 7,000 nor does it need to make 500 peak horsepower. In fact, in many off road applications, horsepower is almost meaningless. In order to do its job well it needs to make respectable torque, peak early, and maintain that strength throughout the powerband. Torque might peak at 400 in the 2.7L, but if it peaks at 4,500 rpm or has a weak area under the curve then it’s not very useful. I’ve yet to see dyno sheets of the new Bronco, but I have seen dyno sheets of the same engine in an F-150. That engine peaked at around 360 ft. lbs. right at 3,100 rpm, which is very meaty torque right in the usable range. But at 2,000 rpm it only made 190 ft. lbs., and fresh off idle it was making less than 30. This is the problem with small-displacement engines; their short stroke and small chamber size doesn’t allow them to make the muscle down low that is usable on the trail when climbing a moderate obstacle. You shouldn’t have to clutch in and rev the engine to 2,000 rpm just to get into the meat of the torque curve, because that just makes the tires spin. You’d much rather have gobs of torque down low, for maximum torque at minimum wheel speed. But this issue might be fixed with gearing. A small displacement engine with meager torque numbers can still surmount incredible obstacles with the right gear ratio. For years people have been using 5.13, 5.43, and as high as 7.17 gears to make the most of the 100 ft. lbs. in a stock mid-’80s 22RE Toyota. Ford offers a burly 4.70:1 ratio in the Bronco, so even if the EcoBoost is EcoTrash, it’ll still theoretically turn those beefy 35 inch BFGs and handle rugged terrain with ease. But something tells me the engine’s going to be a strong contender regardless, as long as Ford can keep the recalls and repairs away from it.

Much of Ford’s marketing has been to the two-door Bronco because, let’s be honest, it looks cooler. But with the four-door Wrangler Unlimited far outselling its two-door version, Ford really needs to lean heavier on its own four-door model, because … — Much of Ford’s marketing has been to the two-door Bronco because, let’s be honest, it looks cooler. But with the four-door Wrangler Unlimited far outselling its two-door version, Ford really needs to lean heavier on its own four-door model, because it seems the market for a two-door SUV just isn’t there.

A Competitive Class

Car enthusiasts are just as passionate as fantasy football players are. There’s a vigor and spirit to brand loyalty that’s special to the gearhead community. What this means on the dealership sales floor is hot competition from the dealership across the street. Ford aimed their sights directly at the Jeep Wrangler, but was it a smart decision?

Ford isn’t winning any customers who already have “JP Life” phone cases, they’re winning customers who haven’t made up their mind yet. With that in mind, why wouldn’t Ford cater the Bronco to a different niche, or make the Bronco its own niche. A good example of this difference in demand is the Jeep Wrangler vs. the Toyota 4Runner. Both are four-door SUVs with off-road chops and similar price tags, and both can be seen skulking the mall parking lots as well as clambering over obstacles in Moab. The Wrangler carries a 285 horsepower 3.6L V6, and the 4Runner holds a 270 horsepower 4.0L V6. Despite these similarities, they’re two distinctly different vehicles for two distinctly different markets. The average 4Runner buyer isn’t looking to go bug-out in the bush, so the cabin has softer surfaces, better luxury features, a plushier ride, and a nicer stereo. The average Jeep buyer is looking to escape the congestion of the city, so the doors can come off, it has better approach and departure angles, it offers a manual transmission, and the vehicle has an integrated roll cage of sorts. They don’t compete directly against each other, but rather alongside each other.

The Wrangler, 4Runner, and Bronco are kind of in classes of their own; they’re three different vehicles that meet the demands of three different markets. No one does a factory rock crawler with massive aftermarket support like the Wrangler. No one can outdo the 4Runner in the blend of luxury and moderate-trail performance. The Bronco is kind of an inbetweener; it’s a stylish modern SUV for a young audience that wants to get outside. It’s for the crowd that doesn’t want the outdated Jeep and can’t afford the high-feature 4Runner. But that alone won’t move many units. To keep up with sales, Ford needs to ask themselves what exactly the point of the Bronco is. While the design seems to challenge the Wrangler which is synonymous with rock crawling, the hardware suggests more of a high-speed desert racer. Ford needs to come down on a definitive idea of what the Bronco’s identity is, own it, and market it as such. If the idea is to essentially be an Escape Raptor, then that’s what the marketing should reflect.

The fact that the Bronco offers a manual transmission is cool and unique these days, and a must-have in severe four-wheeling of any ilk.

The Aftermarket Problem

Here’s my main hang-up right now. Several of the Bronco’s statistics outclass the new Wrangler in every regard… As long as you compare them stock for stock. Adventurers never leave their rigs stock. Jeep knows their customer base, and they also know the aftermarket. The tiny 29-inch tall tires on a stock base-model Wrangler almost imply that you’re going to upgrade it. Even moderate off roaders know they need at least a body lift and taller tires to tackle harder trails. The Bronco offers massive 35 inch tires standard, but if those tires can’t handle sharp shale slicing up the sidewall or be aired down to 15 psi without squashing to the rim then what’s the point? Ford plans to package the Bronco as a vehicle that needs no modification, one that flexes all of the off-road goodies of a modded-out JK Wrangler but with a factory warranty. The question is, “Is the Bronco buyer seeking that?” and more importantly, “Is the Jeep buyer seeking that?”

Personally, there’s a satisfaction with wrenching on your own rig, making it your own with your own two hands. No matter how many options are available, ticking a box on the build sheet still won’t feel as satisfying as fabricating a winch mount. If Ford assumes that their customer base wants to buy a pre-made crawler that they don’t have to work on, then their customer base is not the same as Jeep’s. Legendary magazine editor, host of Roadkill, and off-road junkie David Freiburger said it best years ago in an episode of Motor Trend’s Wide Open Throttle. He was directly referring to hot rodding versus electric vehicles, but the same can be said about “built vs bought.”

“A huge part of it, let’s be honest, has nothing to do with performance, it has nothing to do with practicality. It’s all about emotion.”

But practicality does need to be a factor as well. In order for there to be value in the Bronco’s $30,000+ asking price, you have to assume that Ford’s in-house four-wheeling parts are just as good as legendary brands like Warn, Poison Spyder, Daystar, and Currie. Your hard-earned $30k needs to be so tough that it’s more attractive than buying a used Wrangler Unlimited for $20k and putting $10k in making it bulletproof. The Bronco needs to be bulletproof fresh off of the factory floor. If Ford wants to dethrone the Wrangler, it needs to make sure it can dethrone the aftermarket along with it, and that’s a tall order.

Unlike the Wrangler, Ford’s side mirrors are mounted to the A-Pillar. This means removing the doors doesn’t sacrifice your mirrors.

Wrap up

Let’s get away from logic, empirical data, and facts. Does it look cool?

Overwhelmingly we’re a society that is less and less interested in the details of automobiles. People don’t point and say, “The 2014 Toyota Camry,” they say, “The silver one.” In today’s mass of silvery blobs and uninspired design, the new Bronco is a standout. It laughs in the face of curvy crossovers with its broad shoulders, flat doors, and high ground clearance. But at the same time the LED headlights and running lights add a touch of classiness and the futuristic. I like it, I think it’s cool, and I think it looks good. I just wouldn’t drop $30k on a new vehicle, period.

A substantial sore spot for me in regards to new 4x4s is that they’re just plain too nice. A used rig with some scratches and small dents is the kind of vehicle I would wheel on the trail. In a shiny piece of aluminum and glossy paint, I would wince every time I got close to a stand of brush or a rocky obstacle. I’m not the market for the new Bronco Sasquatch Edition, nor am I the market for the new Jeep JL Wrangler Rubicon or Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro. But I am an adventurer, an explorer, a lover of the outdoors. And that personality is what Ford’s Bronco is trying to attract. Will you see Jeeps be replaced with Broncos out on Black Bear Pass? I guess only time will tell.

Making A Splash - 2021 Ford Bronco