Here is a close look at our Bronco 10,000 miles after new.
VEHICLE FRONT
The all-new Ford Bronco is here. Does it live up to the hype? Ours was a factory test vehicle with over 9,300 hard miles on the clock, with much more after we were done. We are pleased with the results.
Text and photos by Chad Haire
ENGINE
The base Bronco is issued with a 2.3 liter EcoBoost motor putting out 300 horsepower, and 325 lb./ft of torque. It is hooked to a 7-speed manual transmission, making the old hardcore off-road crowd happy. A 10-speed automatic is optional and offers better performance. This is the optional 2.7 EcoBoost that comes with the 10-speed only. While some Ford fans have never warmed up to EcoBoost motors, this one is a gem. It offers the near torque output of the larger 5.0 V-8, acceleration of the larger 3.5 Eco engine, yet the fuel economy of the base 3.3 V-6 found in Ford trucks; All the advantages of these three motors without any disadvantages. And it is reliable if maintained. Horsepower is 330, but torque output is a healthy 415.
In a week of testing, we observed 16 mpg in city driving, 19/20 on freeway trips, and 14.5 during a hard six-hour 4x4 trip playing in the desert. At $1,895 this is an option worth the extra coin.
COST
The base price of a Bronco is $31K. Ours was loaded up with a removable roof, and the Badlands Sasquatch package, which has too many features to list here. The final tab reached $58,905. But with a long dealer waiting list, many real market prices have been going far above the sticker price, up to $100K on the internet. If you don't want to pay that much, all you can do is place an order and wait.
WHEELS
Here is the largest rubber offered, 17-inch wheels with 35-inch tires.
GROUND CLEARANCE
With the larger tires, ground clearance is a whopping 11.5 inches. That will protect the underside from nasty rocks, and did in our tests. We never bottomed out once.
SPARE
The only place to put a tire this big is on the rear door, so that is where it goes.
POV
Compared to other off-road vehicles, the Bronco is a pleasure to drive. First, the steering has excellent response, feel and feedback, so the rig always goes where you point it. Secondly, the modern suspension is comfortable and soaks up impacts. We racked up 100 miles on rough desert trails in six hours, but both the Bronco and passengers were ready for more. But as the sun was going down, it was time to head for home.
SHIFTER
Transfer case selection is at a touch of a dial. The 4A setting is an All-Wheel drive mode to be used on pavement.
GAUGE
The gauge cluster is a modern digital unit that many people like.
GRAB HANDLES
Finally, an off-road rig with plenty of large grabs handles for both the driver and passenger!
DOORS
The doors are removable, so the mirrors are mounted on the body, the way it should be.
REAR
This test Bronco had a rough life. While about 10K to date does not sound like much, it was driven hard almost every day, so is the equivalent of about 100K miles on a typical consumer-owned unit as far as wear and tear go. Yet the vehicle is holding up very well, with no issues. Yes, you might hear a few rattles from the multi-piece removable roof panels in serious off-road driving, but that is the norm for those designs. Otherwise, the entire vehicle is still very solid and rattle-free. The bottom line is Ford engineers did a great job on this new Bronco, which is going to be very serious competition for the well-established Jeep Wrangler and Toyota 4-Runner crowd. Stay tuned.
>>Join the conversation about the Ford Bronco 2.7 Badlands right here in the forum.
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