The Ford Bronco has been a pacesetter amongst American SUVs even after discontinuation in 1996. And when Ford brought it back from the depths in 2021 after 25 years, it was one of the biggest car launches of the year. 2021 Ford Bronco prices at launch started at around $30,000 for a base-spec model, going up to almost $60,000 for the highest-spec First Edition model. These prices have since increased since the 2023 Ford Bronco will set you back around $37,000 for a base spec four-door model. The recently unveiled 2024 Ford Bronco is expected to start at approximately $41,000. It might seem like a lot, but Ford has increased the number of trim levels in the two years the new Bronco has been in production, thus offering buyers more budget and customization options.
Other car manufacturers weren't sitting idle while the Bronco was slowly becoming a piece of history. The Jeep Wrangler, the Bronco's biggest rival, became exceptionally good. But is the Bronco better than the Wrangler? Read on to find out. There are other alternatives that give the Bronco a run for its money. Some of the best include the Toyota 4Runner, Land Rover Defender, and Lexus GX Series. Should you buy a new Ford Bronco or buy a classic Ford Bronco? The new Ford Bronco has caught the eye of most, and this article aims to explain everything you need to know about the Ford Bronco. We explore its return and what makes it a popular choice amongst car buyers. Is the new Ford Bronco Better than its predecessors? Let's answer that by looking at a brief history of the Ford Bronco.
When Ford started producing the Ford Bronco in 1966, they referred to it as a vehicle that was a breed apart in its own way. This is during a lengthy advertisement shown on almost all television stations. The close to 12-minute ad featured a man canoeing at the bottom of the Grand Canyon who had used a Ford Bronco to get there, and it was not a leisurely drive down. Despite being mainly off-road-oriented, Ford made the Bronco versatile enough to compete with the Chevrolet Blazer, Dodge Ramcharger, and the Jeep Cherokee. Versatility was focused on the body design, with Ford offering the Bronco as a 3-door SUV, 2-door pickup, or a doorless and topless roadster. The 1970s were challenging for all car manufacturers, and Ford was no exception. Bronco sales were dwindling, and when Ford started producing the second generation, they only offered two V8 engine options. But this was a surprise since most consumers were moving to more economical cars at the time due to high fuel prices. This meant sales dropping for the Ford Bronco and other American vehicles with big engines.
Only two models for the second-gen Bronco were available, a 3-door full-size SUV with a removable rear hardtop. Ford would retain this model for the following generations until 2021, when they released the sixth generation, which became Ford's first Bronco with four doors. Before unveiling the current model, Ford hadn't made a Bronco in 25 years since they discontinued the fifth-gen in 1996. But there were speculations throughout the years with enthusiasts eager to see the return of one of the greatest American SUVs. How was the new Bronco received?
The current Ford Bronco had buyers and automotive enthusiasts yearning for a new Bronco even before Ford announced they would be making one. After the unveiling and early unit delivery, it got immense positive reactions, but not without a few negative remarks. For some, 15 years was too long to wait for a car offering what was already available in the Jeep Wrangler. Should you buy a 2023 Ford Bronco? Read on to find out how Ford has made the current model better than its predecessors, its best attributes, and how the Bronco compares against its competitors.
Undoubtedly, Ford made the sixth-gen Ford Bronco in the image of its predecessors despite being away for ages. You can't fail to see the original Ford Bronco when looking at the Ford Bronco from the outside, especially at the front end. Like the original Bronco, the new Ford Bronco has a massive rectangular grille with circular headlights at each end. The turn signals are embedded beautifully inside the headlights in the new Ford Bronco, extending outside the headlights into the grille. This is almost similar to the 1960s/1970s Bronco in which the turn signals are positioned on the inner side of each headlight.
The side profile in the new Bronco looks just like it was designed in the 1960s, but the wide fender flares give it a more rugged look depicting its off-road prowess. Opt for the 17-inch carbonized-gray or black high-gloss forged aluminum wheels; you'll not need aftermarket wheels to make the Bronco look better. The black high-gloss forged aluminum wheels look even better as they are beadlock-compatible. Also, Ford did a good job making almost all Ford Bronco with contrasting paint between the half-pillars and the lower bottom of the body. There's something this does that gives the car a more appealing look, assuming what it would be like with full paint. If you thought the Ford Bronco looks mean from the front or side profile, try looking at one from the rear end. Especially with a bright color such as Velocity Blue or Hot Pepper Red Metallic, the blacked-out trims and the spare wheel mounted on the trunk door give it a menacing look that makes the Ford Bronco pleasing to drive behind.
Inside the Ford Bronco is an accommodating interior, which perhaps is too comfortable for an SUV in its class. Of course, the Ford Bronco's comfort levels cannot be compared with luxury SUVs, but it does match up to other cars in its class pretty well. The interior provides an excellent driver and passenger riding experience, with the only downside being the road noise at speed. This is mainly because of the light doors and roof, which are made light to make removing and installing them more manageable. Ford, however, offers a noise-deadening headliner for an extra $450. Across all trims, Ford offers eleven interior options, including leather-trimmed and marine vinyl seats, which are the best. These options are standard on some models, such as the Bronco Raptor, Everglades Bronco, and Wildrak.
The seats are well-bolstered and softly padded for off-road and on-road driving comfort. And for when the ride gets bumpier than expected, the rugged grab handles can be anchorage points. They also contribute to the Bronco's interior aesthetic appeal due to their rugged structure. However, the main function of the grab handles is to ease entry into the vehicle since the Bronco has relatively high ground clearance. How practical is the Ford Bronco? You might assume that the two-door model has limited practicality, but it can easily accommodate four passengers with a bit of comfort in the rear seat. It's best used as a two-seater with the rear seat folded for maximum practicality due to increased trunk space. The four-door Bronco has more passenger and trunk room than the two-door model, even with the rear seat not folded. So, if practicality is a major consideration for you, the four-door Bronco is the model to get. Another advantage of buying a four-door Bronco over a two-door model is that it allows easy storage for all doors. The best part about the Bronco's interior is its rubberization, which makes it easy to clean after a camping expedition or a beach run!
Car manufacturers love to use unique names for their terrain management systems. In the Ford Bronco, there's G.O.A.T Mode, which Ford introduced in 2021. What does G.O.A.T mean? It simply stands for "Goes Over Any Type of Terrain," innovative, right? The terrain G.O.A.T responds to varies depending on the Bronco spec. Case in point, the 2023 Ford Bronco Wildtrak has Normal, Eco, Sport, Slippery, Sand/Snow, and Mud/Ruts, and the Bronco Raptor has Normal, Sport, Slippery, Tow-Haul, Rock Crawl, and Baja. The base-spec model has Normal, Eco, Sport, Slippery, and Sand/Snow.
But G.O.A.T is not all that the Ford Bronco has to offer. It comes with some pretty decent tech for an off-road-oriented SUV, including a Trail App made explicitly for the Bronco. The Ford Bronco Trail App gives Bronco owners access to maps of over 18,000 miles of trail and has offline functionality. It also lets drivers record drives and share their adventures on social media! In the interior, you get an 8-inch infotainment screen that is standard on all models. Buyers could upgrade to a 12-inch screen and 10-speaker stereo system over the six standard speakers. The screen is equipped with Ford's Discover SYNC 4. Discover SYNC 4 offers advanced wireless integration (Android Auto and Apple CarPlay), voice recognition, real-time traffic, and weather updates, among other features. You get other essential features like satellite radio and Bluetooth connectivity through the infotainment screen.
Under the hood, you get a 2.3-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder EcoBoost engine churning 270 horsepower in the base spec model. This is the only engine option with a 7-speed manual transmission instead of the 10-speed automatic transmission. The 330 horsepower 2.7-liter and 418 horsepower 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 EcoBoost engines only come with the 10-speed automatic transmission. What makes the Ford Bronco so good off-road? All Ford Bronco models use Ford's High-Performance Off-Road Stability Suspension (HOSS), designed specifically for off-roading performance. HOSS features an independent front suspension, electro hydraulic stabilizer bar, Bilstein position-sensitive dampers, and a four-link and Panhard rod rear live axle.
Despite being off-road oriented, the suspension in the Ford Bronco offers excellent on-road performance, especially when the car is in normal driving mode, which is perfect for everyday driving. Suspension components are more extreme in top-spec models such as the Bronco Big Bend and Bronco Raptor. The Bronco Raptor gets beefier control arms, unique body-to-frame mounts, and rigid suspension links among upgrades. Additionally, the Bronco Raptor gets jounce bumpers to absorb impact and prevent the suspension from fully collapsing during those Baja days. No other model is available with these jounce bumpers, which also reduce suspension noise when off-roading. The FOX shocks used in the Bronco Raptor are also bespoke to it, but they are almost similar to the FOX suspension setup used in the F150 Raptor. All the suspension upgrades in the Bronco result in better off-road performance, but there's also a substantial increase in ground clearance and towing capacity. The Bronco has an almost 2-inch ground clearance increase and a 1000-pound towing capacity increase over the standard model. This is also due to its more powerful 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6.
Any Bronco diehard enthusiast will give you endless reasons to buy a classic Bronco over a new one. Some of the reasons they'll give are the lack of a V8 engine in the current model and manual transmission in most of the recently produced Broncos. And we totally get such enthusiasts to a great degree, particularly since we would have also loved to see a thundering V8 in a Bronco. But with Ford shoving the supercharged V8 in the Raptor R, maybe they'll also use the same engine in the Bronco? Besides a thundering V8 engine, an acceptable excuse that you can use to buy a classic Bronco is that classic Broncos are slowly becoming collectibles. However, not in their stock forms unless you're looking at a very well-kept or exceedingly special unit such as a 1976 Ford Bronco Explorer or 1971 Ford Bronco 393ci V8.
Restomod and fully restored Broncos sell for lucrative prices. But remember, you have to put in the work and money to make it desirable. Add a few modern touches and desirable mods, and you'll have a Bronco that could sell for anything over $100,000. Collectivity aside, which one should you buy, a classic Ford Bronco or a new Ford Bronco? It's punishing to pick one between the two, so why not both if possible? The classic Ford Bronco represents a time when car manufacturers were free and knew no limits. On the other hand, the new Ford Bronco showcases the marvels of how modern automotive engineering can be utilized to create a masterpiece.
The Ford Bronco has some nice hidden features that make it more appealing to buy than it already is. Most of these features are meant to make the Ford Bronco more practical, fun to use and versatile to handle what it's built for the open wild. First, the fender flares are removable, and you don't need any special tools to do it. All you have to do is reach inside the fender flares, twist the locks, and then pull the flares off. The empty holes might be an eyesore at first, but removing the flares makes the Bronco look even more menacing than it already is. You can use smaller aftermarket flares and covers if you prefer not to reinstall the OEM fender flares. Storage behind the seats and the trunk door makes storing accessories you don't want breaking or causing injuries while in the vehicle. This can be useful for equipment such as radios, small tool sets, antennas and lighters.
The hardtop Ford Bronco comes with roof rack mounting points, thus reducing the need for modification when installing a roof rack. Different aftermarket manufacturers make roof racks compatible with the Bronco, so ensure you buy one that is compatible with the OEM mounting points. The same applies when purchasing a roof tent since the roof rack mounting points can also be used to mount a roof tent. There are many other features to discover during ownership, so we'll not spoil the fun. The Easter eggs are the most fun to find. We'll hint where to find one; check the door removal caution sticker on the driver's side.
Ford nailed it with the new Bronco; quarter decade is a long time to wait for a new car, but Ford made sure the wait was very much worth it. Should you buy a Ford Bronco? Without a second thought, absolutely! It combines classic and modern design, enclosing a marvel of modern automotive engineering underneath that square body we all love. Sure, the competition from the Jeep Wrangler might be stiff. But there's something that driving a car that has been anticipated for the longest time and doesn't fail to deliver by one bit.
Due to high demand, used Ford Bronco prices are barely dropping, and the least amount you could expect to pay for one is around $25,000. Older generations (classic Broncos) cost slightly less if they are unmodded and in decent running condition.
The main differences between a regular Ford Bronco and a Bronco Raptor are the engine and suspension. A standard Bronco could have a 2.3-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder EcoBoost engine making 270 horsepower or a 2.7-liter twin-turbocharged V6 EcoBoost engine producing 330 horsepower. But the Bronco Raptor has a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 EcoBoost engine, making 418 horsepower. The Bronco also has a beefier suspension setup with more rigid components, jounce bumpers and better FOX shocks.
The 0-60 time in a Ford Bronco varies depending on the engine in the car. Most Broncos with the 2.3-liter engine do 0-60 in around 7.7 seconds, while those with the 2.7-liter engine do it in about 6.5 seconds. The Bronco Raptor with the 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 does 0-60 in 5.6 seconds.
A 2023 Ford Bronco will set you back $37,000 on average, while the recently unveiled 2024 model is expected to have a starting price of approximately $42,000.
With 418 horsepower from the 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 EcoBoost engine, the Ford Bronco Raptor accelerates to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds and reaches an electronically-limited top speed of 114 mph.
Exotic Car Trader is the fastest growing marketplace built specifically for automotive enthusiasts. Click below to learn how you can sell your car with us.
LEARN MORE
