At 189 feet, the Bronco's 70-mph stop also is a smidge shorter than the lighter Jeep's. But the relatively direct steering provides good control, and the modest 0.75 g of skidpad grip is more than the Wrangler can muster. Thicker pillars make for a more restricted view out, and some ride stiffness is apparent over rough pavement. The interior layout is nearly devoid of compromises, and the Bronco tracks down highways and around corners with the composure of an on-road-skewed SUV. Its attention-grabbing rugged exterior opens to a relatively large cabin with plenty of room for stretching out. Getting into the Bronco after 90 minutes on the highway in the Wrangler, forearms and mind exhausted from constant steering corrections, is massively refreshing. Verdict: An effortlessly cool off-roader that isn't a chore to drive daily. Lows: Chintzy interior materials, porky curb weight, even louder inside than the Wrangler. Highs: Badass retro design, spacious cabin, refinement extends to pavement and dirt. Iconic as the Wrangler is, we're fine with not doing that regularly. However, even if it had all the extras and the convenience and capability they bring, we'd still have to drive this vehicle on pavement, the place where, quite frankly, it is least at home. The Bronco's Advanced package nets an automatic transfer case, but our Wrangler featured the standard part-time setup with only 2Hi, 4Hi, and 4Lo modes. The fancier Sahara models offer a full-time system with a welcome automatic four-wheel-drive mode. Selecting four-wheel drive requires a firm tug on the transfer-case lever sticking out of the floor. The drone of wind noise around the A-pillar makes this Jeep a chore to live with, although $525 worth of hard-top insulation did help keep slightly more of it out of the cabin at 70 mph than in the Bronco. Your left foot aches from the lack of a dead pedal to rest it on. The Wrangler's old-school shape has an unfortunate effect on its accommodations, which are particularly tight up front. Staying in your lane in a crosswind with two hands on the wheel is a challenge, and taking one hand off at 80 mph to manipulate the 5.0-inch touchscreen is a gamble. In normal use, the Wrangler delivers an irritatingly choppy ride, steering that feels only loosely related to the front wheels, and an annoying unsteadiness at speed.
The Church of the Seven-Slot Grille traditionally frowns upon anything but a stick axle up front because the gospel preaches that independent suspensions are too complex for the trail and, when fitted with an anti-roll bar, limit articulation.
Both trucks feature live rear axles, yet the Bronco employs a control-arm front suspension with rack-and-pinion steering, a modern setup. There are downsides, though, the greatest of which stems from the Wrangler's continued use of a solid front axle with recirculating-ball steering. Plus, it consumed less fuel during our trek (giving us 20 mpg versus the Bronco's 19). With the eight-speed gearbox orchestrating the turbo four's 270 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, the Wrangler dashed to 60 mph in a short 5.8 seconds and won almost every acceleration test. Paired with an eight-speed automatic, it took the Wrangler to 60 mph in a quick 5.8 seconds.Īlthough its wheelbase is 2.3 inches longer than the Ford's, this Jeep is 2.0 inches narrower and weighs 444 pounds less. The Jeep's 270-hp turbo 2.0-liter is the best matchup for the Bronco's 2.3-liter. To see how it matches up against the Wrangler, we took lightly equipped examples, the kind most consumers will buy, on a 450-mile adventure of our own, one that would force us to appreciate sound insulation as much as locking differentials, ride comfort as much as suspension articulation. We already know that the new Bronco deserves a good bit of its hype. Considering that the basic layout of the quintessential Jeep has changed little since World War II, it leaves ample room for improvement. Jeep's icon has thrived in the 21st century largely by maintaining its simple four-wheel-drive ethos, but there's an asterisk next to the enduring popularity of today's Wrangler: For every mud-caked trail rig out there climbing boulders, far more serve as street-driven incongruities with unscarred underbodies (no judgment here). Like the original Bronco that went after Jeeps in the '60s, the new one is positioned against the strong-selling Wrangler. Įven if you live under a rock, you must've felt the seismic buzz caused by the Ford Bronco's return. From the December 2021 issue of Car and Driver.
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