Sold My Bronco...Back To a Wrangler.

[aldo98229]

I hear you, but the reality though is the mall crawlers pay for jeep to keep adding features that only a very small percentage of owners actually use. A very small percentage of jeep owners use them as intended just like vast majority of Raptor owners won't be bombing down a desert lane at high speed. Every Raptor I see around these parts is owned by some contractor who wants just wants a big loud truck to have some fun between Home Depot and jobs sites to install a guest bath.

Us cosplay / poseurs are what keep the lights on at the companies so they can continue to R&D and develop the hardcore stuff even though the reality is that hardly any of it gets used to even a tenth of it's potential by 99% of buyers.

Few sports car owners track their cars. Most never even drive fast enough to justify a rear spoiler. Sports car guys complain about manuals not being offered but no one buys them. All those housewives driving Porsche Cayennes are where Porsche makes money to keep building GT2 RS that will spend far more time as some tech bro flex car in front of a night club versus ripping it up on a track.

Deep sea divers aren't depending on their Rolex Submariner to keep them alive these days. Yeah, my Panerai has a 300m water resistance but at best it gets a light dunk in the ocean every now and then. Serious divers have real computers these days. Does anyone even know how to operate a chronograph nowadays? I'd bet less than 2 out of 100 Rolex Daytona owners could operate it....

That is a contradiction all automakers have to deal with:

1. On the one hand, you have the masses who buy your vehicle by the tens of thousands to pickup groceries and drive jr to soccer practice. These customers can't tell an all-season from an all-terrain, but they pay for the fixed costs, bring in the sales, the quarterly profits and the yearly bonuses.
2. On the other you have the small group of enthusiasts who take your vehicle to the trails, put it through its paces, and is willing to spend tens of thousands of dollars in lifts, bumpers, winches, wheels and tires. More importantly, they spend time talking to others, posting on forums, and uploading photos and videos online. These customers are vocal in their advocacy of the product and help spread the brand gospel.

A successful brand needs both; it cannot live without one or the other.

If Jeep decides to ignore the enthusiasts, brand image will gradually weaken until sales start to spiral downward. If Jeep ignores the mall crawlers, sales will struggle to maintain their share of market.

Not one type of customer is better than another; they are all needed and each plays a role. Most of us exist somewhere in the middle, to one side or the other.

Sponsored

 

[Strommen95]

Ford was using a ZF 6 speed in their 150 trucks up to 2017. Why they and GM went in together on that 10 speed, I’ll never know. It has had a lot of teething issues. For should have stayed with ZF and gone with 8 speeds.

The ZF 8 speed in the Jeep is about as close to perfect as an automatic gets.

It's a nice transmission, even for modern standards, but the 8 speed is less clunky and always in the right gear. Every time I read on here how the Bronco will have a better transmission, I knew I wasn't talking to somebody who's driven both.

Popcorn in hand I go lurking on the Bronco6G forums, especially the running thread on the exploding 2.7 engines.

These are today’s quotable quotes from two Bronco owners:

“It is a bit sad that Jeep customer care seems so much better than Fords.”​

​

“Ford can rotate CEOs all they want; their smugness is in the corporate DNA & isn't going anywhere.”​

When the Bronco madness was rampant in 2020, I read "It's not a Jeep " many times by condescending Ford fanboys. They were correct, but certainly not in redeemable fashion.

 

[JohnAinVA]

I had a 2021 Ranger FX4 lariat for 9 months. Sexy looking truck for sure but when Ford bought it back in December it was a very happy day. It has the same 10 speed trans as the Bronco. Every 6 mph the trans would shift so I know what your talking about. Too many gears, at 42 mph it wants to be in 10 gear lugging the engine. Touch the throttle and trans will drop 2, 3, or 4 gears depending how much throttle you ask for. Take your foot off pedal and back to 10th gear in most cases.

Many other things I grew to not care for like and unprotected oil pan that is made of plastic on an off road truck I had issues with. Ok if there was a skid plate but naked? Not good, IMO.

Ford has parts issues while Jeep has been making over 600 wranglers a day 6 days a week. I had a defective drivers rear axle and the truck stayed in shop for 72 days waiting on an axle and seal.

I had a 2013 JKU for 8 years and 87,000 miles before the Ranger. I am glad to be back in a 2022 JLUR.

Beautiful truck - it was down to that Ranger or the Wrangler for me. I loved how the Ranger look and drove (on the short test drive), but glad I went with the Wrangler.....

 

[Uncommon Sense]

That is a contradiction all automakers have to deal with:

1. On the one hand, you have the masses who buy your vehicle by the tens of thousands to pickup groceries and drive jr to soccer practice. These customers can't tell an all-season from an all-terrain, but they pay for the fixed costs, bring in the sales, the quarterly profits and the yearly bonuses.
2. On the other you have the small group of enthusiasts who take your vehicle to the trails, put it through its paces, and is willing to spend tens of thousands of dollars in lifts, bumpers, winches, wheels and tires. More importantly, they spend time talking to others, posting on forums, and uploading photos and videos online. These customers are vocal in their advocacy of the product and help spread the brand gospel.

A successful brand needs both; it cannot live without one or the other.

If Jeep decides to ignore the enthusiasts, brand image will gradually weaken until sales start to spiral downward. If Jeep ignores the mall crawlers, sales will struggle to maintain their share of market.

Not one type of customer is better than another; they are all needed and each plays a role. Most of us exist somewhere in the middle, to one side or the other.

It is definitely a balance and good marketers know how to satisfy both sides without jeopardizing the brand equity.

 

[aldo98229]

It's a nice transmission, even for modern standards, but the 8 speed is less clunky and always in the right gear. Every time I read on here how the Bronco will have a better transmission, I knew I wasn't talking to somebody who's driven both.



When the Bronco madness was rampant in 2020, I read "It's not a Jeep " many times by condescending Ford fanboys. They were correct, but certainly not in redeemable fashion.

I worked with Ford HQ on a few studies: their smugness is legendary!

 

[The Last Cowboy]

Fords last true leader CEO was Allen Mulally. Those since are simply yes men to Bill Ford, who still remains as chairman of the board.

 

[AtomicYJ]

Ford was using a ZF 6 speed in their 150 trucks up to 2017. Why they and GM went in together on that 10 speed, I’ll never know. It has had a lot of teething issues. For should have stayed with ZF and gone with 8 speeds.

The ZF 8 speed in the Jeep is about as close to perfect as an automatic gets.

I have a '21 Silverado w/10 speed and its amazing, much better than my old Silverado with the 6 speed. Never hunts for gears, skips gears based on load, and when towing there is always the perfect gear to maintain speed going up and down grades. I've heard people that have driven both GM and Fords with 10 speeds blame Fords programming. GM had an 8 speed and by all accounts its awful.

I don't have any experience with the ZF 8 speed in a Wrangler as I went with the 6 speed manual and I love it.

 

[Rodeoflyer]

And the fact they use a transmission with a plastic pan is laughable .

You know the jeep's 8 speed trans pan is also polymer.. https://www.amazon.com/ZF-Automatic...t=&hvlocphy=9028752&hvtargid=pla-758634993033

Everything said in the OP post is kinda what I figured after watching every video on the new Bronco. I am pretty excited about the Raptor Bronco though. I won't say I wouldn't LOVE to have one of those, just not at $70k, or the $100k they will ask with markup lol.

Along with the tie rod failures and sealed axles.. I dunno.

 

[Grooster]

Right on! Cheers.

I don't know when Jeep stopped hosting Camp Jeep but when I attended in 2003 near Charlottesville, VA there were 5,000 Jeeps and nearly 11,000 people for 4 plus days of exhibits, Jeep engineers, presentations, trails of all levels, paintball, scuba (no kidding), and great food, too. Only Jeep vehicles were allowed. The Jamborees only scratch the surface of what Camp Jeep was about. If we're building the brand, then bring back Camp Jeep and let's use our Jeeps!!!

 

[AcesandEights]

Welcome back! Best thing I ever did was cancel my Bronco reservation and pulled the trigger on a 2 door Rubi.

I did the same, and I'm a very happy JLR owner. In fact, I like my 2021 JLR so much, I ordered an almost identical 2022 JLR.

 

[Megawatt]

Question for you since you owned one. Can you lock out the upper gears on the transmission? Like on the Ram 1500 there is a gear limit button on the steering wheel that allows you to set the upper gear you will allow the vehicle into. Seems like this might help .........although shouldn't be necessary. I'm wondering when/if manufacturers are going to realize that 10 gears is just too much. I think the 8 gears sin the Jeep is probably the max.

Not meaning to hijack thread but some similar equipment on Bronco and Ranger. And both made in the same manufacture plant too.

Yes you can lock out the gears so trans doesn’t use them. Don’t want it to go to 10th while driving in the city, lock out 10 and any other gears. For instance can do 8,9&10. But can not skip a gear like only lock out 8 & 10.

I drove around in tow mode to keep shift points 400 rpm higher. Easier than locking out gears and then having to unlock them if you get on highway.

But I have to say that 10 speed was super smooth shifting. But IMO 10 is just too many for a passenger car.

 

[legacy_etu]

I have a '21 Silverado w/10 speed and its amazing, much better than my old Silverado with the 6 speed. Never hunts for gears, skips gears based on load, and when towing there is always the perfect gear to maintain speed going up and down grades. I've heard people that have driven both GM and Fords with 10 speeds blame Fords programming. GM had an 8 speed and by all accounts its awful.

I don't have any experience with the ZF 8 speed in a Wrangler as I went with the 6 speed manual and I love it.

Yeah, I've heard the same 10 seed in the Chevy is better at shifting than the Ford. Seems like Chevy figured out how to program it .

That said. I love the ZF8.......which is also in my Supra. Absolutely rips and is ALWAYS in the right gear.

Back on topic: when I saw the interior and exterior of the Bronco i knew it wasn't for me. Drivetrains were intriguing though.........although they seem to be having trouble with the 2.7's now.

 

[SouthernJL]

I did the same, and I'm a very happy JLR owner. In fact, I like my 2021 JLR so much, I ordered an almost identical 2022 JLR.

On a side note and out of curiosity, I've seen several comments on various threads where people mention having a current year Wrangler and ordering the very next year Wrangler. I know everyone's situation is unique but do you mind sharing why you are doing this? Trying to wrap my mind around why I've seem so many members do this.

 

[Rogues Gambit]

I was wondering when people who go this way.

I love my Bronco, she's a gem. I feel you'd of enjoyed yours more with a manual, it's a delight to play with, though happy you're happy.

Hope to own both someday, especially since my friend decided to change his mind and get himself some generic crossover to fit his generic personality (you guys lucked out)

 

[Grooster]

An example of what sets Jeep apart from other brands. Here's a link to the 2003 press release on Camp Jeep:

Camp Jeep(R) Returns to Charlottesville (theautochannel.com)

Sponsored