TFL Tommy talks... Do I Regret Buying My Brand New Jeep Wrangler After Living With The New Ford Bronco For a Week?

[aldo98229]

From what I remember of my JK 2-door days, getting in and out of the back seat was the pain. But once you are back there, it is actually nice and comfy.

Unlike the church pew in the back of the 4-door, the backrest on the 2-door rear seat the has a natural inclination. And there’s sufficient knee and elbow room for long trips.

Your head sits a bit close to the sound bar. But after you hit your forehead once or twice, you learn to keep your distance.

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[Badfish]

The best point he made was waiting. The Bronco didn't have enough to warrant him waiting. I was a reservation holder on the Bronco and then after all the non-sense from Ford I left. I had owned Fords for 12 years but I wasn't pretending a Bronco was a Shelby GT500. And now after seeing the quality issues for the first year out the door, I'm glad I moved on. Maybe I'll revisit in on its next rendition but the sheer number of issues, quality of the interior (see dash), absurd rear vents, delay after delay, for me wasn't worth it. And after I saw the production motor (2.7) which looks visually like garbage and apparently provides barely more capability than an ancient 3.6, I'm not remotely regretting my choice. I've seen the Bronco in person side-by-side with my Jeep and there wasn't one thing (save the 12" screen) that I wish my Jeep had from the Bronco. And, I'll say it, the Bronco Sport looks better for its class than the Bronco does for its. I've never owned a Jeep in my life in case there is a fanboy clause

Curious also the cost to lift a Bronco with a IFS. I know my F150 was considerably more than my F350.

I was in the same boat; been a bronco rez holder and every delay was disappointing. I am very surprised at some of theses quality issues coming from ford. I fully expected Tesla to have these issues as a startup auto maker...but ford on a new product only?

 

[lowmpg]

I was in the same boat; been a bronco rez holder and every delay was disappointing. I am very surprised at some of theses quality issues coming from ford. I fully expected Tesla to have these issues as a startup auto maker...but ford on a new product only?

IMHO the COVID crap ruined them and any rollout cleanup they would have done. I loved the opening adds of the 2-door Badlands flying across the dirt, but as reality hit it was impossible for me to wrap my head around waiting 1-2 years for a factory produced vehicle that -- to me -- only had improvements of larger seats and a 2.7TT motor (which I had hoped would put out numbers like the F150..and that reality was shattered). After driving a F350 with all solid axles for 8 years, the Jeep drives like a dream, so the IFS didn't sway me at all. And my reservation for a 2-dr Badlands loaded came at a cost higher to me than my Rubicon. Wasn't worth it in my book.

 

[Baconator]

This was an excellent video. Ultimately, they're comparable but with trade-offs that differentiate them. Bronco is beefier and softer; Wrangler has better material and build quality.

The single most important difference though is the one brought up at the end - availability.

I didn't reserve a Bronco, but I was 100% on board when they announced it was happening.... FOUR AND A HALF YEARS AGO! And even if I wanted one now, it's easily 18 months until I'm sitting behind the wheel.

That's years of my life wasted with doors and roofs and other inanities of the modern automobile. So, I got a Wrangler, and I also have no regrets.

 

[BuyHold]

Yeah, but...but...you cannot get the 2-door Bronco with a soft top, or for that matter a 2-door Bronco until early 2023, per latest estimates.

This is the kind of reality that makes many of these Bronco comparisons pointless.

It is really true. Bronco spec'd out like that is still a figment of imagination. Like comparing a race horse to a unicorn

"...but the unicorn can flap its wings to help it run faster." ...yeah

 

[rallydefault]

@entropy
lol that was...quite the post.

 

[aldo98229]

It is really true. Bronco spec'd out like that is still a figment of imagination. Like comparing a race horse to a unicorn

"...but the unicorn can flap its wings to help it run faster." ...yeah

Yup. And when 2023 comes around, JL will be thoroughly redesigned, anyway...

 

[aldo98229]

Ford just announced further delays in Bronco production. Now they have a shortage of front bumpers, 2.3 engines, transfer cases and 10-speed transmissions.

Apparently Bronco6G is a shit show.

 

[Canyonero02]

You guys should see his new video were he took his stock willys on that same trail where the defender crapped out. First time I see the rear LSD in action in a video. The rear LSD has so much bad rep, but it has been wonderful in my Jeep. I've even read on this forums from "knowledgeable" people that the rear LSD is worst than an open diff most times and that it is 100% useless offroad. Insane.

And remember, that's a Wrangler on 32s. Just shows the capabilities of the "base" Jeep. Willys sport 2D is the best value offroad you can buy today in my opinion.

The main issue with the LSD is the clutches can wear out in a short amount of time. It works great when new but is less effective the more miles you put on.

 

[rkj__]

And after I saw the production motor (2.7) which looks visually like garbage

Alright, now you're nit-picking. lol

Do you really want to pay more for a plastic engine cover with a little pony on it?

 

[gato]

Based on what Jeep has been doing elsewhere, I expect the redesigned JL to add a 12-inch screen with the latest version of Uconnect, 360º cameras, night vision (already offered on 2022 Grand Cherokee), much improved interior materials, and a few other items that escape my mind at the moment. These will render Ford's larger screen and use of technology a moot point, and will place Bronco in a catch-up position pretty much from the get-go.

All those are generic product line improvements that apply across the board.

What Jeep had been lacking is actual off-road evolution.

The 2021 JL was no more capable off-road than the 2008 JK or even the 2004 TJ Rubicon.

Ford has had multiple vehicles on 35" tires (Raptor, F250 Tremor, F350 Tremor, Bronco in all trims).

Now Jeep will have only 1 model Rubicon Xtreme on 35s. And it is only for the 4-door and only on 2 engines.

Meanwhile, Ford has announced and starting to build Raptors with 37" tires, and has been testing Broncos (Warthog ?) with 37" tires.

So, I'm waiting for Jeep's answer to offer 37" tires from the factory like Ford is on the cusp of doing on at least 2 vehicles.

 

[aldo98229]

The announcement of the latest delays appeared this morning on Bronco6G; the thread is now 28 pages long!

Here are a few excerpts:

"The crap show continues..."​

"In all seriousness, if you take a step back, the whole episode suggests there is something deeply amiss at Ford. Yes, they've had their flubs before, but this one - seemingly endless and incurable and accompanied by an absolute disaster of a communication strategy - is one for the record books. To those thinking of shifting their configuration to get a more buildable spec, or buying an F150 or other Ford product - I wonder if they've thought about whether they should be doing business with this company at all. Do not ask for whom the bell tolls, if you will."​

​

"I sold my 2015 F150 King Ranch last Monday. My BL MIC was in production 6/15 and have no update. Thinking I made a poor decision."​

​

"i took 10 days away from this forum and thought I might come back to a little good news.​

​

Ford, if you’re reading this, you owe us a very candid explanation. I’ve never owned a Ford and if I ever get this Bronco, it’ll be the only Ford I own"​

​

And our own @entropy brought some salt to rub on the fresh wound:

​

"I canceled my order a few months ago. No Bronco for us. Will buy one for sure when this shitshow ends and discounts come into dealers, maybe 3 years from now? meanwhile I am having a lot of fun with this thing called Jeep on stock rubicon suspension and tires.​

​

I hope to see you guys on the trail soon so we can all wheel together. Good luck! ​

​

​

 

[entropy]

All those are generic product line improvements that apply across the board.

What Jeep had been lacking is actual off-road evolution.

The 2021 JL was no more capable off-road than the 2008 JK or even the 2004 TJ Rubicon.

You're focusing too much on marketing and numbers rather than real life.

 

[aldo98229]

All those are generic product line improvements that apply across the board.

What Jeep had been lacking is actual off-road evolution.

The 2021 JL was no more capable off-road than the 2008 JK or even the 2004 TJ Rubicon.

Ford has had multiple vehicles on 35" tires (Raptor, F250 Tremor, F350 Tremor, Bronco in all trims).

Now Jeep will have only 1 model Rubicon Xtreme on 35s. And it is only for the 4-door and only on 2 engines.

Meanwhile, Ford has announced and starting to build Raptors with 37" tires, and has been testing Broncos (Warthog ?) with 37" tires.

So, I'm waiting for Jeep's answer to offer 37" tires from the factory like Ford is on the cusp of doing on at least 2 vehicles.

I used to believe the same about JLs being no more capable than JKs. But after buying a JL, I discovered that my JL Sahara came from the factory with the same ground clearance as my JKUR Recon. With the Mopar lift and 35s, my Sahara now has slightly more clearance than my JKUR with a Mopar lift. In fact, I have enough room to fit 36s on my Sahara if I wanted; something I couldn't have done to my JKUR.

The new JL axles are proving to be far stronger than JKs, too. You rarely see anyone having broken axles on JLs with 35s any more. Same for the ball joints. The 8-speed automatic gives you a LOT more flexibility with the Command-Trac on the trails. These are all gradual evolutions in capability to be sure, but they add up.

Per 37s on a Raptor...who cares...? I am not the least interested in those things.

 

[Headbarcode]

how long until the aftermarket sells fixes for hardtop broncos?

I was somewhat shocked when Tommy said the wrangler has the best stereo/sound between the two, and then he continued to say more brands... I put some 8 inch subs in my JL and I like the sound but some might disagree with Jeeps audio.

Anything shy of a crossbar to anchor the panels to, will at best be a bandaid fix. It's the downside to prioritizing a more open view from the backseat over function and longevity. And not having that structural crossbar, that jeep took advantage of also using as a sound bar, is a big reason why the broncos sound system is lacking.

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