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Trail Snail's On-Road Bronco Wildtrak Sasquatch Review

TrailSnail

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Josh
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My dad ordered this Bronco in April and got it much sooner than many others who have been waiting, but he did have to fly out to St. Louis to pick it up and drive it back to Phoenix. Here's my honest review after spending a full day with it.

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First, the good:

The frameless doors are cool, and despite being huge, I do like the design. I don't hit my elbow on the back of the window frame as I do with my Wrangler, and they just have that cool half-door feel. However, rolling the windows down at highway speeds makes the glass wobble and flex to the extent that it's amazing they don't explode and kill you, so I only recommend low-speed window rolling.

It drives like a Ford truck, so if you ever thought bringing the USS Constitution into port sounded like a great driving experience, this has your name written all over it... however, the short wheelbase does take some of the fun out of the "large aquatic vessel" vibes in parking lots.

Off-road visibility? Nah, you don't need that. Feeling like you're driving a tank? Yeah, that's what's important.

I personally love the "Freshly Poured Pint of Blue Moon" paint color, complete with numerous defects from debris under the paint to premature chipping that adds to the bubbly beverage effect. The hood is also on crooked which gives it a modern funky craft beer feel.

The turbo inlet hose blew off on the highway, sending it into limp mode, adding to the excitement of new vehicle ownership.

The impressive 14.5 MPG combined fuel economy is welcome now more than ever, as prices for premium soar to well over $4/gallon in our area.

If you were always a huge fan of mom's Tupperware, you're going to love this interior! The back seat is like being in a luxurious garden tub going down the street, and the absolutely massive touch screen really emphasizes the low resolution of all four cameras that would've been considered substandard in 2015. The massive, commanding appearance means it's going to get allllllll the pinstripes for maximum street cred.

Now for the bad:

The tires have a slight hum.

We don't yet know if the roof is going to leak or not.

It's difficult for anyone over the age of 8 to get in or out of the back seat.

The entire engine compartment looks like a high school auto tech class routed the hoses and wiring.

It attracts a lot of attention from Ford guys and soccer moms alike, which is more irritating than a bad case of jock itch.

Stay tuned for more updates!
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DCJL

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This was an entertaining read! Also, this vehicle sounds horrific (and I had high hopes)
 
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TrailSnail

TrailSnail

Well-Known Member
First Name
Josh
Joined
Aug 12, 2021
Threads
7
Messages
341
Reaction score
717
Location
Gilbert, AZ
Vehicle(s)
'21 JL Unlimited Sport S
Vehicle Showcase
1
This was an entertaining read! Also, this vehicle sounds horrific (and I had high hopes)
Glad you enjoyed it.

UPDATE

Paint defects and questionable build quality aside (ignoring the looming unknowns about the roof), my parents seem to like it.

With the doofy side steps, it's a bit clumsy to hop in and out of. But they're old, so they like the steps.

It rides pretty well for a high-COG, short wheelbase vehicle, but I think the Wrangler's suspension is more comfortable and refined. This Wildtrak is touted as the "high speed off-roader" of the Bronco lineup, but I haven't had a chance to get a feel for it off-highway yet. On road, it's handling is balanced and confident but otherwise unimpressive. Compared to Jeeps, there's no wandering or quirkiness in the steering at any speed and it tracks straight as an arrow on the highway. That being said, it's no better or worse than any other off-road focused IFS rig I've ever driven.

The seats are good looking and comfortable. The plastics look, feel and sound like garbage even on this top-tier trim level Bronco. It's definitely roomier and has more creature comforts than (my) Jeep, but (his) does NOT have rear A/C. Storage in the back behind the 2nd row is not bad at all for a 2-door. The latches to fold the seats feel like more cheap crap and I would be completely unsurprised if they break at some point.

I am jealous of the twin e-lockers, electronic sway bar disconnects that work under load, and lights built in to the side mirrors which can be activated by a switch and opening the doors... otherwise my base model Wrangler seems to be the better choice for actual trail use for the reasons stated previously. The 360-degree camera is cool but poorly executed, and the front-view camera won't actually be as useful off-road as I thought it would because of the mediocre image quality. I'm not sure if it's the resolution of the camera itself or the huge (12"+?) touchscreen, but it isn't as clear as the backup cam in my Wrangler or previous Tacomas, and the white balance is way off so there's unknown blackness in shadowy areas and washed out detail in sunlit ones even just playing with it at their house with perfectly clear lenses. I wouldn't feel confident knowing I'm not about to drive off a cliff based on the information given by that camera.

Bronco has ample power, but I am not impressed by it. My aluminum-bodied box with an 8-speed and 2.0L turbo 4-banger on 35s with 3.45 gears has more fun-to-drive factor than dad's aluminum-bodied box with a 10-speed behind a 2.7L twin turbo V6 on 35s with 4.70 gears. I suspect the 2.3L with the 7-speed stick would be an entirely different story, though. My Jeep gives sportier vibes because it's more eager to rev and nimble. The seating position, overall tallness and visibility over the dominating hood and fenders hood of the Bronco gives it a "I'm driving a monster truck" feel and the 10-speed rows through the gears so quickly it's borderline obnoxious.
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