If you’re having trouble choosing between the Wrangler and Bronco, fret no more because this video comparison will help you make your decision.
The white-painted Jeep is a two-door Sport, which is the most affordable JL currently in production at $29,070 excluding destination charge. 17- by 7.5-inch steelies and 245/75 R17 all-season tires come standard, along with a canvas top, black interior with black or tan cloth upholstery, 5.0-inch Uconnect 3 infotainment with Bluetooth streaming audio, and a six-month trial of SiriusXM, 3.45 gears, a six-speed manual, and the Pentastar lump.
The 3.6-liter V6 offers 285 horsepower and 260 pound-feet (354 Nm) of torque, which are pretty good figures for an entry-level specification. The Bronco, however, levels up to a 2.3-liter turbocharged four-pot EcoBoost.
The red-painted Big Bend in this video isn’t the real equivalent to the Sport because the most affordable Bronco is called Base. Priced at $33,385 sans taxes, the second trim level in the range adds a few creature comforts over the $28,500 Base. These include leather on the steering wheel, aluminum wheels instead of steelies, remote start, a power inverter, 255/75 R17 rubber that wraps 17-inch aluminum wheels, six G.O.A.T driving modes, LED fog lamps, and privacy glass for the second-row seats and swing-out tailgate.
Big Bend customers who pick the two-door body style are further treated to the molded-in-color hardtop, bi-tone cloth seats, Black Onyx for the rest of the cabin, SYNC 4 touchscreen infotainment, part-time 4x4 with selectable engagement, a 4.46 final drive, and a seven-speed manual transmission. The biggest difference over the JL, however, is the independent front suspension as opposed to a solid axle for the Wrangler, which brings us to the verdict.
Which is the better one? As far as the list of standard features is concerned, the Big Bend wins this one rather easily because it’s a trim level above the Sport. The IFS design also translates to better steering feel and ride quality, and the force-fed powerplant makes it much nicer on the highway as well.
Be that as it may, the current-generation Wrangler is much easier to upgrade with off-road mods. The aftermarket is much larger for the JL as well.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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