2021 Ford Bronco vs. Jeep Wrangler Comparison: Which One Is Better?

Let’s find out through on-paper specifications, shall we?

Price

Excluding destination charge, the Base trim level with two doors, the 2.3-liter EcoBoost, seven-speed manual box, and 4x4 will set you back $28,500 while the four-door Bronco costs $33,200. The Wrangler Sport in JL and JLU flavors, by comparison, can be had from $28,295 or $31,795, respectively.

Standard and optional engines

270 horsepower and 310 pound-feet for the four-cylinder turbo puts the all-new Bronco ahead of the Wrangler, which cranks out 285 ponies and 260 torques from the Pentastar V6. The Hurricane I4 doesn’t even need mentioning, but Jeep has the upper hand in terms of fuel economy thanks to the EcoDiesel V6 turbo diesel that Fiat Chrysler. On the highway, the oil-burning mill returns 29 mpg (8.1 l/100 km).

The Ford Motor Company, however, has a trick up its sleeve in the guise of a twin-turbo option. The 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 offers 310 horsepower and 400 pound-feet, which means that torque favors the 3.0-liter EcoDiesel six-pot mill of the Wrangler.

Off-road capability

First and foremost, the 35-inch rubber shoes of the Sasquatch Package are taller than those of the Rubicon. Secondly, both the manual and automatic transmissions feature crawl ratios of up to 94.75:1 and 67.8:1 with the advanced 4x4 transfer case.

Water fording is rated at 33.5 inches for the Bronco, ground clearance stands up 11.6 inches, and the Blue Oval has also made a case for best-in-class departure and breakover angles (37.2 and 29 degrees). Still, the approach angle of 43.2 degrees plays second fiddle to the 43.9 degrees promised by the Rubicon.

Exterior dimensions, towing, payload, trunk capacity

3,500 pounds (1,588 kilograms) is the most you can expect from both the Bronco and Wrangler, along with 1,370 pounds of payload for the Ford and 1,351 pounds for the Jeep (621 and 612 kilograms, respectively).

Trunk space, however, favors the newcomer from Wayne, Michigan. 3.9 and 10.6 cubic feet (110.4 and 300.1 liters) are the ratings of the two- and four-door models with the rear seats in their normal position. Part of the reason the Bronco is better than the Wrangler in this area is the longer overall length, namely 6.9 and one inch longer than the equivalent Wrangler. On the other hand, the four-door Bronco has a 2.3-inch shorter wheelbase than the JLU Wrangler.

Looks and tech

There’s no denying that Ford used the same recipe for the Bronco as Jeep, keeping the exterior design as faithful as possible to the original from the 1960s. The Wrangler, meanwhile, is a throwback to the CJ series that ran from ‘44 through ‘86.

Inside is where there’s no competition between these two. The Bronco looks a lot nicer in terms of fit, finish, materials, and build quality. Standard and available tech also puts the Ford ahead of the Jeep, and highlights include 8.0- and 12-inch touchscreens, SYNC 4 infotainment, OTA updates, and G.O.A.T. drive modes. Of the latter, Baja Mode takes inspiration from the F-150 Raptor and Ranger Raptor.

Conclusion

As much as I love the Wrangler and the Rubicon off-road model, it’s hard to ignore how much thought and attention to detail went into the Bronco. Given the over-the-top number of $100 reservations for the mid-size sport utility vehicle, Jeep has to step up its game considerably with the mid-cycle refresh of the JL and JLU.

So far, Fiat Chrysler has confirmed the Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid for the 2021 model year and an EV likely for 2022. If we’re lucky, the 6.4-liter HEMI V8 will also be added.