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Bronco Vs Wrangler Vs Defender Go for Off-Road Test, One Doesn't Return

Ever since the new Bronco was revealed, everyone started drooling at the prospect of a three-way off-road comparison between Ford's off-roader, the Jeep Wrangler, and the Land Rover Defender.
2021 Ford Bronco Vs 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4Xe Vs 2020 Land Rover Defender off-road test 13 photos
Photo: TFLoffroad / YouTube thumbnail
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Looking at the way these three vehicles are built, you get the feeling that labeling them in terms of off-road worthiness should be pretty easy. First off, only two of them - the Bronco and the Wrangler - have a body-on-frame architecture, something Land Rover has moved away from starting with the fifth generation of its Discovery model.

Having a separate chassis is considered an almost make-or-break condition for an off-roader, but Land Rover insists on calling the new Defender that as well, so expect to see it going up against these two in other videos as well.

Then, there's the whole suspension and articulation configuration. The Wrangler is the only one with two solid axles, whereas the Bronco only has one at the rear. The Defender, on the other hand, has independent suspension in all four corners - great for driving on the road, not as ideal once the asphalt ends.

When it comes to tires, one of the key aspects to mind when thinking about going off-road, it's the Bronco (with the Sasquatch package) that shines with its 35-inch aggressive all-terrains. The Wrangler Rubicon gets slightly smaller ones, but the Defender - with the P400 hybrid powertrain - can only take 19" wheels or larger. The test vehicle has 20s, which means there is very little room left for the actual tires. It does have the optional factory off-road tires equipped, but the difference compared to its two competitors is obvious. Out on the mountain, the Defender looks like a city boy in clean, white sneakers.

Those sneakers actually come to bite it right after clearing the first major obstacle. After struggling to climb over a big rock (again, due mostly to the restrained nature of the tire tread more than anything else, as well as the fact the large wheel didn't allow too much airing down), the Defender hits the pointy edge of a rock and punctures its front right tire. It's the sidewall (the wheel is also a bit dented) too, so that tire will have to continue its life as a nice flowerpot or the sole of somebody’s sandals.

The spare is called into action, and it was the only one, the team rightly decides to inflate the wheels all the way to their recommended values. However, that pesky rock still needed to be cleared, and even though the lightning doesn't strike twice in the same spot, immovable rocks apparently tend to do it. Yup, the spare wheel suffers the same fate after only a few seconds. That means the Defender will have to spend the night on the mountain.

The other two carry on despite the fact that the same first obstacle saw the Jeep smash its rear right wheel into a rock due to the driver's aggressive take. The Bronco, on the other hand, breezed over with its huge tires (at least compared to the other two vehicles it was there with).

Nathan, the driver of the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, took full advantage of the fact his vehicle had a hybrid powertrain (4Xe model) and started the climb up the mountain using only electric power. However, the 30-odd mile EV range turned into a little over three miles (3.1) of actual off-road driving, showing what we can expect from future electric trucks and SUVs.

Other than the limitations of its battery, there was nothing the Bronco could do that the Wrangler Rubicon couldn't do as well. Whether it did it better or not is an entirely different discussion and one that, as the verdict of the TFL team shows, can be entirely subjective. What's clear and what matters the most is that the Wrangler is not alone anymore, and the alternative is actually more than decent - it's a proper rival.

As for the Defender, it now has a long cold night to think about whether it still wants to be called an off-roader or not. The truth is that, without a few mods, the Land Rover isn't capable of keeping up with the big boys, and since it's a pretty expensive vehicle to begin with, that will only boost its price even further. At which point, you have to ask yourself: why bother?

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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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