The rivalry between the Jeep Wrangler and the Ford Bronco has only just begun - or relaunched if you will - and it will continue to grow over the coming months and years as the Ford camp gains more and more members.
Right now, getting your hands on a Ford Bronco is a tricky affair as it involves one (or more) of the following: having to wait a lot of time, being forced to choose a different spec than the one you want to avoid waiting, paying a huge dealer markup because the demand is high and the supply low, which is the killer combination for the buyer.
So, with all that in mind, does Tommy Mica, the youngest member of the TFL crew, regret his decision to buy a two-door Jeep Wrangler Willys Sport just a few weeks ago? He could have answered that question with a simple, two-letter word, but instead, he made a twenty-minute-long clip about it, and it provides a cool, first-hand impression of how the two vehicles compared.
It's worth pointing out that everything he says might be a bit biased - people are rarely ready to admit having made a mistake after spending nearly all of their savings on a new car. Even so, after making his case, it's hard to accuse Tommy of groundless partisanship. Some of the things that weighed in his decision may not make that much sense for other people (for instance, he likes a smaller vehicle, and he wanted a soft top), but most of the points he makes are pretty universal. Let's dig in.
Photo: The Fast Lane Car / YouTube screenshot
Price-wise, the Wrangler is the clear winner. Getting a more affordable Bronco is pretty difficult at this time, so the $35,000 Wrangler (taxes included) can be the perfect package. A more off-road-worthy Rubicon will command more than that, but you would still get plenty of change from the $70,000 spent on the four-door Bronco you see in this clip.
One of the more important aspects that veered Tommy toward the Jeep was the unproven nature of the Bronco, and if you've watched our website in the past (or the TFL channel), you will have seen he was proven right. The roof panels on the Bronco are of immensely poor quality, and not just visually (the fabric is peeling off, there is glue smeared where it shouldn't be), but they also rattle while driving. Not the kind of feature you want on your brand-new $70,000 vehicle. The Jeep, on the other hand, has had every issue ironed out by now.
A lot of people will invoke the Bronco's more civilized on-road manners, and as long as the Sasquatch package isn't present, it's hard to argue against that. However, Tommy points out that the Wrangler is nowhere near the stone-age vehicle most make it out to be. Its ride quality and handling are at least decent, and the 3.6-liter V6 Pentastar is a great unit to have in an off-roader.
Photo: The Fast Lane Car / YouTube screenshot
The Bronco, on the other hand, comes with a choice of two more complex turbocharged engines that also sound like a hoover - at least according to Tommy. Well, the sound may not be all that important, but the reliability aspect is and even though the EcoBoost units haven't had time to prove themselves one way or another in the Bronco, the Jeep's V6 has, and it's all good.
One of the more controversial claims Tommy makes is that the interior in the Jeep is of higher quality than in the Bronco. Anyone knows the Wrangler isn't exactly synonymous with luxury, but luxury and quality don't mean the same thing. It's more about robustness and the quality of the material and finish, and that's where the Stellantis vehicle nips in front. If anything, the loose, wobbly handle in the video had us convinced.
There's a lot more to talk about, including off-road ability, but at the end of the day, we are talking about two vehicles with very different price points. Considering the Bronco costs twice as much, it's only natural to have very high expectations, and it's also much more likely for the Ford to disappoint.
It looks as though it might still be too early to compare these two, and that's because the Bronco range is so restricted at the moment, and because its reliability aspect is still missing having just arrived on the market. Still, if you too are looking for a new off-road vehicle right now, the one thing that puts the Wrangler way ahead of the Bronco has nothing to do with its abilities, price, or features, but the simple fact it's so easily (and instantly) available. With the Bronco, you must really want one to be willing to wait for so long or pay the required premium just to own it now.
"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) Full profile
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