TFL's 2021 Ford Bronco Off-Road Review Feels Like a Commercial—Is It That Good?

That just goes to show how badly the Jeep Wrangler needed a rival, or alternatively, how badly people wanted Ford to bring back the Bronco nameplate. At the same time, it could be indicative of the new vehicle's very cool design, or perhaps just a mixture of all three.

After allowing journalists to touch it, step inside, and give it complete walkarounds—basically do anything other than drive it—the long-awaited moment is finally here. As it's usually the case when expectations are built extraordinarily high, there's always the chance it will all end in disappointment. Besides, the new Bronco has a very tall order to fill: it needs to be as good, if not better, than the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon legend.

Not everyone will take the Bronco off-roading, but its success will always be measured based on how well it does on the trail. We've seen it pull spectacular stunts already, but those were staged by Ford and, color us suspicious, but we tend to wait until either we get to drive it or other independent journalists do before we can even begin to form an impression.

Well, with a Ford event held in Texas just over, we now have the first full off-road reviews of the 2021 Ford Bronco and, the consensus seems to be that the wait was worth it. The Bronco delivers on almost every aspect to the point where a review may end up feeling like a paid advert, even though it's not. Journalists can get giddy too, and it's no surprise that a pair of guys who are into off-roading are excited about a new vehicle on the market that aims to take down the very leader of the segment.

TFL's Tommy and Andre rave about the new Bronco's features, and it's hard to disagree with the points they make. Perhaps one of the best decisions made by Ford is just how freely you can customize your Bronco. You can basically build your ideal machine for the least possible money: none of the "you can't have this if you don't buy that" attitude you see with so many other manufacturers.

The downsides? The front independent suspension can be a little problematic at times, but the hydraulic sway bar disconnect system (available even under load) more than makes up for it. It's also quite big and heavy, and perhaps the worst of them all, it is quite thirsty. Other than that, the Wrangler has finally got a real direct rival, and Jeep's kneejerk reaction with the Xtreme Recon Package shows the Stellantis company is well aware things have just gotten serious.