I’ve been covering the automotive scene for longer than I care to remember, but I’ve seldom seen the level of enthusiasm — from consumers and media alike — for Ford’s reissue of its Bronco.
There haven’t been many challengers going head-to-head with Jeep’s iconic Wrangler, not since Toyota’s FJ Cruiser drove off the road and into the sunset. Now the Bronco is here, aimed squarely at Jeep and hitting its mark extremely well.
The Bronco comes in two body configurations, and I had the two-door, which holds four occupants. It also comes with four doors and five seats. As with the four-door Wrangler Unlimited, the four-door Bronco is expected to be far more popular, especially since it’s awkward to get into the two-door’s rear seat, and cramped once you finally squeeze back there.
2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door Wildtrak Photo by Jil McIntosh
2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door Wildtrak Photo by Jil McIntosh
2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door Wildtrak Photo by Jil McIntosh
2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door Wildtrak
2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door Wildtrak Photo by Jil McIntosh
2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door Wildtrak Photo by Jil McIntosh
2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door Wildtrak Photo by Jil McIntosh
2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door Wildtrak Photo by Jil McIntosh
2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door Wildtrak Photo by Jil McIntosh
2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door Wildtrak Photo by Jil McIntosh
2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door Wildtrak Photo by Jil McIntosh
2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door Wildtrak Photo by Jil McIntosh
2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door Wildtrak Photo by Jil McIntosh
2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door Wildtrak Photo by Jil McIntosh
Photo by Jil McIntosh
2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door Wildtrak Photo by Jil McIntosh
2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door Wildtrak Photo by Jil McIntosh
2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door Wildtrak Photo by Jil McIntosh
2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door Wildtrak Photo by Jil McIntosh
2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door Wildtrak Photo by Jil McIntosh
2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door Wildtrak Photo by Jil McIntosh
It comes in six trims, starting at $41,099 in two-door, and $46,249 in four-door. I had the top-line and most-off-road-capable Wildtrak 2-Door trim, starting at $57,699. Mine was generously optioned, including leather-trimmed seats, heated steering wheel, roof rails, towing package and more, and came to $67,529 before freight and taxes.
Ford is using the Bronco name as a brand, and first out of the gate under it was the Bronco Sport. That’s a much lighter-duty sport-ute, based on the Escape platform and with all-wheel drive. This Bronco is a body-on-frame trucklet, with a true 4×4 system, and a few people who stopped to look at it called it the “real Bronco.”
Just as with Jeep, there seems to be a “Bronco wave” when two drivers spot each other on the street. A local who owns a Bronco Sport waved each time he saw me, but I suspect “real Bronco” drivers are going to snub anyone who isn’t waving from another “real Bronco.”
Two engines are available, and both are turbocharged, which Ford calls “EcoBoost.” The entry powerplant is a 2.3L four-cylinder, making 275 horsepower and 315 lb-ft of torque. You can get it with a seven-speed manual transmission or ten-speed automatic. The upgrade is a 2.7L V6 that makes 315 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque, and comes only with the ten-speed automatic. (Ford’s advertising higher power figures on both, up to 330 horses on the V6, but that’s only if you run premium fuel.) Both engines are available in all trims except for the Wildtrak, which comes only with the V6.
Optional on some trims, but standard on the Wildtrak, are front and rear electronic locking differentials. The 4×4 system includes a 4Auto setting that can be used on pavement — handy on roads with just a bit of snow cover — and the dial to switch between 2WD and the four-wheel settings is much easier to use than Jeep’s stiff mechanical lever.
All Bronco trims have Terrain Management, with five to seven settings that optimize the engine and driveline for surfaces like mud or rock crawling. The Wildtrak has all seven, including Baja for higher-speed off-road driving. All Broncos with an automatic transmission get low-speed off-road cruise control, called Trail Control; and 1-Pedal Drive, which activates the brakes as soon as you let off the throttle. For tight off-road turns, you can use Trail Turn Assist; it brakes one rear wheel and the truck pivots on it.
You can order a Sasquatch Package on other trims, but it’s standard on the Wildtrak, and includes beadlock-capable wheels with 35-inch tires, heavy-duty Bilstein shocks, and high-clearance fender flares.
I’m quite taken with the Bronco. I like its looks, especially its front end with the way the lights are tied into the logo, although my truck’s optional brush guard covered up some of the letters. A hardtop is standard on the Wildtrak, and while it does squeak a little over bumps — the price you pay for it being removable — it’s lined on the inside, and the cabin is quieter than you’d expect.
2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door Wildtrak Photo by Jil McIntosh
2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door Wildtrak Photo by Jil McIntosh
2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door Wildtrak Photo by Jil McIntosh
2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door Wildtrak Photo by Jil McIntosh
2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door Wildtrak Photo by Jil McIntosh
2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door Wildtrak Photo by Jil McIntosh
2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door Wildtrak Photo by Jil McIntosh
2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door Wildtrak Photo by Jil McIntosh
2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door Wildtrak Photo by Jil McIntosh
2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door Wildtrak Photo by Jil McIntosh
2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door Wildtrak Photo by Jil McIntosh
2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door Wildtrak Photo by Jil McIntosh
2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door Wildtrak
2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door Wildtrak Photo by Jil McIntosh
2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door Wildtrak Photo by Jil McIntosh
2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door Wildtrak Photo by Jil McIntosh
2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door Wildtrak Photo by Jil McIntosh
2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door Wildtrak Photo by Jil McIntosh
2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door Wildtrak Photo by Jil McIntosh
2022 Ford Bronco 2-Door Wildtrak Photo by Jil McIntosh
Ford benchmarked the Wrangler during development, including addressing any complaints Jeep owners had about their vehicles. As with the Wrangler, the Bronco’s doors come off, although the windshield doesn’t fold down as the Jeep’s does. But while Jeep owners have to leave those doors behind, the Bronco’s doors fit into the cargo compartment (albeit with the rear seats folded down on the two-door) so you can take them with you. When the doors are off, you must have side mirrors to legally drive on the street. Bronco’s stay on the body; Jeep’s come off with the doors, and owners have to buy accessory mirrors that slide into the hinges. The compromise is that since you can’t remove them, Bronco’s mirrors reduce the vehicle’s clearance on tight trails.
Jeep has better approach angles, Ford has better breakover, and their departure angles are almost a match. Jeep retains a solid front axle, while Ford opts for independent front suspension.
Both are extremely off-road-capable, of course, but the Bronco has better on-road manners. The ride isn’t as choppy, and on the highway, it tracks smoothly. In a Wrangler, you’re constantly adjusting the steering wheel to keep the front wheels pointing straight ahead.
I prefer the look of the Wrangler’s interior — the Bronco’s no slouch, mind you, but there is more plain hard plastic — but the Ford has a better seating position, and with a dead pedal so my left foot didn’t get cramped. The 12-inch touchscreen sits horizontally and doesn’t overwhelm the dash, and the climate functions are handled with simple dials and buttons. The mirror and window buttons are a bit awkward, though, as they’re tucked into the centre console; if you’re short as I am and have the seat forward, you have to reach back for these buttons. But that’s a minor quibble on an otherwise intuitive interior.
The Bronco is good-looking, it’s fun to drive, and it’s great to have a real off-road rivalry again. Each brand will have its fans, but now there’s something to cross-shop. There’s been a lot of hype over the return of the Bronco, but all in all, I think it lives up to the fuss.
Keyword: SUV Review: 2021 Ford Bronco 2-Door Wildtrak