vs. Bronco

[stickshifter]

I don't follow any Bronco forums but did the overheating issues experienced by journalists ever carry over to actual customers?

Multiple Ford Bronco Sports Overheated Off-Road. Let's Talk About It

Ford advertises the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport as an off-road beast, boasting of “unrelenting Bronco capability,” and saying that the new Ford Escape-based SUV “delivers the 4x4 off-road capability that made the original Bronco a legend.” Plus: “For maximum off-road capability and long-term...

jalopnik.com

This article (above) is about the Bronco Sport, not the Bronco. Its a bit confusing, but they are two totally different vehicles. The Bronco Sport is the little unibody crossover that was developed to eke out extra sales by capitalizing on the "Bronco" brand. I can't imagine anyone at Ford referring to the Bronco Sport as an "off-road beast" - but maybe some dude in marketing got liquored-up at a release event. The Bronco Sport might be "good off-road" like the Jeep Renegade is "good off-road" - i.e. good for its class.

Bronco Sport:

Bronco:

 

[mkennedy009]

I to had a Bronco res, due to the Ford Dealer, I have cancelled. I now live in the PNW and the removable top is neat but the leaking problem is not acceptable. I like the Grenadier because it reminds me of my yellow 1996 Ducati Monster. In early 96 when I was riding around Cali, it was very rare bike, got lots of attention and bonded with the few owners that had black and red ones. By 98-99 they were everywhere and all tricked out, they became an iconic motorcycle. The Grenadier reminds me of this. We will see if it plays out the same way here in the states.

 

[Caladan]

I don't follow any Bronco forums but did the overheating issues experienced by journalists ever carry over to actual customers?

Multiple Ford Bronco Sports Overheated Off-Road. Let's Talk About It

Ford advertises the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport as an off-road beast, boasting of “unrelenting Bronco capability,” and saying that the new Ford Escape-based SUV “delivers the 4x4 off-road capability that made the original Bronco a legend.” Plus: “For maximum off-road capability and long-term...

jalopnik.com

I have a Bronco on order and follow the two main Bronco forums (BroncoNation and Bronco6G). Overheating is a non-issue. What is generally being discussed were the series of dropped valves in the 2021 models with the 2.7 L engine, and broken tie rods. But mostly, discussions have been universally focused on the ordering process, delays in production, status notifications (or lack thereof) by Ford MoCo / dealerships, and determining which dealerships will honor the manufacturer's stated retail price (MSRP) at time of order or those dealerships that failed to honor the agreement and added additional markups for $5 - $20K over sticker.

 

[painter]

I do like the Bronco, and the Ford product generally, but have no interest in a removable top and especially the attendant wind noise at speed that's been reported. If they built a integrated steel roof model though, without the internal rollover bars, it would be on my list of alternatives to the Grenadier.

Good for Ford for reviving such an iconic brand and building such a capable vehicle. Too bad the launch occurred during the pandemic/supply chain disruptions. But shame on them for fumbling the pre sales and rollout so many times.

I'm hoping to read here that among the Grenadier's many good attributes, it's a great highway cruiser for long distance trips.

 

[DCPU]

Interesting to read ~ and maybe a easy lesson to learn for Ineos:

"Ford Bronco customers spend big on accessories

Executives say the Bronco is now Ford’s most-accessorized product, with customers spending an average of $1,700 on some 240 available parts.

The most popular accessories, Ford says, have been modular front bumpers, winches and off-road lights.

“It’s core to the success of Bronco,” Mark Grueber, Ford’s US consumer marketing manager, said in an interview. “For dealers it’s a great opportunity not only from a profit standpoint but also long-term engagement with customers. It’s a great proof point of what Ford can do and how big this opportunity is going forward.” Ford’s success on Bronco parts sales stemmed from troubles on another product.

The automaker attempted to boost its accessory sale credibility when it launched the Ranger midsize pickup in the US in 2018, but dealers complained at the time about a slow distribution process and lack of inventory. Officials scrambled to fix the issues.

“We completely changed our distribution network,” said Eric Cin, Ford’s global director of vehicle personalization, accessories and licensing. “We fired half of the companies that were distributing our products and rehired new companies to teach our dealers how to get into the business and put more content in inventory.”

Ford Bronco customers spend big on accessories - Jnews

Executives say the Bronco is now Ford's most-accessorized product, with customers spending an average of $1,700 on some 240 available parts. Buyers spend

jnews.uk

 

[marciTect]

I test drove a Sasquatch equipped Bronco yesterday and now I'm really torn about my Grenadier order. What I love about the Bronco is the suspension, the steering and the ride comfort ON THE ROAD. City potholes, drainage channels, curbs, are zero issue in the Bronco. ON THE ROADS is where I'll be spending 90% of my time. Will the Grenadier be a rough ride on worn out city streets? Will the numb steering of the Grenadier be too sterile for daily use on the roads? Yes, on the trails, the Grenadier is quite good. But how are speed bumps, pot holes, uneven road surfaces in the Grenadier. The Ford Raptor products are touted as being some of the best ride quality vehicles ON THE ROAD on sale today. I would love it if the Grenadier had a really compliant ride quality on the road. That my family didn't get thrown around going over bad road surfaces. And the steering . . . I sure hope the steering is livable. At 3.75 turns lock to lock, that doesn't sound like fun. When I drove the Grenadier at a launch event, that steering was the very first thing I noticed. Both the Grenadier and a the Bronco Raptor sticker at over 90K highly optioned. I wish there were more Grenadier reviews really showing the day to day ON ROAD dynamics and ride quality.

 

[Loc Nar]

I test drove a Sasquatch equipped Bronco yesterday and now I'm really torn about my Grenadier order. What I love about the Bronco is the suspension, the steering and the ride comfort ON THE ROAD. City potholes, drainage channels, curbs, are zero issue in the Bronco. ON THE ROADS is where I'll be spending 90% of my time. Will the Grenadier be a rough ride on worn out city streets? Will the numb steering of the Grenadier be too sterile for daily use on the roads? Yes, on the trails, the Grenadier is quite good. But how are speed bumps, pot holes, uneven road surfaces in the Grenadier. The Ford Raptor products are touted as being some of the best ride quality vehicles ON THE ROAD on sale today. I would love it if the Grenadier had a really compliant ride quality on the road. That my family didn't get thrown around going over bad road surfaces. And the steering . . . I sure hope the steering is livable. At 3.75 turns lock to lock, that doesn't sound like fun. When I drove the Grenadier at a launch event, that steering was the very first thing I noticed. Both the Grenadier and a the Bronco Raptor sticker at over 90K highly optioned. I wish there were more Grenadier reviews really showing the day to day ON ROAD dynamics and ride quality.

It sounds like you are wisely determining your principal use for your next vehicle. Based upon what you say you are looking for, I do not think the Grenadier would be the best vehicle for you. In addition to the vehicles you mentioned, you might want to take a look at gently used Range Rovers (i.e. still under warranty). I drive a 2007 RR Supercharged that I have kept spinning because I am so in love with its on road suspension and handling (and acceleration - let's not forget that). It's just a first class on road driving experience. I have only rarely taken this vehicle off road, where it performed admirably but was hardly challenged.

 

[marciTect]

Funny you mention a Range Rover. We had a 2020 model. Ride quality "Amazing". But ours was a complete Lemon and LR bought it back from us. Always in the shop. It was the diesel version. What a headache. Because of how bad that experience was, I'm really hesitant about going back to that brand. LandRover is among the lowest ranked among reliability. But they sure do look good. The new Lexus GX660 was just announced. That seems promising. My Grenadier probably wont get here to the US for another 6 months (at least) so there's still time to work all this out. When at the test drive opportunity, the Ineos people did say that we will be able to have another test drive opportunity in the future that would be with street legal Grenadiers. If I could drive 5-10 miles on road, and get a real sense of how that thing will behave, then I'll wait until then for a final decision. If I didn't have so much fun in the Bronco yesterday, I'd still be super exited about the Grenadier. But you won't find any YouTube testers saying that the Grenadier is great or fun or exciting to drive on road which is a real shame because some extremely capable 4X4's are still fun and dynamic on the road. Our Lexus LX560 was totally fine on road. I really enjoyed driving that big tank. I did drive a new Wrangler which I'm pretty sure has a 'ball' type steering like the Grenadier. It was blah on my test drive. Oh, the other thing about the LandRover product; I'd like to keep my next car for 10+ years and having a LandRover product that long just seems like a nightmare in the making. Reliability is a big factor for me.

 

[Loc Nar]

Funny you mention a Range Rover. We had a 2020 model. Ride quality "Amazing". But ours was a complete Lemon and LR bought it back from us. Always in the shop. It was the diesel version. What a headache. Because of how bad that experience was, I'm really hesitant about going back to that brand. LandRover is among the lowest ranked among reliability. But they sure do look good. The new Lexus GX660 was just announced. That seems promising. My Grenadier probably wont get here to the US for another 6 months (at least) so there's still time to work all this out. When at the test drive opportunity, the Ineos people did say that we will be able to have another test drive opportunity in the future that would be with street legal Grenadiers. If I could drive 5-10 miles on road, and get a real sense of how that thing will behave, then I'll wait until then for a final decision. If I didn't have so much fun in the Bronco yesterday, I'd still be super exited about the Grenadier. But you won't find any YouTube testers saying that the Grenadier is great or fun or exciting to drive on road which is a real shame because some extremely capable 4X4's are still fun and dynamic on the road. Our Lexus LX560 was totally fine on road. I really enjoyed driving that big tank. I did drive a new Wrangler which I'm pretty sure has a 'ball' type steering like the Grenadier. It was blah on my test drive. Oh, the other thing about the LandRover product; I'd like to keep my next car for 10+ years and having a LandRover product that long just seems like a nightmare in the making. Reliability is a big factor for me.

I'm sorry you had a bad RR experience. Mine has, luckily, been outstanding. I'm at 166k miles on the clock and I have performed regular maintenance to a "T." My biggest expense so far has been replacing a rear diff motor. Everything else, from my perspective, has fallen under the umbrella of regular maintenance for the mileage. When all works as it should, the ride really is silk isn't it?

 

[BD1]

I owned the new Bronco and sold it. The noise level at highway speeds was terrible. It was not good for phone calls and I have a few longer drives each month where I do work calls. The interior (I had the badlands) version was very plastic and cheap. I really like the exterior styling and would not rule out buying one in the future if they upgrade it a bit and improve the top. I had the hard top and it also showed signs of delaminating (which was one the many reasons it was delayed).

 

[AnD3rew]

I test drove a Sasquatch equipped Bronco yesterday and now I'm really torn about my Grenadier order. What I love about the Bronco is the suspension, the steering and the ride comfort ON THE ROAD. City potholes, drainage channels, curbs, are zero issue in the Bronco. ON THE ROADS is where I'll be spending 90% of my time. Will the Grenadier be a rough ride on worn out city streets? Will the numb steering of the Grenadier be too sterile for daily use on the roads? Yes, on the trails, the Grenadier is quite good. But how are speed bumps, pot holes, uneven road surfaces in the Grenadier. The Ford Raptor products are touted as being some of the best ride quality vehicles ON THE ROAD on sale today. I would love it if the Grenadier had a really compliant ride quality on the road. That my family didn't get thrown around going over bad road surfaces. And the steering . . . I sure hope the steering is livable. At 3.75 turns lock to lock, that doesn't sound like fun. When I drove the Grenadier at a launch event, that steering was the very first thing I noticed. Both the Grenadier and a the Bronco Raptor sticker at over 90K highly optioned. I wish there were more Grenadier reviews really showing the day to day ON ROAD dynamics and ride quality.

Spend some time looking at all the threads here on owners on road driving experiences, the concensus I would say is that it is very good, particularly with potholes and lower quality roads. In fact better than anyone expected for a live axle vehicle. Having said that, it is a live axle vehicle so it probably can never be as good as the best independent suspended vehicles like a New Defender with air, or a Raptor Ford. For me the difference is the hope/expectation that the Grenadier bones are built to last. This will
Likely be my last high $ new car purchase before retirement and I am looking to get hopefully 15 years of solid service from it, If I was planning to turn it over before the end of the warranty then I would likely get a New Defender, and if we had the option of a Bronco here, that would also be tempting, but I have no confidence either of them will have the robustness to last 10-15 years with some outback travel.

 

[James]

Agree with the above; the on road grenadier is positively surprising everyone. Your family is not going to be thrown around, far from it. The steering also is getting a very bad expectation or vibe around it. They chose a type of steering for very sound reasons. Having driven lots of similar vehicles, which many people would never think to wonder what mechanics underpin, you not only quickly get used to, but usually take pleasure from the way you ‘work with’ any vehicle that’s well designed. The steering has some characteristics. Every car’s steering does. Don’t sweat the adjectives.
The lock on the other hand, not number of turns, but the size of street you need for a U turn, that you notice…. It’s a direct trade off for strength and long term reliability, but you still notice

 

[marciTect]

I owned the new Bronco and sold it. The noise level at highway speeds was terrible. It was not good for phone calls and I have a few longer drives each month where I do work calls. The interior (I had the badlands) version was very plastic and cheap. I really like the exterior styling and would not rule out buying one in the future if they upgrade it a bit and improve the top. I had the hard top and it also showed signs of delaminating (which was one the many reasons it was delayed).

Thanks for the info. I couldn't live with a loud interior at highway speeds. And as you said, that was the hardtop. I guess if the Bronco was built the way we'd all want it, it would be G Wagon prices. Always a trade off.
For now I'm okay with the 'wait and see' approach. In time there will be a lot more reviews and hopefully a chance to test drive. The Grenadier will continue to improve over the model years, but the price will keep rising. Always a trade off.