Pictured here is the Bronco Wildtrak, and it looks tough. Possibly tough enough to de-throne the Jeep Wrangler…
There were trucks, Jeeps, and vans. None of those categories described the Blazer, Jimmy, Bronco, Ramcharger, or Scout that well. Four-wheel drive was fairly common on all of them, so they received big tires, lift, bumpers, etc. Most of them were just called “four-by-fours” or “off-road trucks.” The Blazer and Jimmy that the roof was removable on were both kind-of cool, and the same goes for the Bronco and Scout. I owned a Jimmy that the roof did not come off of, and found it rather inconvenient for hauling, with no chance at an open-air summer cruise down the highway. Of all of them, my pick would probably be the Bronco. I think they looked the best in the seventies. They wear huge tires better than the other options, they proportion well with the roof removed, and they come already fitted with nice Ford differentials. Also, you can drop a Chevy engine in anything nowadays, and nobody bats an eye, so that’s a win for me as well. When Chevy brought the Blazer back, I wasn’t thrilled, as it looked like a car. Now Ford is bringing the Bronco back, and it looks like a Bronco, sort of. Like a Bronco mixed with a Jeep and some Toyota FJ.
At first, I hated it. I hated the soft parts for being soft, and the square parts for being square. I hated the fact the neither of the two engine options had eight cylinders. Four doors? That’s twice as many to hate. After a brief period, I began to get used to what I was seeing and realized that I was never going to buy one, so Ford probably didn’t build it for people with my tastes. After acceptance and a little research, I actually think it’s pretty cool, and I think it will be pretty capable. The turbocharged four-cylinder makes two-hundred and seventy horsepower, and the twin-turbo six-cylinder makes three-hundred and ten, both with plenty of torque. Both are backed by a ten-speed automatic, and the four-cylinder actually has a seven-speed manual available. Thirty-five-inch mud tires on beadlock wheels can be had right off the showroom floor, and Dana handled the differentials, so there’s no doubt that you can use those big tires however you see fit. Like rock crawling? It’s got a crawl gear, and removable sway bar for all kinds of crazy climbing. Doors in pairs or a quartet that are removable, and hard or soft tops that come off just the same, this Bronco isn’t built to impress fans of the old Bronco, but rather give the Jeep Wrangler its first real taste of competition. There are enough packages and options available to double the base price and satisfy the needs of anyone shopping who can get over the odd look of the new Bronco. Quite honestly, I got over it, and after reading all about it, I think I like it better than the Jeep, and I’m anxious to see Ford dealers with lots full of new Broncos, followed by used Wranglers.
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