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I know the Defender and Bronco are not in the same class but I believe a Ford may have just a homerun. There are five models to choose from with options galore. Front/Rear lockers, sway bar disconnect, deep fording, etc. Again, not comparing apples to apples here folks but the 4-door for example is a great looking vehicle...from the photos..in my opinion. At a price point likely less than the D110 and 90, they will cut right into sales. I still marvel at the 110 and like the design (minus the front end) however there is now some completion. I’ve been waiting on Toyota to refresh the 4Runner for a hundred years and not sure if I can wait much longer. It’s great to have some new and exciting options.
I'm a huge fan. I think Ford has been listening quietly for years as off-roading and overlanding has picked up steam. Normally not a fan of IFS but if it comes from factory with a long travel option with 35s there's no need to go any bigger/higher. IFS on race trucks is incredible but it's designed for a certain amount of travel and tire size...everyone lifting and modifying stock (limited) IFS systems run into so many issues once that geometry is changed and the stress migrates to parts not designed for the loads. The powerplant/trans options and I'm sure an actual decent interior just put Jeep on notice imo. The Sport model is the true game changer though especially if it comes in with a base tag of under 30k. Subaru and Rav4 and even the 4R market is in trouble, good clearance, a true transfer case with low range and what looked like a LSD rear...not to mention all the gadgety things on the interior and factory rack options....it's not my cup of tea but I'm predicting that is the model that will truly be a homerun.
I didn't think I would like it, but I do. I think you are right Whowa, Ford has been quietly getting ready for this ever more capable Raptors. For once I think a manufacturer got it right from the beginning.
I can’t imagine many well heeled new Land Rover buyers moving to Ford, just due to the badge
If they really cared about severe off roading they’d have been buying a Wrangler Rubicon for similar money anyway.
If they were the type to just want the newest thing on the market for bragging rights then maybe, but the Defender is new and rare too, so I don’t see it.
If I was Land Rover I wouldn’t be concerned in the slightest. They already seem to consider the Defender a more refined and cheaper option to the G-Wagon, o didn’t see them comparing to the Jeep and don’t see them comparing to the Ford either.
Jeep have really had the serious off road market to themselves in the US with ever growing huge sales proof of that. If I were Jeep I’d be a bit concerned although it remains to be seen how good it will actually be off-road vs just being a retro modern styled truck.
The US market is actually a point worth making, both the Wrangler and Defender are and have been available worldwide for a long time with strong brand recognition for both and as off road vehicles also compete with various Japanese models not available in the US. Outside the US hardly anyone knows the Bronco name much less have experienced one, and people outside the US don’t buy Fords to go off roading. So the Bronco is a purely US market focused vehicle with the benefits AND downsides that brings.
I’d cross shop it with a Jeep, but not from a Land Rover or Cruiser.
Last edited by LoneStarLR; 07-18-2020 at 11:10 AM.
Have you spent any time in the Jeeps? Their interiors are laughable at best especially for how much they can cost these days. Capable yes, comfortable and road manners? hell no. And serious off-roading? 35s with lockers and a suspension actually designed for the tire size will take you just about anywhere with a half decent driver. You want to go more places then that will take you get a buggy and trailer it.
I love my D2 but a fully optioned Bronco is right near the base Defender cost with loads more capability. If I were in the market for a brand new vehicle I'd be hard pressed not to go with the Bronco...simple cost analysis you get way more bang for your buck with the Bronco vs Defender (maybe not status points but mine's gonna end up scratched and used so who cares).
Well, I haven't spent time in the latest Wrangler, but I owned a TJ and drove several JK's.
The TJ interior quality and ride was acceptable because well, it was cheap.
The JK was more refined on the road but had an equally bad interior at a much higher price point so I never bought one.
The new one has a much better interior and further improved road manners (as much as it can be given it's solid axle) but the price has climbed even further.
You can option a Rubicon up to $60k, crazy for what is meant to be an off roader...
A fully optioned up Bronco may well be base Defender price with more capability, but I don't think that matters to Defender buyers. Because today's Defender buyers are not yesterdays Defender buyers (or rather not 1997 buyers or 2016 buyers in the rest of the world). The new Defender will go further off-road than 80% of those who actually do go off road will ever take it. Hardcore rock crawlers won't be satisfied but they weren't buying it to begin with. Some of those who do hard core off roading and would have bought a Wrangler Rubicon and dropped $20-40k on it on mods will now consider a Bronco. Modern new Defender buyers won't.
If I was still off-roading and living in the US as I do now, I'd personally be more interested in the Wrangler than the Bronco at this time, and more interested in the Bronco than the Defender.
If I was in Europe I'd get a late old generation Defender, or a UK spec Wrangler and well, the Bronco wouldn't even be an option obviously as it isn't in most of the rest of the world.
But now I stay on road will just do overland type off-roading when I do, vs hardcore stuff, so I have a Discovery that does everything I need both on road and off so I'm not the target market for any of these any more...
IMO, it looks okay. Not sure about the door removal thingy, looks like someone stole them. Pretty sure l'd never buy one, styling looks to much like the new Defender...which makes since...because Ford owned LR years ago and copies styling in quite a few models.
The new Bronco is stacking up to be quite an excellent vehicle with options to suit everyone from those who just need 4wd for rough roads and snow to the overlander and to the extreme off roader/rock crawler. What I really reflect on is just how much I wish Ford still owned Land Rover. The new Defender is going to be a good vehicle, and when compared to my LR4, they stack up so similarly you would think they were trying to get as close as they could to it without it just being the Disco 6. This makes sense, LR needs a massive hit right now. The D5 has sold poorly and the rest of the lineup is getting old, so they need to cash in on the Defender name. The reason I bring up Ford ownership is that I truly believe if they were still at the helm, the new Defender would be a Bronco with a different body and slightly more upscale. The Bronco shares much of its parts with the Ranger, which remains hugely popular across Europe, Australia, and South Africa. These coincide with being extremely important markets for Land Rover in terms of mass market sales (N. America and Middle East will always be dominated as luxury markets). Ford developing the Defender in this manner would have made sense financially as well as from a practical sense for production and parts distribution. We can lament on what could have been, or test drive both and see which fits your lifestyle the best.
The Bronco is pretty neat. I think the biggest thing it has going for it from my prospective is that you can even outfit the base model with 35s and front and rear lockers.... the Jeep wrangler only has this available in the Rubicon which has a ridiculous price tag for what you get. The interior will smoke the jeeps as well. I come from the hardcore offroad buggy world of 40 plus inch tires and rear steer... if you need a vehicle to do more than you can do with 35s and fully locked... it is time to build a buggy... and I've owned a ton of broncos over the years.
I don't think it will take away from defender sales... It will get some jeep sales and smaller suv sales though and people wanting new "lifestyle" vehicles... we wanted 3 rows... so even if it had been available when we got the Discovery, I dont think we would have cross shopped it.
07-13-2020 | 07:31 PM
2020 bronco
