My Wife and I Drove, Yesterday, Into the Darkest Depths of Hell, to test drive a Bronco…

[Bob Blaylock]

…also known as the Bay Area. The destination there, not far from Than Fwanthithco, was a Ford dealership that has an exceptionally good reputation.

There, for the first time, I got to see some new 6th-generation Ford Broncos, and to test drive one. I went into this with very high, possibly unrealistic expectations; a good way top set myself up for disappointment when what I finally get to see doesn't rise to those expectations.

For months, now, I've been convinced that what I want to spend a good chunk of my recent inheritance on is a new vehicle, more suitable to my current profession than the 2016 Dodge Dart that I am currently driving. I've become rather fixated on the new Ford Bronco, and as I look at other possible candidate vehicles, “on paper”, I keep coming back to the Bronco as looking like the best choice for me.

Now, having finally seen several in real life, and having test-driven one of them and examined it in detail, I can say that it has totally, utterly failed to disappoint me. It seems to be everything I expected of it, and better.

I now have my order in, and am waiting at the back of a long line, for a 2022 4-door Bronco Badlands. I wanted the hard top, but the dealer estimate that settling for the soft top would cut my wait time by about half a year, and after my test drive, I've decided I can live with the soft top until a hard top becomes available much later to install in its place. Perhaps, by then, the aftermarket may even come out with something better and/or less expensive than the version that Ford is struggling so much to get to market.

This link leads to the build that I ordered.

 

[Godboy]

…also known as the Bay Area. The destination there, not far from Than Fwanthithco, was a Ford dealership that has an exceptionally good reputation.

There, for the first time, I got to see some new 6th-generation Ford Broncos, and to test drive one. I went into this with very high, possibly unrealistic expectations; a good way top set myself up for disappointment when what I finally get to see doesn't rise to those expectations.

For months, now, I've been convinced that what I want to spend a good chunk of my recent inheritance on is a new vehicle, more suitable to my current profession than the 2016 Dodge Dart that I am currently driving. I've become rather fixated on the new Ford Bronco, and as I look at other possible candidate vehicles, “on paper”, I keep coming back to the Bronco as looking like the best choice for me.

Now, having finally seen several in real life, and having test-driven one of them and examined it in detail, I can say that it has totally, utterly failed to disappoint me. It seems to be everything I expected of it, and better.

I now have my order in, and am waiting at the back of a long line, for a 2022 4-door Bronco Badlands. I wanted the hard top, but the dealer estimate that settling for the soft top would cut my wait time by about half a year, and after my test drive, I've decided I can live with the soft top until a hard top becomes available much later to install in its place. Perhaps, by then, the aftermarket may even come out with something better and/or less expensive than the version that Ford is struggling so much to get to market.

This link leads to the build that I ordered.

View attachment 553009

Fuckin sick! Congrats!

 

[Otis Mayfield]

They look pretty good and I've heard good things.

 

[mudwhistle]

…also known as the Bay Area. The destination there, not far from Than Fwanthithco, was a Ford dealership that has an exceptionally good reputation.

There, for the first time, I got to see some new 6th-generation Ford Broncos, and to test drive one. I went into this with very high, possibly unrealistic expectations; a good way top set myself up for disappointment when what I finally get to see doesn't rise to those expectations.

For months, now, I've been convinced that what I want to spend a good chunk of my recent inheritance on is a new vehicle, more suitable to my current profession than the 2016 Dodge Dart that I am currently driving. I've become rather fixated on the new Ford Bronco, and as I look at other possible candidate vehicles, “on paper”, I keep coming back to the Bronco as looking like the best choice for me.

Now, having finally seen several in real life, and having test-driven one of them and examined it in detail, I can say that it has totally, utterly failed to disappoint me. It seems to be everything I expected of it, and better.

I now have my order in, and am waiting at the back of a long line, for a 2022 4-door Bronco Badlands. I wanted the hard top, but the dealer estimate that settling for the soft top would cut my wait time by about half a year, and after my test drive, I've decided I can live with the soft top until a hard top becomes available much later to install in its place. Perhaps, by then, the aftermarket may even come out with something better and/or less expensive than the version that Ford is struggling so much to get to market.

This link leads to the build that I ordered.

View attachment 553009

I was wondering why Honda has no cars on their lot.
My understanding is they can't get parts to build the cars....thanks to outsourcing to China.
Maybe they could tell China to suck eggs and let the Japanese make the parts.

 

[Bob Blaylock]

Fuckin sick! Congrats!

Actually based on my observation, it appears to be very healthy. Not sick at all.

 

[Ringel05]

Kinda looks like a cross between a Jeep and a Range Rover..........

 

[Godboy]

Actually based on my observation, it appears to be very healthy. Not sick at all.

Boooooo!

 

[DGS49]

The obvious target is the Jeep Wrangler, which is iconic in this marketplace, but not the greatest vehicle. The resale value on the Jeeps is incredible, despite years and years of Consumer Reports badmouthing them. You could fill a small pamphlet with the Jeep's shortcomings, but for people who want such a vehicle, they just don't care.

With the possible exception of defects in the hardtops, Ford seems to have "hit a home run," so to speak, with both the Bronco and the Bronco Sport.

And as a side remark, I think their Maverick will also sell faster than they can make them for the first couple years. I've been saying forever that the American public would like a SMALL pickup. And now we have one.

 

[Bob Blaylock]

The obvious target is the Jeep Wrangler, which is iconic in this marketplace, but not the greatest vehicle. The resale value on the Jeeps is incredible, despite years and years of Consumer Reports badmouthing them. You could fill a small pamphlet with the Jeep's shortcomings, but for people who want such a vehicle, they just don't care.

With the possible exception of defects in the hardtops, Ford seems to have "hit a home run," so to speak, with both the Bronco and the Bronco Sport.

And as a side remark, I think their Maverick will also sell faster than they can make them for the first couple years. I've been saying forever that the American public would like a SMALL pickup. And now we have one.

I think it's been made very clear that Ford specifically intends the Bronco to compete primarily against the Jeep Wrangler. My impression is that it's meant to be amore civilized alternative thereto. At this point, there seems to be much disagreement as to which of the two vehicles is really better for off-roading, but the consensus seems to be very solid that the Bronco handles itself much better than the Wrangler on paved roads.

My off-road needs are modest, so even the least capable possible version of the Bronco will be more than adequate on that front. I just need something that can handle getting in and out of construction sites with bad terrain, much better than my present vehicle can. I ended up ordering the Badlands trim, billed as being the “Extreme Off-Roading” version, primarily because that is the lowest trim level on which I can get all the features that I really want. In fact, really, the only one suitable to my wants. The next trim up, the Wildtrak, cannot be had without the Sasquatch package, which I think would actually be detrimental to my purposes.

 

[DGS49]

Ford is having a ton of issues with the Bronco. Now passenger airbags may be defective. Removable tops are discoloring and delaminating.

Only 25% of new inventory will be dedicated to those who pre-ordered, which means you might have to wait more than a year to get what you thought you bought.

Buying the first year of anything is a big gamble. I would be sure and buy the supplementary warranty.

 

[Bob Blaylock]

Ford is having a ton of issues with the Bronco. Now passenger airbags may be defective. Removable tops are discoloring and delaminating.

A relatively small batch of airbags, made during a specific period, were folded incorrectly. Shouldn't affect mine, since mine isn't even built yet, and the airbag problem has already been found and resolved.

There've been some serious quality and supply problems with the removable hard tops. Ford outsourced the hardtops to Webasto, a company that has long been in the business of making roof parts for luxury cars. In spite of a long established and very good reputation, Webasto managed to somehow fuck this one up very badly. Ford's in the process of straightening this out, but it's caused serious delays for those who ordered hard tops, and recall issues for those who got Broncos with hard tops before Ford stopped shipping them. Remaining delays pertaining to getting the corrected hard tops to market are why I settled for a soft top in my order. I'll live with that until I am able to get a godo hard top, either from Ford or from the aftermarket.

Only 25% of new inventory will be dedicated to those who pre-ordered, which means you might have to wait more than a year to get what you thought you bought.

My dealer estimates that it'll be around June of next year when I get mine with the soft top. More like near the end of 2022 or early 2023 if I were to hold out for a hard top.

For that difference in wait time, I'll live with the soft top, and look to getting a hard top later, when they become more easily available. Maybe the aftermarket will come through before Ford gets theirs sorted out, perhaps with one that is even better and/ort less expensive than Ford's.

Buying the first year of anything is a big gamble. I would be sure and buy the supplementary warranty.

I agree. That's why I'm not too bothered by the fact that timing of my inheritance coming in put me past the ordering point for the 2021 model year, and into the 2022 model year. I figure the 2021 model year is the “beta test” version, where all the problems will be discovered and corrected.

But so far, from the traffic on the Bronco 6G forum, the vast majority of those who have their 2021 Broncos are very happy with them, and having very little trouble. This biggest complaints seem to be about the wait to get them, and shady dealers hitting them with huge markups, in the thousands or tens of thousands of dollars, above the price that they thought they had agreed on before the waited, in many cases, well over a year. That latter point is why my wife and I drove into Hell (AKA the Bay Area) last weekend, to put in our order with a dealer who has a very solid reputation for not pulling that kind of bullshit.

 

[DrLove]

I'm waiting on my F150 Lightning. Should be around August.

 

[Bob Blaylock]

I'm waiting on my F150 Lightning. Should be around August.

Even if it's a Ford, any electric vehicle is not worthy of being mentioned in the same thread as the Bronco.

 

[DrLove]

Even if it's a Ford, any electric vehicle is not worthy of being mentioned in the same thread as the Bronco.

C'mon now Bob, the reviews on this one are pretty much universally spectacular. AND I'll get around 12 grand in tax credits.

I'll wave when I pass you at the gas station.

 

[Bob Blaylock]

C'mon now Bob, the reviews on this one are pretty much universally spectacular. AND I'll get around 12 grand in tax credits.

I'll wave when I pass you at the gas station.

I'll wave when I pass by, as you're stuck by the side of the road with a dead battery, and no way anywhere nearby to get it recharged.

 

[Lastamender]

FORD= Found on roadside dead
FORD= Fix or repair daily
FORD= Fucked over royally dude.

Congrats. Kidding.

 

[DrLove]

I'll wave when I pass by, as you're stuck by the side of the road with a dead battery, and no way anywhere nearby to get it recharged.

Not worried Bob. I'll have a 300 mile range and RARELY drive more than 4 hours at a time. Ford also has the battery issue nailed down and it comes with an eight year warranty.

But hey man, I do like your Bronco. Wanna race?

Ford, SK to invest $11.4 bln to add electric F-150 plant, three battery factories

Ford Motor Co and its Korean battery partner SK Innovation will invest $11.4 billion to build an electric F-150 assembly plant and three battery plants in the United States, accelerating the U.S. automaker's push into electric vehicles.

www.reuters.com

 

[Ringel05]

Maybe it's time I upgraded.

 

[Lastamender]

Maybe it's time I upgraded.

Is that the wife?

 

[Ringel05]

Is that the wife?