Jeep Wrangler VS Bronco: An In-Depth Review

This time in the ring we have the Jeep Wrangler VS the Ford Bronco, but will one of them actually get the knockout? These two have been in the battle for the best off-road vehicle for quite some time, but Jeep took the last victory when Ford decided to stop making the Bronco in 1996. After 25 years, the Ford Bronco is back and ready to fight once again against the infamous Jeep Wrangler. 

Starting off the fight with their horsepower, the Ford Bronco takes the lead with 270-310 horsepower, while the Jeep Wrangler comes in with only about 260-285 horsepower. The Jeep Wrangler’s torque ranges from 260-442 lb-ft, whereas the Ford Bronco torque ranges from 310-400 lb-ft and they both have an identical towing rating of 3,500 lbs. 

The interior space however does seem to be slightly bigger with the Ford Bronco, by a few inches, but if you think size matters then this alone may be a selling point for you. One drawback from the Bronco is that even with their 270 horsepower turbocharged 2.3 liter four-cylinder and 310 horsepower twin turbocharged 2.7 liter V6, they lack a diesel option. Jeep has a 260 horsepower turbo-diesel 3.0 liter V6 that puts them back in the lead. Also, if you happen to be a fan of the fold-down windshield that is so classic to the Jeep brand, you will be disappointed to know that there is currently no option for a fold-down windshield with the Ford Bronco. 

One major draw to the Bronco is their crawler-gear-equipped seven-speed manual transmission, which offers a crawl ratio of 94.7:1, which is pretty sweet. But, unfortunately this is not possible to get with the V6 option or with the Sasquatch package, which would give you the larger 35 inch tires. If the larger tires or V6 option are a must for you, then your crawl ratio will be about 67.8:1, which may be a deal breaker compared to the Wrangler’s 77.2:1 or 84.2:1. 

For you Jeep fans, a big draw to the Jeep Wrangler is the availability of accessories and mods, where you are able to create one heck of an off-road vehicle. Although Ford is trying to compete by launching over 200 factory accessories for the Bronco, this is just a drop in the bucket in comparison to all of the accessories and mods that you would be able to get for the Jeep Wrangler.

This is a major downside to the Bronco, but unfortunately it is not one that Ford will be able to solve quickly. It will likely be a while before lots of aftermarket accessories and mods will become widely available for the Bronco, let alone a while until it can compete with the number already available for the Wrangler. So if the Bronco’s specs seem to catch your attention, be wary of the fact that it may not have the mods and options that you could get with a wrangler for potentially a year or more.