QOTD: Worthy of the Hype?
It’s time to render a verdict, fair jurors.
You’ve now seen the Ford Bronco from every angle, in every guise, and probably spend part of your evening figuring out just what you could afford (sorry, Canadians — the entry-level Base tops $40k in your overpriced country; it’s $28,500 before destination in the U.S.). Ford clearly put a lot of effort into its swing.
Was it a miss, or did the Blue Oval knock it out of the park?
It’s rare to witness online journalists pledge their scarce dollars on a new vehicle, but that’s what some were seen doing last night. It says something about the Bronco’s appeal. There’s a vast array of goodies to be had in the returning model, and a lot of the vehicle’s charm lies in just how basic the Bronco can get — while remaining perfectly capable.
I’ll admit that my own cynical self, annoyed by the megaton of buzz and anticipatory hype foisted upon this returning nameplate, came away quite enamored by the Bronco. That said, it’ll be interesting to see whether the model has staying power in its fight against the long-running Jeep Wrangler. After that initial first year, after the early enthusiasm dies down, who knows where the volume will go.
It at least looks like it stands a chance — there’s just too much going for it. And the build configurations! There’s actually choice to be had here.
So, rather than go on and on about what I like about it, get typing, B&B. Ford aimed to bring back a retro, heritage-steeped model to take on an a rugged rival. Did it meet your expectations, surpass them, or fall short of the mark?
[Images: Ford]
More by Steph Willems
Latest Car Reviews
Read moreLatest Product Reviews
Read moreRecent Comments
- 1995 SC I will say that year 29 has been a little spendy on my car (Motor Mounts, Injectors and a Supercharger Service since it had to come off for the injectors, ABS Pump and the tool to cycle the valves to bleed the system, Front Calipers, rear pinion seal, transmission service with a new pan that has a drain, a gaggle of capacitors to fix the ride control module and a replacement amplifier for the stereo. Still needs an exhaust manifold gasket. The front end got serviced in year 28. On the plus side blank cassettes are increasingly easy to find so I have a solid collection of 90 minute playlists.
- MaintenanceCosts My own experiences with, well, maintenance costs:Chevy Bolt, ownership from new to 4.5 years, ~$400*Toyota Highlander Hybrid, ownership from 3.5 to 8 years, ~$2400BMW 335i Convertible, ownership from 11.5 to 13 years, ~$1200Acura Legend, ownership from 20 to 29 years, ~$11,500***Includes a new 12V battery and a set of wiper blades. In fairness, bigger bills for coolant and tire replacement are coming in year 5.**Includes replacement of all rubber parts, rebuild of entire suspension and steering system, and conversion of car to OEM 16" wheel set, among other things
- Jeff Tesla should not be allowed to call its system Full Self-Driving. Very dangerous and misleading.
- Slavuta America, the evil totalitarian police state
- Steve Biro I have news for everybody: I don't blame any of you for worrying about the "gummint" monitoring you... but you should be far more concerned about private industry doing the same thing.
Comments
Join the conversation
I am impressed. Loos like they got it right. Really liking the base model two door with the manual transmission. V-6 would be better, but I'll compromise :-) Might trade one of our trucks in on it - in time, after the markups have been removed of course.
Don't buy a year 1 vehicle. It wouldn't have been delayed this long unless there were development problems.